US 11,898,583 B2
Gas cylinder
Seiichi Nagura, Moriya (JP); Naoki Shinjo, Nagareyama (JP); Kazutaka Someya, Kashiwa (JP); Akihiro Kazama, Moriya (JP); and Yusuke Mori, Moriya (JP)
Assigned to SMC CORPORATION, Chiyoda-ku (JP)
Appl. No. 17/761,456
Filed by SMC CORPORATION, Chiyoda-ku (JP)
PCT Filed Jul. 20, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/027995
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 17, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/053959, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 25, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-171018 (JP), filed on Sep. 20, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0364579 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. F15B 15/22 (2006.01); F15B 15/14 (2006.01); F15B 15/20 (2006.01)
CPC F15B 15/22 (2013.01) [F15B 15/1433 (2013.01); F15B 15/204 (2013.01); F15B 15/222 (2013.01); F15B 15/14 (2013.01); F15B 15/1428 (2013.01); F15B 2211/715 (2013.01); F15B 2211/8855 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas cylinder, comprising:
a cylinder tube in which a cylinder chamber is formed;
a first cover configured to close one end of the cylinder tube;
a second cover configured to close another end of the cylinder tube;
a piston configured to partition the cylinder chamber into a first pressure chamber on a side of the first cover and a second pressure chamber on a side of the second cover, and to slide in the cylinder chamber;
a piston rod connected to the piston;
a first port configured to supply and discharge gas to and from the first pressure chamber;
a second port configured to supply and discharge gas to and from the second pressure chamber; and
a cushioning mechanism configured to brake movement of the piston when the piston comes to a stop at a stroke end at least on the side of the first cover,
wherein the cushioning mechanism includes:
a seal configured to block a state of communication between the first pressure chamber and the first port when the piston comes close to the stroke end;
an orifice member disposed in the first cover and configured to discharge gas in the first pressure chamber to an exterior via the first port; and
a discharge flow rate adjustment part disposed in the first cover and configured to discharge the gas from the first pressure chamber in cooperation with the orifice member, in a case that a pressure in the first pressure chamber exceeds a predetermined pressure,
the discharge flow rate adjustment part includes a discharge flow path formed inside the first cover and configured to discharge the gas in the first pressure chamber, a spool valve element disposed midway along the discharge flow path, and an elastic body configured to bias the spool valve element toward an upstream side of the discharge flow path,
the discharge flow path is formed from a first flow path configured to communicate with the first pressure chamber, a second flow path connected to a downstream side of the first flow path, a third flow path connected to a downstream side of the second flow path and having a larger diameter than the second flow path, and a fourth flow path connected to the third flow path and configured to communicate with the exterior,
the spool valve element is formed from a small diameter portion configured to be inserted into the second flow path, and a large diameter portion that is connected to the small diameter portion, is disposed in the third flow path, and has a larger diameter than the small diameter portion,
the elastic body is a spring member disposed in the third flow path and configured to bias the large diameter portion toward a side of the second flow path,
in a case that the pressure is less than or equal to the predetermined pressure, the spool valve element is displaced toward the side of the second flow path by a biasing force of the spring member, and the large diameter portion closes a connected portion between the second flow path and the third flow path, whereby a state of communication between the second flow path and the third flow path is blocked, and
in the case that the pressure exceeds the predetermined pressure, the spool valve element is displaced by the pressure toward a side of the third flow path in opposition to the biasing force, whereby the large diameter portion separates away from the connected portion, and the second flow path and the third flow path are allowed to communicate with each other.