US 12,460,658 B2
Manifold air pressure feeder and manifold block for use in manifold air pressure feeder
Kenichi Matsumura, Tsukubamirai (JP)
Assigned to SMC CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by SMC CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Sep. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/477,617.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-157918 (JP), filed on Sep. 30, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0110654 A1, Apr. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. F15B 13/08 (2006.01); F16K 27/04 (2006.01); F16L 41/03 (2006.01)
CPC F15B 13/086 (2013.01) [F15B 13/0817 (2013.01); F15B 13/0821 (2013.01); F16K 27/041 (2013.01); F16L 41/03 (2013.01); F15B 2211/329 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A manifold air pressure feeder, comprising:
a manifold block including a first port group and a first flow path group, the first port group being located in a mounting surface in an upper surface of the manifold block and composed of a plurality of ports through which air is taken in and discharged, the first flow path group being located in the manifold block and composed of a plurality of flow paths, each of the plurality of flow paths communicating with a corresponding one of the plurality of ports in the first port group; and
a switching valve block including a second port group and a switching valve, the second port group being located in an installation surface in a lower surface of the switching valve block and composed of a plurality of ports through which air is taken in and discharged, the switching valve being located in the switching valve block and being for use in performing switching between communication states of the plurality of ports in the second port group, the manifold block and the switching valve block being fixedly linked to each other either by contact between the mounting surface of the manifold block and the installation surface of the switching valve block or by an intermediate block between the mounting surface and the installation surface, the contact forming a direct connection between each of the plurality of ports in the first port group and a corresponding one of the plurality of ports in the second port group, the intermediate block including a connection flow path group forming a connection between each of the plurality of ports in the first port group and the corresponding one of the plurality of ports in the second port group, wherein
the manifold block includes a pressure sensor assembly therein to measure air pressure in a specific flow path in the first flow path group,
the pressure sensor assembly includes a sensor part including a sensing element for sensing air pressure,
the first flow path group includes an intake air flow path for feeding air into the switching valve block and a discharge air flow path for discharging air discharged from the switching valve block,
the intake air flow path includes an intake air main flow path that mutually connects a pair of opening portions formed on side surfaces opposite to each other in a width direction of the manifold block,
the discharge air flow path includes a discharge air main flow path that mutually connects a pair of opening portions formed on side surfaces opposite to each other in the width direction of the manifold block, and
a sensor installation cavity is opened below the discharge air main flow path, which is connected to the specific flow path and in which the sensor part of the pressure sensor assembly is hermetically inserted and fixed.