Flow controller
AssigneeSMC Corporation
InventorsTakeshi Sakasegawa, Yuta Oshima
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flow controller includes a flow detection unit that includes a detection unit for detecting the flow rate of a fluid; and a flow control unit that is coupled to the flow detection unit and that is capable of adjusting the flow rate of the fluid. The detection sensor constituting the detection unit includes a thermal flow sensor using MEMS technology, and the flow rate of the fluid that has been detected by the detection sensor is output to a control unit. In addition, in the flow control unit, the supply state of air to a supply room is switched by each of a supply-use solenoid valve and an exhaust-use solenoid valve, and on the basis of the supply state of the air, a control valve opens and closes.
Claims9
A flow controller comprising:
- a body including a first passage disposed on an upstream side through which a fluid flows, a second passage disposed on a downstream side with respect to the first passage, and a throttling section disposed between the first passage and the second passage;
- a flow rate detector disposed on the body and which includes a detection unit configured to detect flow rate of the fluid that flows from the first passage to the second passage;
- a flow rate controller for controlling a flow rate of the fluid through the body and which is disposed in parallel with the flow rate detector, the flow rate controller including a diaphragm assembly which is displaced by supply of pilot air, a stem having a first end connected to the diaphragm assembly, a valve body fixed to a second end of the stem which opposes the first end such that the valve body is connected to the diaphragm assembly through the stem, and a spring that urges the valve body in a direction to be seated on a valve seat formed in the body,
- wherein the detection unit includes a MEMS sensor, the flow rate controller further comprising a balancing structure for balancing a first pressing force applied from the diaphragm assembly to the valve body with a second pressing force applied from the spring to the valve body and which opposes the first pressing force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.