Patents Assigned to MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20240418286
    Abstract: A piezoelectric valve includes: actuators having valve discs and configured to drive these valve discs individually; a valve seat plate having valve seats contacted with and separated from the valve discs individually and discharge paths; and a body case accommodating the valve seat plate, and each actuator is fixed to the side face of the valve seat plate so that the valve discs face the valve seats and can be attached to and detached from a fluidic device via a connector part provided to the front face of the body case. The valve seats are provided as a pair to both faces of the valve seat part, the discharge paths opened in the valve seats provided as a pair are formed in the valve seat plate, gas discharge ports are opened in a non-straight manner, and discharge ports of discharge passages are opened in a line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Applicants: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi ITO, Tadashi MATSUSHITA, Sze Keat CHEE, Zhengli WANG
  • Patent number: 12169030
    Abstract: A piezoelectric valve including an actuator that drives a valve body; a valve seat plate including a valve seat that is adapted to be positioned in contact with and away from the valve body, and a discharge passage; and a body case that houses the valve seat plate, in which the actuator includes a proximal portion fixed to the valve seat plate, a piezoelectric element having one end portion connected to an attachment face of the proximal portion and extending in a first longitudinal direction, a support portion integrally formed with the proximal portion, the support portion being arranged side-by-side with the piezoelectric element and extending in a second longitudinal direction crossing the first longitudinal direction, an operating portion connected to another end portion of the piezoelectric element and to a distal end portion of the support portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignees: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Ito, Sze Keat Chee
  • Patent number: 12004430
    Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric valve in which the valve is opened/closed utilizing a displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element, including: a valve main body having a gas pressure chamber that receives compressed gas supplied externally; and an actuator having a valving element, the laminated piezoelectric element that generates a driving force required for operating the valving element as the displacement, and a displacement enlarging mechanism that enlarges the displacement of the laminated piezoelectric element to be acted on the valving element, the actuator being disposed in the valve main body, in which a surface of the laminated piezoelectric element is coated with silicone in a state in which the laminated piezoelectric element is integrated into the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignees: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Ito, Tadashi Matsushita, Toshiro Higuchi, Sze Keat Chee, Yoshinobu Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11982368
    Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric actuator that can reduce a risk of air leakage due to weakening of pressing force of a valve element against a valve seat surface and airtightness. The piezoelectric actuator is used for a piezoelectric valve that opens and closes a valve utilizing displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric actuator includes: a valve element; a laminated piezoelectric element that generates a driving force, required for operation of the valve element, as a displacement; and a displacement enlargement mechanism that enlarges a displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element and causes the enlarged displacement to act on the valve element. In the piezoelectric actuator, a surface of the valve element to be in contact with a valve seat of the piezoelectric valve is made flat and smooth in a state in which a tensile load is applied to the laminated piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignees: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Ito, Tadashi Matsushita, Toshiro Higuchi, Sze Keat Chee, Kunio Ebihara, Toshitada Hirata
  • Patent number: 11985900
    Abstract: A displacement magnifying mechanism includes a base portion serving as a substrate; a first attachment portion and a second attachment portion which are provided on a surface on one side of the base portion; a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element of which one ends are attached to the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion; an operating portion which is connected to the other ends of the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element and generates a displacement due to expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element; and a link portion which is disposed at the center between the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element, links the operating portion and the base portion, and is made of a material having a higher Young's modulus than that of the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sze Keat Chee, Takeshi Yano, Akio Yano
  • Patent number: 11959559
    Abstract: To provide a valve control device, a drive control device, and a fluid control device, which are suitable for adjusting a valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sze Keat Chee, Takeshi Yano, Akio Yano
  • Publication number: 20240019040
    Abstract: A piezoelectric valve including actuators that are respectively adapted to drive valve elements, and a valve body including a gas inlet port, and a plurality of gas outlet ports, the piezoelectric valve is attachable to and detachable from a fluid device via a connector unit including an inlet passage that is communicable at one end with the gas inlet port, and is communicable at another end with an air supply passage of the fluid device, and a plurality of discharge passages that are respectively communicable at one end with the plurality of gas outlet ports, and are respectively communicable at another end with a plurality of gas outlet passages of the fluid device, and a pitch of openings of the plurality of discharge passages on the other end side is greater than a pitch of openings of the plurality of discharge passages on the one end side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicants: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi ITO, Sze Keat CHEE
  • Publication number: 20240011573
    Abstract: A piezoelectric valve including an actuator that drives a valve body; a valve seat plate including a valve seat that is adapted to be positioned in contact with and away from the valve body, and a discharge passage; and a body case that houses the valve seat plate, in which the actuator includes a proximal portion fixed to the valve seat plate, a piezoelectric element having one end portion connected to an attachment face of the proximal portion and extending in a first longitudinal direction, a support portion integrally formed with the proximal portion, the support portion being arranged side-by-side with the piezoelectric element and extending in a second longitudinal direction crossing the first longitudinal direction, an operating portion connected to another end portion of the piezoelectric element and to a distal end portion of the support portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicants: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi ITO, Sze Keat CHEE
  • Patent number: 11808373
    Abstract: A piezoelectric valve includes: a valve main part including a gas pressure chamber receiving compressed gas supplied from outside; a plate inside the valve main part, and an actuator fixed to the plate and inside the valve main part, which is a case with an opening on a front surface. The plate includes a gas discharge path and a valve seat coming into contact with a valve element of the actuator opening and closing the gas discharge path. A lid member that closes the opening of the case has a gas discharge opening communicating with the gas discharge path of the plate; is welded and fixed to a front surface of the plate, where the gas discharge path opens, on an annular welded part surrounding the gas discharge opening; and is welded and fixed to an end surface of the case on an annular welded part on the outer peripheral part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignees: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Ito, Tadashi Matsushita, Toshiro Higuchi, Sze Keat Chee, Yoshinobu Mizuno, Toshitada Hirata
  • Publication number: 20220356958
    Abstract: A piezoelectric valve includes: a valve main part including a gas pressure chamber receiving compressed gas supplied from outside; a plate inside the valve main part, and an actuator fixed to the plate and inside the valve main part, which is a case with an opening on a front surface. The plate includes a gas discharge path and a valve seat coming into contact with a valve element of the actuator opening and closing the gas discharge path. A lid member that closes the opening of the case has a gas discharge opening communicating with the gas discharge path of the plate; is welded and fixed to a front surface of the plate, where the gas discharge path opens, on an annular welded part surrounding the gas discharge opening; and is welded and fixed to an end surface of the case on an annular welded part on the outer peripheral part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicants: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi ITO, Tadashi MATSUSHITA, Toshiro HIGUCHI, Sze Keat CHEE, Yoshinobu MIZUNO, Toshitada HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20220316617
    Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric actuator that can reduce a risk of air leakage due to weakening of pressing force of a valve element against a valve seat surface and airtightness. The piezoelectric actuator is used for a piezoelectric valve that opens and closes a valve utilizing displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric actuator includes: a valve element; a laminated piezoelectric element that generates a driving force, required for operation of the valve element, as a displacement; and a displacement enlargement mechanism that enlarges a displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element and causes the enlarged displacement to act on the valve element. In the piezoelectric actuator, a surface of the valve element to be in contact with a valve seat of the piezoelectric valve is made flat and smooth in a state in which a tensile load is applied to the laminated piezoelectric element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicants: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi ITO, Tadashi MATSUSHITA, Toshiro HIGUCHI, Sze Keat CHEE, Kunio EBIHARA, Toshitada HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20220213973
    Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric valve in which the valve is opened/closed utilizing a displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element, including: a valve main body having a gas pressure chamber that receives compressed gas supplied externally; and an actuator having a valving element, the laminated piezoelectric element that generates a driving force required for operating the valving element as the displacement, and a displacement enlarging mechanism that enlarges the displacement of the laminated piezoelectric element to be acted on the valving element, the actuator being disposed in the valve main body, in which a surface of the laminated piezoelectric element is coated with silicone in a state in which the laminated piezoelectric element is integrated into the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Applicants: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi ITO, Tadashi MATSUSHITA, Toshiro HIGUCHI, Sze Keat CHEE, Yoshinobu MIZUNO
  • Patent number: 10738905
    Abstract: A piezoelectric valve, having superior responsiveness during valve opening and capability to stabilize gas supply at an early stage, includes a gas pressure chamber receiving compressed gas and an exhaust path discharging the compressed gas from the gas pressure chamber; a valve disc placed in the gas pressure chamber to open and close the exhaust path; a piezoelectric element generating a driving force for operation of the valve disc, as a displacement; a displacement magnifying mechanism magnifying the displacement of the piezoelectric element and applying the magnified displacement to the valve disc; and driving means including a signal generator generating a signal including a first prepulse, a second prepulse, and a main pulse, applies a drive voltage to the piezoelectric element using the signal generated by the signal generator, as an input signal to a drive circuit, and drives and opens the valve disc by expanding the piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignees: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Ito, Hironori Arii, Tadashi Matsushita, Sze Keat Chee, Takeshi Yano, Toshiro Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20190353276
    Abstract: The piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric element; a power supply applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element; a drive circuit that applies a voltage from the power supply to the piezoelectric element by a pulse charge signal and a discharge signal to charge, and discharges the charge charged in the piezoelectric element to drive the piezoelectric element; an abnormality detection circuit that detects an abnormality due to insulation failure of the piezoelectric element, and a control unit that determines whether or not the piezoelectric element is normal based on an abnormality detection signal. The abnormality detection circuit outputs the abnormality detection signal that detects a time corresponding to a period from when a current starts to flow to the piezoelectric element during charging to when a current stops to flow, and it is determined that the piezoelectric element is abnormal when the time is equal to or more than a set time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2017
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicants: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi ITO, Hironori ARII, Tadashi MATSUSHITA, Sze Keat CHEE, Takeshi YANO
  • Publication number: 20190093784
    Abstract: A piezoelectric valve, having superior responsiveness during valve opening and capability to stabilize gas supply at an early stage, includes a gas pressure chamber receiving compressed gas and an exhaust path discharging the compressed gas from the gas pressure chamber; a valve disc placed in the gas pressure chamber to open and close the exhaust path; a piezoelectric element generating a driving force for operation of the valve disc, as a displacement; a displacement magnifying mechanism magnifying the displacement of the piezoelectric element and applying the magnified displacement to the valve disc; and driving means including a signal generator generating a signal including a first prepulse, a second prepulse, and a main pulse, applies a drive voltage to the piezoelectric element using the signal generated by the signal generator, as an input signal to a drive circuit, and drives and opens the valve disc by expanding the piezoelectric element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicants: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi ITO, Hironori ARII, Tadashi MATSUSHITA, Sze Keat CHEE, Takeshi YANO, Toshiro HIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9816638
    Abstract: A protruding section formed at the one side end of a connector section provided in a valve is inserted into a recessed section formed as part of a valve placement section of a fluid apparatus. The valve is caused to pivot with the inserted portion that serves as a supporting point, and an engaging section formed at the front end of a lever of a hook section formed at the other side end of the connector section is allowed to engage with an engaging protruding section formed as part of the valve placement section of the fluid apparatus. The valve is thus attached to the fluid apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignees: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Ito, Yoichi Kawamura, Tadashi Matsushita, Sze Keat Chee, Toshitada Hirata, Yoshinori Kawawa
  • Publication number: 20170312790
    Abstract: An ejector for a granular matter color sorter reducing burdens such as cleaning and maintenance in particular associated with a nozzle unit is to be provided. The ejector 10 comprises a nozzle unit 15, a solenoid valve unit 13, and a manifold unit 14. The nozzle unit 15 is constituted by a plurality of nozzle devices 16 that are independent from each other. The solenoid valve unit 13 is constituted by a plurality of solenoid valve devices 19. The respective nozzle devices 16 and the respective solenoid valve devices 19 correspond to each other on a one-on-one basis so that air flow passages of them are connected by an air flow passage of a manifold. The nozzle device 16 and the manifold 29 are detachably connected and made integral in a state where a surface of the nozzle device 16 in which the air flow passage opens and a surface of the manifold 29 in which the air flow passage opens are brought into abutment with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Applicants: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION, KURODA PNEUMATICS LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi ITO, Hidehiko MIZUKAMI, Toshitada HIRATA, Sze Keat CHEE, Toshiro HIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9114430
    Abstract: A piezoelectric valve stably supplies gas even for a long gas ejection time, with a high responsivity to opening the valve, is provided. The piezoelectric valve, including a gas-pressure-chamber for receiving a compressed gas supplied from outside, a gas-discharge-channel through which the compressed gas is discharged from the gas-pressure-chamber, comprises: a valve body disposed in the gas-pressure-chamber and opens/closes the gas-discharge-channel; a piezoelectric element for producing a driving force to move the valve body as a displacement; a displacement-enlarging-mechanism for enlarging the displacement of the piezoelectric element to act on the valve body; and a driving unit having a signal-generating-unit for generating a signal comprising a pre-pulse and a main pulse and provides the signal generated by the signal-generating-unit to a driving circuit as an input signal to apply a driving voltage to the piezoelectric element to make the piezoelectric element expand and drive the valve body open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignees: SATAKE CORPORATION, MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Ito, Teruhiko Takeuchi, Tadashi Matsushita, Sze Keat Chee, Takeshi Yano, Takeshi Kamima, Toshiro Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20110284431
    Abstract: A piezoelectric valve comprising: a valve main body formed in which are a gas pressure chamber that takes in compressed gas supplied from the outside as well as a gas release channel through which the compressed gas is released from the gas pressure chamber; a valve body placed in the gas pressure chamber to open and close the gas release channel; a piezoelectric element that generates, in the form of displacement, a driving force needed to operate the valve body; at least one displacement amplification mechanism that amplifies a displacement of the piezoelectric element and causes it to act upon the valve body; and a driving means for applying voltage to the piezoelectric element in order to drive the valve body to open the valve and thereby open the gas release channel; wherein such piezoelectric valve is characterized in that the driving means applies voltage to the piezoelectric element in multiple stages so as to suppress fluctuation in the amount of gas ejected from the gas release channel when the valv
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicants: MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION, SATAKE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi ITO, Teruhiko TAKEUCHI, Takeshi YANO, Sze Keat CHEE, Toshiro HIGUCHI