FLOW PATH SWITCHING VALVE AND DISCHARGE CONTROL APPARATUS FOR FLUID MATERIAL USING THE SAME

• US 20130068330A1
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.), Koganei Corporation
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.), Koganei Corporation
• Inventors: Ohmura, Yuta, Murata, Susumu, Edagawa, Youhei
• Granted Patent: US 9,133,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/625.17
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/0225 characterised by flow controlling means, e.g. valves, located proximate the outlet B05C5/0258, B05C5/0275 take precedence; supply valves upstream the coating head B05C11/1036
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/0565 moving in a combined straight line and rotating movement
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/07 with cylindrical slides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86549 Selective reciprocation or rotation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86879 Reciprocating valve unit

Abstract

A flow path switching valve has an injection side portion formed with an injection chamber and an outer valve seating surface, and a discharge side portion provided with a partition member formed with an inner valve seating surface. A discharge control block communicating with a discharge chamber is formed with a control flow path which is increased and decreased in volume by a discharge rod. To fill the control flow path with grease, a valve element closes an inner flow path and opens an outer flow path. On the other hand, to discharge the grease in the control flow path to the discharge chamber, the valve element closes the outer flow path and opens the inner flow path. After being supplied to the control flow path, the grease is supplied to the discharge chamber.

Claims

1. A flow path switching valve for switching a guide flow path for guiding a fluid material to a dispenser, comprising:

an injection chamber to which the fluid material pressurized by a compressed air is supplied, and an outer valve seating surface which is cylindrical and continuous from the injection chamber;

a partition member which is cylindrical and arranged on the inside of the outer valve seating surface in a radial direction, and partitions an internal space into a discharge chamber formed on the inside of the partition member and an annular feed chamber formed on the outside of the partition member;

an inner valve seating surface provided to the tip side portion of the partition member, wherein a valve chamber is formed between the inner valve seating surface and the outer valve seating surface;

a discharge control block formed with a control flow path which is connected to the feed chamber, wherein the volume of the control flow path is changed by a discharge rod; and

a valve element having a base portion which is arranged in the valve chamber, and opens and closes an inner flow path formed between the inner valve seating surface and the base portion of the valve element, and an annular flange portion which is integrally formed with the base portion, and opens and closes an outer flow path formed between the annular flange portion and the outer valve seating surface with elastic deformation,

wherein the flow path switching valve performs;

a filling operation in which the annular flange portion elastically deforms and separates from the outer valve seating surface to flow the fluid material into the control flow path from the injection chamber, and the base portion abuts on the inner valve seating surface to stop the flow of the fluid material to the discharge chamber;

a balance operation in which the elastic deformation of the annular flange portion is restored to be in contact with the outer valve seating surface and closes the outer flow path; and

a discharge operation in which when the discharge rod shrinks the volume in the control flow path and the pressure in the control flow path becomes higher than the pressure in the injection chamber, the base portion of the valve element separates from the inner valve seating surface, discharges the fluid material from the control flow path to the discharge chamber.

2. A discharge control apparatus for discharging a fluid material to a dispenser, the discharge control apparatus comprising:

an injection chamber to which the fluid material pressurized by a compressed air is supplied, and an outer valve seating surface which is cylindrical and continuous from the injection chamber;

a partition member which is cylindrical and arranged on the inside of the outer valve seating surface in a radial direction, and partitions an internal space into a discharge chamber formed on the inside of the partition member and an annular feed chamber formed on the outside of the partition member;

an inner valve seating surface provided to the tip side portion of the partition member, wherein a valve chamber is formed between the inner valve seating surface and the outer valve seating surface;

a discharge control block formed with a control flow path which is connected to the feed chamber, wherein the volume of the control flow path is changed by a discharge rod;

discharging means provided to the discharge control block to reciprocate the discharge rod; and

a valve element having a base portion which is arranged in the valve chamber, and opens and closes an inner flow path formed between the inner valve seating surface and the base portion of the valve element, and an annular flange portion which is integrally formed with the base portion, and opens and closes an outer flow path formed between the annular flange portion and the outer valve seating surface with elastic deformation,

wherein discharge control apparatus performs;

a filling operation in which the annular flange portion elastically deforms and separates from the outer valve seating surface to flow the fluid material into the control flow path from the injection chamber, and the base portion abuts on the inner valve seating surface to stop the flow of the fluid material to the discharge chamber;

a balance operation in which the elastic deformation of the annular flange portion is restored to be in contact with the outer valve seating surface and closes the outer flow path; and

a discharge operation in which when the discharge rod shrinks the volume in the control flow path and the pressure in the control flow path becomes higher than the pressure in the injection chamber, the base portion of the valve element separates from the inner valve seating surface, discharges the fluid material from the control flow path to the discharge chamber.

3. The discharge control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the discharging means has a driving case in which the discharge rod is accommodated reciprocably,

wherein the discharge rod is inserted into the control flow path with the discharge control block being arranged while allowing the control flow path filled with the fluid material to face in an upper direction, and the driving case is attached to the discharge control block with the fluid material being overflowed from the control flow path.

4. The discharge control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the discharging means has:

a driving rod for driving the discharge rod; and

a driving case in which the driving rod is accommodated and reciprocable in the axial direction,

wherein a stroke adjusting member for adjusting a stroke of the driving rod is provided in the driving case.