US3739979A

US3739979A - Fluidic counter device

Info

Publication number: US3739979A
Authority: US
Inventors: K Hanada; A Iwase
Original assignee: Meidensha Electric Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Meidensha Electric Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 1970-03-23
Filing date: 1971-03-22
Publication date: 1973-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-19
Also published as: JPS491919B1

Abstract

The present invention is to provide an improved fluidic counter device, wherein, instead of conventional devices a pair of suction openings is newly employed at the junction, so that more stable characteristics are obtainable.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 Hanada et a1.

1 1 FLUlDlC COUNTER DEVICE I [75] Inventors: KeiichiHanada;Kimihiko Saito;-

' Akikazu Iwase, all of Tokyo, Japan [73 Assignee: Meidensha Electric Mf fco. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan 1 22 Filed: Mar. 22,19'71 21 Appl. No.: 126,665

[30] ForeignApplication Priority Data 11 3,739,979 June 19, 1973 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,562,507 2/1971 Kantola 235/201 PF 3,339,569 9/1967 3,114,390 12/1963 3,193,197 7/1965 Bauer 235/201 Primary ExaminerStephen J. Tomsky Assistant Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin AttorneyClario Ceccon [5 7] ABSTRACT The present invention is to provide an improved fluidic counter device, wherein, instead of conventional devices a pair of suction openings is newly employed at the junction, so that more stable characteristics are obtainable. 1

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures Fl G. 1

PRIOR ART FIG. 2

FLUIDIC COUNTER DEVICE The present invention relates to an improved fluidic counter and, more particularly a fluidic counter device having more stable characteristics.

Fluidic counter devices have been used for providing two alternate outputs with one input, and a binary scale fluidic counter device can be made by connecting a number of the fluidic counter devices together.

A conventional fluidic counter device has been unstable in operation and difficult to manufacture, because the device must be provided with an accurately formed throttle in the passages in order to generate a properly circulating flow.

Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide an improved fluidic counter device of more stable characteristics, which can be operated by air. Another object of the invention is to provide a new fluidic counter device in which the described disadvantages of the prior art are removed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved fluidic counter device in which an accurate circulating control fluid flow is obtainable and the circulating control fluid flow can be exactly reversed, so that more accurate change operations are obtainable, together with comparison with a conventional device.

Now, this invention will be better understood in the following explanations in reference to accompanied drawings.

In the drawing FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a pneumatic or hydraulic fluidic counter device according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plan of a fluidic counter device according to this invention.

In the conventional pneumatic or hydraulic counter device, shown in FIG. 1 a pressurized medium is introduced from an inlet 1 and passes through along either wall 2 to the right output or wall 3 tothe left output. A small amount of the pressurized medium will flow through passage forming an auxiliary flow pattern. The passages for the auxiliary flow are formed in the shape of a heart and when the main flow is through passage 2 the auxiliary circular flow is in anti-clockwise direction as shown in an FIG. I by virtue of the reduced pressure in 4 as the pressurized medium flows past said passages. In this case, the auxiliary circular flow is not strong enough to change the flow direction of the main flow pattern from the side 2 to side 3.

If a short control pulse is introduced from the opening 6, the control pulse flow is guided in the circulating path by the auxiliary flow. With a greater pressure now generated within the control input 4, said pressure causes the pressurized medium flow to change the flow direction to the left wall 3. After the switching of the main flow to wall 3, the reduced pressure will take place in 5, and accordingly, in the heart-shaped passages the direction of circulating flow of the auxiliary flow is reversed. However, if a new control pulse flow is supplied from the opening 6, the pressurized medium flow return back to the previous position again. The above mentioned conventional fluidic counter device is inaccurate in operation since it is dependent on accurately dimensioned parts.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown the details of the present invention. In the fluidic counter device according to this invention, an opening 12 for introducing a slightly pressurized control bias fluid into said device, is connected with a heart-shaped control input passages 10, 1 l and said passages introduces the slightly pressurized control bias fluid from said opening 12 into the auxiliary circulating flow. At the junction joining the opening 12 with the

passages

10, 11, the opening 12 is also connected with

suction openings

13, 14 for control. These

openings

13, 14 provide an assisting flow in the form of a suction stream to change the direction of the circulating flow of the slightly pressurized control bias fluid introduced into said heart-shaped control input passages. The control pulse signal is also introduced into input 12. An inlet 7 provides the main fluid flow into the fluidic counter device, and is connected with

output passages

8, 9 as well as the circulating

flow passages

10, 11 at the junction joining the opening 7 with the

output passages

8, 9.

In operation, a slight flow Ps is introduced through an opening 12. When a control signal in the form of a pulse is provided through the opening 12 for control signals, it follows the circulating flow in an anticlockwise direction in the heart-shaped passages. Where the main flow is applied through the opening 7, this main flow, by means of the action of said circulating flow, is biased to the left side wall.

When the control pulse is applied the following phenomena happens. That is, where the pressure of the applied control pulse flow is greater than the slight flow pressure the pressure at the opening 13 is reduced, the circulating flow within the heart-shaped passages is reversed and moved clockwise by virtue of lower pressure vortex caused by the contiguity of the flow of the environmental air through the suction port 13.

The control pulse having a greater pressure than the slight flow Ps produces a greater suction at the suction tube 13. As the pulse proceeds along 10, the suction force causes environmental air to flow through the tube 13 toward the junction with 12. When the slight flow Ps continues, the air sucked in through 13 will cause the circulating flow in the heart-shaped chambers to reverse direction.

In the fluidic counter device according to this invention, in comparison with the known device according to the prior art shown in FIG. 1, the directional change of the main flow from the opening 7 can be attainable by the change of the circulating flow within the heartshaped passages, and besides, the direction of the circulating flow 7 through the heart-shaped passages is changed by the pressure reduction from the pulse flow from the opening 12 utilizing of a suction flow from the

passage

13 or 14 on the suction contiguous side. Therefore, less circulating flow is effective enough and thus can be accurately reversed, so that more accurate change operations are obtainable.

We claim: I

l. A fluidic counter device comprising:

a. a pressure medium inlet opening;

b. at least two outlet passages communicating with the pressure medium inlet opening;

0. a loop passage communicating with said pressure medium inlet opening so as to direct said pressure medium to flow into one of the outlet passages;

d. a single control inlet opening communicating with said loop passage at a junction for applying a continuous low pressure bias flow to maintain a continuous flow within said loop passage and an intermittent high pressure control pulse to the loop passage the loop passage and the single control pulse inlet to direct the medium flow; and opening and having a flow of environmental fluid e. a pair of suction ports leading from the environonly into the junction.

ment in opposite directions to the junction between

Claims

1. A fluidic counter device comprising: a. a pressure medium inlet opening; b. at least two outlet passages communicating with the pressure medium inlet opening; c. a loop passage communicating with said pressure medium inlet opening so as to direct said pressure medium to flow into one of the outlet passages; d. a single control inlet opening communicating with said loop passage at a junction for applying a continuous low pressure bias flow to maintain a continuous flow within said loop passage and an intermittent high pressure control pulse to the loop passage to direct the medium flow; and e. a pair of suction ports leading from the environment in opposite directions to the junction between the loop passage and the single control pulse inlet opening and having a flow of environmental fluid only into the junction.