Piezo actuator device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12465942-B2
Application number	US-202218557332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2022
Priority date	Apr 27, 2021
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a piezo actuator device, preferably for controlling a dispensing of an application agent onto a component, including: at least one movable valve body for opening and closing at least one valve seat, at least one preferably pivotable actuating arm for actuating the at least one valve body, and a piezo actuator configured to move the at least one valve body to close and/or open the at least one valve seat.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A piezo actuator device, that controls dispensing of an application agent onto a component, comprising:
at least one movable valve body for opening and closing at least one valve seat, at least one pivotable actuating arm for actuating the at least one movable valve body, and a piezo actuator configured to move the at least one movable valve body to close and/or open the at least one valve seat, wherein the piezo actuator device is connected to an application agent supply and an application agent return for application agent circulation or is connected to at least two application agent supplies, via which different application agents can be supplied.

2 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 1 , further comprising a functional unit comprising:
the at least one movable valve body for opening and closing the at least one valve seat, the at least one actuating arm for actuating the at least one movable valve body, and the piezo actuator configured to move the at least one movable valve body to close and/or open the at least one valve seat.

3 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 1 , wherein the piezo actuator is configured to move the at least one movable valve body to a fully closed valve seat position, and/or to move the at least one movable valve body to a fully opened valve seat position.

4 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 3 , wherein a single piezo actuator is provided for moving the at least one movable valve body.

5 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 4 , wherein the piezo actuator serves for actuating the at least one actuating arm and/or the piezo actuator is configured to move, by means of the at least one actuating arm, the at least one movable valve body to close and/or open the at least one valve seat.

6 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one actuating arm is part of a three-joint lever mechanism.

7 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 5 , wherein
the at least one actuating arm is pivotable about a first joint, and/or the piezo actuator is coupled to the at least one actuating arm via a second joint, and/or the at least one actuating arm is coupled to the at least one movable valve body via a third joint.

8 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the joints
is configured by a material weakening, is one-piece integrally connected to the at least one actuating arm, and/or is configured as a solid body joint.

9 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one actuating arm is part of a frame and the piezo actuator is arranged within the frame.

10 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 2 , wherein the piezo actuator is fixedly mounted on the frame in its transverse direction on one side and is coupled to the at least one actuating arm on the other side and/or the piezo actuator is deformable in its longitudinal direction.

11 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 2 , wherein the piezo actuator comprises an elastically deformable frame structure, wherein the frame structure is configured as a bending stress frame and/or for amplification of an actuating force on the at least one actuating arm.

12 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 11 , wherein at least one piezo active element is accommodated in the frame structure for longitudinally oriented deformation of the frame structure, to effect a transversely oriented deformation of the frame structure for generating an actuating force on the at least one actuating arm.

13 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 11 , wherein the frame structure
is circumferential in its circumferential direction and/or is configured elongated and actuates the at least one actuating arm transversely to its longitudinal direction.

14 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 11 , wherein in the frame structure multiple piezo active elements are, in the longitudinal direction of the frame structure, coupled to each other and to the frame structure.

15 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 2 , wherein the piezo actuator actuates the at least one actuating arm in an actuating direction and the actuating direction is substantially parallel or transverse to the displacement direction of the at least one movable valve body.

16 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 2 , wherein the piezo actuator is configured to adjust a stroke of the at least one movable valve body, to at least one intermediate position, one or more arbitrary intermediate positions, between a closed valve seat position and a fully opened valve seat position, whereby a throttling function is enabled, a generation of droplet jets or application agent jets is enabled, and/or an application agent droplet size is changeable.

17 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 16 , wherein the stroke is adjustable in dependence of an excitation energy for the piezo actuator and/or the stroke extends only to the at least one intermediate position.

18 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 2 , wherein the piezo actuator is configured to brake the at least one movable valve body, such that the at least one movable valve body encounters the at least one valve seat with reduced velocity.

19 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 18 , wherein the braking of the at least one valve body is adjustable in dependence of an excitation energy for the piezo actuator.

20 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one movable valve body is operatively connected to a preloading element for generating a preload in order to actuate, by means of the preload, the at least one movable valve body to close the at least one valve seat.

21 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 20 , wherein the at least one movable valve body is fastened to the at least one actuating arm by means of a fastening element and the fastening element serves to receive and/or guide the preloading element.

22 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 20 , wherein the at least one movable valve body, the preloading element and/or the fastening element are arranged substantially coaxially.

23 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 2 , wherein the piezo actuator device comprises at least one compensation underlay for position and/or preload adjustment of the at least one movable valve body, or comprises at least one compensation underlay for common position and/or preload adjustment of at least two movable valve bodies.

24 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 23 , wherein a frame or at least two frames are mounted on at least one compensation underlay.

25 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 2 , wherein the piezo actuator device comprises an external nozzle plate in which at least two valve seats and at least two dispensing openings for dispensing of application agent are configured.

26 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 25 , wherein the piezo actuator device comprises a head piece, at an outlet side of which the nozzle plate is arranged and through which at least two movable valve bodies are passed.

27 . The piezo actuator device according to claim 26 , wherein the head piece and/or the nozzle plate is demountable, for movable valve body removal from the

Assignees

• Duerr Systems Ag

Inventors

• Nett Moritz
• Stiegler Martin
• Schnur Frank
• Rademacher Lothar
• Noak Dmitri
• Martin Herbert

Classifications

• F16K2099/0074

  using photolithography, e.g. etching · CPC title

• F16K31/008

  for sliding valves · CPC title

• F16K31/007

  Piezoelectric stacks · CPC title

• F16K2099/008

  Multi-layer fabrications · CPC title

• H02N2/046

  for conversion into rotary motion · CPC title