# US 12,760,801 B2 · Fluid control valve and fluid control device

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- Number: US 12,760,801 B2
- Document ID: US12760801B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/923,513
- Filed: 2024-10-22
- Published: 2025-04-24
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2023-10-23
- Assignees: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yuya Kawai; Atsushi Ieki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12760801B2

## CPC

- F16K 7/12: with flat, dished, or bowl-shaped diaphragm
- F16K 37/0091: {by measuring fluid parameters}
- F16K 1/14: with ball-shaped valve member (check valves F16K15/04)
- F16K 1/32: Details (details of more general applicability F16K25/00 - F16K51/00)
- F16K 1/36: Valve members (for double-seat valves F16K1/44 {; for butterfly valves F16K1/222, F16K1/223})
- F16K 7/14: arranged to be deformed against a flat seat
- F16K 25/005: {Particular materials for seats or closure elements}
- F16K 31/004: {actuated by piezoelectric means}
- F16K 31/007: {Piezoelectric stacks}
- F16K 37/005: {for measuring fluid parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence)}
- G05D 7/06: characterised by the use of electric means {(G05D7/005 takes precedence)}
- 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)}
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

In order to configure a fluid control valve to have the life prolonged while keeping an inexpensive configuration, the fluid control valve includes: a valve body that can come into contact and separate from a valve seat; an actuator that causes the valve body to move; a diaphragm member provided between the valve body and the actuator and having a protruding part protruding toward the valve body; and a sphere housed inside the protruding part, in which the actuator moves the valve body by pressing a distal end of the protruding part through the sphere, and the sphere is formed of a ceramic material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fluid control valve comprising:
a valve body that can come into contact and separate from a valve seat;
an actuator that causes the valve body to move;
a diaphragm member provided between the valve body and the actuator and having a protruding part protruding toward the valve body; and
a sphere housed inside the protruding part,
wherein
the actuator moves the valve body by pressing a distal end of the protruding part through the sphere,
the sphere is formed of a ceramic material,
the sphere is formed of alumina,
in the diaphragm member, the protruding part has a wall thickness of 100 to 130 μm, and
the sphere is not subjected to surface coating.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fluid control valve according to claim 1, wherein
the diaphragm member has a flange part expanding outward with respect to the protruding part from a base end of the protruding part, and
the flange part has a wall thickness of 100 to 130 μm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fluid control valve according to claim 1, wherein
the diaphragm member is constituted of a metal sheet, and
the protruding part is formed by plastically deforming the metal sheet by drawing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A fluid control device comprising:
the fluid control valve according to claim 1;
a fluid sensor that measures fluid flowing through a flow path; and
a valve control unit that controls the fluid control valve on a basis of a measurement value of the fluid sensor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fluid control valve according to claim 1, wherein the fluid control valve includes an orifice having a valve seat surface, the valve body includes a seating surface seated on the valve seat surface, and an outflow port of the seating surface and an inflow port of the valve seat surface are formed at positions not overlapping each other.