Fluid handling – Systems – With flow control means for branched passages
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-09
2001-01-16
Fox, John (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Systems
With flow control means for branched passages
C137S269000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173745
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a manifold solenoid valve drive-controlled by serial signals and, more particularly, to a manifold solenoid valve driven by serial signals that is applicable regardless of whether a solenoid valve mounted on a manifold block is a single solenoid valve or a double solenoid valve.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Conventionally, a manifold solenoid valve provided with a required number of solenoid valves, manifold blocks on which the solenoid valves are individually rested and are interconnected, and an air supply/exhaust block that supplies and exhausts compressed air through the manifold blocks has been extensively used. The solenoid valves mounted on the manifold blocks generally come in single solenoid valves (normally three-port valves: hereinafter referred to simply as “single valves”) in which a passage of a main valve is switched by a single solenoid, and double solenoid valves (normally five-port valves:
hereinafter referred to simply as “double valves”) in which a passage of a main valve is switched by two solenoids.
In the manifold solenoid valve, the respective solenoid valves mounted thereon can be drive-controlled by serial signals. In this case, however, the number of driven solenoids differs depending upon whether the solenoid valves are single valves or double valves, so that a control system has to be adapted to either of them. Furthermore, any of the solenoid valves respectively mounted on a plurality of manifold blocks consecutively connected are sometimes changed between single valves and double valves. Hence, there is a demand for making the control system that controls solenoid valves easily switchable.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A technological object of the present invention is to configure such a manifold solenoid valve so that, in implementing drive control of the manifold solenoid valve by serial signals, a control system for a single valve and that for a double valve can be configured by an easy switching operation in a single control system so as to permit easy adaptation of the control system to solenoid valves when assembling the manifold solenoid valve, and also permit the control system for controlling the solenoid valves to be easily switched when any solenoid valves mounted on manifold blocks are changed between single valves and double valves.
Another technological object of the present invention is to provide a manifold solenoid valve driven by serial signals that permits extremely easy assembly of the manifold solenoid valve and extremely easy maintenance, and eliminates a possibility of erroneous wiring.
A manifold solenoid valve in accordance with the present invention for fulfilling the aforesaid objects comprises a required number of solenoid valves and manifold blocks on which the solenoid valves are individually mounted and which are interconnected, supplies and exhausts compressed air to and from the respective solenoid valves through the manifold blocks, and transmits serial signals for operation control through the manifold blocks to control operations of the solenoid valves by the serial signals, wherein an electric circuit component having a printed circuit board provided with female and male connecting terminals for transmitting serial signals that are electrically connected with one another, a slave chip for extracting operation signals for the solenoid valves from the serial signals, a feeder terminal for supplying power to the solenoid valves based on the operation signals, and a switching device for switching the slave chip between a single valve mode and a double valve mode is detachably installed in an electric circuit section of each of adjoining manifold blocks, and the female and male connecting terminals on the printed circuit board in each manifold block are disposed at positions where they are connected with one another when common passages of the manifold blocks are communicated with one another as the manifold blocks are connected.
In the foregoing manifold solenoid valve, the switching device provided on the printed circuit board may be constructed by a switch for switching connection of a switching terminal in the slave chip to a ground end, or a short pin for selecting whether or not to connect the switching terminal to the ground end by attaching or detaching the short pin.
In the manifold solenoid valve driven by serial signals that has the configuration described above, the electric circuit component having a printed circuit board provided with female and male connecting terminals for transmitting serial signals, the slave chip for extracting operation signals from the serial signals, the feeder terminal for supplying power to the solenoid valves based on the operation signals, and the switching device for switching the slave chip between the single valve mode and the double valve mode is detachably installed in the electric circuit section of each manifold block to thereby constitute a control system for driving the respective solenoid valves. Therefore, in assembling the manifold solenoid valve, the control system for single valves and double valves can be used by alternately switching by an easy operation of the switching device in the single control system. Moreover, the control system can be easily switched by the switching device when any solenoid valves mounted on the manifold blocks are changed between single valves and double valves.
Furthermore, in the manifold solenoid valve, simply stacking and connecting the manifold blocks permits fluid passages and serial signal lines to be automatically connected, or simply detaching the manifold blocks permits the electric circuit component constituting the control system to be taken out. Hence, an operation for switching between a single valve mode and a double valve mode can be accomplished extremely easily. In addition, after the switching, the manifold solenoid valve can be assembled with great ease, thus making it possible to obtain a manifold solenoid valve that enables various types of maintenance to be implemented easily and eliminates a possibility of erroneous wiring.
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Endo Katsuhisa
Hayashi Bunya
Morikawa Fumio
Fox John
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
SMC Corporation
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