Sensor-equipped joint member

• US 7,896,030 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujikin Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fujikin Incorporated
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shigeaki, Tokuda, Ichiro, Koyomogi, Mutsunori, Tsubota, Kenji, Mine, Ichiro, Yamaji, Michio, Shinohara, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): FOX, JOHN C
• Application Number:
  US11/662,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20070295414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 137/269, 137/270, 137/271, 137/597, 137/884
• US Class Current: 137/884
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/003 Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/85938 Non-valved flow dividers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87885 Sectional block structure

Abstract

The present invention provides a joint member which suppresses the increase of the number of members and enables the provision of a further compactified integrated fluid control apparatus.

A sensor-equipped joint member 10 includes a channel block 41 including a V-shaped channel 41a formed therein for communicating adjacent fluid control devices 16 and 20 to each other at their lower-end openings, and a pressure sensor 42 provided on a side surface of the channel block 41. The channel block 41 is provided with a branched channel 41b which is branched from the V-shaped channel 41a and is communicated to the pressure sensor 42.

Claims

1. A fluid control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of fluid control devices; and

a plurality of fluid joint members, being separate components from the plurality of fluid control devices, provided with a channel for communicating adjacent fluid control devices to each other at their lower-end openings, wherein

at least one of the fluid joint members is a block-shaped joint member provided with a pressure sensor, said pressure sensor being a separate component from the at least one of the fluid joint members, and a communication channel for communicating adjacent fluid control devices to each other at their lower-end openings;

the communication channel being one of U-shaped and V-shaped, a branched channel which is branched from the communication channel and is communicated to the pressure sensor and a pressure sensor mounting recessed portion.

2. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor is provided on a side surface of the fluid joint member.

3. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor is provided on a side surface that is perpendicular to a direction of fluid flow.

4. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor is provided with an RFID tag capable of reading and writing of information in a non-contact manner.

5. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the RFID tag has information written thereto about the single sensor-equipped joint member, and allows information about assembly to be additionally written thereto during the assembly.

6. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication channel and the pressure sensor mounting recessed portion is formed by processing the block-shaped joint member.

7. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent fluid joint members are provided flush with each other.

8. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sensor is provided on a side surface of the channel block.

9. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sensor is provided on a side surface that is perpendicular to a direction of fluid flow.

10. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sensor is provided with an RFID tag capable of reading and writing of information in a non-contact manner.

11. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the RFID tag has information written thereto about the single sensor-equipped joint member, and allows information about assembly to be additionally written thereto during the assembly.