Valve apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9638345-B2
Application number	US-201414337394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2014
Priority date	Nov 11, 2013
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A valve apparatus is equipped with a diaphragm disposed displaceably in the interior of a body, and which opens and closes a fluid passage by separating away from and being seated on a valve seat, a conductive shaft arranged in a through hole that is formed substantially in the center of the diaphragm, and a grounding member for grounding the conductive shaft. Each of the body and the diaphragm is formed from a non-conductive material, and one end surface of the conductive shaft is exposed to the fluid passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve apparatus comprising:
a body including a fluid passage that establishes communication between a first port and a second port and through which a pressure fluid flows;
a diaphragm disposed displaceably in an interior of the body, and which opens and closes the fluid passage by separating away from a valve seat and by being seated on the valve seat, the diaphragm including a through hole formed substantially in a center of the diaphragm;
a conductive shaft arranged in the through hole such that one end surface of the conductive shaft is exposed to the fluid passage; and
a grounding member configured to ground the conductive shaft,
wherein each of the body and the diaphragm is formed from a non-conductive material.

2. The valve apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive shaft includes:
a small diameter portion arranged in the through hole; and
a large diameter portion disposed on another end of the small diameter portion, and
wherein an annular sealing projection, which contacts one surface of the large diameter portion and forms a seal between the large diameter portion and the diaphragm, is formed on a surface of the diaphragm.

3. The valve apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive shaft includes:
a small diameter portion arranged in the through hole; and
a large diameter portion disposed on another end of the small diameter portion, and
wherein an annular resilient member, which forms a seal between the large diameter portion and the diaphragm, is interposed between a surface of the diaphragm and one surface of the large diameter portion.

4. The valve apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive shaft is made of polyphenylene sulfide containing carbon fibers.

5. The valve apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive shaft is made of a metal material having corrosion resistance.

6. The valve apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a conductive member disposed on an outer surface of an outer edge of the diaphragm; and
a conductive retainer that retains the outer edge of the diaphragm in a condition of being electrically connected with the conductive member,
wherein the grounding member grounds the conductive member through the retainer, and
a portion of the conductive member is exposed to the fluid passage.

7. The valve apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the conductive member is made of carbon fibers.

8. A valve apparatus comprising:
a body including a fluid passage that establishes communication between a first port and a second port and through which a pressure fluid flows;
a diaphragm disposed displaceably in an interior of the body, and which opens and closes the fluid passage by separating away from a valve seat and by being seated on the valve seat;
a conductive member disposed on an outer surface of an outer edge of the diaphragm;
a conductive retainer that retains the outer edge of the diaphragm in a condition of being electrically connected with the conductive member; and
a grounding member configured to ground the conductive member through the retainer,
wherein each of the body and the diaphragm is formed from a non-conductive material, and
a portion of the conductive member is exposed to the fluid passage.

9. The valve apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the conductive member is made of carbon fibers.

Assignees

• Smc Corp

Inventors

• Okita Yuzuru
• Maruyama Tetsuro

Classifications

• F16K7/14

  arranged to be deformed against a flat seat · CPC title

• F16K31/1221 Primary

  one side of the piston being spring-loaded · CPC title

• F16K7/16 Primary

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

• F16K7/12 Primary

  with flat, dished, or bowl-shaped diaphragm · CPC title

• F16K7/17

  the diaphragm being actuated by fluid pressure · CPC title