Appeal No. 97-3717 Page 16
Application No. 08/397,163
shown in Figure 2, the control valve includes a valve body 21
and a piezoelectric actuating element 2. The valve body 21
includes an inlet duct (not identified in Figure 2, but
identified at 4 in Figure 1) and an outlet duct (not
identified in Figure 2, but identified at 5 in Figure 1).
Between the two ducts, a valve seat is provided against which
a disc-shaped movable body 6 rests. The movable body 6 is
accommodated in a valve head
7 which is attached to the valve body 21 by bolts (not shown).
A disc spring 8 acts to press the movable body 6 against the
seat so that the valve is held in a normally closed condition.
The lower end of the actuating element 2 carries a metal pad
2a which
rests against the movable body 6. Elongation of the actuating
element 2, by means of the application of a suitable
electrical signal to the element 2, will cause the movable
body 6 to be moved downwards against the force of spring 8 so
that fluid under pressure can flow from inlet duct, along the
movable body 6, and out of the outlet duct. The piezoelectric
actuating element 2 is encapsulated in a body 16 of a suitable
material to form a cylinder shape and which provides a smooth
Page: Previous 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007