Method of supplying and discharging pressurized fluid

Details Method of supplying and discharging pressurized fluid Method of supplying and discharging pressurized fluid

2002-10-08

2003-11-11

Lee, Kevin (Department: 3753)

Fluid handling

Processes

C137S614030, C137S614060

Reexamination Certificate

active

06644331

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of supplying and discharging pressurized fluid and, for example, it concerns a method suitable for supplying and discharging pressurized oil to a work pallet which is detachably fixed to a table of a machine tool.
2. Explanation of Related Art
A conventional example of the pressurized fluid supply and discharge method of this kind was disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-47975. The conventional technique is arranged as follows.
When connecting a quick coupler which comprises a socket and a plug, an air cylinder advances the socket toward the plug to thereby first seal a leading end of the socket and a leading end of the plug. Then a first stop member within the socket is brought into butting contact with a second stop member within the plug, thereby forcedly opening a first check member within the socket and a second check member within the plug. And the air cylinder exerts a pushing force, which holds the socket connected to the plug. In that state, pressurized oil is supplied from a first supply and discharge port of the socket to a second supply and discharge port of the plug.
The conventional technique has the following problem.
In the foregoing connected state, the first check member of the socket is always kept open as well as the second check member of the plug. Therefore, on stopping the pressurized oil supply to the first supply and discharge port, the pressurized oil at the second supply and discharge port is discharged to an exterior area through the first supply and discharge port. In consequence, in order for the second supply and discharge port to hold its pressure even after the socket has been separated from the plug, the socket has to be separated from the plug with the pressurized oil supplied to the first supply and discharge port. This results in easy leakage of the pressurized oil from the sealed portion of the leading ends of the socket and of the plug.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at making it possible to prevent the leakage of pressurized fluid when separating a coupler.
In order to accomplish the above aim, for example, as shown in
FIGS. 1
to
4
, the present invention provides a method which connects a first coupling
21
fixed to a first block
1
, to a second coupling
22
secured to a second block
2
and separates from each other, thereby supplying and discharging pressurized fluid between a first supply and discharge port
51
of the first block
1
and a second supply and discharge port
78
of the second block
2
. The method comprises the following steps.
When supplying the pressurized fluid from the first supply and discharge port
51
to the second supply and discharge port
78
, first, the first block
1
and the second block
2
are brought closer to each other, thereby hermetically communicating a first flow passage
44
within the first coupling
21
with a second flow passage
66
within the second coupling
22
. And a first stop member
45
within the first flow passage
44
is brought into butting contact with a second stop member
67
within the second flow passage
66
. A contact gap (B) is formed between the second stop member
67
in that butting contact state and a check member
72
within the second coupling
22
. Next, the second block
2
is fixed to the first block
1
by a locking means
3
under a locking condition (X). In that state, pressurized fluid is supplied to the first supply and discharge port
51
, thereby supplying the pressurized fluid to the second supply and discharge port
78
via the first flow passage
44
, the second flow passage
66
, an interior area of a check valve seat
71
and a check valve chamber
70
. Subsequently, a resilient member
73
exerts an urging force which brings the check member
72
into closing contact with the check valve seat
71
. Thereafter, the pressurized fluid at the first supply and discharge port
51
is discharged to an exterior area. And the locking means
3
is switched over from the locking condition (X) to an unlocking condition (Y), thereby separating the first block
1
and the second block
2
from each other.
Contrary to the above, when discharging the pressurized fluid supplied to the second supply and discharge port
78
, to the first supply and discharge port
51
, first, the first block
1
and the second block
2
are brought closer to each other, thereby hermetically communicating the first flow passage
44
with the second flow passage
66
and bringing the first stop member
45
into butting contact with the second stop member
67
. Then the second block
2
is fixed to the first block
1
by the locking means
3
under the locking condition (X). In that state, an actuation means
59
separates the check member
72
from the check valve seat
71
through the first stop member
45
and the second stop member
67
in the mentioned order, thereby discharging the pressurized fluid at the second supply and discharge port
78
to the first supply and discharge port
51
via the check valve chamber
70
, the interior area of the check valve seat
71
, the second flow passage
66
and the first flow passage
44
. Thereafter, the locking means
3
is switched over from the locking condition (X) to the unlocking condition (Y), thereby separating the first block
1
and the second block
2
from each other.
The present invention offers the following advantages.
After the pressurized fluid has been supplied from the first supply and discharge port of the first block to the second supply and discharge port of the second block, the check member within the second coupling is brought into closing contact with the check valve seat by the resilient member. Therefore, even if the pressurized fluid at the first supply and discharge port is discharged to the exterior area, it is possible to retain a pressure of the second supply and discharge port at a predetermined one. And the first coupling and the second coupling are separated from each other in a state where the first flow passage and the second flow passage have lost their pressures by discharging the pressurized fluid at the first supply and discharge port to the exterior area. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the leakage of the pressurized fluid upon that separation.
Besides, at the time of the foregoing separation, the first flow passage has lost its pressure. Accordingly, the pressurized fluid does not make its pressure act from the first coupling to the second coupling, so that there is no need for receiving a force exerted by the pressurized fluid.
The present invention includes the following method.
The actuation means
59
comprises a piston
54
which faces the first stop member
45
, and an actuation chamber
56
. And when the pressurized fluid is supplied from the first supply and discharge port
51
to the second supply and discharge port
78
, first, pressurized fluid for forced valve-opening is supplied to the actuation chamber
56
. This separates the check member
72
from the check valve seat
71
via the piston
54
, the first stop member
45
and the second stop member
67
. The pressurized fluid supplied to the first supply and discharge port
51
is supplied to the second supply and discharge port
78
. Next, the pressurized fluid for forced valve-opening within the actuation chamber
56
is discharged to an exterior area. Thereafter, the pressurized fluid at the first supply and discharge port
51
is discharged to the exterior area.
The above-mentioned invention produces the following function and advantages.
On supplying the pressurized fluid from the first supply and discharge port to the second supply and discharge port, the check member is forcedly opened, thereby being able to secure a large opening gap over the entire term for supplying the pressurized fluid. This makes it possible to carry out the supply of the pressurized fluid for a short period of time. In addition, the forcedly opened check member can inhibit the chattering caused by pressure pulsation, wh

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