Valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11043367-B2
Application number	US-201916431874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2019
Priority date	Jun 5, 2019
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a valve 130 which requires only a small space for the open/close operation of an opening 113 in a partition wall. A sealing part 140 includes a sealing member 141 for sealing the opening by being pressed onto the partition wall around the opening. An urging means 144 urges the sealing member 141 against the opening when the sealing member 141 is in contact with the opening. A driving means 160 generates a driving force orthogonal to an opening central axis A which is an axis perpendicular to a partition plate 111 and passing through the center of the opening. A linkage 150, which is a Scott Russell linkage connecting the sealing part 140 and the driving means 160, converts the driving force of the driving means 160 into a driving force which is parallel to the opening central axis A and makes the sealing part 140 move along the same axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A valve, comprising:
a sealing part comprising a sealing member configured to be pressed onto a partition wall dividing a space into two and seal an opening formed in the partition wall;
a driving device configured to generate a driving force in a direction parallel to the opening; and
a linkage comprising a first arm and a second arm such that the second arm is connected to the first arm rotatably about a rotation axis at a connection point on the first arm,
wherein the sealing part is connected to a portion of the first arm on a first side of the connection point, the driving device is connected to a driving point on another portion of the first arm on a second side of the connection point on an opposite side with respect to the first side, the second arm has a fixed point fixed such that the second arm is rotatable about an axis parallel to the rotation axis at the connection point, and the linkage is configured to fold the sealing part along the linkage into a flat form extending in the direction of the driving force of the driving device to an open position, raise the sealing part in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the driving force of the driving device to a closed position, and convert a reciprocal motion of the driving point driven by the driving force of the driving device into a motion of the sealing member such that the sealing member moves closer to or farther from the partition wall.

2. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the linkage is a Scott Russell linkage.

3. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing part further comprises an urging device configured to urge the sealing member against the opening when the sealing member is in contact with the opening.

4. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the linkage includes two Scott Russell linkages symmetrically positioned with respect to an opening central axis perpendicular to the partition wall and passing through the center of the opening, the driving device is configured to simultaneously apply, to the two Scott Russell linkages, two driving forces directed orthogonally to the opening central axis and opposite to each other, and the two Scott Russell linkages are configured to convert the driving forces directed opposite to each other into two driving forces directed parallel to the opening central axis and in a same direction and to make the sealing part move along the opening central axis by the two driving forces directed parallel to the opening central axis and in the same direction.

5. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the partition wall is formed between a sample chamber and an analysis chamber in a mass spectrometer, and the driving device includes an XY stage in the sample chamber such that the XY stage is configured to change a position of a sample in a plane parallel to the partition wall.

6. A valve, comprising:
a sealing member configured to be pressed onto a partition wall dividing a space into two and seal an opening formed in the partition wall;
a driving device configured to generate a driving force in a direction parallel to the opening formed in the partition wall; and
a linkage comprising a first arm and a second arm such that the second arm is connected to the first arm rotatably about a rotation axis at a connection point on the first arm and that the first arm elastically deforms and is configured to urge the sealing member against the opening when the sealing member comes in contact with a circumferential area around the opening,
wherein the sealing member is connected to a portion of the first arm on a first side of the connection point, the driving device is connected to a driving point on another portion of the first arm on a second side of the connection point on an opposite side with respect to the first side, the second arm has a fixed point such that the second arm is rotatable about an axis parallel to the rotation axis at the connection point, and the linkage is configured to fold the sealing part along the linkage into a flat form extending in the direction of the driving force of the driving device to an open position, raise the sealing part in a direction obliquely upward with respect to the direction of the driving force of the driving device to a closed position, and convert a reciprocal motion of the driving point driven by the driving force of the driving device into a motion of the sealing member such that the sealing member moves closer to or farther from the partition wall.

7. The valve according to claim 6 , wherein the partition wall is formed between a sample chamber and an analysis chamber in a mass spectrometer, and the driving device includes an XY stage in the sample chamber such that the XY stage is configured to change a position of a sample in a plane parallel to the partition wall.

8. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device includes a motor, a ball screw connected to the motor, and a ball nut connected to the ball screw and the first arm at the driving point.

9. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing part includes the sealing member comprising an O-ring, a cylindrical ring-holding member holding the sealing member, a base member connected to the portion of the first arm of the linkage, and a coil spring positioned between the cylindrical ring-holding member and the base member.

10. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device includes a motor, a ball screw connected to the motor, and a ball nut connected to the ball screw and the first arm at the driving point, and the sealing part includes the sealing member comprising an O-ring, a cylindrical ring-holding member holding the sealing member, a base member connected to the portion of the first arm of the linkage, and a coil spring positioned between the cylindrical ring-holding member and the base member.

11. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device includes a tension spring connected to the first arm at the driving point, and an XY stage in the sample chamber such that the XY stage is configured to change a position of a sample in a plane parallel to the partition wall.

12. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device is configured to drive an XY stage in the sample chamber such that the XY stage is configured to change a position of a sample in a plane parallel to the partition wall.

13. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device is configured to drive an XY stage in the sample chamber such that the XY stage is configured to change a position of a sample in a plane parallel to the partition wall, and the sealing part includes the sealing member comprising an O-ring, a cylindrical ring-holding member holding the sealing member, a base member connected to the portion of the first arm of the linkage, and a coil spring positioned between the cylindrical ring-holding member and the base member.

14. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the partition wall is a partition plate formed between a sample chamber and an analysis chamber in a mass spectrometer, and the partition plate has an extractor electrode having the opening formed therein.

15. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing part includes the sealing member comprising an O-ring.

16. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device comprises a linear actuator connected to the first arm at the driving point.

17. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the driving device comprises a rotation-to linear-motion conversion mechanism connected to the first arm at the driving point.

Assignees

• Shimadzu Corp

Inventors

• Hosoi Kosuke

Classifications

• F16K31/44

  Mechanical actuating means · CPC title

• F16K51/02

  specially adapted for high-vacuum installations · CPC title

• F16K1/308

  Connecting means · CPC title

• H01H2033/6667

  Details concerning lever type driving rod arrangements · CPC title

• F16H21/44

  for conveying or interconverting oscillating or reciprocating motions · CPC title