Manifold solenoid valve

• US 8,061,379 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koganei Corporation
• Original Assignee: Koganei Corporation
• Inventors: Inaba, Jouji, Okamoto, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHNEIDER, CRAIG M
• Application Number:
  US12/392,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20090212247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 137/269, 137/271, 137/884, 137/625.64, 137/625.66, 137/625.69, 137/625.25, 137/625.67
• US Class Current: 137/271
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0839 Stacked plate type valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/003 Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/426 the actuated valves being cylindrical sliding valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/5283 Units interchangeable between alternate locations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86614 Electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87885 Sectional block structure

Abstract

A plurality of valve assemblies are provided to a base, and an air-supply flow path for supplying compressed air to each valve assembly is formed in the base. A main flow path communicating with the air-supply flow path and communicating with a pilot air-supply flow path is formed in an air supply block. When the compressed air is supplied to the air-supply flow path and the pilot air-supply flow path from the main flow path, a manifold solenoid valve becomes an internal pilot type. An external pilot flow path communicating with the pilot air-supply flow path is formed in an external pilot block, and when the external pilot block is provided, communication between the main flow path and the pilot air-supply flow path is shut off, and the manifold solenoid valve becomes an external pilot type in which the pilot pressure is supplied from the external pilot flow path.

Claims

1. A manifold solenoid valve having a plurality of valve assemblies, each of which has a spool valve shaft and a pilot solenoid valve, the spool valve shaft being movable to a position of causing an air supply port to communicate with an output port and a position of causing the output port to communicate with an exhaust port, the pilot solenoid valve being switched to a position of supplying pilot pressure to the spool valve shaft and a position of stopping supplying the pilot pressure to the spool valve shaft, the manifold solenoid valve comprising:

a base on which the valve assemblies are mounted and in which a common air-supply flow path communicating with the air supply port, a common exhaust flow path communicating with the exhaust port, and a common pilot air-supply flow path supplying the pilot pressure to the pilot solenoid valve are formed, the base being detachably connected to a support member;

an air supply block in which a main flow path communicating with the air-supply flow path, and an internal pilot flow path communicating with the pilot air-supply flow path are formed, the air supply block being disposed on one side of the base and detachably connected to the support member; and

an end block which is disposed on an outer surface side of the air supply block and detachably connected to the support member, and which fixes the base and the air supply block to the support member,

wherein the manifold solenoid valve is set to an internal pilot type of supplying the pilot pressure to the pilot air-supply flow path from the main flow path by connecting the end block to the air supply block connected to the base, and

the manifold solenoid valve is set to an external pilot type of supplying the pilot pressure to the pilot air-supply flow path from an external pilot flow path formed in an external pilot block, the external pilot flow path communicating with the pilot air-supply flow path, the external pilot block shutting off communication between the pilot air-supply flow path and the main flow path, by adding the external pilot block between the base and the air supply block, or between the air supply block and the end block.

2. The manifold solenoid valve according to claim 1, wherein

when the manifold solenoid valve is set to the external pilot type, the external pilot block formed with a communication hole causing the external pilot flow path and the pilot air-supply flow path to communicate with each other is disposed between the end block and the air supply block connected to the base, and the pilot solenoid valve supplies the pilot pressure to the pilot air-supply flow path from the external pilot flow path of the external pilot block,

when the manifold solenoid valve is set to the internal pilot type, the pilot solenoid valve supplies the pilot pressure from the main flow path to the pilot supply flow path via a communication flow path formed in the end block.

3. The manifold solenoid valve according to claim 1, wherein

when the manifold solenoid valve is set to the external pilot type, the external pilot block formed with a communication hole causing the external pilot flow path and the pilot air-supply flow path to communicate with each other, and a through hole causing the main flow path and the air-supply flow path to communicate with each other is disposed between the base and the air supply block, and the pilot solenoid valve supplies the pilot pressure to the pilot air-supply flow path from the external pilot flow path of the external pilot block,

when the manifold solenoid valve is set to the internal pilot type, the pilot solenoid valve supplies the pilot pressure from the main flow path to the pilot supply flow path via a communication flow path formed in the end block.

4. The manifold solenoid valve according to claim 1, wherein

when the manifold solenoid valve is set to the external pilot type, the external pilot block formed with a communication hole causing the external pilot flow path and the pilot air-supply flow path to communicate with each other, and a through hole causing the main flow path and the air-supply flow path to communicate with each other is disposed between the base and the air supply block, and the pilot solenoid valve supplies the pilot pressure to the pilot air-supply flow path from the external pilot flow path of the external pilot block,

when the manifold solenoid valve is set to the internal pilot type, the pilot solenoid valve supplies the pilot pressure from the main flow path to the pilot supply flow path via a communication flow path formed in the air supply block to cause the main flow path and the internal pilot flow path to communicate with each other.

5. The manifold solenoid valve according to claim 2, wherein

the communication hole is formed by a through hole formed in the external pilot block correspondingly to the pilot air-supply flow path so as to be opened to both surfaces of the external pilot block, and by a seal member selectively detachably connected to one of both opening end portions of the through hole so as to close the one opening end portion of the through hole, and

the external pilot block is permitted to be disposed at any of both end portions of the base by changing a mounting position of the seal member.

6. The manifold solenoid valve according to claim 3, wherein

the communication hole is formed by a through hole formed in the external pilot block correspondingly to the pilot air-supply flow path so as to be opened to both surfaces of the external pilot block, and by a seal member selectively detachably connected to one of both opening end portions of the through hole so as to close the one opening end portion of the through hole, and

the external pilot block is permitted to be disposed at any of both end portions of the base by changing a mounting position of the seal member.

7. The manifold solenoid valve according to claim 4, wherein

the communication hole is formed by a through hole formed in the external pilot block correspondingly to the pilot air-supply flow path so as to be opened to both surfaces of the external pilot block, and by a seal member selectively detachably connected to one of both opening end portions of the through hole so as to close the one opening end portion of the through hole, and

the external pilot block is permitted to be disposed at any of both end portions of the base by changing a mounting position of the seal member.