# US 11,441,580 B2 · Solenoid valve system

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- Number: US 11,441,580 B2
- Document ID: US11441580B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/732,406
- Filed: 2020-01-02
- Published: 2020-07-16
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-01-11
- Assignees: SMC Corporation
- Applicants: Smc Corporation
- Inventors: Toshinori Kurata; Hiroshi Kubo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441580B2

## CPC

- F15B 1/26: Supply reservoir or sump assemblies
- G05D 16/2095: {using membranes within the main valve}
- F15B 13/021: {Valves for interconnecting the fluid chambers of an actuator}
- F16K 27/003: {Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements}
- F16K 31/06: using a magnet {, e.g. diaphragm valves, cutting off by means of a liquid}
- G05D 16/2024: {the throttling means being a multiple-way valve}
- F15B 2211/427: with signal modulation, e.g. using pulse width modulation [PWM]
- F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}

## Abstract

A solenoid valve system includes a supply solenoid valve, a plurality of exhaust solenoid valves, and a valve control section controlling opening and closing operation of the supply solenoid valve and the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves using PWM or PFM. The plurality of exhaust solenoid valves are disposed in parallel with each other. The supply solenoid valve and the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves have substantially identical flow rate characteristics. The number of the plurality of the exhaust solenoid valves is twice the number of the supply solenoid valve.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solenoid valve system including a supply valve element opening and closing a supply channel that places an inlet port and an outlet port in communication, and a pilot valve portion configured to operate the supply valve element, the system comprising:
a supply solenoid valve configured to control a flow rate of gas supplied to a pilot chamber of the pilot valve portion;
a plurality of exhaust solenoid valves configured to control a flow rate of gas exhausted from the pilot chamber;
a valve control section configured to control opening and closing operation of the supply solenoid valve and the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves using PWM or PFM control; and
an operation mode setting section configured to select either a first operation mode where the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves open one time alternately or plural times alternately, or a second operation mode where the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves open simultaneously,
wherein the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves are disposed in parallel with each other,
the supply solenoid valve and the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves have substantially identical flow rate characteristics,
a number of the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves is twice a number of the supply solenoid valve, and
the valve control section is configured to control the opening and dosing operation of the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves based on the operation mode selected by the operation mode setting section.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solenoid valve system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a detection sensor configured to detect a pressure or a flow rate of gas at the outlet port,
wherein the operation mode setting section selects the first operation mode when an absolute value of a deviation of a measured value obtained by the detection sensor from a set value is less than a predetermined threshold, and
the operation mode setting section selects the second operation mode when the absolute value of the deviation is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The solenoid valve system according to claim 1, wherein, when the valve control section controls the opening and closing operation of the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves, the operation mode setting section selects either the first operation mode or the second operation mode every control period of the valve control section.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The solenoid valve system according to claim 3, wherein, when the operation mode setting section selects the first operation mode, the valve control section controls the opening and closing operation of the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves in a manner that the plurality of exhaust solenoid valves open one time alternately.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The solenoid valve system according to claim 4, wherein, when the operation mode setting section selects the first operation mode, the valve control section controls the opening and closing operation of the exhaust solenoid valve different from the exhaust solenoid valve operated during a previous control period.