Method and apparatus for diagnosing motor-operated valve
First Claim
1. A motor-operated valve diagnostic method for diagnosing a motor-operated valve comprising a valve disc for opening and closing a given passage, a worm rotatably driven by motor power, a link mechanism which opens and closes the valve disc with the rotational driving force transmitted from the worm, and a spring cartridge containing disc springs which expand or compress in response to reaction force acting axially on the worm from the link mechanism, said method comprising:
- calibrating a torque curve representing elastic characteristics of the spring cartridge based on a load including at least a preload of the spring cartridge,diagnosing the motor-operated valve based on the torque curve thus calibrated,detecting a condition of compression of the spring cartridge resulting from the reaction force as axial displacement of the worm,detecting a given physical quantity corresponding to the preload of the spring cartridge, anddetecting the preload of the spring cartridge based on the given physical quantity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A diagnostic method and apparatus for diagnosing a motor-operated valve capable of continuously measuring a preload of a spring cartridge at low costs, with high accuracy, and with ease, so that the elastic characteristics of the spring cartridge may be easily calibrated in a simple manner. The method and apparatus is for diagnosing a motor-operated valve including a valve disc 25, a worm 12 rotatably driven by motor power, a link mechanism which opens and closes the valve disc 25 with the rotational driving force transmitted from the worm 12, and a spring cartridge 13 containing disc springs 15 which expand or compress in response to reaction force acting on the worm 12 in its axial direction from the link mechanism. The method and apparatus calibrates the torque curve representing the elastic characteristics the spring cartridge 13 based on the load corresponding to a specific compression condition of the spring cartridge 13, and based on the torque curve thus calibrated, produces a diagnosis of the motor-operated valve. Accordingly, an easy and quick diagnosis can be achieved on whether the torque-related characteristics of the motor-operated valve are appropriate or not.
21 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A motor-operated valve diagnostic method for diagnosing a motor-operated valve comprising a valve disc for opening and closing a given passage, a worm rotatably driven by motor power, a link mechanism which opens and closes the valve disc with the rotational driving force transmitted from the worm, and a spring cartridge containing disc springs which expand or compress in response to reaction force acting axially on the worm from the link mechanism, said method comprising:
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calibrating a torque curve representing elastic characteristics of the spring cartridge based on a load including at least a preload of the spring cartridge, diagnosing the motor-operated valve based on the torque curve thus calibrated, detecting a condition of compression of the spring cartridge resulting from the reaction force as axial displacement of the worm, detecting a given physical quantity corresponding to the preload of the spring cartridge, and detecting the preload of the spring cartridge based on the given physical quantity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A motor-operated valve diagnostic apparatus for diagnosing a motor-operated valve comprising a valve disc for opening and closing a given passage, a worm rotatably driven by a motor, a link mechanism which opens and closes the valve disc with rotational driving force transmitted from the worm, and a spring cartridge containing disc springs which expand or compress in response to reaction force acting axially on the worm from the link mechanism, said diagnostic apparatus comprising:
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diagnostic means for calibrating a torque curve representing elastic characteristics of the spring cartridge based on at least a preload of the spring cartridge and for producing a diagnosis of the motor-operated valve based on the calibrated torque curve, a worm position sensor for detecting a condition of compression of the spring cartridge, which results from the reaction force, as a worm axial displacement, and a stress sensor for detecting stress acting on the link mechanism or reaction stress generated in an area subjected to the stress acting on the link mechanism, and wherein said diagnostic means detects a load corresponding to the preload of the spring cartridge based on the stress detected by the stress sensor when the spring cartridge is under compression, including at least compression at the time the spring cartridge starts deforming, as detected by the worm position sensor. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 31)
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18. A motor-operated valve diagnostic method for diagnosing a motor-operated valve comprising a valve disc for opening and closing a given passage, a worm rotatably driven by motor power, a link mechanism which opens and closes the valve disc with rotational driving force transmitted from the worm, and a spring cartridge containing disc springs which expand or compress in response to reaction force, acting axially on the worm from the link mechanism said method comprising:
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calibrating a torque curve representing elastic characteristics of the spring cartridge with a spring pressing device mounted on the motor-operated valve, the spring pressing device pressing the disc springs axially within the spring cartridge while measuring a relationship between a pressing force applied to the disc springs and a displacement of the disc springs, and diagnosing the motor-operated valve based on the calibrated torque curve. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A motor-operated valve diagnostic apparatus for diagnosing a motor-operated valve comprising a valve disc for opening and closing a given passage, a worm rotatably driven by motor power, a link mechanism which opens and closes the valve disc with rotational driving force transmitted from the worm, and a spring cartridge containing disc springs which expand or compress in response to reaction force acting on the worm from the link mechanism, said diagnostic apparatus comprising:
diagnostic means for calibrating a torque curve representing elastic characteristics of the spring cartridge with a spring pressing device mounted on the motor-operated valve, the spring pressing device pressing the disc springs axially within the spring cartridge while measuring a relationship between a pressing force applied to the disc springs and a displacement of the disc springs, said diagnostic device diagnosing the motor-operated valve based on the calibrated torque curve. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
Specification