Abstract: A volume sensor-free microdosing device comprises a pressure chamber which is at least partly delimited by a displacer, an actuating device for actuating the displacer, the volume of the pressure chamber being adapted to the changed by actuating the displacer, a media reservoir which is in fluid communication with the pressure chamber, an outlet opening which is in fluid communication with the pressure chamber, and a control mechanism.

Abstract: A method of producing a pump body having an inlet opening provided with an inlet valve (106) and an outlet opening provided with an outlet valve (108), said method comprising as a first step the step of structuring a respective first main surface of a first and of a second semiconductor disc (200) for defining a valve flap structure (202) of the inlet valve and a valve seat structure (204) of the outlet valve in the first disc and a valve flap structure of the outlet valve and a valve seat structure of the inlet valve in the second disc. Following this, a valve flap well structure (206; 216) and a valve opening well structure (208; 218) are formed in a predetermined relationship with the valve flap structures and the valve seat structures in a respective second main surface of the first and of the second semiconductor disc.

Abstract: The invention relates to a micropump (10; 100) comprising at least a first plate (12), a second plate (20), an intermediate plate (18), a pump chamber (24), and inlet and outlet control members (28, 30). According to the invention, said inlet control member (28) is a non-return valve situated in the major portion of the thickness of said intermediate plate (18), being made of a moving member (40) and a membrane-forming portion (42) situated close to one of the plates (12, 20), connecting said moving member (40) to the remainder of said intermediate plate (18) and, by its resilience, enabling said valve (28) to move between a closed position and an open position, said moving member (40) having an orifice of limited volume passing therethrough.

Abstract: An overmolded diaphragm pump for applying pumping force to a fluid such as liquid ink for ink-jet printing. The pump structure includes a rigid substrate having at least one chamber opening, and an elastomeric diaphragm and sealing structure fabricated of an elastomeric material. This diaphragm and sealing structure is overmolded over a portion of the rigid substrate and includes at least one diaphragm portion extending over a corresponding chamber opening. A gland seal portion makes a seal between the elastomeric diaphragm and sealing structure and a mating part.

Abstract: A ventilation system having a micromachine air mover for a metal-air battery. The metal-air battery has a housing for enclosing at least one metal-air cell. The housing isolates the metal-air cell from the ambient atmosphere except for a pair of diffusion tubes. The micromachine air mover is an air pump that generates air flow by actuating a diaphragm which causes the diaphragm to vibrate. As a result of the vibration of the diaphragm, the pressure within the micromachine air mover's pump chamber varies and directional air flow is created through the housing and across the metal-air cell. When the micromachine air mover is not operating, the diffusion tubes provide a barrier to prevent diffusion of air through the housing.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid feed apparatus for feeding liquid by operating a diaphragm at a high frequency, in which an inlet valve and an outlet valve are integrally incorporated with a liquid feed chamber, the positions of the valve are shifted into peripheral parts of the liquid feed chamber so as to allow fluid to smoothly flow from the inlet to the outlet in order to prevent air bubbles from causing pressure fluctuation during liquid feed, from remaining in the liquid feed chamber. Further, the valve has a center beam structure in which a protrusion having a height greater than several micron meters, is formed in the seat part of the valve so as to deform a center beam for pressurizing the valve in order to enhance the shut-off ability of the valve, and the center beam has a small surface area in the direction of displacement of the valve.

Abstract: A silicone rubber diaphragm pump utilizing a pair of MEMS Parylene check valves and a miniature solenoid plunger and actuator is comprised of a spacer sandwiched by a silicone rubber diaphragm on one side and a check valve support on the other. The check valves in the check valve support form the inlet and outlet to a pumping chamber defined between the check valve support and silicone rubber diaphragm. The pumping action has been demonstrated by driving the silicone diaphragm with the plunger using the solenoid type actuator to generate over and under pressures in the chamber. This forces the pumped medium into and out of the chamber, thus allowing the medium to be transported. Tubing or connectors affixed to the inlet and outlet ports of the check valve support structure allow for external fluidic access. The pump works with both gas and liquid.

Abstract: A micropump including at least one main plate (1), at least one upper plate (2), and a middle plate (3) arranged between the other two plates (1, 2) and forming a pumping chamber (4) that is connected with at least one inlet of the micropump and at least one outlet of the micropump. The pumping chamber comprises a movable wall (5) machined into the middle plate (3); the upper plate is equipped with at least one opening (12) linking a cavity (8) with at least one portion of the movable wall (5). Actuation devices (6, 7, 13) attached to the free surface of the upper plate (2) are used to shift said movable wall (5) in order to bring about a periodic variation in the volume of the pumping chamber (4). According to the invention, the actuating devices (6, 7, 13) are formed by an actuating plate (7) of a material which can be machined so as to define a movable area (11) and said cavity (8).

Abstract: The ejection orifice (7) of a micropump including a baseplate (3) of glass and a cover plate (4) of silicon and intended for ejecting small liquid drops, has a diameter of about 50 &mgr;m, and is located in the center of a flat front surface (12) which, in order to avoid accumulations of liquid in the region of the ejection orifice (7), is only 8 times the area thereof and, along a continuous circular edge, is adjacent a lateral surface (13) in the form of an envelope of truncated cone. The front surface (12) and the lateral surface (13) have a surface roughness of not more than N4 and are provided, for example, with a hydrophobic plasma polymer coating.

Abstract: A micro pump is made compact and can prevent members constituting the micro pump from being chemically reacted with a working fluid, and a method of producing the same. After each of substrates constituting the micro pump is formed by a member containing a silicone as a main composition and a plurality of metal membranes are formed on a whole of a bonding surface of each of the substrates so as to form bonding surfaces, the bonding surfaces are cleaned, and the bonding surfaces are opposed to each other under a vacuum condition, overlapped, heated and pressed so as to be bonded. The valve portion has a beam and a protrusion for sealing as provided in the valve side, whereby a pressure applied to the protrusion becomes smaller than the bonding pressure.

Abstract: A microdosing device comprises a pressure chamber which is at least partly delimited by a displacer, an actuating device for actuating the displacer, the volume of the pressure chamber being adapted to be changed by actuating the displacer, a media reservoir which is in fluid comunication with the pressure chamber via a first fluid line, and an outlet opening which is in fluid communication with the pressure chamber via a second fluid line. The microdosing device additionally comprises a means for detecting the respective position of the displacer and a control means which is connected to the actuating device and to the means for detecting the position of the displacer, said control means controlling the actuating device on the basis of the detected position of the displacer or on the basis of displacer positions detected during at least one preceding dosing cycle so as to cause the discharge of a defined volume of fluid from the outlet opening.

Abstract: A micropump comprises a first substrate, a pumping section formed in the first substrate, a second substrate connected to the first substrate and having an inlet port and an outlet port, and at least two valve sections formed in the first substrate for controlling the flow of fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port through the pumping section. The pumping section has a piezoelectric element and a diaphragm for undergoing deformation upon application of a voltage to the piezoelectric element to control the flow of fluid into and out of the pumping section. Each of the valve sections has a piezoelectric element and a diaphragm for undergoing deformation upon application of a voltage to the piezoelectric element. A flow passage is formed in the first substrate for connecting the pumping section and the valve sections in fluid communication.

Abstract: A displacement pump with a pump housing containing a pump chamber of varying volume, the limiting walls of which includes a moveable portion or diaphragm, the movement and/or deformation of which varies the pump chamber volume. The pump chamber has a fluid inlet on the suction side of the pump and a fluid outlet on the pressure side. Both the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, or possibly only one of them, includes a flow controlling element having one diffuser and one diffuser inlet which, for the same flow, has a larger pressure drop in one flow direction (the nozzle direction) than in the opposite flow direction (the diffuser direction). A drive element is coupled to the diaphragm, whereby the diaphragm can be caused to oscillate, so that the fluid volume in the pump chamber is caused to pulsate and thereby produce a net flow of fluid through the pump.

Abstract: A bistable electrostatic actuator with pneumatic or liquid coupling. The actuator has enclosed metallic electrodes. It can be used for a microvalve or micropump. The actuator has buckled membrane sections in pairs and curved substrate electrodes, locally associated with said membrane sections.