Fluid control device

A fluid control device, comprising:

• a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid passage connecting said inlet and said outlet;
• and
• valve means disposed in said housing for preventing fluid from passing from said inlet to said outlet, said valve means comprising a valve seat forming part of said fluid passage, a movable valve body having one end which engages said valve seat to prevent fluid from passing from said inlet to said outlet, spring means disposed between said movable valve body and said housing for maintaining said valve body in a normally closed position in contact with said valve seat, a valve body opening and closing member for moving said valve body away from said valve seat to allow fluid to pass from said inlet to said outlet, elastic partition means connected to said valve body opening and closing member and forming another part of said fluid passage, a piezoelectric stack means disposed on said housing for moving said valve body opening and closing member towards said valve body to move said valve body away from said valve seat in response to electrical energy supplied to said piezoelectric stack means and driving force transmission member means connected to said piezoelectric stack means for amplifying the amount of movement of said valve body away from said valve seat relative to the amount of movement produced by only said piezoelectric stack means when electrical energy is supplied to said piezoelectric stack means.

A fluid control device, comprising:

• a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid passage connecting said inlet and said outlet;
• valve means disposed in said housing for preventing fluid from passing from said inlet to said outlet, said valve means comprising a valve seat forming part of said fluid passage, a movable valve body having one end which engages said valve seat to prevent fluid from passing from said inlet to said outlet, a piezoelectric stack means disposed on said housing for moving said valve body towards said valve seat in response to electrical energy supplied to said piezoelectric stack means, and elastic partition means forming another part of said fluid passage connected between said piezoelectric stack means and the other end of said valve body for providing a fluid tight seal between said passage and said piezoelectric stack means;
• and
• driving force transmission member means for increasing the amount of movement transmitted from said piezoelectric stack means to said valve body, said driving force transmission member means comprising at least one tongue portion pivotally mounted on a support fixed to said housing, said tongue portion having at one end thereof a projection engaging said piezoelectric stack means and a free end at the other end thereof engaging said valve body, said free end being movable away from said piezoelectric stack means to a greater extent than the distance moved by said piezoelectric stack means in response to electrical energy supplied to said piezoelectric stack means.