Valve, fluid controller, and sphygmomanometer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11089967-B2
Application number	US-201816156273-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2016
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A fluid controller includes a piezoelectric pump, a valve, and a cuff. The valve includes a first valve housing, a diaphragm, and a second valve housing. The second valve housing has a second air hole, a third air hole, and a first valve seat. The second air hole connects to the internal space of the cuff. The third air hole connects to the outside of the fluid controller. The first valve seat is formed around the third air hole. Together, the second valve housing and the diaphragm form a first flow passage. The first flow passage connects the second air hole and the third air hole to each other. The second valve housing has a protruded portion protruding toward the diaphragm and providing a portion of the first flow passage. The shortest distance between the protruded portion and the diaphragm is less than the diameter of the third air hole.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A valve comprising:
a valve housing including a first air hole, a second air hole, and a third air hole, the first air hole connecting to an outside of the valve housing and being an air hole into which a fluid flows, the second air hole connecting to a container into which the fluid flows or the second air hole being from which the fluid flows, the third air hole connecting to the outside of the valve housing to which the fluid flows out; and
a valve body providing a first flow passage together with the valve housing, the first flow passage connecting the second air hole and the third air hole to each other, wherein:
when the valve body comes into contact with the valve housing, an inside of the valve housing is not in fluid communication with the outside of the valve housing via the third air hole, and when the valve body moves away from the valve housing, the inside of the valve housing is in fluid communication with the outside of the valve housing via the third air hole,
the valve housing has a protruded portion protruding toward the valve body and providing a portion of the first flow passage,
the first flow passage has a narrow portion provided by the protruded portion and the valve body, and
a shortest distance between the protruded portion and the valve body is less than a minimum width of the third air hole in an opening plane.

2. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein:
the valve housing further includes a first valve seat,
the first valve seat is provided around the third air hole, and
when the valve body comes into contact with the first valve seat, an inside of the valve housing is not in fluid communication with the outside of the valve housing via the third air hole, and when the valve body moves away from the first valve seat, the inside of the valve housing is in fluid communication with the outside of the valve housing via the third air hole.

3. The valve according to claim 2 , wherein:
together, the valve body and the valve housing provide a first valve chamber and a second valve chamber, the first valve chamber connecting to the first air hole, and the second valve chamber connecting to the second air hole and the third air hole,
the valve housing further includes a second valve seat to which the valve body is able to come into contact with or move away from,
the valve body has an opening allowing the first valve chamber and the second valve chamber to connect to each other, and
when the valve body comes into contact with the second valve seat, the first valve chamber and the second valve chamber are not in fluid communication with each other via the opening, and when the valve body moves away from the second valve seat, the first valve chamber and the second valve chamber are in fluid communication with each other via the opening.

4. The valve according to claim 3 , wherein a maximum width of the opening in an opening plane is more than a maximum width of the second air hole in an opening plane.

5. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein:
the valve housing has an intermediate portion between the second air hole and the protruded portion, and
a shortest distance between the intermediate portion and the valve body is greater than a shortest distance between the protruded portion and the valve body in the narrow portion.

6. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein the first flow passage is longer than a shortest distance between the second air hole and the third air hole.

7. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein together, the valve housing and the valve body provide a second flow passage, the second flow passage differing from the first flow passage and providing fluid communication between the second air hole and the third air hole.

8. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein:
the protruded portion has a wall surface configured to adhere to a substance, and
the wall surface is not opposite to the valve body.

9. The valve according to claim 3 ,
wherein when a first pressure in the first valve chamber exceeds a second pressure in the second valve chamber, the valve body is configured to move away from the second valve seat to provide fluid communication between the first air hole and the second air hole via the opening, and the valve body is configured to come into contact with the first valve seat to block the third air hole, and
when the first pressure in the first valve chamber becomes equal to or less than the second pressure in the second valve chamber, the valve body is configured to move away from the first valve seat to provide fluid communication between the second air hole and the third air hole via the first flow passage, and the valve body is configured to come into contact with the second valve seat to block the opening.

10. A fluid controller comprising:
a pump having a discharge hole;
the valve according to claim 1 ; and
a container for storing gas,
wherein the first air hole in the valve is in fluid communication with the discharge hole in the pump,
the second air hole in the valve is in fluid communication with the container, and
the third air hole in the valve is in fluid communication with the atmosphere.

11. A sphygmomanometer comprising the fluid controller according to claim 9 .

12. The valve according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first flow passage is less than a longitudinal distance of the first flow passage.

13. The valve according to claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the first flow passage is less than a longitudinal distance of the first flow passage.

14. The valve according to claim 3 , wherein a thickness of the first flow passage is less than a longitudinal distance of the first flow passage.

15. The valve according to claim 2 , wherein:
the valve housing has an intermediate portion between the second air hole and the protruded portion, and
a shortest distance between the intermediate portion and the valve body is greater than a shortest distance between the protruded portion and the valve body in the narrow portion.

16. The valve according to claim 3 , wherein:
the valve housing has an intermediate portion between the second air hole and the protruded portion, and
a shortest distance between the intermediate portion and the valve body is greater than a shortest distance between the protruded portion and the valve body in the narrow portion.

17. The valve according to claim 2 , wherein the first flow passage is longer than a shortest distance between the second air hole and the third air hole.

18. The valve according to claim 3 , wherein the first flow passage is longer than a shortest distance between the second air hole and the third air hole.

19. The valve according to claim 2 , wherein together, the valve housing and the valve body provide a second flow passage, the second flow passage differing from the first flow passage and providing fluid communication between the second air hole and the third air hole.

20. The valve according to claim 3 , wherein together, the valve housing and the valve body provide a second flow passage, the second flow passage differing from the first flow passage and providing fluid communication between the second air hole and the third air hole.

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Kawamura Kenichiro

Classifications

• A61B5/0235 Primary

  Valves specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• G05D16/163

  using membranes within the main valve · CPC title

• F16K11/22

  with an actuating member for each valve, e.g. interconnected to form multiple-way valves · CPC title

• F04B53/106

  the valve being a membrane · CPC title

• G05D7/0113

  the sensing element acting as a valve · CPC title