Shape memory alloy actuating valve

Abstract

According to the shape memory alloy actuating valve provided by the utility model, the valve core accommodating cavity and the fluid cavity are arranged in the valve body, and the fluid cavity comprises the input space, the output space and the sealed space; a valve element which slides in the valve element containing cavity and is used for opening or cutting off communication between the input space and the output space in the sealed space is further arranged, an elastic piece in the valve body outputs elastic force which drives the valve element to cut off communication between the input space and the output space, and an SMA wire of the SMA driving part is further arranged to be wound around the valve element. Contracting or loosening of the SMA wire can be controlled according to whether the SMA wire is powered on or not, then deformation force for driving the valve element to overcome elastic force to open communication of the input space and the output space in a sliding mode can be output, the overall structure of the valve is simple, driving force of the SMA wire is large, the power-to-weight ratio is high, response is rapid, and the service life of the valve is prolonged. Compared with an electromagnetic valve, the volume and the weight occupied by the coil and the magnetic piece can be effectively reduced, and the problem that an existing electromagnetic valve is large in volume and weight is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of valves, and in particular relates to a shape memory alloy actuated valve. Background Art

[0002] Valves are essential mechanical devices in modern industry, agriculture, chemical industry and daily life. They are mainly used for cutting off, throttling, regulating pressure and changing flow direction of pipeline media. At present, the mainstream valves are mainly solenoid valves, which use electromagnetic coils to generate magnetic force to drive the valve core to clutch the valve port to open and close the valve. Solenoid valves are affected by magnetic field strength or coil resistance fluctuations, voltage shocks, etc., and are prone to problems such as poor valve opening, high noise, and even failure to open the valve. In addition, actual solenoid valves cannot make the most reasonable use of electromagnetic force and power, resulting in a waste of power consumption. To obtain sufficient electromagnetic force, the coil volume and weight are relatively large. Utility Model Content

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a shape memory alloy actuated valve to solve the problem that the existing electromagnetic valve has a relatively large volume and a relatively large weight.

[0004] To solve the above problems, the technical solution of the utility model is:

[0005] The utility model discloses a shape memory alloy actuated valve, comprising:

[0006] A valve body, wherein a valve core accommodating chamber and a fluid chamber are connected to each other, the fluid chamber comprises an input space, an output space and a sealing space, and the output end of the input space and the input end of the output space are respectively connected to the sealing space;

[0007] A valve core is slidably connected to the valve core accommodating cavity, and the valve core is configured to at least partially extend into the sealed space to open or cut off the communication between the input space and the output space;

[0008] An elastic member, arranged in the valve body and connected to the valve core, the elastic member being configured to output an elastic force that pushes the valve core to cut off the connection between the input space and the output space;

[0009] An SMA driving part is arranged on the valve body, at least part of the SMA wire of the SMA driving part is wound around the valve core, and both ends of the SMA wire are located on the side of the valve core away from the elastic member, and the SMA wire is configured to output a deformation force that pulls the valve core to overcome the elastic force and open the connection between the input space and the output space.

[0010] The shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model, the valve body comprises a valve shell and a flow chamber connected to each other;

[0011] The valve core accommodating chamber is provided in the valve housing, and the input space, the output space and the sealing space are provided in the flow chamber.

[0012] The shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model, the flow chamber comprises a connecting body, an input pipeline, and at least one output pipeline;

[0013] The connection body is detachably connected to the valve housing, and the sealing space is formed in the connection body; the input pipe and the output pipe are respectively arranged in the connection body and communicated with the sealing space.

[0014] The shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model, the valve housing comprises a valve body and a base;

[0015] The valve body is provided with a valve core accommodating opening with a bottom opening, and the top of the valve body is provided with a connecting hole communicating with the valve core accommodating opening and used for communicating with the sealing space;

[0016] The base is installed on the bottom of the valve body and covers the valve core accommodating opening. The base and the valve core accommodating opening cooperate to form the valve core accommodating cavity.

[0017] The shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model has a first guide protrusion on the surface of the base facing the valve core accommodating cavity, and a first vertical guide hole is provided on the first guide protrusion; a second guide protrusion corresponding to the communicating hole is provided in the valve core accommodating opening, and a second vertical guide hole communicating with the communicating hole is provided in the second guide protrusion;

[0018] The valve core is slidably connected to the first vertical guide hole and the second vertical guide hole respectively.

[0019] In the shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model, the elastic member is arranged in the first vertical guide hole.

[0020] The shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model, the valve core comprises a valve core body and a flexible sealing member;

[0021] The valve core body is slidably connected to the valve core accommodating cavity, and the top of the valve core body extends into the sealed space; the flexible seal is installed on the top of the valve core body, and the flexible seal is configured to open or close the output end of the input space under the drive of the valve core body, or the flexible seal is configured to open or close the input end of the output space under the drive of the valve core body.

[0022] In the shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model, a winding groove for winding the SMA wire is provided in the valve core body, and a plane where a winding track in the winding groove is located is parallel to the sliding direction of the valve core body.

[0023] The shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model, the SMA driving part comprises an SMA wire and two electrical connectors;

[0024] The two electrical connectors are respectively buried in the base and located on both sides of the first guide protrusion. The SMA wire is wound around the valve core, and two ends of the SMA wire are respectively connected to the two electrical connectors.

[0025] The shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model also includes a muffler;

[0026] The silencer is arranged in and passes through the valve body, at least part of the silencer is configured to form the valve core accommodating chamber, and at least part of the silencer is configured to communicate with the outside.

[0027] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the utility model has the following advantages and positive effects compared with the prior art:

[0028] In one embodiment of the utility model, a valve core accommodating chamber and a fluid chamber are arranged in the valve body, and the fluid chamber is arranged to include an input space, an output space and a sealing space. A valve core is further arranged to slide in the valve core accommodating chamber and be used to open or cut off the connection between the input space and the output space in the sealing space. The elastic force output by the elastic member in the valve body drives the valve core to cut off the connection between the input space and the output space. The SMA wire of the SMA driving part is further arranged to be wound around the valve core, so that the contraction or relaxation of the SMA wire can be controlled by whether the SMA wire is energized or not, and then the deformation force can be output to drive the valve core to overcome the elastic force and slide to open the connection between the input space and the output space. The overall structure of the valve is simple, and the driving force of the SMA wire is large, the power-to-weight ratio is high, and the response is rapid. Compared with the solenoid valve, the volume and weight occupied by the coil and the magnetic member can be effectively reduced, thereby solving the problem of relatively large volume and weight of the existing solenoid valve. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view of the shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model;

[0030] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model;

[0031] Figure 3 An exploded view of the shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model;

[0032] Figure 4A schematic diagram of a valve core of a shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model;

[0033] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the SMA driving part of the shape memory alloy actuated valve of the utility model;

[0034] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the flow chamber of the shape memory alloy actuated valve of the present invention.

[0035] Explanation of the reference numerals: 1. valve body; 101. first guide protrusion; 102. second guide protrusion; 103. sealing protrusion; 2. circulation chamber; 201. input space; 202. output space; 203. sealing space; 204. radial baffle; 205. first opening; 3. base; 301. claw protection shell; 302. snap-fit ​​notch; 4. valve core body; 401. connecting wall; 5. SMA wire; 6. flexible sealing member; 7. elastic member; 8. silencer; 9. input pipe; 10. output pipe; 11. connecting body; 12. SMA wire claw; 1201. snap-fit ​​protrusion; 13. sealing ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The shape memory alloy actuated valve proposed by the utility model is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the utility model will become more apparent according to the following description and claims.

[0037] See also Figures 1 to 6 In one embodiment, a shape memory alloy actuated valve includes a valve body, a valve core, an elastic member 7 and an SMA driving portion.

[0038] A valve core accommodating chamber and a fluid chamber are connected in the valve body. The fluid chamber includes an input space 201, an output space 202 and a sealed space 203. The output end of the input space 201 and the input end of the output space 202 are connected to the sealed space 203 respectively.

[0039] The valve core is slidably connected to the valve core accommodating cavity, and the valve core is configured to at least partially extend into the sealed space 203 to open or cut off the connection between the input space 201 and the output space 202. There are many ways to open or cut off, for example, the valve core can abut and close the output end of the input space 201, or the valve core can abut and close the input end of the output space 202, or the valve core can directly abut in the sealed space 203 to cut off the connection between the input space 201 and the output space 202.

[0040] The elastic member 7 is arranged in the valve body and connected to the valve core. The elastic member 7 is configured to output an elastic force that pushes the valve core to cut off the connection between the input space 201 and the output space 202. The SMA driving part is arranged in the valve body. At least part of the SMA wire 5 of the SMA driving part is wound around the valve core, and both ends of the SMA wire 5 are located on the side of the valve core away from the elastic member 7. The SMA wire 5 is configured to output a deformation force that pulls the valve core to overcome the elastic force and open the connection between the input space 201 and the output space 202.

[0041] In this embodiment, a valve core accommodating chamber and a fluid chamber are arranged in the valve body, and the fluid chamber is arranged to include an input space 201, an output space 202 and a sealed space 203. A valve core is further arranged to slide in the valve core accommodating chamber and to open or cut off the connection between the input space 201 and the output space 202 in the sealed space 203. The elastic member 7 in the valve body outputs an elastic force that drives the valve core to cut off the connection between the input space 201 and the output space 202. The SMA wire 5 of the SMA driving part is further arranged to be wound around the valve core, so that the contraction or relaxation of the SMA wire 5 can be controlled by whether the SMA wire 5 is energized or not, and then a deformation force that drives the valve core to overcome the elastic force and slide to open the connection between the input space 201 and the output space 202 can be output. The overall structure of the valve is simple, and the driving force of the SMA wire 5 is large, the power-to-weight ratio is high, and the response is rapid. Compared with the solenoid valve, the volume and weight occupied by the coil and the magnetic member can be effectively reduced, thereby solving the problem of relatively large volume and weight of the existing solenoid valve.

[0042] The specific structure of the shape memory alloy actuated valve of this embodiment is further described below:

[0043] In this embodiment, the valve body may include a connected valve housing and a flow chamber. The valve housing is provided with the valve core accommodating chamber, and the flow chamber 2 is provided with an input space 201, an output space 202 and a sealing space 203 (the inner cavity of the flow chamber 2 is the fluid cavity).

[0044] Specifically, the flow chamber 2 may include a connection body 11, an input pipe 9, and at least one output pipe 10. The connection body 11 is detachably connected to the valve housing (specifically, it can be connected by bolts), and the connection body 11 is formed with the above-mentioned sealed space 203, and the input pipe 9 and the output pipe 10 are respectively arranged on the connection body 11 and connected to the sealed space 203. For example, it can be seen that the scheme in the accompanying drawings adopts an input pipe 9 and two output pipes 10, a plurality of bolt holes are provided on the connecting body 11 for fixing to the valve housing below by bolts, the two output pipes 10 are coaxially arranged and the input ends of the two are connected, and the output pipe 10 is arranged on the connecting body 11, the central part of the connecting body 11 is provided to form a sealed space 203 which is recessed downward and has a lower end opening, the connection of the two output pipes 10 extends downward and forms a first opening 205 connected to the sealed space 203 (the valve core can cut off the connection between the input channel and the output channel by moving upward to abut and close the first opening 205); and the input pipe 9 is also provided on the connecting body 11, the input end of the input pipe 9 is used to connect to an external fluid pipe, the output end of the input pipe 9 can be provided separately or can be provided to abut against the connection of the two output pipes 10, and the output end of the input pipe 9 is also provided to have a second opening downward and connected to the sealed space 203 (the second opening can be formed by the wall surface of the connection of the two output pipes 10 and the input pipe 9).

[0045] In order to ensure the sealing of the connection, a sealing ring groove can be set on the lower surface of the connecting body 11, and the sealing ring 13 is installed in the sealing ring groove. A corresponding annular protrusion is set on the valve housing. In the installed state, the annular protrusion extends into the sealing ring groove and squeezes the sealing ring 13.

[0046] Furthermore, the connection body 11, the input pipe 9 and the output pipe 10 may be integrally formed.

[0047] In this embodiment, the valve housing may specifically include a valve body 1 and a base 3. A valve core accommodating opening with a bottom opening is provided in the valve body 1, and a connecting hole communicating with the valve core accommodating opening and used to communicate with the sealed space 203 is provided at the top of the valve body 1. The base 3 is installed at the bottom of the valve body 1 and covers the valve core accommodating opening, and the base 3 cooperates with the valve core accommodating opening to form a valve core accommodating cavity.

[0048] Furthermore, in order to guide the sliding of the valve core, a first guide protrusion 101 is provided on the surface of the base 3 facing the valve core accommodating cavity, a first vertical guide hole is provided on the first guide protrusion 101, a second guide protrusion 102 corresponding to the communication hole is provided in the valve core accommodating opening (the first guide protrusion 101 and the second guide protrusion 102 can be specifically columnar and are respectively located at the bottom and top of the valve core accommodating cavity), and a second vertical guide hole communicating with the communication hole is provided in the second guide protrusion 102 (the first vertical guide hole, the second vertical guide hole and the aforementioned communication channel are on the same axis). The lower part and the upper part of the valve core are respectively slidably connected in the first vertical guide hole and the second vertical guide hole.

[0049] Furthermore, the valve body 1 and the base 3 can be connected by snapping together, that is, a plurality of hooks are provided at the bottom of the outer wall of the valve body 1, and a plurality of bayonet holes are provided on the inner wall of the base 3, and the connection is achieved by snapping the hooks into the bayonet holes.

[0050] Furthermore, in order to minimize the size of the valve, the elastic member 7 (specifically a compression spring) can be arranged in the first vertical guide hole, and the elastic force is applied to the lower part of the valve core to push the valve core upward to close the first opening 205.

[0051] In this embodiment, the valve core may specifically include a valve core body 4 and a flexible seal 6 (specifically a rubber seal). The valve core body 4 is slidably connected to the valve core accommodating cavity, and the top of the valve core body 4 extends into the sealed space 203 (the portion extending into the sealed space 203 can be reduced in diameter to a certain extent, thereby further reducing the volume of the sealed space 203). The flexible seal 6 is installed on the top of the valve core body 4 (the flexible seal 6 can always be located in the sealed space 203, driven by the valve core body 4 to move up and down, and the top of the valve core body 4 can be configured to embed the flexible seal 6 to achieve installation), and the flexible seal 6 is configured to open or close the output end of the input space 201 under the drive of the valve core body 4 (that is, close the above-mentioned second opening), or the flexible seal 6 is configured to open or close the input end of the output space 202 under the drive of the valve core body 4 (that is, close the above-mentioned first opening 205).

[0052] Furthermore, in order to prevent leakage from the connection between the valve body 1 and the connecting body 11, a sealing protrusion 103 corresponding to the sealing space 203 can be set on the top surface of the valve body 1. The sealing protrusion 103 can be configured to contact the lower surface of the flexible seal 6 when the valve core body 4 moves downward, thereby achieving closure of the connecting hole.

[0053] In this embodiment, a winding groove for winding the SMA wire 5 is provided in the valve core body 4 (the winding groove may specifically include an arcuate groove segment located in the center and vertically extending grooves connected to both ends of the arcuate groove segment, and the opening formed by the arcuate trajectory of the arcuate groove segment faces the base 32). The plane where the winding trajectory in the winding groove is located is parallel to the sliding direction of the valve core body 4. This parallel arrangement can make the deformation force output by the SMA wire 5 be in the same direction as the above-mentioned two elastic forces.

[0054] Specifically, the valve core body 4 may include a connecting wall 401, on which a valve core block and a winding block are horizontally arranged in sequence above and below. The valve core block and the winding block are arranged at intervals. The valve core block can be used for sliding connection to the second vertical guide hole and connecting the flexible seal 6. The winding groove is set at the connection between the winding block and the connecting wall 401. During installation, the SMA wire 5 can be installed into the winding groove from the gap between the valve core block and the winding block.

[0055] In this embodiment, the SMA driving part may specifically include an SMA wire 5 and two electrical connectors.

[0056] The two electrical connectors are respectively buried in the base 32 and are respectively located on both sides of the above-mentioned first guide protrusion 101, and the SMA wire 5 is wound around the valve core body 4 (the SMA wire 5 can be divided into a first section, a middle section and a tail section connected in sequence, the middle section is correspondingly wound in the above-mentioned arc groove, and part of the first section and part of the tail section are respectively arranged in the above-mentioned two vertical extension grooves), and the two ends of the SMA wire 5 are respectively connected to the two electrical connectors (that is, the first section and the tail section extend downward and are respectively connected to the two electrical connectors).

[0057] The above-mentioned electrical connector may specifically include an SMA wire power pin and an SMA wire claw 12. The SMA wire power pin is buried in the base 3, and the input end of the SMA wire power pin extends out of the base 3 for connecting to an external power supply; the SMA wire claw 12 is also buried in the base 3 and electrically connected to the SMA wire power pin, and the clamping end of the SMA wire claw 12 extends upward into the valve core accommodating chamber to clamp the corresponding SMA wire 5.

[0058] Furthermore, in order to improve the stability of the connection of the SMA wire claw 12, a claw protection shell 301 with a top opening can be further formed on the base 3, and a clamping notch 302 can be set on the side of the claw protection shell 301, and a corresponding clamping protrusion 1201 can be set on the SMA wire claw 12, so that when the SMA wire claw 12 is subjected to an upward force, it can be transmitted to the claw protection shell 301 and the base 3 through the clamping protrusion 1201 thereon.

[0059] In this embodiment, in view of the need for power supply and cost of the SMA wire 5 , the valve body (valve body 1 and base 3 ) is made of insulating material (such as plastic), and the valve core body 4 can be set as a metal part.

[0060] In this embodiment, the shape memory alloy actuated valve may further include a muffler 8 (the material may be muffler cotton). The muffler 8 is arranged and runs through the valve body, at least part of the muffler 8 is configured to form a valve core accommodating cavity, and at least part of the muffler 8 is configured to communicate with the outside.

[0061] Specifically, the top of the valve body 1 may be provided with a plurality of internal threaded columns extending upwards, which are used for threaded connection with the above-mentioned connecting body 11, and the adjacent internal threaded columns may be provided as a solid structure to cooperate to form the above-mentioned second vertical guide hole. In order to install the silencer 8, two adjacent internal threaded columns may be selected, and the solid material between them may be omitted to form the installation hole, and the inner wall of the silencer 8 may cooperate to form the second vertical guide hole, and in order to prevent the silencer 8 from falling out of the valve body 1, a radial baffle 204 may be further extended on the connecting body 11, and the radial baffle 204 is arranged on the outer side of the silencer 8 in the radial direction relative to the overall axis of the valve. When the valve is working, there is airflow noise in the valve body, and the silencer 8 plays a noise reduction role.

[0062] The specific working principle of the shape memory alloy actuated valve of this embodiment is as follows:

[0063] The SMA wire 5 is wound around the valve core body 4 in parallel with the axis of the guide hole;

[0064] When the SMA wire 5 is energized and contracts, it drives the valve core body 4 to move downward along the two vertical guide holes. At this time, the top surface of the flexible seal 6 is separated from the first opening 205, and a flow conduction loop is formed between the input pipe 9 and the output pipe 10.

[0065] When the SMA wire 5 is de-energized and relaxed, the valve core body 4 is driven by the spring force of the compression spring to move upward along the two vertical guide holes. At this time, the top surface of the flexible seal 6 is pressed against the first opening 205, cutting off the flow conduction loop formed between the input pipe 9 and the output pipe 10.

[0066] The above is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Even if various changes are made to the present invention, if these changes fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, they still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shape memory alloy actuated valve, characterized in that: include: A valve body, wherein a valve core accommodating chamber and a fluid chamber are connected to each other, the fluid chamber comprises an input space, an output space and a sealing space, and the output end of the input space and the input end of the output space are respectively connected to the sealing space; A valve core is slidably connected to the valve core accommodating cavity, and the valve core is configured to at least partially extend into the sealed space to open or cut off the communication between the input space and the output space; An elastic member, arranged in the valve body and connected to the valve core, the elastic member being configured to output an elastic force that pushes the valve core to cut off the connection between the input space and the output space; An SMA driving part is arranged on the valve body, at least part of the SMA wire of the SMA driving part is wound around the valve core, and both ends of the SMA wire are located on the side of the valve core away from the elastic member, and the SMA wire is configured to output a deformation force that pulls the valve core to overcome the elastic force and open the connection between the input space and the output space.

2. The shape memory alloy actuated valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve body comprises a valve housing and a flow chamber connected to each other; The valve core accommodating chamber is provided in the valve housing, and the input space, the output space and the sealing space are provided in the flow chamber.

3. The shape memory alloy actuated valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flow chamber includes a connecting body, an input pipe, and at least one output pipe; The connection body is detachably connected to the valve housing, and the sealing space is formed in the connection body; the input pipe and the output pipe are respectively arranged in the connection body and communicated with the sealing space.

4. The shape memory alloy actuated valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The valve housing comprises a valve body and a base; The valve body is provided with a valve core accommodating opening with a bottom opening, and the top of the valve body is provided with a connecting hole communicating with the valve core accommodating opening and used for communicating with the sealing space; The base is installed on the bottom of the valve body and covers the valve core accommodating opening. The base and the valve core accommodating opening cooperate to form the valve core accommodating cavity.

5. The shape memory alloy actuated valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: A first guide protrusion is provided on the surface of the base facing the valve core accommodating cavity, and a first vertical guide hole is provided on the first guide protrusion; a second guide protrusion corresponding to the communicating hole is provided in the valve core accommodating opening, and a second vertical guide hole communicating with the communicating hole is provided in the second guide protrusion; The valve core is slidably connected to the first vertical guide hole and the second vertical guide hole respectively.

6. The shape memory alloy actuated valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The elastic member is arranged in the first vertical guide hole.

7. The shape memory alloy actuated valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve core comprises a valve core body and a flexible sealing member; The valve core body is slidably connected to the valve core accommodating cavity, and the top of the valve core body extends into the sealed space; the flexible seal is installed on the top of the valve core body, and the flexible seal is configured to open or close the output end of the input space under the drive of the valve core body, or the flexible seal is configured to open or close the input end of the output space under the drive of the valve core body.

8. The shape memory alloy actuated valve according to claim 7, characterized in that: The valve core body is provided with a winding groove for winding the SMA wire, and the plane where the winding track in the winding groove is located is parallel to the sliding direction of the valve core body.

9. The shape memory alloy actuated valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The SMA driving part includes an SMA wire and two electrical connectors; The two electrical connectors are respectively buried in the base and located on both sides of the first guide protrusion. The SMA wire is wound around the valve core, and two ends of the SMA wire are respectively connected to the two electrical connectors.

10. The shape memory alloy actuated valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes sound-absorbing parts; The silencer is arranged in and passes through the valve body, at least part of the silencer is configured to form the valve core accommodating chamber, and at least part of the silencer is configured to communicate with the outside.

Images