Selector valve with magnetometric sensor

• US 6,612,333 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SMC Corporation (Alamo Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SMC Corporation (Alamo Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Makoto, Miyazoe, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): RIVELL, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US09/961,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20020040735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 137/554, 137/884, 137/625.65
• US Class Current: 137/554
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0402 for linearly sliding valves, e.g. spool valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0431 the electrical control resulting in an on-off function
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2013/0409 Position sensing or feedback of the valve member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8242 Electrical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86622 Motor-operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87885 Sectional block structure

Abstract

By causing an end portion of a spool to extend outside from a valve hole, mounting a magnet to the extending portion, disposing a detecting block between a casing and an end block to surround the magnet, and mounting a magnetometric sensor to the detecting block, necessity for processing for mounting the electromagnetic sensor to the casing is avoided.

Claims

1. A selector valve with a magnetometric sensor, said selector valve comprising:

a casing having a plurality of ports and a valve hole into which said ports open;

a spool housed for sliding in said valve hole and having one end extending outside from said valve hole to switch flow paths;

end blocks configured to house a piston on opposite sides of said casing;

driving means for driving said spool;

a magnet mounted to a portion of said one end of said spool extending from said valve hole so as to move with said spool outside said valve hole;

a detecting block disposed between one end of said casing and one of said end blocks to surround the one end of the spool extending from the valve hole and the magnet mounted to the portion of the one end of the spool extending from the valve hole; and

at least one magnetometric sensor mounted to said detecting block so as to be able to detect magnetism from said magnet.

2. A selector valve according to claim 1, wherein said detecting block includes a first portion sandwiched between said casing and said end block to surround an area where said magnet moves and a second portion positioned along an outer face of said selector valve astride said first portion and said end block, a sensor mounting groove is formed in said second portion in parallel with an axis of said spool and astride said moving area of said magnet, and said magnetometric sensor is fitted in said sensor mounting groove.

3. A selector valve according to claim 2, wherein said magnetometric sensor is mounted in said sensor mounting groove so as to be able to detect said magnetism from said magnet throughout a stroke of said spool and every operating position of said spool can be detected from a change in magnetic flux density due to movement of said magnet.

4. A selector valve according to claim 1, wherein said driving means is a solenoid-operated pilot valve, said spool is switched by one or two pilot valve(s), every pilot valve is mounted to one of said end blocks, and said magnet and said magnetometric sensor are provided on a side of said end blocks to which said pilot valve(s) is(are) not mounted.

5. A selector valve according to claim 2, wherein said driving means is a solenoid-operated pilot valve, said spool is switched by one or two pilot valve(s), every pilot valve is mounted to one of said end blocks, and said magnet and said magnetometric sensor are provided on a side of said end plate to which said pilot valve(s) is(are) not mounted.

6. A selector valve according to claim 1, wherein the driving means is a solenoid-operated pilot valve, the spool is switched by one or two pilot valve(s), every pilot valve is mounted to one of the end blocks, and the magnet and the magnetometric sensor are provided on a side of the end blocks to which the pilot valve(s) is(are) not mounted.

7. A selector valve according to claim 2, wherein the driving means is a solenoid-operated pilot valve, the spool is switched by a pilot valve, the pilot valve is mounted to one of the end blocks, and the magnet and the magnetometric sensor are provided on a side of the end plate to which the pilot valve is not mounted.

8. A selector valve with a magnetometric sensor, the selector valve comprising:

a casing having a plurality of ports and a valve hole into which the ports open;

a spool housed for sliding in the valve hole and having one end extending outside from the valve hole to switch flow paths;

end blocks on opposite sides of the casing;

driving means for driving the spool;

a magnet mounted to a portion of the one end of the spool extending from the valve hole so as to move with the spool outside the valve hole;

a detecting block disposed between one end of the casing and one of the end blocks so as to surround the magnet mounted to the spool; and

at least one magnetometric sensor mounted to the detecting block so as to be able to detect magnetism from the magnet,

wherein the detecting block includes a first portion sandwiched between the casing and the end block to surround an area where the magnet moves and a second portion positioned along an outer face of the selector valve astride the first portion and the end block, a sensor mounting groove is formed in the second portion in parallel with an axis of the spool and astride the moving area of the magnet, and the magnetometric sensor is fitted in the sensor mounting groove.

9. A selector valve according to claim 8, wherein the magnetometric sensor is mounted in the sensor mounting groove so as to be able to detect the magnetism from the magnet throughout a stroke of the spool and every operating position of the spool can be detected from a change in magnetic flux density due to movement of the magnet.

10. A selector valve according to claim 8, wherein the driving means is a solenoid-operated pilot valve, the spool is switched by one or two pilot valve(s), every pilot valve is mounted to one of the end blocks, and the magnet and the magnetometric sensor are provided on a side of the end plate to which the pilot valve(s) is(are) not mounted.

11. A selector valve according to claim 8, wherein the driving means is a solenoid-operated pilot valve, the spool is switched by a pilot valve, the pilot valve is mounted to one of the end blocks, and the magnet and the magnetometric sensor are provided on a side of the end plate to which the pilot valve is not mounted.

12. A selector valve, comprising:

a casing having a plurality of ports and a valve hole into which the ports open;

a spool housed to slide in the valve hole and having one end extending outside from the valve hole to switch flow paths;

end blocks configured to house a piston on opposite sides of the casing;

driving means for driving the spool;

a magnet mounted to a portion of the one end of the spool extending from the valve hole to move with the spool outside the valve hole;

a detecting block disposed between one end of the casing and one of the end blocks to surround the one end of the spool extending from the valve hole and the magnet mounted to the portion of the one end of the spool extending from the valve hole; and

a magnetometric sensor mounted to the detecting block configured to detect magnetism from the magnet.

13. A selector valve according to claim 12, wherein the detecting block comprises a first portion disposed between the casing and the end block to surround an area where the magnet moves and a second portion positioned along an outer face of the selector valve astride the first portion and the end block, a sensor mounting groove is formed in the second portion in parallel with an axis of the spool and astride the moving area of the magnet, and the magnetometric sensor is fitted in the sensor mounting groove.

14. A selector valve according to claim 13, wherein the magnetometric sensor is mounted in the sensor mounting groove to be able to detect the magnetism from the magnet throughout a stroke of the spool and operating positions of the spool can be detected from a change in magnetic flux density due to movement of the magnet.

15. A selector valve according to claim 12, wherein the driving means is a solenoid-operated pilot valve, the spool is switched by a pilot valve, every pilot valve is mounted to one of the end blocks, and the magnet and the magnetometric sensor are provided on a side of the end blocks to which the pilot valve is not mounted.

16. A selector valve according to claim 12, wherein the driving means is a solenoid-operated pilot valve, the spool is switched by one or two pilot valve(s), every pilot valve is mounted to one of the end blocks, and the magnet and the magnetometric sensor are provided on a side of the end blocks to which the pilot valve(s) is(are) not mounted.

17. A selector valve according to claim 13, wherein the driving means is a solenoid-operated pilot valve, the spool is switched by a pilot valve, every pilot valve is mounted to one of the end blocks, and the magnet and the magnetometric sensor are provided on a side of the end plate to which the pilot valve is not mounted.

18. A selector valve according to claim 13, wherein the driving means is a solenoid-operated pilot valve, the spool is switched by one or two pilot valve(s), every pilot valve is mounted to one of the end blocks, and the magnet and the magnetometric sensor are provided on a side of the end plate to which the pilot valve(s) is(are) not mounted.