Quick-response small memory alloy driving vent valve

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of vent valves, in particular to a quick-response small memory alloy driving vent valve which is characterized in that a valve body and an upper cover define a valve cavity, an air outlet and an air inlet which are communicated with the valve cavity are formed in the side wall of the upper cover, and a sliding block and a memory alloy driving mechanism are arranged in the valve cavity; the memory alloy driving mechanism comprises a V-shaped memory alloy wire, a reset spring and a valve element, the base is provided with mounting holes allowing the wiring terminals to penetrate through, the two ends of the V-shaped memory alloy wire are connected with the wiring terminals, the bottom of the reset spring is fixed to the base, the top of the reset spring is connected with the valve element, and the valve element makes contact with the inner wall of a cavity in the sliding block. The profile of the inner wall of the cavity is a V-shaped profile with the middle higher than the two sides, stainless steel guide columns are fixed to the two opposite sides of the inner wall of the valve body, the sliding block moves front and back along the stainless steel guide columns when moving front and back, and the bottom of the sliding block is suspended after the sliding block penetrates through the stainless steel guide columns. The vent valve is high in response speed and small in size.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of vent valves, and in particular to a small memory alloy driven vent valve with fast response. Background Art

[0002] The vent valve driven by the memory alloy as the valve core utilizes the memory effect and superelastic properties of the shape memory alloy. When the shape memory alloy is subjected to external force, the shape changes; when the external force disappears and it is heated to a certain temperature, the shape memory alloy can return to its original shape. This property makes shape memory alloy an ideal material for manufacturing vent valves. In the vent valve, the memory alloy valve core realizes the opening and closing control of the valve by changing its shape.

[0003] Existing memory alloy vent valves have the disadvantages of being large in size and the response speed being easily affected by external interference. The increase in the volume of the vent valve may increase the resistance when the fluid passes through, thereby affecting the flow efficiency and pressure stability of the fluid. This may have an adverse effect on the overall performance of the system. The friction force generated by the memory alloy while driving the valve core to move is large, which will reduce the response speed of the vent valve. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a small memory alloy driven vent valve with fast response, low power consumption, fast response speed and small size.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: a small-sized memory alloy driven ventilation valve with fast response is provided, including a valve body, the valve body includes a base and an upper cover, the valve body and the upper cover are enclosed to form a valve cavity, the side wall of the upper cover is provided with an air outlet and an air inlet connected to the valve cavity, the air outlet and the air inlet are connected to an external air bag, a slider and a memory alloy driving mechanism are arranged in the valve cavity, a cavity is arranged inside the slider, for accommodating the memory alloy driving mechanism, the memory alloy driving mechanism includes a V-shaped memory alloy wire, a reset spring and a valve core, the base is provided with a mounting hole for the wiring terminal to pass through, the two ends of the V-shaped memory alloy wire are connected to the wiring terminals, the bottom of the reset spring is fixed on the base, the top of the reset spring is connected to the valve core, the top bending portion of the V-shaped memory alloy wire is in contact with the upper surface of the valve core, and the The valve core is in contact with the inner wall of the cavity inside the slider, and the contour of the inner wall of the cavity is a V-shaped contour that is high in the middle and low on both sides. When the upward elastic force of the return spring is greater than the downward pressure of the V-shaped memory alloy wire, the valve core is pushed at the highest point of the V-shaped contour, and the position of the slider blocks the air inlet and is away from the air outlet, completing the air bag deflation; when the upward elastic force of the return spring is less than the downward pressure of the V-shaped memory alloy wire, the valve core is pressed downward and moves along the V-shaped contour, driving the slider to move right to block the air outlet, and air is taken in from the air outlet to complete the air bag inflation; stainless steel guide columns are fixed on opposite sides of the inner wall of the valve body, and a through hole is provided on the slider for the stainless steel guide column to pass through. When the slider moves forward and backward, it moves forward and backward along the stainless steel guide column, and after the slider passes through the stainless steel guide column, the bottom of the slider is suspended in the air.

[0006] Furthermore, a first hollow cylinder is provided on the base for accommodating the return spring and the valve core.

[0007] Furthermore, the valve core includes a hemisphere and a second hollow cylinder connected in sequence from top to bottom, the bottom diameter of the hemisphere is the same as the diameter of the second hollow cylinder, and the return spring is embedded in the second hollow cylinder.

[0008] Furthermore, a first sealing cap is embedded on the surface of the sliding block close to the air outlet.

[0009] Furthermore, a second sealing cap is embedded on the surface of the slider close to the air inlet.

[0010] Furthermore, the inclination angle between the two side contours of the V-shaped contour and the horizontal plane is 30° to 50°.

[0011] Furthermore, the inclination angle between the two side contours of the V-shaped contour and the horizontal plane is 40°.

[0012] Furthermore, the valve body has a length ranging from 25 mm to 30 mm, a width of 13 mm, and a height of 10 mm.

[0013] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0014] 1. The present invention fixes stainless steel guide columns on two opposite sides of the inner wall of the valve body, and the slider is provided with a through hole for the stainless steel guide column to pass through. When the slider moves forward and backward, it moves forward and backward along the stainless steel guide column, and the slider is suspended in the air. In this way, when the slider is driven by the memory alloy to move forward and backward, it only contacts with the stainless steel guide column to generate friction. Since the surface of the stainless steel guide column is smooth, compared with the traditional limiting method, the friction is greatly reduced, and the response speed of the memory alloy driving mechanism is improved.

[0015] 2. The present invention converts the up and down displacement of the wire into the horizontal displacement of the slider. By adjusting the inclination angle of the notch, the relative positions of the two terminals, the height of the valve core, etc., it can achieve large left and right displacements and large forces when the lengths of the upper and lower short memory alloy wires are adjusted, thereby diversifying the application scenarios of this air valve.

[0016] It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts, as well as additional concepts described in greater detail below, may be considered to be part of the inventive subject matter of the present disclosure, provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent.

[0017] The foregoing and other aspects, embodiments and features of the present invention can be more fully understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Other additional aspects of the present invention, such as the features and / or beneficial effects of the exemplary embodiments, will be apparent from the following description or learned from the practice of the specific embodiments according to the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale according to actual reference objects. In the accompanying drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown in various figures may be represented by the same reference numeral. For the sake of clarity, not every component is labeled in each figure. Now, embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a small memory alloy driven vent valve with fast response according to the present invention.

[0020] 1-upper cover; 2-base; 3-connecting terminal; 4-reset spring; 5-second sealing cap; 6-first sealing cap; 7-air inlet; 8-air outlet; 9-stainless steel guide column; 10-slider; 11-V-shaped memory alloy wire; 12-V-shaped profile; 13-second hollow cylinder; 14-first hollow cylinder; 15-valve core. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiment of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiment of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiment is a part of the embodiment of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiment of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein should be the common meaning understood by people with general skills in the field to which the present invention belongs.

[0022] The words "first", "second" and similar words used in the patent application specification and claims of the present invention do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms of "a", "an" or "the" and other similar words do not indicate a quantitative limitation, but indicate the existence of at least one. Words such as "include" or "comprise" mean that the elements or objects appearing before "include" or "comprise" cover the features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components listed after "include" or "comprise", and do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their collections. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0023] The embodiment of the present invention provides a small-sized memory alloy driven vent valve with fast response, including a valve body, wherein the valve body includes a base 2 and an upper cover 1, wherein the valve body and the upper cover 1 enclose a valve cavity, wherein the side wall of the upper cover 1 is provided with an air outlet 8 and an air inlet 7 which are connected to the valve cavity, wherein the air outlet 8 and the air inlet 7 are connected to an external air bag, wherein a slider 10 and a memory alloy driving mechanism are arranged in the valve cavity, wherein a cavity is arranged inside the slider 10 for accommodating the memory alloy driving mechanism, wherein the memory alloy driving mechanism includes a V-shaped memory alloy wire 11, a reset spring 4 and a valve core 15, wherein the base 2 is provided with a mounting hole for a wiring terminal 3 to pass through, wherein both ends of the V-shaped memory alloy wire 11 are connected to the wiring terminal 3, wherein the bottom of the reset spring 4 is fixed to the base 2, and the top of the reset spring 4 is fixed to the base 2. The valve core 15 is connected to the slider 10, the top bending part of the V-shaped memory alloy wire 11 is in contact with the upper surface of the valve core 15, and the valve core 15 is in contact with the inner wall of the cavity inside the slider 10. The contour of the inner wall of the cavity is a V-shaped contour 12 with a high middle and low sides. When the upward elastic force of the return spring 4 is greater than the downward pressure of the V-shaped memory alloy wire 11, the valve core 15 is pushed at the highest point of the V-shaped contour 12, and the position of the slider 10 blocks the air inlet 7 and is away from the air outlet 8, completing the air bag deflation; when the upward elastic force of the return spring 4 is less than the downward pressure of the V-shaped memory alloy wire 11, the valve core 15 is pressed down and moves along the V-shaped contour 12, driving the slider 10 to move right to block the air outlet 8, and the air outlet 8 is inflated to complete the air bag. Stainless steel guide columns 9 are fixed on opposite sides of the inner wall of the valve body, and a through hole is provided on the slider 10 for the stainless steel guide columns 9 to pass through. When the slider 10 moves forward and backward, it moves forward and backward along the stainless steel guide columns 9, and after the slider 10 passes through the stainless steel guide columns 9, the bottom of the slider 10 is suspended in the air.

[0024] In some embodiments of the present invention, a first hollow cylinder 14 is provided on the base 2 for accommodating the return spring 4 and the valve core 15, which not only plays a accommodating role and reduces the overall volume, but also limits the movement of the valve core 15, so that the valve core 15 can only move vertically.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present invention, the valve core 15 includes a hemisphere and a second hollow cylinder 13 connected in sequence from top to bottom, the bottom diameter of the hemisphere is the same as the diameter of the second hollow cylinder 13, and the second hollow cylinder 13 is embedded in the return spring 4, making full use of the internal space to complete the assembly and reduce the overall volume.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present invention, a first sealing cap 6 is embedded on the surface of the slider 10 close to the air outlet 8 to further improve the sealing performance.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present invention, a second sealing cap 5 is embedded on the surface of the slider 10 close to the air inlet 7 to further improve the sealing performance.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present invention, the inclination angle between the two side profiles of the V-shaped profile 12 and the horizontal plane is 30° to 50°.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present invention, the valve body has a length ranging from 25 mm to 30 mm, a width of 13 mm, and a height of 10 mm.

[0030] The working principle of the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: in the initial state, the valve core 15 is subjected to the elastic force of the return spring 4, and the valve core 15 presses against the slider 10. The slider 10 is located at the left end, and the air inlet 7 on the left side of the valve body is blocked. At this time, the airbag is in a pressure-maintaining state. When the airbag needs to be inflated, the V-shaped memory alloy wire 11 is energized, and the V-shaped memory alloy wire 11 contracts after being energized, generating downward pressure on the valve core 15. The sum of the elastic force of the return spring 4 and the downward pressure of the V-shaped memory alloy wire 11 on the valve core 15 is the downward pressure. The valve core 15 moves downward after being compressed, and moves downward along the V-shaped profile 12 inside the slider 10, thereby driving the slider 10 to move right. The slider 10 moves right to block the air outlet 8, and the air inlet 7 is inflated. At this time, the airbag is inflated. When the airbag is deflated, the V-shaped memory alloy wire 11 is de-energized, and the valve core 15 moves upward, so that the slider 10 moves, blocks the air inlet 7, and opens the air outlet 8, thereby completing the deflation of the airbag.

[0031] The memory alloy wire in the present invention is designed to be V-shaped. Compared with the U-shaped structure wire, under the same displacement of the slider 10, the required length is shorter, so the occupied volume is smaller, which can reduce the overall volume of the vent valve.

[0032] Please refer to Table 1. Within the volume of the vent valve body of 25mm*13mm*10mm in length, width and height, the two side contours of the V-shaped contour 12 of the slider 10 are inclined at an angle of 30° to 50° to the horizontal plane. The effects of different inclination angles on the displacement of the slider 10 are shown in Table 1.

[0033] Table 1

[0034]

[0035] Please refer to Table 2. Within the volume of the vent valve body of 25mm*13mm*10mm in length, width and height, the two side contours of the V-shaped contour 12 of the slider 10 are inclined at an angle of 30° to 50° to the horizontal plane. The effects of different inclination angles on the valve port blocking force of the slider 10 are shown in Table 2.

[0036] Table 2

[0037]

[0038]

[0039] Based on the experimental data in Table 1 and Table 2, it can be seen that the best design is to design the inclination angle between the two side contours of the slider V-shaped contour 12 and the horizontal plane to be 40°. At this time, the slider 10 can meet the requirement of the valve port blocking force of not less than 0.7N when the displacement is 0.5mm, and the sealing performance is good.

[0040] The experimental data of the friction force, reaction time, blocking force and life verification of the slider 10 during movement under different limiting modes are shown in Table 3.

[0041] Table 3

[0042]

[0043] The first limiting method in Table 3 is that no limiting column is designed, and the slider 10 completes the limiting of the forward and backward movement under the limitation of the valve body's own contour, and the surface of the slider 10 and the inner surface of the valve body will contact and generate friction; the second limiting method in Table 4 is that a limiting column is designed on the bottom surface of the valve body for limiting, and the slider 10 will generate friction with the limiting column when moving. It can be seen from the experimental data in Table 4 that the limiting method of the embodiment of the present invention is adopted, that is, a stainless steel limiting column is designed on the valve body, and the slider 10 is suspended in the air. The bottom surface of the slider 10 and the bottom surface of the valve body do not generate friction during the movement. The slider 10 only generates friction with the surface of the stainless steel limiting column during the movement. Since the surface of the stainless steel material is smooth, the friction force that the slider 10 needs to overcome is small, which can meet the valve port blocking force ≥ 0.7N, and after the friction force is reduced, the slider 10 moves faster, so that the reaction time of the memory alloy wire is shorter and the life of the wire is extended.

[0044] The first and second limiting methods in Table 3 will cause the lower surface of the slider 10 to wear and leak the air valve after a certain period of operation due to the large friction of the slider 10. Secondly, wear powder will appear inside the valve body due to wear, which will further increase the friction. And because the reaction time is too long, the slider 10 cannot block the valve port tightly, causing the air valve to leak. Due to the large friction of the slider 10, the wire material overcomes a large friction when it is energized and contracted, resulting in a short wire life, which does not meet the valve life requirements.

[0045] Table 4 is a comparison of power consumption of the vent valve in the embodiment of the present invention and the traditional solenoid valve.

[0046] Table 4

[0047]

[0048] It can be seen from Table 5 that, through the above improvements, the embodiment of the present invention significantly reduces the power consumption of the vent valve compared with the traditional solenoid valve, saves energy, is more environmentally friendly, and reduces costs.

[0049] In summary, the vent valve in the embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages: 1. Lightweight. The same type of electromagnetic valve has an electromagnetic coil, an electromagnetic shielding cover, a valve core 15, etc., and the overall weight of a single valve is about 9g. Except for the wiring terminal 3 and the memory alloy wire, the other accessories of this horizontal slider 10 valve are plastic parts, and the overall weight is about 3.5g. When used on mobile devices, such as cars, the weight of the whole vehicle can be reduced within a limited range to meet the lightweight requirements of the whole vehicle. 2. Small size. The amount of memory alloy wire shrinkage when powered on is about 3%. Generally, when it is used in a small space, it cannot achieve the required displacement due to the total length of the wire, resulting in limited use in this scenario. This valve uses the slider 10 mechanism to convert the up and down displacement of the wire into the horizontal displacement of the slider 10. By adjusting the inclination angle of the notch, the relative position of the two wiring terminals 3, the height of the valve core 15, etc., it can achieve large left and right displacement and large force value when the length of the memory alloy wire is short, so that the application scenarios of this valve are diversified. 3. Low power consumption. The same type of electromagnetic valve has a working voltage of 24V, a current of 200ma, and a power of 4.8W; this horizontal slider 10 valve has a working voltage of 2.8V, a current of 180ma, and a power of only 0.5W. This valve is used in massage chairs or car seat valves to reduce overall power consumption. 4. Low noise. When the same type of electromagnetic valve is working, the coil will produce a ticking collision sound when it is energized to adsorb the valve core, which makes people uncomfortable; when this horizontal slider valve is energized, the memory alloy wire shrinks without sound, which can meet people's pursuit of comfort. This valve can be used in places with high requirements for environmental noise, such as capsule hotels, cinemas and other places. 5. Low cost. Individual parts such as the valve core of the same type of electromagnetic valve need to be machined and produced, and the manpower and material costs are relatively high. All accessories of this horizontal slider valve do not need to be machined. Except for the terminals, they can be completed by mold injection. Mass production can greatly reduce production costs and meet the pursuit of economic benefits. 6. No electromagnetic interference. The essence of electromagnetic interference is the simplest electricity can generate magnetism, and magnetism can generate electricity in turn. With the development of electronic technology, there are more and more electronic control systems, and faults caused by electromagnetic interference are also emerging. Solenoid valves work by energizing multiple sets of coils to generate magnetic force. Multiple sets of solenoid valves combined together will produce large electromagnetic interference, which may affect the normal use of the equipment in serious cases. This horizontal slider valve has only one memory alloy wire inside, and the valve body and shell are both plastic parts, which almost does not generate electromagnetic interference, greatly reducing the risk of electromagnetic interference inside the equipment using this valve.

[0050] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. A person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the definition of the claims.

Claims

1. A small memory alloy driven vent valve with fast response, comprising a valve body, the valve body comprising a base and an upper cover, the valve body and the upper cover enclose a valve cavity, the upper cover side wall is provided with an air outlet and an air inlet connected to the valve cavity, the air outlet and the air inlet are connected to an external air bag, characterized in that: A slider and a memory alloy driving mechanism are arranged in the valve cavity, a cavity is arranged inside the slider for accommodating the memory alloy driving mechanism, the memory alloy driving mechanism comprises a V-shaped memory alloy wire, a reset spring and a valve core, a mounting hole is arranged on the base for the wiring terminal to pass through, both ends of the V-shaped memory alloy wire are connected to the wiring terminals, the bottom of the reset spring is fixed on the base, the top of the reset spring is connected to the valve core, the top bending part of the V-shaped memory alloy wire is in contact with the upper surface of the valve core, the valve core is in contact with the inner wall of the cavity inside the slider, the contour of the inner wall of the cavity is a V-shaped contour with a high middle and low sides, when the upward elastic force of the reset spring is greater than that of the V-shaped memory alloy wire When downward pressure is applied, the valve core is pushed to the highest point of the V-shaped profile, and the position of the slider blocks the air inlet and is away from the air outlet, thereby completing the deflation of the airbag; when the upward elastic force of the return spring is less than the downward pressure of the V-shaped memory alloy wire, the valve core is pressed downward and moves along the V-shaped profile, driving the slider to move right to block the air outlet, and air is taken in from the air outlet to complete the inflation of the airbag; stainless steel guide columns are fixed on opposite sides of the inner wall of the valve body, and a through hole is provided on the slider for the stainless steel guide column to pass through. When the slider moves back and forth, it moves back and forth along the stainless steel guide column, and after the slider passes through the stainless steel guide column, the bottom of the slider is suspended in the air.

2. The fast-response small memory alloy driven vent valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base is provided with a first hollow cylinder for accommodating the return spring and the valve core.

3. The fast-response small memory alloy driven vent valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve core includes a hemisphere and a second hollow cylinder connected in sequence from top to bottom. The bottom diameter of the hemisphere is the same as the diameter of the second hollow cylinder. The return spring is embedded in the second hollow cylinder.

4. The fast-response small memory alloy driven vent valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first sealing cap is embedded on the surface of the sliding block close to the air outlet.

5. The fast-response small memory alloy driven vent valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second sealing cap is embedded on the surface of the slider close to the air inlet.

6. The fast-response small memory alloy driven vent valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inclination angle between the two side contours of the V-shaped contour and the horizontal plane is 30° to 50°.

7. The fast-response small memory alloy driven vent valve according to claim 7, characterized in that: The inclination angle between the two side profiles of the V-shaped profile and the horizontal plane is 40°.

8. The fast-response small memory alloy driven vent valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve body has a length ranging from 25 mm to 30 mm, a width of 13 mm, and a height of 10 mm.

9. The fast-response small memory alloy driven vent valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two stainless steel guide posts, which are arranged in parallel in the same horizontal plane.

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