Valve apparatus and valve system using thereof

• US 6,391,019 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ito, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonderer, David A
• Application Number:
  US09/675,228
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 251/65, 251/176, 251/177, 251/228, 251/233, 251/234, 137/426, 137/524, 137/530, 137/531, 604/9, 604/891.1
• US Class Current: 604/891.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/006 Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/046 by a spring other than a helicoidal spring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7878 With bias adjustment indicator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7906 Cam means for adjusting and fixing bias
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7907 Varying effective lever arm

Abstract

A valve apparatus of a valve system includes a long-sized elastic member a base end portion of which is fixed and a front end portion of which is brought into contact with a valve element and a movable member capable of moving in B1 and B2 directions actually linearly along a longitudinal direction B of the elastic member between both end portions of the elastic member and having a fulcrum portion for flexing the elastic member in C direction between the both end portions of the elastic member. The movable member is constituted by a slider linearly moved in accordance with a mover of a linear step motor element or rotation of a rotor of a rotary type step motor element.

Claims

1. A valve apparatus comprising:

an elastic member a base end portion of which is fixed and a front end portion of which is brought into contact with a valve element; and

a movable member movable along a longitudinal direction of the elastic member between both portions of the elastic member and having a fulcrum portion for flexing the elastic member between the both end portions of the elastic member.

2. The valve apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said valve apparatus is constituted to be embedded in a body to adjust a pressure of a fluid.

3. The valve apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said valve apparatus is constituted to adjust a pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid.

4. The valve apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable member comprises an element of a linearly driven step motor.

5. The valve apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the step motor element includes a stator constituted to be magnetized in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the elastic member.

6. The valve apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the step motor element having a force holding the movable member at a stationary position is produced when the stator is not applied with an outside magnetic field.

7. A valve system comprising:

the valve apparatus according to claim 6; and

a movable member position control device for applying a pulse-like magnetic field which is directed in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the elastic member and uniform over an entire length of the movable member in a direction of moving the movable member on a stator of a step motor element to move the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the elastic member.

8. The valve system according to claim 7, wherein the movable member position control device is constituted to be arranged at the surface of a body.

9. A valve system comprising:

the valve apparatus according to claim 5, and

a movable member position control device for applying a magnetic field which is directed in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the elastic member and uniform over an entire length of the movable member in a direction of moving the movable member on a stator of a step motor element to move the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the elastic member.

10. The valve system according to claim 9, wherein the movable member position control device is constituted to be arranged at the surface of a body.

11. The valve apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is coupled to a converting mechanism for converting rotation of a step motor element of a rotary type into a linear motion.

12. The valve apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the step motor element includes a stator constituted to be magnetized in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the elastic member.

13. The valve apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the step motor element having a force holding the movable member at a stationary position is produced when the stator is not applied with an outside magnetic field.

14. A valve system comprising:

the valve apparatus according to claim 13; and

a movable member position control device for applying a pulse-like magnetic field which is directed in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the elastic member and uniform over an entire length of the movable member in a direction of moving the movable member on a stator of a step motor element to move the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the elastic member.

15. The valve system according to claim 14, wherein the movable member position control device is constituted to be arranged at the surface of a body.

16. A valve system comprising:

the valve apparatus according to claim 12; and

a movable member position control device for applying a pulse-like magnetic field which is directed in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the elastic member and uniform over an entire length of the movable member in a direction of moving the movable member on a stator of a step motor element to move the movable member in the longitudinal direction of the elastic member.

17. The valve system according to claim 16, wherein the movable member position control device is constituted to be arranged at the surface of the body.