Variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller

• US 9,507,352 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2013
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujikin Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fujikin Incorporated
• Inventors: Dohi, Ryousuke, Nishino, Kouji, Sawada, Yohei, Ikeda, Nobukazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Murphy, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, MINH Q
• Application Number:
  US14/397,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20150114499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 137/488, 137/486, 137/487.5, 137/14, 251/251
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/04 using a motor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/52491 comprising a diaphragm cut-off apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 7/16 the diaphragm being mechanically actuated, e.g. by screw-spindle or cam
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0647 the plurality of throttling means being arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87917 Flow path with serial valves and/or closures

Abstract

In a variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller that includes a pressure control unit and a variable orifice unit, computes a flow rate of a fluid distributed through an orifice of the variable orifice unit as Q_P1=KP₁ (P₁ is an orifice upstream side pressure and K is a constant), and switches a flow control range and performs flow control in the flow control range by changing a set flow rate signal Qs for a flow rate arithmetic and control unit of the pressure control unit and an orifice opening degree setting signal Qz for an orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit of the variable orifice unit, the variable orifice unit includes the orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit.

Claims

1. A variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller, comprising:

a pressure control unit; and

a variable orifice unit including,

a direct touch type metal diaphragm valve having a valve seat and a diaphragm,

an orifice formed of a ring-shaped clearance between the valve seat of the direct touch type metal diaphragm valve and the diaphragm,

an orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit,

a stepping motor operably connected to be driven in response to an orifice control signal from the orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit,

an eccentric cam operably connected to be turned by the stepping motor,

a diaphragm presser, and

a direct touch type metal diaphragm valve having a valve opening degree arranged to be controlled by the eccentric cam via the diaphragm presser;

wherein the variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller is arranged to

compute a flow rate of a fluid distributed through the orifice of the variable orifice unit according to the formula Q_P1=KP1 (wherein P1 is an orifice upstream side pressure and K is a constant), and

switch a flow control range, and

perform flow control in a predetermined flow control range by changing a set flow rate signal Q_S for the flow rate arithmetic and control unit of the pressure control unit and an orifice opening degree setting signal Q_Z for an orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit of the variable orifice unit,

wherein the eccentric cam of the variable orifice unit further includes

a rotary shaft body to which a motor shaft is fixed vertically so that the motor shaft is eccentric by a predetermined distance from a center of the rotary shaft body,

a first bearing fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft body,

a flange-shaped cam plate fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the first bearing, and

wherein the cam plate is movable by the predetermined distance in the left-right direction in a non-rotating state by turning the rotary shaft body.

2. The variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller according to claim 1, further comprising a flow controller main body, wherein the direct touch type metal diaphragm valve forming the variable orifice unit further includes:

a recess portion having a planar bottom surface formed by drilling on a side surface of the flow controller main body,

a valve seat having a desired passage hole diameter formed on the bottom surface of the recess portion,

an inverted dish-shaped diaphragm disposed to face the valve seat,

a diaphragm presser disposed to face the diaphragm and having an outer end portion brought into contact with an outer peripheral surface of the cam plate, and

a pressing metal fixture screwed and fixed into the recess portion, disposed to hold the diaphragm presser movably in a left-right direction, and press and fix the outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm.

3. The variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a contact portion between the outer peripheral surface of the cam plate and the outer end portion of the diaphragm presser displaceable only in a left-right direction when the eccentric cam turns.

4. The variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller according to claim 1, wherein a turning angle of the stepping motor is set to 0 to 200 degrees, and in the turning angle range, the diaphragm presser is displaceable by a fixed distance in the left-right direction by the eccentric cam.

5. The variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller according to claim 1, further comprising a displacement sensor provided at a position axisymmetric to the contact portion between the outer peripheral surface of the cam plate of the eccentric cam and the outer end portion of the diaphragm presser to detect a displacement amount in the horizontal direction of the contact portion according to turning of the cam plate, wherein the displacement sensor is operable connected to inputs a detected orifice opening degree signal into the orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit.

6. The variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller according to claim 1, wherein a shut-off valve is disposed in the upstream side passage of the variable orifice of the variable orifice unit.

7. A variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller, comprising:

a pressure control unit;

a variable orifice unit including,

a direct touch type racial diaphragm valve having a valve seat and a diaphragm,

an orifice formed of a ring-shaped clearance between the valve seat of the direct touch type metal diaphragm valve and the diaphragm,

an orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit,

a stepping motor operably connected to be driven in response to an orifice control signal from the orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit,

an eccentric cam operably connected to be turned by the stepping motor,

a diaphragm presser, and

a direct touch type metal diaphragm valve having a valve opening degree arranged to be controlled by the eccentric cam via the diaphragm presser;

wherein the variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller is arranged to

compute a flow rate of a fluid distributed through the orifice of the variable orifice unit according to the formula Q_P1=KP₁ (wherein P₁ is an orifice upstream side pressure and K is a constant), and

switch a flow control range, and

perform flow control in a predetermined flow control range by changing a set flow rate signal Qs for the flow rate arithmetic and control unit of the pressure control unit and an orifice opening degree setting signal Qz for an orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit of the variable orifice unit; and

a control unit including the flow rate arithmetic and control unit of the pressure control unit and the orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit of the variable orifice unit;

wherein the control unit is arranged to, when the set flow rate signal changes according to switching of the flow control range, input an orifice opening signal into the orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit simultaneously with the change in the set flow rate signal to increase the orifice opening degree of the variable orifice unit, and, after a predetermined time elapses, input a predetermined orifice opening degree setting signal into the orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit to keep the orifice opening degree at the desired predetermined opening degree.

8. The variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller according to claim 7, wherein a fluid passage hole diameter of the valve seat of the direct touch type metal diaphragm valve forming the variable orifice is set to 0.1 to 0.5 mm, and the 100% set flow rate is set to 10 sccm.

9. The variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller according to claim 7, wherein a shut-off valve is disposed in the upstream side passage of the variable orifice of the variable orifice unit.

10. The variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller of claim 9, wherein a fluid passage hole diameter of the valve seat of the direct touch type metal diaphragm valve forming the variable orifice is set to 0.1 to 0.5 mm, and the 100% set flow rate is set to 10 sccm.

11. A variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller, comprising:

a pressure control unit;

a variable orifice unit including,

a direct touch type metal diaphragm valve having a valve seat and a diaphragm,

an orifice formed of a ring-shaped clearance between the valve seat of the direct touch type metal diaphragm valve and the diaphragm,

an orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit,

a stepping motor operably connected to be driven in response to an orifice control signal from the orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit,

an eccentric cam operably connected to be turned by the stepping motor,

a diaphragm presser, and

a direct touch type metal diaphragm valve having a valve opening degree arranged to be controlled by the eccentric cam via the diaphragm presser,

wherein the variable orifice type pressure-controlled flow controller is arranged to

compute a flow rate of a fluid distributed through the orifice of the variable orifice unit according to the formula Q_P1=KP₁ (wherein P₁ is an orifice upstream side pressure and K is a constant), and

switch a flow control range, and

perform flow control in a predetermined flow control range by changing a set flow rate signal Qs for the flow rate arithmetic and control unit of the pressure control unit and an orifice opening degree setting signal Qz for an orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit of the variable orifice unit; and

a control unit including the flow rate arithmetic and control unit of the pressure control unit and the orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit of the variable orifice unit,

wherein the control unit is arranged to, when the set flow rate signal changes according to switching of the flow control range, input an orifice opening signal into the orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit simultaneously with the change in the set flow rate signal to increase the orifice opening degree of the variable orifice unit, and, after a predetermined time elapses, input a predetermined orifice opening degree setting signal into the orifice opening degree arithmetic and control unit to keep the orifice opening degree at the desired predetermined opening degree, and

wherein the variable orifice opening degree is kept at a degree being 1.5 times or more larger than the opening degree in the set flow rate range for 0.1 to 0.5 seconds, and the lowering time from the 100% set flow rate to a 20% set flow rate during flow control is within 1 second.