Directional control valve connector device

Abstract: A directional control valve connector device comprises at least one supply-and-ejection block (4a,4b) connected to a plurality of manifold blocks (2) on each of which a directional control valve (3) is mounted. A pilot supply channel (8) and a pilot ejection channel (9) both in communication with each directional control valve through the manifold blocks open onto a relay surface (2a) formed on the supply-and-ejection block. A supply branch passage (28a) branches from a supply port (28) and an ejection branch passage (29a) branches from an ejection port (29), the branch passages also open onto the relay surface. The pilot supply and ejection channels are connected to a port for supplying a pilot fluid and a port for ejecting a pilot fluid, respectively, via a relay member (31A) mounted on the relay surface.

Description: The present invention relates to a directional control valve connector device and in particular to a device that can simultaneously change the pilot fluid supply for a directional control valve between internal and external pilot fluid supply. Japanese Utility Model No. 64-17078 discloses a pilot-operated directional control valve in which a pilot fluid is used to switch a main valve. A switching mechanism is provided to change between internal and external pilot fluid supply. In this well-known directional control valve, however, the switching mechanism is built into each individual directional control valve, so if a plurality of directional control valves are connected together and the pilot fluid supply method must be changed, the switching mechanisms of each individual directional control valve must be operated. Thus, the change operation is very cumbersome and may cause malfunctioning. In addition, it is very difficult in terms of design and manufacturing to integrate the switching mechanism into a directional control valve that does not have available space due to the large number of parts and channels provided. Such a configuration is also expensive. EP-A-0846872 discloses a manifold that simultaneously supplies a control and pilot fluid to a transfer valve has an internal pilot channel leading to a supply port; an external pilot channel leading to an external pilot port; and a shuttle valve that selectively guides a pilot fluid to the pilot valve from the internal and external pilot channels. Two input openings in the shuttle valve are individually connected to the pilot channel and external pilot channel while the output opening is connected to the pilot supply channel. This invention provides a directional control valve connector device comprising a plurality of manifold blocks on which pilot-operated directional control valves are mounted, the manifold blocks being connected together with at least one supply-and-ejection block, having a supply port and an ejection port. The or each supply-and-ejection block includes a pilot supply channel and a pilot ejection channel, both in communication with each of the manifold blocks, a relay surface into which the pilot supply and ejection channels are opened, and a pilot supply branch passage and a pilot ejection branch passage that branch from the supply and ejection ports, respectively, and that are opened into the relay surface. A relay member is detachably mounted on this relay surface so that the pilot supply and ejection channels are connected via the relay member to a port for supplying a pilot fluid and a port for ejecting a pilot fluid, respectively. The relay surface is formed on the supply-and-ejection block, and the pilot supply and ejection channels are opened into the relay surface and connected to the ports for supplying and ejecting a pilot fluid, via the relay member mounted on the relay surface. Thus, by simply changing the relay member to one of a different form, the pilot fluid supply method can be simultaneously changed for all valves between the internal and external pilot types. Therefore, a first relay member including a channel that connects the pilot supply channel to the supply port can be used to configure the device as the internal pilot type, whilst a second relay member including a channel that connects the pilot supply channel to an external pilot port can be used to configure the device as the external pilot type. In one specific embodiment, the first relay member includes a supply communication passage that allows the pilot supply channel and the pilot supply branch passage opened into the relay surface to communicate mutually, and an ejection communication passage that allows the pilot ejection channel and the pilot ejection branch passage to communicate mutually. This allows the device to be configured as the internal pilot type with the device guiding part of a control fluid from the supply port to each directional control valve as a pilot fluid while ejecting a pilot fluid from each directional control valve to the exterior through the ejection port. In another specific embodiment, the second relay member includes an external pilot port that introduces a pilot fluid from the exterior, a pilot ejection port that ejects a pilot fluid from each directional control valve, a communication passage that allows the pilot supply and ejection channels, which are both opened into the relay surface, to communicate with the external pilot port and pilot ejection port, respectively, and a means for closing the pilot supply and ejection branch passages. This design allows the device to be configured as the external pilot type, the device guiding a pilot fluid from the external pilot port to each directional control valve. The directional control valve connector device has a simple mechanism which can be used to change the pilot fluid supply method for all the directional control valves simultaneously, and so do away with the need to provide individual switching mechanisms for changing the pilot fluid supply method. The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a front view of a directional control valve connected body according to this invention configured as an internal pilot type, FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a front view of the directional control valve connected body configured as an external pilot type, and, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIGS. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of a directional control valve connected device, which is referred to hereinafter as a directional control valve connected body, according to this invention. The directional control valve connected body 1 comprises a plurality of separate manifold blocks 2 connected in the direction of the horizontal width; a pilot-operated directional control valve 3 mounted on a valve-installation surface 2a on top of each of the manifold blocks 2; and first and second supply and ejection blocks 4a and 4b connected to the respective sides of the connected manifold blocks 2. As shown in FIG. 4 in detail, the manifold block 2 includes a supply channel 6 and an ejection channel 7 for a control fluid that penetrate the block in the connecting direction, and a pilot supply channel 8 and a pilot ejection channel 9. The channels 6, 7, 8, and 9 are opened into a valve-installation surface 2a and are in communication with a supply opening P, ejection openings EA and EB, a pilot supply opening PP, and a pilot ejection opening PE all in the directional control valve 3 installed on the valve-installation surface 2a. The manifold block 2 also has two output ports 10A and 10B in its front surface, and these output ports 10A and 10B are opened into the valve-installation surface 2a via communication passages 10a and 10b, and are in communication with output openings A and B in the directional control valve 3, respectively. Quick pipe joints 11 are attached to the output ports 10A and 10B. When a tube is inserted into the pipe joint 11, a claw member elastically engages and locks the tube. When a release bush 11a is pressed in, the claw member is released from the tube to allow the tube to be pulled out. The directional control valve 3 comprises a main valve 13 that switches channels for a control fluid such as compressed air; and first and second solenoid-operated pilot valves 14a and 14b that use a pilot fluid to switch the main valve 13. A valve body 15 of the main valve 13 includes a valve hole 16 into which the supply opening P, output openings A and B, and ejection openings EA and EB are opened. A valve disc 17 is slidably inserted into the valve hole 16 in an airtight manner to switch the channel between the output openings A and B and the supply opening P and ejection ports EA and EB. The main valve 13 also includes first and second piston chambers 18a and 18b on the respective sides of the valve hole 16 in its axial direction, with first and second pistons 19a and 19b of the same diameter slidably inserted into the piston chambers in an airtight manner. The pilot valves 14a and 14b each have the same configuration as a well-known three-port solenoid-operated valve and includes a pilot input opening (p), a pilot output opening (a), and a pilot ejection opening (r). By magnetizing and demagnetizing the solenoid, the channel is switched between the pilot output opening (a) and the pilot input or ejection opening (p) or (r). The pilot input openings (p) in the pilot valves 14a and 14b are in communication with a common pilot input channel 21 formed in a pilot valve body 20, and the pilot ejection openings (r) are in communication with a common pilot ejection channel 22. The pilot input channel 21 is in communication with the pilot supply opening PP through a supply communication passage 23, and the pilot ejection channel 22 is in communication with the pilot ejection opening PE through an ejection communication passage 24. In addition, the output opening (a) in the pilot valve 14a is in communication with the first piston chamber 18a through a first communication passage 25a, and the output opening (a) in the pilot valve 14b is in communication with the second piston chamber 18b through a second communication passage 25b. In the directional control valve 3, when the solenoid in the first pilot valve 14a is magnetized, a pilot fluid supplied to the first piston chamber 18a causes the first piston 19a and the valve disc 17 to move rightward in the figure while pressing the second piston 19b, thereby allowing the output opening A and the supply opening P to communicate mutually while allowing the output opening B and the ejection port EB to communicate mutually. Consequently, a control fluid is output through the first output port 10A in the manifold block 2. In addition, when the solenoid in the first pilot valve 14a is demagnetized and the solenoid in the second pilot valve 14b is magnetized, a pilot fluid supplied to the second piston chamber 18b causes the second piston 19b and the valve disc 17 to move leftward in the figure while pressing the first piston 19a, thereby allowing the output opening B and the supply opening P to communicate mutually while allowing the output opening A and the ejection port EA to communicate mutually. Consequently, a pressure fluid is output through the second output port 10B in the manifold block 2. Although the illustrated directional control valve 3 is a five-port type, it may alternatively be a three- or four-port valve. In addition, the directional control valve need not be a double solenoid type having the two pilot valves 14a and 14b, but may instead be a single solenoid type that uses a single pilot valve to drive the valve disc in the main valve. The supply-and-ejection blocks 4a and 4b each have a supply port 28 for introducing a control fluid and an ejection port 29 for ejecting a control fluid. One of the supply-and-ejection blocks simultaneously supplies a control fluid and a pilot fluid to each directional control valve 3 through each manifold block 2, and simultaneously ejects a control fluid and a pilot fluid ejected from each directional control valve 3. Reference numeral 30 designates a pipe joint. FIG. 3 shows the first supply-and-ejection block 4a. The supply-and-ejection block 4a has a supply channel 6a and an ejection channel 7a leading to the supply channel 6 and the ejection channel 7 in the manifold block 2, respectively, and also has a pilot supply channel 8a and a pilot ejection channel 9a leading to the pilot supply and ejection channels 8 and 9, respectively. The supply channel 6a is in communication with the supply port 28, and the ejection channel 7a is in communication with the ejection port 29. A relay surface 32 on which a relay member 31 is mounted is formed on top of the supply-and-ejection block 4a. The pilot supply and ejection channels 8a and 9a are opened into the relay surface 32 via the communication passages 8b and 9b, respectively. A pilot supply branch passage 28a branching from the supply port 28 and a pilot ejection branch passage 29a branching from the ejection port 29 are opened adjacent to the pilot supply and ejection channels 8a and 9a, respectively. The relay member 31 connects the pilot supply and ejection channels 8a and 9a opened into the relay surface 32 to a port for supplying a pilot fluid and a port for ejecting a pilot fluid, respectively. The relay member 31A shown in FIG. 3 is configured so as to connect the supply and ejection channels 8a and 9a to the supply and ejection ports 28 and 29. That is, the relay member 31A includes a supply communication passage 34 allowing the pilot supply channel 8a and the pilot supply branch channel 28a to communicate mutually; and an ejection communication passage 35 allowing the pilot ejection channel 9a and the pilot ejection branch channel 29a to communicate mutually. The communication passages 34 and 35 guide part of a control fluid from the supply port 28 to each directional control valve 3 as a pilot fluid, while ejecting a pilot fluid from each directional control valve 3 to the exterior through the ejection port 29. Accordingly, if the relay member 31A is mounted on the relay surface 32, the pilot fluid supply method for the directional-control-valve-connected body 1 is set as the internal pilot type. A terminal box 43 also acting as a cover is mounted on the outer surface of the supply-and-ejection block 4a to close the end of each channel 6a, 7a, 8a, or 9a. The terminal box 43 simultaneously supplies power to the solenoids in the directional control valves 3. The second supply-and-ejection block 4b substantially has the same configuration as the first supply-and-ejection block 4a except that it is not configured so as to simultaneously supply a pilot fluid to all directional control valves. That is, the supply-and-ejection block 4b does not have a configuration associated with the relay surface 32 and the relay member 31, so the communication passages 8b and 9b or the supply and ejection branch channels 28a and 29a are not formed in this block. In addition, the end of each channel 6a, 7a, 8a, or 9a is closed by a plate-like cover 27. The second supply-and-ejection block 4b, however, may have the same configuration as the first supply-and-ejection block 4a, or may be omitted and only the first supply-and-ejection block 4a may be provided. The relay member 31 can be replaced by one of another configuration to directly change the directional-control-valve-connected body to the external pilot type. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the directional-control-valve-connected body that is set as the external pilot type using a relay member 31B of a different configuration. The relay member 31B has in its front surface an external pilot port 36 for introducing a pilot fluid from the exterior and a pilot ejection port 37 for ejecting a pilot fluid from each directional control valve 3 to the exterior. The ports 36 and 37 are opened into the surface jointed with the relay surface 32 via the communication passages 36a and 37a. When the relay member 31B is mounted on the relay surface 32, the external pilot port 36 is connected to the pilot supply channel 8a through the communication passages 36a and 8b, while the pilot ejection port 37 is connected to the pilot ejection channel 9a through the communication passages 37a and 9b. In addition, the junction surface of the relay member 31B has a seal member 40 that closes the pilot supply and ejection branch passages 28a and 29a, which have been opened into the relay surface 32. Thus, by mounting the relay member 31B on the relay surface 32, the pilot supply and ejection channels 8a and 9a are shut off from the supply and ejection ports 28 and 29, respectively, and are connected to the external pilot port 36 and the pilot ejection port 37, respectively. Accordingly, the directional-control-valve-connected body 1 is set as the external pilot type. Reference numeral 41 in the figure designates a nut used to mount each relay member 31 using screws 44, and 42 is a hole used to fix a solenoid-operated-valve assembly. Thus, the relay surface 32 is formed on the supply-and-ejection block 4a, and the pilot supply and ejection channels 8a and 9a are opened into the relay surface 32 and connected via the relay member 31 mounted to the relay surface 32 to the port 28 or 36 for supplying a pilot fluid and the port 29 or 37 for ejecting a pilot fluid, respectively. Thus, by changing the relay member 31 to one of a different form, the supply-and-ejection block 4a can be used to simultaneously change the pilot fluid supply method for all valves between the internal and external pilot types.

Claims: A directional control valve connector device comprising at least one supply-and-ejection block (4a, 4b) including a supply port (28) for introducing a control fluid and an ejection port (29) for ejecting a control fluid, a manifold (2) connected to the supply-and-ejection block (4a, 4b), which relays a control fluid between the supply-and-ejection block (4a, 4b) and a plurality of pilot-operated directional control valves (3) mounted thereon, the pilot-operated directional control valves (3) being switched by a pilot fluid supplied from the supply-and-ejection block through the manifold (2), wherein the or each supply-and-ejection block (4a, 4b) includes a pilot supply channel (8a) and a pilot ejection channel (9a) in communication with each of the manifold blocks (2) and a relay surface (32) into which the pilot supply and ejection channels (8a, 9a) are opened, characterised in that the manifold comprises a plurality of separate manifold blocks (2) each of which has one of the pilot-operated direction control valves (3) mounted thereon and relays a control fluid between the supply-and-ejection block (4a, 4b) and the associated pilot-operated direction control valve (3), and in that the or each supply-and-ejection block (4a, 4b) also comprises a pilot supply branch passage (28a) and a pilot ejection branch passage (29a) that branch respectively from the supply and ejection ports (28, 29) and that are opened into the relay surface (32), and first and second relay members (31A, 31B) interchangeably mounted on the relay surface (32) so that the pilot supply and ejection channels (8a, 9a) are connected respectively via either the first or second relay member (31A, 31B) to a port for supplying a pilot fluid and a port for ejecting a pilot fluid, the first relay member (31A), when mounted on the relay surface (32), connecting the pilot supply channel (8a) to the supply port (28), whereby the device is configured as the internal pilot type which guides part of the control fluid from the supply port (28) to each directional control valve (3) as a pilot fluid and the second relay member (31B), when mounted, connecting the pilot supply channel (8a) to an external pilot port (36) for an externally supplied pilot fluid whereby the device is configured as the external pilot type which guides a pilot fluid from the external pilot port (36) to each directional control valve (3). A device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the first relay member (31A) includes a supply communication passage (34) that allows the pilot supply channel (8a) and the pilot supply branch passage (28a) to communicate and an ejection communication passage (35) that allows the pilot ejection channel (9a) and the pilot ejection branch passage (29a) to communicate, where the device ejects a pilot fluid from each directional control valve (3) to the exterior through the ejection port (29). A device as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the second relay member (31B) includes the external pilot port (36), a pilot ejection port (37) for ejection of a pilot fluid from each directional control valve (3) to the exterior, a communication passage (36a, 37a) that allows the pilot supply and ejection channels (8a, 9a) to communicate respectively with the external pilot port (36) and the pilot ejection port (37), and means (40) for closing the pilot supply and ejection branch passages (28a, 29a), respectively.

Inventors: KANEKO RYUSHIRO, MIYAZOE SHINJI, SATO HIDEHARU, KANEKO, RYUSHIRO, MIYAZOE, SHINJI, SATO, HIDEHARU
Applicants: SMC CORP, SMC CORPORATION
Application year: 1998
Main classification: F15B13
IPC codes: F15B13, F16K27