Fluid handling – Systems – With flow control means for branched passages
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-15
2001-04-10
Fox, John (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Systems
With flow control means for branched passages
C137S560000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213153
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electric power supply apparatus for supplying electric power to a solenoid valve manifold in which solenoid valves are mounted on manifold blocks having a fluid passage section and an electric circuit section.
PRIOR ART
In a solenoid valve manifold in which solenoid valves are mounted on mutually connectable manifold blocks having a fluid passage section and an electric circuit section, the plurality of solenoid valves can be controlled with ease in the solenoid valve manifold being mutually connected and having a common construction, by constructing the aforesaid electric circuit section by electrically connecting, with a wiring on a printed wiring board, a multiple-pole male connector disposed on one connecting surface of a manifold block, a multiple-pole female connector disposed on the other connecting surface and joined to said male connector of an adjacent manifold block, and an electric power supplying connector disposed on a valve attachment surface of an upper surface and connected to an electric power receiving connector of the solenoid valves, and by sending a driving signal to each solenoid valve on each manifold block from the multiple-pole male connector on the basis of serial signals transmitted through a serial unit, signals sent through a multiple-pole connector, and the like to control driving of those solenoid valves.
However, in controlling the plurality of solenoid valves in the solenoid valve manifold thus connected, a countermeasure to meet the change in the number of terminals in the serial unit or the multiple-pole connector has not been conventionally taken into account, so that a serial unit and various connectors, printed wiring boards, and others had to be prepared for each case in accordance with the number of terminals, raising a problem in economy and also lacking convenience in use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A technical object of the present invention is to provide an electric power supplying apparatus for a solenoid valve manifold that can be easily adapted to change in the number of terminals in a serial unit or in a multiple-pole connector in controlling a plurality of solenoid valves in a plurality of connected solenoid valve manifolds, thereby to improve the problem in economy and at the same time making it convenient for use.
Another technical object of the present invention is to provide an electric power supplying apparatus for a solenoid valve manifold in which an electric power supplying circuit component for supplying electric power to the aforesaid solenoid valves can be easily mounted onto a manifold block.
In order to achieve the aforesaid object, an electric power supplying apparatus for a solenoid valve manifold of the present invention is characterized in that, in a solenoid valve manifold in which mutually connected manifold blocks having solenoid valves mounted on a valve attachment surface of an upper surface for switching passages of compressed fluid include a fluid passage section for feeding and discharging the compressed fluid to said solenoid valves through a common passage and an electric circuit section for supplying a driving electric power to said solenoid valves, said electric circuit section is constructed by electrically connecting, with a wiring on a printed wiring board, a multiple-pole male connector disposed on one connecting surface of a manifold block, a multiple-pole female connector disposed on the other connecting surface and joined to said male connector of an adjacent manifold block, and an electric power supplying connector disposed on the valve attachment surface of the upper surface and connected to an electric power receiving connector of the solenoid valves, and the wiring on said printed wiring board is constructed in such a manner that terminals of the multiple-pole male connector that send driving signals to respective solenoid valves on the connected manifold blocks are connected to terminals of the female connector by shifting the driving signals thereof sequentially to terminals on the electric power supplying connector side, the terminal on the utmost end of the shifted side being connected to the electric power supplying connector, and has a common terminal disposed at the end of said electric power supplying connector side and interconnected between the male connector and the female connector.
In the electric power supplying apparatus of a solenoid valve manifold having the aforesaid construction, in controlling a plurality of solenoid valves with the solenoid valve manifold, the wiring on said printed wiring board is constructed in such a manner that terminals of the multiple-pole male connector are connected to terminals of the female connector by shifting the driving signals for the solenoid valves sequentially to the electric power supplying connector side, the terminal on the utmost end of the shifted side being connected to the electric power supplying connector, and has a common terminal disposed at the end of said electric power supplying connector side and interconnected between the male connector and the female connector, whereby any terminals exceeding the number of required terminals are disposed as spare terminals on the side opposite to the electric power supplying connector. Therefore, even if the number of terminals in a serial unit or a multiple-pole connector is changed, a common printed wiring board can be used in accordance therewith, and the number of poles in various connectors can also be allowed to have a degree of freedom.
In the aforesaid electric power supplying apparatus for the solenoid valve manifold, it is effective in simplifying the mounting of the electric power supplying circuit component onto the manifold block if the electric circuit section of the manifold block includes a housing chamber that is open to both connecting surface sides thereof and capable of housing said electric power supplying circuit component having the male connector, the female connector, and the electric power supplying connector connected to the printed wiring board, and said housing chamber includes a seating section on which the printed wiring board is seated when said electric power supplying connector moves upward to a position of being confronted with a connector-joining hole of the upper surface in the manifold block, and a holding means is provided for holding said electric power supplying circuit component at an upwardly moved position where it is seated, and said means for holding the electric power supplying circuit component includes a holder being inserted under the electric power supplying circuit component housed at a predetermined position in the housing chamber from an opening of a connecting surface of the manifold block and holding said electric power supplying circuit component upwards, and a stopping section is disposed between the holder and an inner surface of the housing chamber for stopping the holder at its inserted position by engaging in a freely engageable and disengageable manner.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5234033 (1993-08-01), Stoll et al.
patent: 5348047 (1994-09-01), Stoll et al.
patent: 5458048 (1995-10-01), Hohner
patent: 5887623 (1999-03-01), Nagai et al.
Hayashi Bunya
Miyazoe Shinji
Yoshimura Shin-ichi
Fox John
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
SMC Corporation
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