Magnetic drive valve control microswitch

Abstract

The utility model discloses a magnetic drive valve control microswitch which comprises a microswitch assembly, the microswitch assembly is sealed in a shell, a wiring terminal of the microswitch assembly is led out to a wiring part arranged on the shell through a lead, a gap of the shell is sealed through a high-strength resin material, and a pressing piece of the microswitch assembly is provided with a trigger magnet. The driving magnet is installed on the valve rotating shaft and rotates along with opening and closing of the valve, when the driving magnet is close to or away from the triggering magnet, the pressing piece is made to move through the magnetic force effect, so that connection or disconnection of a signal is triggered, and the waterproof, dustproof and anti-corrosion capacity of the microswitch is remarkably improved. The internal structure of the switch is effectively prevented from being eroded by severe environmental factors such as high humidity, acid-base erosion, water vapor and acid-base gas, so that contacts and mechanical parts are protected from being corroded and abraded, the abrasion problem caused by frequent contact of a cam and a pressing piece in a traditional mechanical contact switch is avoided, and the service life of the switch is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of valve automation, and in particular to a magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch. Background Art

[0002] In valve automation control systems, micromechanical switches are typically installed on valve actuators to detect the fully open and fully closed states of the valve. While powerful, these switches, also known as mechanical switches, can be significantly impacted by harsh environmental conditions such as high humidity, acid and alkali corrosion, outdoor exposure, and the intrusion of water vapor and acid and alkali gases. Because microswitch structures contain tiny gaps, particularly where the compression spring trigger is not completely sealed, these factors can easily penetrate internally, leading to contact corrosion or condensation, which can severely weaken the contact's electrical conductivity.

[0003] In valve opening and closing monitoring, the operating principle of a mechanical microswitch relies on the precise cooperation of a mechanical cam and a switch pressure plate to trigger signal transmission. Under the high-intensity operating conditions of frequent valve opening and closing, this mechanical contact component will experience rapid wear. Over time, accumulated wear may cause the contacts to lose contact properly, leading to signal transmission failure. Therefore, ensuring the reliability and durability of mechanical microswitches under extreme or high-frequency operating conditions has become a major challenge, indicating that existing technologies need further improvement and advancement. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model provides a magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch, which is used to solve the problems existing in traditional micro mechanical switches under harsh environments and high-frequency use.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A magnetically driven valve-controlled microswitch comprises a microswitch assembly, which is sealed in a housing. The wiring terminals of the microswitch assembly are led out to the wiring portion of the housing via leads. The gaps of the housing are sealed with high-strength resin material. A pressing piece of the microswitch assembly is provided with a trigger magnet, and a cam connected to the valve shaft is provided with a driving magnet. When the valve state changes and the driving magnet rotates with the cam close to the trigger magnet, the pressing piece is actuated to switch the signal on / off; or when the driving magnet moves away from the trigger magnet, the pressing piece is reset to switch the signal on / off.

[0007] The magnetically driven valve-controlled microswitch of the present application is characterized by completely sealing the mechanical microswitch assembly within a housing and sealing the gap with a high-strength resin material. The trigger magnet is fixed inside the microswitch assembly, and its position corresponds to the pressure plate. The driving magnet is mounted on the valve shaft and rotates as the valve opens and closes. When the driving magnet approaches or moves away from the trigger magnet, the pressure plate is displaced by magnetic force, thereby triggering the conduction or shutdown of the signal. This significantly improves the waterproof, dustproof and corrosion resistance of the microswitch, effectively preventing the corrosion of the internal structure of the switch by harsh environmental factors such as high humidity, acid and alkali corrosion, water vapor and acid and alkali gases, thereby protecting the contacts and mechanical components from corrosion and wear. At the same time, it avoids the wear problem caused by frequent contact between the cam and the pressure plate in traditional mechanical contact switches, extending the service life of the switch. The wiring terminals are led out to the wiring part of the housing through leads, which is convenient for connection to the external circuit. Due to the sealed internal structure of the switch, the risk of failure caused by poor wiring or external environmental influences is reduced. When maintenance or replacement is required, it can be operated only through the wiring part without disassembling the entire switch housing, which improves the convenience of maintenance.

[0008] In a preferred implementation, the housing is made of a non-magnetic material to avoid magnetic field interference with the trigger magnet and the drive magnet.

[0009] In a preferred implementation, the trigger magnet and the drive magnet are both permanent magnet sheets.

[0010] The permanent magnet sheet has a stable magnetic field and is not easily affected by the external environment (such as temperature, humidity, etc.). It can ensure stable magnetic output over a long period of time, thereby ensuring that the micro switch accurately and reliably triggers signal transmission when the valve state changes.

[0011] In a preferred implementation, the trigger magnet is an electromagnet, and the controller controls the on / off power of the electromagnet according to whether the driving magnet is located at the fully open / fully closed position of the valve.

[0012] The controller can precisely control the on and off of the electromagnet. Only when the driving magnet is in a specific position, such as when the valve is fully open or fully closed, will the electromagnet be activated, thereby aligning with the driving magnet and triggering the tablet pressing action. This control method greatly improves the accuracy and reliability of the system.

[0013] In a preferred implementation, the driving magnet is arranged at the maximum radius point of the cam, and the driving magnet has a minimum distance position and a maximum distance position with the housing. When the driving magnet is at the minimum distance position, the valve is in a fully open / fully closed position and the pressing piece is actuated; when the driving magnet is at the maximum distance position, the valve is in a fully closed / fully open position and the pressing piece is reset.

[0014] In a preferred implementation, a monitoring component is provided in the housing, which can monitor whether the driving magnet is located at the minimum distance position and transmit a signal to the controller to control the power on and off of the trigger magnet.

[0015] In a preferred implementation, the monitoring component is a Hall sensor. When the driving magnet is at the minimum distance position and reaches the sensing area of the Hall sensor, the Hall sensor transmits a signal to the controller, and the controller controls the on and off of the trigger magnet.

[0016] In a preferred implementation, the monitoring component is a photoelectric distance sensor. When the driving magnet is at the minimum distance position, the photoelectric distance sensor detects the designed distance and transmits a signal to the controller. The controller controls the on and off of the trigger magnet according to the signal.

[0017] In a preferred implementation, the housing is provided with a transparent window to allow light from the photoelectric distance measuring sensor to escape.

[0018] In a preferred implementation, the micro switch assembly is detachably mounted on a mounting plate inside the housing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of the magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch of the present application is depicted;

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of the magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch of the present application is depicted;

[0022] Description of labels:

[0023] 1-Micro switch assembly; 10-Pressure piece; 100-Trigger magnet; 11-Terminal; 12-Lead; 2-Casing; 20-Wiring part; 21-Mounting plate; 3-Cam; 30-Drive magnet; 4-Controller; 5-Monitoring component. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Hereinafter, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0025] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inside," "outside," "axial," "radial," "circumferential," and the like, indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended only to facilitate the description of the present invention and simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "up" or "down" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium.

[0026] In this utility model, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "installed," "connected," "connect," and "fixed" should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; they can refer to internal communication between two components or an interaction between two components. However, the phrase "direct connection" indicates that the two connected entities are not connected through an intermediate structure, but are connected to form a whole through a connecting structure. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] In this utility model, terms such as "first," "second," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features.

[0028] The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] The specific plans adopted are:

[0030] like Figure 1-2 As shown, the utility model provides a magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch, including a micro switch assembly 1, which is sealed in a housing 2, and a terminal 11 of the micro switch assembly is led out to a wiring portion 20 provided in the housing through a lead 12. The gap of the housing is sealed with a high-strength resin material. A trigger magnet 100 is provided on a pressing piece 10 of the micro switch assembly, and a driving magnet 30 is installed on a cam 3 connected to a valve shaft. When the valve state changes and the driving magnet rotates with the cam close to the trigger magnet, the pressing piece is actuated to realize the conduction / conduction of the signal, or when the driving magnet moves away from the trigger magnet, the pressing piece is reset to realize the closing / conduction of the signal.

[0031] The above structure completely seals the mechanical microswitch assembly within the housing and seals the gap with a high-strength resin material. The microswitch is triggered by magnetic drive, i.e., the movement of the pressing plate is controlled by the magnetic force between the driving magnet provided on the pressing plate 10 and the trigger magnet provided on the cam, thereby achieving contactless signal transmission. This significantly improves the waterproof, dustproof, and corrosion-resistant capabilities of the microswitch, effectively preventing the internal structure of the switch from being corroded by harsh environmental factors such as high humidity, acid and alkali corrosion, water vapor, and acid and alkali gases, thereby protecting the contacts and mechanical components from corrosion and wear. It also avoids the wear caused by frequent contact between the cam and the pressing plate in traditional mechanical contact switches, extending the service life of the switch. The wiring terminals are extended to the wiring portion of the housing via leads, facilitating connection to an external circuit. The sealed internal structure of the switch reduces the risk of failure due to poor wiring or external environmental influences. When maintenance or replacement is required, access can be performed simply through the wiring portion, without disassembling the entire switch housing, improving maintenance convenience.

[0032] Furthermore, the housing 2 is made of a non-magnetic material primarily to avoid magnetic field interference with the trigger magnet 100 and the drive magnet 30. Non-magnetic materials, such as ABS plastic, nylon (PA), polycarbonate (PC), ceramic materials, and special alloys, do not conduct magnetic fields and therefore do not interfere with the trigger magnet and the drive magnet.

[0033] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the trigger magnet 100 and the drive magnet 30 are both permanent magnet sheets. The permanent magnet sheets have a stable magnetic field and are not easily affected by the external environment (such as temperature, humidity, etc.). They can ensure stable magnetic output for a long time, thereby ensuring that the micro switch accurately and reliably triggers signal transmission when the valve state changes.

[0034] For simple water valve systems used in homes or small offices, using two permanent magnets as the drive and trigger mechanism for the micro switch is a simple, economical and effective solution where high precision is not required and a certain tolerance range is allowed.

[0035] However, in some high-precision control valve applications, if there is a slight deviation in the positional relationship between the driving magnet and the triggering magnet, due to the strong magnetism of the permanent magnet, the pressing plate may still be subjected to a magnetic force similar to that when they are completely aligned, causing the pressing plate to be triggered and the micro switch to be powered on and off, causing the system to mistakenly judge that the valve is fully closed. However, in fact, the valve may not be fully closed in place, and the fluid is still passing through at a small flow rate. This leads to a decrease in system performance, increased energy consumption, and even serious safety accidents in some critical applications (such as chemical industry, nuclear energy and other fields).

[0036] Therefore, in this embodiment, the trigger magnet 100 is an electromagnet, and the controller controls the on / off power of the electromagnet according to whether the driving magnet 30 is located at the fully open / fully closed position of the valve.

[0037] The electromagnet's on / off state can be precisely controlled by the controller 4. The electromagnet is activated only when the driving magnet is in a specific position, such as when the valve is fully open or fully closed, thereby aligning with the driving magnet and triggering the tablet pressing action. This control method greatly improves the accuracy and reliability of the system. Because the electromagnet's on / off state is controllable, even slight deviations in the positional relationship between the driving magnet and the triggering magnet will not cause the system to misjudge. The corresponding action is only triggered when the controller confirms that the valve is fully closed or open.

[0038] In critical applications such as chemical and nuclear power, precise control of valve status is crucial to preventing safety accidents. Using electromagnets as the triggering mechanism can greatly improve the safety and reliability of the system.

[0039] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The driving magnet is arranged at the maximum radius point of the cam 3, and the driving magnet has a minimum distance position and a maximum distance position with the housing 2. When the driving magnet is at the minimum distance position, the valve is in the fully open / fully closed position and the pressing piece is in action; when the driving magnet is at the maximum distance position, the valve is in the fully closed / fully open position and the pressing piece is reset.

[0040] In this design, the cam's maximum radius point is selected as the location for mounting the drive magnet. The drive magnet is fixed at this point and moves with the cam's rotation. This way, when the cam rotates to a specific position, the drive magnet also moves to a position that interacts with the trigger magnet. When the drive magnet is at the cam's maximum radius point and the cam rotates to a position that minimizes the distance between the drive magnet and the housing (or more specifically, the trigger magnet or electromagnet), the valve is in the fully open or fully closed position. At this position, the magnetic force between the drive magnet and the trigger magnet (or energized electromagnet) reaches its maximum, sufficient to trigger the pressing plate and turn the microswitch on and off.

[0041] On the contrary, when the driving magnet is located at the maximum radius point of the cam, but the cam rotates to the position that maximizes the distance between the driving magnet and the housing, this usually corresponds to the other extreme position of the valve (i.e. if the minimum distance position is fully open, the maximum distance position is fully closed; vice versa). In this position, the magnetic force between the driving magnet and the trigger magnet (or unpowered electromagnet) is minimal and is insufficient to trigger the pressing action, and the pressing piece remains in the reset state.

[0042] In a system using an electromagnet as a trigger magnet, a monitoring component is required to detect whether the driving magnet is at the minimum distance from the trigger magnet and transmit this information to the controller so that the controller can control the power on and off of the trigger magnet (if it is an electromagnet) accordingly.

[0043] The monitoring element 5 can be a variety of types of sensors, and the specific selection depends on the specific requirements of the system and the working environment.

[0044] As the first preferred embodiment under this embodiment, the monitoring component is a Hall sensor. When the driving magnet is at the minimum distance position and comes into the sensing area of the Hall sensor, the Hall sensor transmits the signal to the controller, and the controller 4 controls the power on and off of the trigger magnet.

[0045] A Hall effect sensor is a magnetic field sensor based on the Hall effect. When a magnetic field passes through a Hall element, a potential difference (i.e., Hall voltage) is generated across it. This potential difference is proportional to the magnetic flux passing through the element. Before the valve is actuated, the driving magnet is located at a non-minimum distance position on the cam. At this time, the Hall effect sensor does not detect sufficient magnetic field strength, and therefore generates no Hall effect voltage or a very small Hall effect voltage that is insufficient to trigger the controller. As the cam rotates, the driving magnet moves with it. When the driving magnet moves to the minimum distance position, it enters the sensing area of the Hall effect sensor, and the magnetic field strength increases significantly. After detecting the enhanced magnetic field, the Hall effect sensor generates a corresponding Hall effect voltage. This voltage signal is converted into a digital signal and transmitted to the controller. The controller receives the signal from the Hall effect sensor and then performs the next operation.

[0046] The sensitivity and sensing range of the Hall sensor need to be matched according to the magnetic field strength of the driving magnet and the design of the cam to ensure that the signal can be reliably triggered when the driving magnet reaches the minimum distance position.

[0047] As the first preferred embodiment under this embodiment, the monitoring component is a photoelectric ranging sensor. When the driving magnet is at the minimum distance position, the photoelectric ranging sensor detects the designed distance and transmits a signal to the controller. The controller controls the power on and off of the trigger magnet according to the signal. Furthermore, the housing is provided with a transparent window to allow the light of the photoelectric ranging sensor to be emitted.

[0048] Photoelectric distance sensors measure the distance between objects by transmitting and receiving light. A transmitter emits light, which is reflected by an object. A receiver receives the reflected light and converts it into an electrical signal. This allows the distance between the object and the sensor to be calculated. When the driving magnet moves to the minimum distance position, it enters the photoelectric distance sensor's measurement range. At this point, the intensity of the reflected light reaches a preset threshold. The controller receives a signal from the photoelectric distance sensor and initiates the next step, sending a power-on signal to the electromagnet, causing it to generate a magnetic force that triggers the compression action. A transparent window in the housing allows the photoelectric distance sensor's light to escape and receive reflected light. This is key to achieving non-contact distance measurement.

[0049] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the micro switch assembly is detachably mounted on a mounting plate 21 inside the housing.

[0050] Anything not described in this utility model can be achieved by adopting or drawing on existing technologies.

[0051] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and such variations or substitutions are intended to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch, characterized in that: It includes a micro switch assembly, which is sealed in a shell. The wiring terminals of the micro switch assembly are led out to the wiring part set in the shell through leads. The gap of the shell is sealed with high-strength resin material. The pressing piece of the micro switch assembly is provided with a trigger magnet. The cam connected to the valve shaft is installed with a driving magnet. When the valve state changes and the driving magnet rotates with the cam close to the trigger magnet, the pressing piece is actuated to realize the conduction / conduction of the signal, or when the driving magnet moves away from the trigger magnet, the pressing piece is reset to realize the closing / conduction of the signal.

2. The magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing is made of non-magnetic conductive material to avoid magnetic field interference to the trigger magnet and the driving magnet.

3. The magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trigger magnet and the driving magnet are both permanent magnet sheets.

4. The magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trigger magnet is an electromagnet, and the controller controls the on and off of the electromagnet according to whether the driving magnet is located at the fully open / fully closed position of the valve.

5. The magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch according to claim 4, characterized in that: The driving magnet is arranged at the maximum radius point of the cam, and the driving magnet has a minimum distance position and a maximum distance position with the housing. When the driving magnet is at the minimum distance position, the valve is in a fully open / fully closed position and the pressing piece is in action; when the driving magnet is at the maximum distance position, the valve is in a fully closed / fully open position and the pressing piece is reset.

6. The magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch according to claim 5, characterized in that: A monitoring component is provided in the housing, which can monitor whether the driving magnet is located at the minimum distance position and transmit a signal to the controller to control the power on and off of the trigger magnet.

7. The magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch according to claim 6, characterized in that: The monitoring component is a Hall sensor. When the driving magnet is at the minimum distance position, it comes into the sensing area of the Hall sensor. The Hall sensor transmits the signal to the controller, and the controller controls the power on and off of the trigger magnet.

8. The magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch according to claim 6, characterized in that: The monitoring component is a photoelectric distance sensor. When the driving magnet is at the minimum distance position, the photoelectric distance sensor detects the designed distance and transmits the signal to the controller. The controller controls the power on and off of the trigger magnet according to the signal.

9. The magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch according to claim 8, characterized in that: The housing is provided with a transparent window to allow light from the photoelectric distance measuring sensor to be emitted.

10. The magnetically driven valve-controlled micro switch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The micro switch assembly is detachably mounted on a mounting plate inside the housing.

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