US 11,982,369 B2
Air valve structure
Tsun-Hsiang Wen, Taipei (TW); Shih-Chung Hsu, Taipei (TW); Jun Xie, Taipei (TW); Jian Zeng, Taipei (TW); and Xian-Chang Zou, Taipei (TW)
Assigned to TANGTRING SEATING TECHNOLOGY INC, Huizhou Guangdong (CN)
Filed by TangTring Seating Technology Inc., Huizhou Guangdong (CN)
Filed on Jun. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/829,932.
Prior Publication US 2023/0392707 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. F16K 31/02 (2006.01); F16K 31/524 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 31/025 (2013.01) [F16K 31/52408 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An air valve structure, arranged on a base, the base formed with an air chamber and comprising at least one air hole communicated with the air chamber, wherein the air valve structure comprises:
an air plug, arranged in the air chamber in an axial direction, the air plug comprising a closing state to close the at least one air hole and an opening state to open the at least one air hole; and
a state-switching component, comprising a driving member linked with the air plug, a shape-memory alloy (SMA) wire connected with the driving member, and at least one conductive member connected with the SMA wire, wherein the driving member is moved based on a condition of electricity provided by the at least one conductive member for the SMA wire and exerts an acting force to the air plug, and a direction of the acting force is non-parallel with the axial direction, and the air plug is moved along the axial direction and changed between the closing state and the opening state by the acting force, wherein a moving track is generated while the driving member is moved, and the moving track is perpendicular to the axial direction, and the air plug comprises a working surface which contacts the driving member moving on the moving track that is an inclined surface.