# US 2018/0023713 A1 · Pilot valve > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0023713 A1 - Document ID: US20180023713A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/552,580 - Filed: 2016-02-22 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-23 - Assignees: Anest Iwata Corporation - Applicants: ANEST IWATA Corporation - Inventors: Mitsuo WATANABE; Kaoru YOSIHARA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023713A1 ## CPC - F16K 11/0716: {with fluid passages through the valve member (F16K11/0704, F16K11/0708, F16K11/0712 take precedence)} - F04B 9/125: reciprocating movement of the pumping member being obtained by a double-acting elastic-fluid motor - F04B 39/10: Adaptations or arrangements of distribution members - F04B 49/22: by means of valves (F04B49/03 takes precedence) - F16K 11/07: with cylindrical slides - F16K 31/122: the fluid acting on a piston (F16K31/143, F16K31/163, F16K31/363, F16K31/383 take precedence) - F16K 31/1221: {one side of the piston being spring-loaded} - F16K 31/1226: {the fluid circulating through the piston} - F16K 31/46: for remote operation - F04B 9/12: the fluid being elastic, e.g. steam or air - F04B 35/00: Piston pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids and characterised by the driving means to their working members, or by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors, not otherwise provided for - 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)} - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) ## Abstract A pilot valve for reliably moving a switching valve of a gas control valve. The pilot valve includes a bottomed cylinder-shaped valve body having an opening at one end, spools slidably accommodated in the valve body, and resilient members disposed at other ends of the spools opposite to the opening side to urge the spools toward the opening side. The valve body has at least three through-hole portions substantially equally spaced in a longitudinal direction. The spools allow communication between at least two mutually adjacent through-hole portions. The resilient members are configured to press the spools toward the opening side of the valve body in cooperation with a pressing device, thereby switching the spools from a state where the spools are positioned at a side of the valve body opposite to the opening side to a state where the spools are positioned at the opening side. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pilot valve comprising: a bottomed cylinder-shaped valve body having an opening at one end thereof; a spool slidably accommodated in the valve body; and a resilient member disposed at an other end of the spool opposite to the opening side of the valve body to urge the spool toward the opening side of the valve body; the valve body having at least three through-hole portions substantially equally spaced in a longitudinal direction of the valve body; the spool allowing communication between at least two mutually adjacent through-hole portions of the valve body; wherein the resilient member is configured to press the spool toward the opening side of the valve body in cooperation with a pressing device, thereby switching the spool from a state where the spool is positioned at a side of the valve body opposite to the opening side to a state where the spool is positioned at the opening side. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pilot valve of claim 1, wherein the pressing device includes an urging gas inlet for introducing a gas; the valve body being provided with the urging gas inlet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2) The pilot valve of claim 1 or 2, wherein the spool includes a hollow first spool slidably accommodated in the valve body, and a second spool slidably accommodated in the first spool; the resilient member comprising: a first resilient member disposed at an other end of the first spool opposite to the opening side of the valve body to urge the first spool toward the opening side; and a second resilient member disposed at an other end of the second spool opposite to the opening side of the valve body to urge the second spool toward the opening side with a resilient force less than that of the first resilient member; the first spool having at least three through-hole portions that are respectively aligned with the three through-hole portions of the valve body when the first spool is positioned at the opening side of the valve body; the second spool having a communicating portion that is configured to allow communication between at least two mutually adjacent through-hole portions of the three through-hole portions of the first spool. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The pilot valve of claim 3, wherein the first resilient member includes a resilient force capable of positioning the first spool at the opening side of the valve body against a gas pressure applied to an end of the first spool at the opening side of the valve body; and the second resilient member includes a weak resilient force such that the resilient force of the second resilient member alone cannot position the second spool at the opening side of the valve body against a gas pressure applied to an end of the second spool at the opening side of the valve body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The pilot valve of claim 3, wherein an area between the valve body and the first spool is sealed by seal members, and an area between the first spool and the second spool is sealed by contact between an inner peripheral surface of the first spool having a high surface accuracy and an outer peripheral surface of the second spool having a high surface accuracy. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The pilot valve of claim 3, wherein the valve body includes: a hollow cylindrical part having the through-hole portions and opening at the one end and an other end thereof; a lid part closing the other end of the cylindrical part; and a return button provided in the lid part at a position facing the other end of the second spool, which is opposite to the opening side of the valve body, the return button being capable of being actuated to press the other end of the second spool toward the opening side of the valve body.