Abstract:
The valve includes a body having five surfaces and a plurality of blind holes, grooves and channels interconnected with the blind holes to form communication net. Two rectangular diaphragms are embedded separately into the grooves so as to selectively open and close the blind holes. An internal sliding base with an external sliding base coupled to the external periphery thereof and comprises a sliding section and an internal press pillar disposed separately on two corresponding ends of the bottom of the sliding section. The two internal press pillars are capable of selectively opening and closing the two diaphragms. The external sliding base includes an external press pillar disposed separately on both corresponding ends of the concave groove. A casing for covering the external periphery of the external sliding base is secured with the body. At least one elastic member is installed between the top surface of the casing and the external sliding base.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a valve used for pneumatic and hydraulic equipments, and more particularly to a valve that can be made with a less manufacturing cost and can extend its life of use. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIG. 10  for a prior art valve, the valve comprises a rectangular body  90 , an axle hole  91  penetrating the middle of the body  90 , a plurality of valve openings  92  and inlets/outlets  93  disposed on a side of the body  90 , and each valve opening  92  and inlet/outlet  93  is interconnected to the axle hole  91 , and the axle hole  91  includes a piston  94  therein, and the piston  94  includes a piston rod  95 , and each piston rod  95  corresponding to each valve opening  92  includes a plurality of flange sections  96  disposed around each piston rod  95 , and each flange section  96  includes an O-ring  97  disposed at the external periphery of the flange section  96 , so that a fluid such as a high-pressure gas or a high-pressure liquid can flow through each inlet/outlet  93  and each valve opening  92 , and the piston  94  can move reciprocally inside the axle hole  91  of the body  90 , so as to control the fluid to enter or exit the valve opening  92  and switch the valve positions for its use. 
   However, the aforementioned prior art valve still has the following shortcomings in its application: 
   1. The prior art valve has a short life and a high manufacturing cost. Since the piston rod of the prior art valve moves reciprocally in the axle hole of the body for a long time, each O-ring rubs the internal wall of the axle hole, and the O-ring will be worn out easily. After the valve has been used for some time, there will be a gas leakage and the valve will no longer work properly. Therefore, the prior art valve has a short life, wastes lots of maintenance cost and time, and lowers its efficiency. 
   2. The prior art valve is difficult to manufacture. Since the internal wall of the axle hole of the body of the prior art valve rubs with the O-ring over a long period of time, therefore the interior of the body must have excellent roundness and smoothness. However, the body is usually slender, and the axle hole cannot be manufactured easily, and thus increasing the level of difficulty and cost of the manufacture. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a valve that adopts the design having diaphragms and channels to greatly extend the life of the valve, and achieve the effects of providing proper operations, convenient manufacturing and lowering the costs. 
   The foregoing technical measures taken by the present invention provide the following advantages: 
   1. The invention extends the life of use and lower the cost of the valve. The valve of the invention uses the interactions of an internal valve seat and an external valve seat to achieve the switching of the valve positions. With the design of various channels, the wearing between components can be reduced greatly to effectively lower the wearing produced by the piston rod moving reciprocally between the axle hole of the body of a prior art valve. Therefore, the invention not only provides proper operations, but also effectively extends the life of use and lowers the maintenance cost. 
   2. The valve of the invention can be manufactured easily. Unlike the prior art valve, the valve of the invention does not need to have excellent roundness and smoothness. The valve of the invention does not have the trouble of manufacturing an axle hole on a slender body. All components of the invention can be made directly by plastic injection molding and thus the invention can greatly reduce the level of difficulty and cost of the manufacture. 
   The present utility model will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention; 
       FIG. 1-1  is a perspective view showing the invention is used; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the invention; 
       FIG. 2-1  is a perspective view of the invention; 
       FIG. 2-2  is a perspective and cross sectional view of the diaphragms of the invention; 
       FIG. 2-3  is a cross sectional view of the fixing plate of the invention; 
       FIG. 2-4  is a perspective and cross sectional view of the internal sliding base of the invention; 
       FIG. 2-5  is a perspective and cross sectional view of the external sliding base of the invention; 
       FIG. 2-6  is a perspective view of the casing of the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of the invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a first surface of a body of the invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional top view of a body of the invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a distal end of a body of the invention; 
       FIG. 7  is another cross-sectional side view of the invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of another valve position of the invention; 
       FIG. 9  is another cross-sectional side view of another valve position of the invention; and 
       FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of a prior art valve assembly. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a valve of the present invention comprises the following elements: 
   A body  10  as shown in  FIGS. 2-1 , and  4  to  6  has two main surfaces: a first surface  11  and a second surface  12 , and the first surface  11  and the second surface  12  include a third surface  13  and a fourth surface  14  disposed at the peripheries of the corresponding surfaces respectively, and a fifth surface  15  is disposed between the third surface  13  and the fourth surface  14 . The body  10  includes a first blind hole  20  disposed at the center of the first surface  11 , and a first positioning groove  16  and a second positioning groove  17  in a generally rectangular shape are disposed on both sides of the first blind hole  20 . The two positioning grooves  16 ,  17  are parallel to the third surface  13 , and the two positioning grooves  16 ,  17  include a first penetrating hole  21  and a second penetrating hole  22  disposed on the same horizontal line of the first blind hole  20 . A second blind hole  23  and a third blind hole  24  are disposed on both sides of the first positioning groove  16  respectively, and a fourth blind hole  25  and a fifth blind hole  26  are disposed on both sides of the second positioning groove  17 , and the second blind hole  23  and the fifth blind hole  26  are disposed on opposite ends, and the distance from the second blind hole  23  and the fifth blind hole  26  to the first blind hole  20  is smaller than the distance from the third blind hole  24  and fourth blind hole  25  to the first blind hole  20 , and the third surface  13  includes a first channel  27  interconnected to the second blind hole  23  and a second channel  28  interconnected to the third blind hole  24  and the fifth blind hole  26 , and the fourth surface  14  includes a third channel  29  interconnected to the fourth blind hole  25 , and the fifth surface  15  includes a fourth channel  18  interconnected to the second channel  28  and a fifth channel  19  interconnected to the first blind hole  20 . 
   Two generally rectangular diaphragms  30  as shown in  FIG. 2-2  are embedded separately into the first positioning groove  16  and the second positioning groove  17  of the body  10 , and both ends of the two diaphragms  30  include a stop section  31  than can open or shut the second, third, fourth and fifth blind holes  23 ,  24 ,  25 ,  26 . 
   A fixing plate  40  as shown in  FIG. 2-3  seals the first surface  11  of the body  10 , so that the fixing plate  40  can fix the two diaphragms  30 , and a through hole  41  is provided for penetrating the corresponding first, second, third, fourth, and fifth blind holes  20 ,  23 ,  24 ,  25 ,  26 . 
   An internal sliding base  50  as shown in  FIG. 2-4  is disposed at fixing plate  40  on another side of the body  10 , and the internal sliding base  50  includes a sliding section  51 , and a shoulder section  52  is protruded from the bottom of the sliding section  51 , and an internal press pillar  53  is disposed separately on two opposite ends of the shoulder section  52 , and the two internal press pillars  53  pass through their corresponding through holes  41  of the fixing plate  40 , and two diaphragms  30  are embedded at the ends corresponding to the positions of the second blind hole  23  and the fifth blind hole  26  of the body  10 , and a central axle  54  is protruded from the middle of the internal sliding base  50 , and the central axle  54  passes through the through hole  41  of the fixing plate  40  and the first blind hole  20  of the body  10  in sequence, and an O-ring  56  is embedded at an end of the central axle  54 , and the internal sliding base  50  includes a through hole  55  passing through the central axle  54 . 
   An external sliding base  60  as shown in  FIG. 2-5  is installed at the external periphery of the internal sliding base  50 , and the external sliding base  60  includes a concave groove  61  for coupling the internal sliding base  50 , and the external sliding base  60  includes an external press pillar  62  disposed at the corresponding end, and the external press pillar  62  corresponds to the through hole  41  of the fixing plate  40 , and the ends are embedded into the two diaphragms  30  corresponding to the positions of the third blind hole  24  and the fourth blind hole  25  of the body  10 , and the external sliding base  60  includes a containing groove  63  disposed at an end other than the end having the two external press pillar  62 . 
   A casing  70  as shown in  FIG. 2-6  covers the external periphery of the external sliding base  60  and is secured with the body  10 , and an elastic member  64  is installed between the internal top side of the casing  70  and the two containing grooves  63  of the external sliding base  60 , and the foregoing elements constitute the valve of the present invention. 
   When the valve is used as shown in  FIG. 1-1 , the valve installs a cylinder (not shown in the figure), and the first penetrating hole  21  and the second penetrating hole  22  of the body  10  respectively include two inlets/outlets  101  of the cylinder disposed on an end other than the end having the fixing plate for receiving incoming air from the inlet while discharging air from another outlet, and the fifth surface of the valve includes a solenoid valve  80  capable of turning on or off the fourth channel  18  and the fifth channel  19 . For example, the invention is used for pneumatic machines as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 7 . The first penetrating hole  21  of the body  10  receives air and the second penetrating hole  22  discharges air, and the two elastic members  64  can push the external sliding base  60  in a direction towards the diaphragm  30 , so that the two external press pillars  62  of the external sliding base  60  press on the stop section  31  of the two diaphragms  30  for sealing the third blind hole  24  and the fourth blind hole  25  of the body  10 , and the second blind hole  23  and fifth blind hole  26  of the body  10  are not pressed to define an open status as shown in  FIGS. 4 to 6 . Air enters from the first channel  27  and passes through the second blind hole  23  to the interior of the diaphragm  30 , and further passes to the first penetrating hole  21 , so that the first penetrating hole  21  can pass the high-pressure air to the inlet on a side of the cylinder, and another inlet of the cylinder discharges the air. Therefore, the second penetrating hole  22  of the body  10  is provided for discharging air, and the air is discharged through the second penetrating hole  22  of the body  10  and passed through the corresponding position of the diaphragm  30  and along the fifth blind hole  26  and discharged from the second channel  28 , so as to provide the cylinder an end for receiving air and the other end of discharging air. 
   If it is necessary to switch the directions of receiving and discharging air from the cylinder as shown in  FIGS. 6 ,  8  and  9 , the solenoid valve  80  will control the fourth channel  18  and the fifth channel  19  in an interconnected status. Now, the second channel  28  is in an air discharging status, and thus it will pass a portion of the high-pressure air from the fourth channel  18  to the fifth channel  19 , so that the air is passed from the fifth channel  19  along the first blind hole  20  to the through hole  55  of the internal sliding base  50 . Therefore, the air enters continuously between a concave groove  61  of the external sliding base  60  and the internal sliding base  50 . The pressure of the high-pressure air is used to prop open the external sliding base  60  and the internal sliding base  50 , so that the external sliding base  60  is moved outward to compress the two elastic members  64  for keeping the third blind hole  24  and fourth blind hole  25  of the body  10  in an open status. The internal sliding base  50  moves towards the fixing plate  40  to press against the two diaphragms  30 , so that the stop section  31  corresponding to the diaphragm  30  seals the second blind hole  23  and fifth blind hole  26  of the body  10  to complete the process of switching the directions of receiving air from the first penetrating hole  21  and the second penetrating hole  22 . 
   After the valve positions are switched as shown in  FIGS. 4 to 6 , the third blind hole  24  and fourth blind hole  25  of the body  10  are in the open status, and the second blind hole  23  and fifth blind hole  26  of the body  10  are in the closed status. If the first penetrating hole of the body  10  is used for discharging air and the second penetrating hole is used for receiving air, then air will enter into the third channel  29  and pass through the diaphragm  30  to the second penetrating hole  22 , so that the second penetrating hole  22  is in the status of receiving air, and the first penetrating hole  21  connected to the inlet of the cylinder is in the status of discharging air. Therefore, air will flow from the first penetrating hole  21  along the corresponding position of the diaphragm  30  to the third blind hole  24  and will further pass through the second channel  28  to complete the whole course of receiving and discharging air. 
   Further, the valve of the invention is applied to the cylinder according to another preferred embodiment. When the second penetrating hole  22  of the body  10  is in the status of receiving air and the first penetrating hole  21  is in the status of discharging air, the two elastic members  64  can prop the external sliding base  60  in a direction towards the diaphragm  30 , such that the two external press pillars  62  of the external sliding base  60  separately press against the stop section  31  of the two diaphragms  30  for sealing the third blind hole  24  and fourth blind hole  25  of the body  10 . The second blind hole  23  and fifth blind hole  26  of the body  10  are not pressed to define an open status as shown in  FIGS. 4 to 6 . Air enters from the second channel  28  and passes through the fifth blind hole  26  to the interior of the diaphragm  30 , and further passes through the second penetrating hole  22 , so that the second penetrating hole  22  can penetrate the high-pressure air through an inlet on a side of the cylinder, and another inlet at another end of the cylinder is in the status of discharging air. In other words, the first penetrating hole  21  of the body  10  is in the status of discharging air, and the air is discharged from the first penetrating hole  21  of the body  10  and passed through the corresponding position of the diaphragm  30  along the second blind hole  23  and discharged from the first channel  27 , so as to achieve the effects of receiving air from an end and discharging air from another end of the cylinder. 
   If the cylinder completes the first stage of receiving and discharging air, it is necessary to switch the directions of the cylinder for receiving and discharging air as shown in  FIGS. 6. 8  and  9 , and the solenoid valve  80  will control the fourth channel  18  and the fifth channel  19  to be remained in an interconnected status. Since the second channel  28  is in the status of receiving air at that time, some of the high-pressure air will pass through the fourth channel  18  interconnected to the fifth channel  19 , and the foregoing valve switches the positions of the internal sliding base  50  and the external sliding base  60  to move, so that the third blind hole  24  and fourth blind hole  25  of the body  10  are in the open status, and the internal sliding base  50  is moved towards the fixing plate  40  to press the two diaphragms  30 , and the stop sections  31  corresponding to the two diaphragms  30  seal the second blind hole  23  and fifth blind hole  26  of the body  10  to switch the direction of receiving air from the first penetrating hole  21  and the second penetrating hole  22 . After the valve positions are switched as shown in  FIGS. 4 to 6 , the third blind hole  24  and fourth blind hole  25  of the body  10  are in an open status, and the second blind hole  23  and fifth blind hole  26  of the body  10  are in a closed status. If the second penetrating hole  22  of the body  10  is used for discharging air and the first penetrating hole  21  is used for receiving air, the second channel  28  receives air that passes through the corresponding diaphragm  30  and through the third blind hole  24  interconnected to the first penetrating hole  21 , so that the first penetrating hole  21  is in the status of receiving air, and the second penetrating hole  22  connected to the inlet of the cylinder is in the status of discharging air. Therefore, the air will flow from the second penetrating hole  22  along the corresponding position of the diaphragm  30  to the fourth blind hole  25  and will be discharged from the third channel  29  to have a complete course of receiving and discharging air.