A small-sized memory alloy driving vent valve with fast response

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of vent valve, in particular to a small-sized memory alloy driven vent valve with fast response, a valve body and an upper cover enclosing a valve cavity, the upper cover side wall is provided with an air outlet and an air inlet communicating with the valve cavity, a slider 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 core, the base is provided with a mounting hole for the wire terminal to pass through, the two ends of the V-shaped memory alloy wire are connected with the wire terminal, the bottom of the reset spring is fixed on the base, the top of the reset spring is connected with the valve core, the valve core is in contact with the inner wall of the cavity in the slider, the cavity inner wall profile is a V-shaped profile with high in the middle and low on both sides, the opposite sides of the valve body inner wall are fixed with stainless steel guide columns, when the slider moves forward and backward, it moves forward and backward along the stainless steel guide columns, and after the slider passes through the stainless steel guide columns, the slider bottom is suspended. The present application has fast response speed and small size.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Vent valves driven by shape memory alloys utilize the memory effect and superelastic properties of shape memory alloys. When subjected to an external force, the shape memory alloy changes shape; when the force is removed and the alloy is heated to a certain temperature, it returns to its original shape. This property makes shape memory alloys an ideal material for vent valves. In vent valves, the shape memory alloy valve core changes shape to control the valve's opening and closing.

[0003] Existing memory alloy vent valves suffer from the drawbacks of being bulky and their response speed being susceptible to external interference. The increased size of the vent valve can increase resistance to fluid flow, affecting fluid flow efficiency and pressure stability. This can negatively impact overall system performance. The friction generated by the memory alloy when driving the valve core can reduce the vent valve's response speed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a small-sized 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 memory alloy driven vent valve with a fast response is provided, including a valve body, the valve body including a base and an upper cover, the valve body and the upper cover enclose 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 provided 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 terminal to pass through, the two ends of the V-shaped memory alloy wire are connected to the terminal, 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 contacts the inner wall of the cavity inside the slider, and 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 return spring is greater than the downward pressure of the V-shaped memory alloy wire, the valve core is pushed against 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 airbag 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 airbag inflation; stainless steel guide columns are fixed on two 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.

[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 reset spring is embedded in the second hollow cylinder.

[0008] Furthermore, a first sealing cap is embedded on the surface of the slider 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 profiles of the V-shaped profile and the horizontal plane is 30° to 50°.

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

[0012] Furthermore, the valve body has a length range of 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 posts on opposite sides of the inner wall of the valve body, and provides a through hole on the slider for the stainless steel guide posts to pass through. When the slider moves back and forth, it moves back and forth along the stainless steel guide posts, and the slider is suspended in the air. In this way, when the slider is driven by the memory alloy and moves back and forth, it only contacts the stainless steel guide posts to generate friction. Since the surface of the stainless steel guide posts is smooth, compared with the traditional limit method, the friction is greatly reduced, and the response speed of the memory alloy drive 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 displacement and large force when the length of the upper and lower short memory alloy wires is 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, to the extent such concepts are not mutually inconsistent, can be considered to be part of the inventive subject matter of this disclosure.

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

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

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

[0020] 1-Upper cover; 2-Base; 3-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 solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments 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 meanings understood by people with ordinary 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 similar words do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. Words such as “include” or “comprise” mean that the elements or objects appearing before “include” or “comprises” cover the features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components listed after “include” or “comprises”, 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] An embodiment of the present invention provides a fast-response small-sized memory alloy driven vent valve, including a valve body, the valve body including a base 2 and an upper cover 1, the valve body and the upper cover 1 enclose a valve cavity, the side wall of the upper cover 1 is provided with an air outlet 8 and an air inlet 7 connected to the valve cavity, the air outlet 8 and the air inlet 7 are connected to an external air bag, a slider 10 and a memory alloy driving mechanism are provided in the valve cavity, a cavity is provided inside the slider 10 for accommodating the memory alloy driving mechanism, the memory alloy driving mechanism includes a V-shaped memory alloy wire 11, a reset spring 4 and a valve core 15, the base 2 is provided with a mounting hole for the wiring terminal 3 to pass through, the two ends of the V-shaped memory alloy wire 11 are connected to the wiring terminal 3, the bottom of the reset spring 4 is fixed on 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 valve core 15, the top bent 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 to the highest point of the V-shaped contour 12, and the position of the slider 10 blocks the air inlet 7 while away from the air outlet 8, completing the airbag 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 downward 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 takes in air to complete the airbag inflation. 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 back and forth, it moves back and forth 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. It not only serves as an accommodation 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. 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, due to the elastic force of the return spring 4, presses against the slider 10. The slider 10 is at the left end, blocking the air inlet 7 on the left side of the valve body. 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, causing it to contract, exerting 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. Under pressure, the valve core 15 moves downward 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, allowing air to enter the air inlet 7, completing the airbag inflation. To deflate the airbag, the V-shaped memory alloy wire 11 is de-energized, causing the valve core 15 to move upward, causing the slider 10 to move, blocking the air inlet 7 and opening the air outlet 8, thereby completing the airbag deflation.

[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] As shown in 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 profile 12 of the slider 10 are inclined at an angle of 30° to 50° with 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] As shown in 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 profile 12 of the slider 10 are inclined at an angle of 30° to 50° to the horizontal plane. The influence of different inclination angles on the valve port blocking force of the slider 10 is shown in Table 2.

[0036] Table 2

[0037]

[0038]

[0039] From the experimental data in Table 1 and Table 2, it can be seen that it is best to design the inclination angle of the two side profiles of the slider V-shaped profile 12 to be 40° with the horizontal plane. At this time, it can meet the requirements that the slider 10 blocks the valve port with a force value of not less than 0.7N when the slider 10 is displaced by 0.5mm, and the sealing performance is good.

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

[0041] Table 3

[0042]

[0043] The first limiting method in Table 3 is that no limiting column is designed. The slider 10 completes the limiting movement forward and backward under the limitation of the valve body's own contour. 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. When the slider 10 moves, it will generate friction with the limiting column. 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, stainless steel limiting columns are designed on the valve body and the slider 10 is suspended in the air. During the movement of the slider 10, no friction is generated between the bottom surface of the slider 10 and the bottom surface of the valve body. During the movement, the slider 10 only generates friction with the surface of the stainless steel limiting column. 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. After the friction force is reduced, the movement speed of the slider 10 is accelerated, which makes the reaction time of the memory alloy wire shorter and the life of the wire longer.

[0044] The first and second limiting methods in Table 3, due to the high friction of slider 10, can cause wear on the lower surface of slider 10 after a certain period of operation, leading to valve leakage. Furthermore, wear powder forms inside the valve body due to wear, further increasing friction. Furthermore, due to the extended reaction time, slider 10 may not seal the valve opening tightly, causing valve leakage. Due to the high friction of slider 10, the wire material must overcome significant friction during power-on retraction, resulting in a short wire lifespan that does not meet valve lifespan requirements.

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

[0046] Table 4

[0047]

[0048] As can be seen from Table 5, the embodiment of the present invention significantly reduces the power consumption of the vent valve compared to the traditional solenoid valve through the above improvements, saving energy, being more environmentally friendly, and reducing costs.

[0049] In summary, the vent valve in the embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages: 1. Lightweight. Similar electromagnetic valves, due to the electromagnetic coil, electromagnetic shielding cover, valve core 15, etc., weigh approximately 9g per valve. This horizontal slider 10 valve, except for the terminal block 3 and the memory alloy wire, has all other components made of plastic, and weighs approximately 3.5g. When used on mobile devices, such as automobiles, it can reduce the weight of the entire vehicle within a limited range, meeting the demand for lightweight vehicles. 2. Small size. The memory alloy wire shrinks by approximately 3% when energized. Generally, when used in small spaces, the required displacement cannot be achieved due to the total length of the wire, which limits its use in such scenarios. This valve utilizes the slider 10 mechanism to convert the vertical displacement of the wire into horizontal displacement of the slider 10. By adjusting the inclination angle of the notch, the relative position of the two terminal blocks 3, the height of the valve core 15, etc., it can achieve large left and right displacements and large forces with short vertical memory alloy wire lengths, thus diversifying the application scenarios of this valve. 3. Low power consumption. Similar solenoid valves operate at 24V, 200mA, and 4.8W, while this horizontal slider 10 valve operates at 2.8V, 180mA, and only 0.5W. This valve is suitable for applications such as massage chairs and car seat valves, reducing overall power consumption. 4. Low noise. Similar solenoid valves produce a jarring ticking sound when the coil is energized to attract the valve core, which can be uncomfortable. However, this horizontal slider valve produces a silent contraction of the memory alloy wire when energized, meeting the demand for comfort. This valve can be used in environments with high noise requirements, such as capsule hotels and cinemas. 5. Low cost. While some parts, such as the valve core, of similar solenoid valves require machining, which can be costly in terms of both labor and materials, this horizontal slider valve eliminates the need for machining. All components, except for the terminals, can be injection molded. Mass production significantly reduces production costs, ensuring economic efficiency. 6. No electromagnetic interference. The essence of electromagnetic interference is the simple fact that electricity can generate magnetism, and vice versa. With the advancement of electronic technology, electronic control systems are becoming increasingly common, and faults caused by electromagnetic interference are becoming increasingly common. Solenoid valves operate by generating magnetic force through the application of electricity to multiple coils. Combining multiple solenoid valves can generate significant electromagnetic interference, which can severely affect the normal operation of equipment. This horizontal slider valve contains only a single memory alloy wire, and the valve body and housing are made of plastic, generating virtually no electromagnetic interference, significantly reducing the risk of electromagnetic interference within the equipment using this valve.

[0050] While the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, this is not intended to limit the present invention. Persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A fast-response small memory alloy driven vent valve, comprising a valve body, the valve body comprising a base and an upper cover, the valve body and the upper cover enclosing a valve cavity, the upper cover sidewall being provided with an air outlet and an air inlet communicating with the valve cavity, the air outlet and the air inlet being communicated with an external air bag, characterized in that: The valve cavity is provided with a slider and a memory alloy driving mechanism, the slider is provided with a cavity 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 terminal to pass through, the two ends of the V-shaped memory alloy wire are connected to the terminal, the bottom of the reset spring is fixed to 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 inner wall contour 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 the V-shaped memory alloy wire When downward pressure is applied, the valve core is pushed against 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, completing the airbag deflation; when the upward 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 into the air outlet to complete the airbag inflation; stainless steel guide columns are fixed on the 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: A first hollow cylinder is provided on the base 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 reset 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 in the surface of the slider 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 in 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 profiles of the V-shaped profile and the horizontal plane is 30° to 50°.

7. The fast-response small memory alloy driven vent valve according to claim 6, characterized in that: The two side profiles of the V-shaped profile are inclined at an angle of 40° to the horizontal plane.

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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