A safety valve is provided with an electronic control unit for generating a control voltage. An electro-fluidic preliminary stage has a piezo bending actuator which can be actuated between a working position and a safety position by the control voltage and influences the flow of a secondary control fluid flow depending on its position. A fluid-mechanical main stage has an influencing device for influencing the flow of a primary working fluid flow. The influencing device can be actuated by means of the secondary control fluid flow which flows into a control chamber of the main stage. The control unit caries out a test of the preliminary stage repeatedly in an iterative manner after the expiration of a specified time interval. As part of the functionality test, the position of the piezo bending actuator is changed slightly by varying the control voltage.

An actuating device includes an actuator and a stationary portion. The actuator has at least one driving portion. The stationary portion is provided at an arbitrary position along the actuator such that the driving portion forms a first driving portion and a second driving portion. The first driving portion and the second driving portion can be provided with the same actuating ability or with different actuating abilities respectively by adjusting the position of the stationary portion.

A vessel pressure regulating system with a multidirectional control valve device includes: a pressure source; the multidirectional control valve device, which includes a housing, an actuation unit, and a working element, the housing having an interior space, an input port, and an output port, the input port being in communication with the pressure source, the actuation unit having a stationary portion and a driving portion, and the working element being controlled by the driving portion in order to open or close the output port; a vessel in communication with the output port; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the pressure source and of the driving portion. The vessel pressure regulating system enables a safety airbag of a vehicle or a similar device in a chair, bed, or the like to function effectively.

A piezoelectric valve comprising: a fixed portion defining an opening; and a number of movable portions extending from the fixed portion over the opening and separated from one another by radially oriented slits, each movable portion of the number of movable portions comprising a first material layer and a second material layer, and at least one of the first material layer or the second material layer comprises a piezoelectric material that is operable to drive a displacement of the movable portion in a direction opposite to an adjacent movable portion sharing a same radially oriented slit upon application of a voltage.

A piezo valve for influencing a fluid flow, with a strip-shaped piezo bender which is arranged in a fluid channel and which includes a band-shaped carrier layer and a band-shaped actuator layer applied thereto and which is pressed with a first surface by a spring against a front bearing blade and a rear bearing blade and on a second surface facing away from the first surface with a seal which seals a valve seat in a functional position. The valve seat serves as an orifice opening of a fluid channel section is formed, in which the first surface is formed either by the carrier layer or by the actuator layer and the seal in the first functional position optionally on the valve oil seat or releases the valve seat.

A first lever portion includes a first point-of-effort portion, a first fulcrum portion, and a first point-of-load portion. A second lever portion has a second point-of-effort portion, a second fulcrum portion, and a second point-of-load portion. A first point-of-effort portion is located between a first fulcrum portion and a first point-of-load portion in a direction orthogonal to an axis of a stem. A second fulcrum portion is located between a second point-of-effort portion and a second point-of-load portion in the direction orthogonal to the axis. A distance between the second fulcrum portion and the second point-of-load portion is configured longer than a distance between the second fulcrum portion and the second point-of-effort portion. The second point-of-load portion of the second lever portion is displaced toward the stem and moves the stem toward the piezoelectric element by means of displacement of the intermediate member to the second lever portion side.

A process fluid-flow control device comprising: an inlet, an outlet, an actuation mechanism and a diaphragm; wherein: the diaphragm is in direct operational communication with the outlet and/or the inlet; the mechanism comprises a driving piezoelectric component, and the device is configured to allow: employing the driving piezoelectric component to adjust force exerted on the diaphragm and thereby regulating flow of the process fluid through the device within a first rate range.

A piezo actuator for carrying out an actuating movement is disclosed, with a piezo bending transducer made of a carrier layer which is at least partially covered on one or two sides with a piezo lamella, with a movable end and with a housing, with a reference stop connected to the housing for determining a reference position for the actuating movement, with a first bearing region which comprises regions of the piezo actuator and the housing and which allows for twists ϕ1 of the piezo bending transducer, with a second bearing region having a surface on the side of the bending transducer and a surface on the side of the housing, and an intermediate layer between the surfaces, which connects them and which can be liquefied, and with a pressure element for generating a bias torque on the piezo bending transducer around the first bearing region against the reference stop.

A first lever portion includes a first point-of-effort portion, a first fulcrum portion, and a first point-of-load portion. A second lever portion has a second point-of-effort portion, a second fulcrum portion, and a second point-of-load portion. A first point-of-effort portion is located between a first fulcrum portion and a first point-of-load portion in a direction orthogonal to an axis of a stem. A second fulcrum portion is located between a second point-of-effort portion and a second point-of-load portion in the direction orthogonal to the axis. A distance between the second fulcrum portion and the second point-of-load portion is configured longer than a distance between the second fulcrum portion and the second point-of-effort portion. The second point-of-load portion of the second lever portion is displaced toward the stem and moves the stem toward the piezoelectric element by means of displacement of the intermediate member to the second lever portion side.

A safety valve is provided with an electronic control unit for generating a control voltage. An electro-fluidic preliminary stage has a piezo bending actuator which can be actuated between a working position and a safety position by the control voltage and influences the flow of a secondary control fluid flow depending on its position. A fluid-mechanical main stage has an influencing device for influencing the flow of a primary working fluid flow. The influencing device can be actuated by means of the secondary control fluid flow which flows into a control chamber of the main stage. The control unit caries out a test of the preliminary stage repeatedly in an iterative manner after the expiration of a specified time interval. As part of the functionality test, the position of the piezo bending actuator is changed slightly by varying the control voltage.