Smc Kabushiki Kaisha

Fumio Morikawa

Shigekazu Nagai

Hiroyuki Shiomi

Nobuyuki Ishitsuka

Naoki Sakamura

In a solenoid valve system, a plurality of first through third solenoid valve units are divided into a plurality of first through third groups. In this case, a safety power source control unit is provided for controlling the first through third solenoid valve units with respect to each of the first through third groups.

Solenoid valve system

A solenoid-operated valve actuating controller actuates a solenoid-operated valve by energizing an actuating coil of the solenoid-operated valve in a rated mode, enough to move a movable member in the actuating coil, during a first period. Further, the actuating coil is energized in a power saving mode, during a second period after the first period. The solenoid-operated valve actuating controller has a timer circuit for setting the first period, an oscillating circuit for energizing the actuating coil in the power saving mode during the second period, and a control circuit for stopping an oscillating operation of the oscillating circuit during the first period based on an output signal from the timer circuit, and for energizing the actuating coil in the rated mode.

Solenoid-operated valve actuating controller

A solenoid-operated valve controller includes a first signal line and a second signal line, which are connected respectively to ends of a first solenoid coil and a second solenoid coil. The first solenoid coil and the second solenoid coil have other ends, which are electrically connected in common to a switch. One of the first and second solenoid coils, which corresponds to signal states of a plurality of input signals that are supplied respectively to the first and second signal lines, is selected, and the switch is turned on and off to control the selected one of the first and second solenoid coils.

Solenoid-operated valve controller

A control circuit turns a transistor on and off in order to energize a drive coil of a solenoid-operated valve in a rated voltage mode at a duty ratio of 100% during a predetermined first period, which is sufficiently long to move a movable element in the drive coil, from the time when an operation command signal starts being applied to the solenoid-operated valve. The control circuit further repeatedly energizes the drive coil in a power-saving mode at a duty ratio smaller than the duty ratio in the rated-voltage mode, during a predetermined second period following the rated-voltage mode. The drive coil is energized alternately in the rated-voltage mode and in the power-saving mode, until application of the operation command signal to the solenoid-operated valve is terminated.

Apparatus for and method of controlling operation of solenoid-operated valve

A method of driving and controlling a solenoid-operated valve is provided. The solenoid-operated valve can be centrally controlled and managed and it is possible to easily respond to any system change. The solenoid-operated valve is provided with a solenoid-operated valve driving control circuit for receiving solenoid-operated valve opening/closing control data from a serial bus as serial data including two bits for each of two solenoid-operated valve coils of the solenoid-operated valve; converting the data into parallel data; driving the solenoid-operated valve coils based on one bit of the two bits for each solenoid-operated valve coil in parallel data; driving light emitting diodes based on the other bit; and inputting an output from a sensor for detecting each of open and closed states of the solenoid-operated valve and a signal indicating whether each of the solenoid-operated valve coils has a single-coil structure or a double-coil structure by a switch; and converting the input data for sending to the serial bus.

Method of driving and controlling a solenoid-operated valve

A signal input unit transmits detection signals derived from sensors such as switches, limit switches, or pressure switches to a programmable controller by means of serial transmission. A signal output unit transmits control signals from the programmable controller to control apparatuses such as solenoid-operated valve manifolds, indicator lamps, and buzzers by means of parallel transmission. The signal input units and the signal output units are integrated with each other into one unit and a number thereof is changeable. Further, an intermediate section and an end block are integrally assembled to the signal input units and the signal output units to construct a signal input/output apparatus.

Signal input/output apparatus

A moving member of an actuator comprises a moving block wherein an opening which allows a driving force transmission shaft to be inserted from the direction perpendicular to the axis thereof. A controlling device for the actuator controls the amount of current supplied to a rotation drive source on the basis of the manipulated variable control signal outputted though a torque limiter for controlling the torque for the rotation drive source detected by a torque conversion means to the level of a torque limit limit value signal.

Growing community of inventors

Misato, Japan

Fumio Morikawa