Fluid control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12135097-B2
Application number	US-202118245788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2021
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

Provided is a fluid control device that is compact and that enables data regarding an internal operation of the device to be acquired.
A fluid control device V is disposed in a flow path of a fluid and enables data regarding an internal operation to be acquired, the fluid control device including a sensor hood 44 to which one or more sensors M 2 for detecting an operation in the fluid control device are attached; a valve body 1 connected to the sensor hood; a diaphragm 42 held below the sensor hood, inside the valve body; a cover portion 5 that covers the outer periphery of the sensor hood; and a circuit board 60 that is electrically connected to the sensor(s) and for which a thickness direction of the circuit board and a flow path direction are arranged in the same direction on the inside of the cover portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid control device that is disposed in a flow path of a fluid and that enables data regarding an internal operation to be acquired, the fluid control device comprising:
a cylindrical sensor hood to which one or more sensors for detecting an operation in the fluid control device are attached;
a valve body connected to the sensor hood;
a diaphragm held below the sensor hood, inside the valve body;
a box-shaped cover portion that covers the outer periphery of the sensor hood; and
a circuit board that is electrically connected to the sensor(s),
wherein the longitudinal direction of the valve body runs along the flow path direction in a state where the valve body is disposed in the flow path,
wherein fitting portions are formed as a pair in positions facing each other on an inside of side walls of the cover portion that run along the longitudinal direction of the valve body,
wherein the sensor hood abuts on the pair of fitting portions,
wherein the circuit board is configured such that a thickness direction of the circuit board and the longitudinal direction of the valve body are arranged in the same direction on a inside of the cover portion,
wherein the circuit board is housed along the side walls of the cover portion, and
wherein the cover portion and the circuit board are arranged on an inside of the valve body in a width direction.

2. The fluid control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuit board is disposed on an upstream side or a downstream side of the sensor hood, on the inside of the cover portion.

3. The fluid control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the valve body,
an inlet port through which the fluid flows in,
an outlet port through which the fluid flows out, and
a fixing portion that fixes the fluid control device in the flow path are formed on a same straight line.

4. The fluid control device according to claim 1 , wherein a groove connecting the inside and an outside of the cover portion is formed in an upper section of the cover portion, and
wherein a cable connected to the circuit board is inserted into the groove and guided out in a vertical direction from an upper surface of the cover portion.

5. The fluid control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a light-emitting unit that blinks in response to opening and closing of the diaphragm; and
a stem that slides inside the sensor hood and that opens and closes the diaphragm in response to the sliding,
wherein the light-emitting unit is connected to the circuit board and is disposed in a position facing the circuit board, with the stem interposed therebetween,
wherein the circuit board includes at least a central portion and a second end to which the light-emitting unit is connected, and the central portion and the second end are connected to each other by a flexible arm,
wherein a light-emitting unit housing portion for housing the light-emitting unit, and a board housing portion for housing the central portion are formed on the side walls of the cover portion so as to face each other with the sensor hood interposed therebetween,
wherein a cable is connected to the central portion, and the cable is upwardly guided out in a vertical direction via a groove formed above the board housing portion, and
wherein the light-emitting unit is disposed at the second end such that a light beam extends upward.

6. The fluid control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein an outer peripheral surface of the sensor hood has a shape obtained by cutting out part of a cylindrical surface to form a planar surface, and a sensor attachment portion to which the sensor is connected is disposed on the planar surface.

7. The fluid control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuit board includes at least a central portion and a first end to which the sensor is connected, and the central portion and the first end are connected to each other by a flexible arm.

Assignees

• Fujikin Kk

Inventors

• Tsujino Kengo
• TANNO Ryutaro
• Shibata Hiroto
• Harada Akihiro
• Nakata Tomohiro
• Shinohara Tsutomu

Classifications

• F16K11/04

  comprising only lift valves · CPC title

• F16K11/022

  comprising a deformable member · CPC title

• F16K27/0263

  multiple way valves · CPC title

• F16K37/0033

  using a permanent magnet, e.g. in combination with a reed relays · CPC title

• F16K7/16

  the diaphragm being mechanically actuated, e.g. by screw-spindle or cam · CPC title