Control method of fluid device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11359618-B2
Application number	US-201816110204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2018
Priority date	Sep 30, 2017
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a control method of a fluid device. The control method includes the steps of (a) providing the fluid device, which includes a plurality of flow guiding units manufactured by a micro-electro-mechanical-system process; (b) dividing the flow guiding units into a plurality of groups, which are electrically connected to and controlled by a control module; and (c) generating a driving signal by the control module for a corresponding one of the groups, wherein the control module generates a high level signal to a specific one of the groups, so that the flow guiding units of the specific one of the groups are driven to transport fluid, and thereby controlling the fluid device to discharge a specific amount of fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control method of a fluid device, comprising steps of:
(a) providing the fluid device, which is integrally manufactured by a micro-electro-mechanical-system process, wherein a plurality of flow guiding units are manufactured by the micro-electro-mechanical-system process and are connected to each other to integrally form the fluid device which is an one piece structure, wherein each of the flow guiding units includes an inlet plate, a substrate, a resonance membrane, an actuating membrane, a piezoelectric membrane and an outlet plate which are stacked sequentially, wherein the resonance membrane has a central aperture and a movable part, wherein a convergence chamber is formed between the resonance membrane and the inlet plate, wherein the actuating membrane is in the form of a hollow and suspension structure, wherein a surface of a material is micro-machined by means of dry and wet etching in the micro-electro-mechanical-system process to form the fluid device, wherein the resonance membrane and the actuating membrane of any adjacent two of flow guiding units are all integrally formed;
(b) dividing the flow guiding units into a plurality of groups so as to be controlled group by group, wherein the groups are electrically connected to a control module, and wherein any two adjacent ones of the flow guiding units are controlled to be actuated and shut down asynchronously and independently; and
(c) generating a driving signal by the control module for a corresponding one of the groups, wherein the control module generates an actuating signal to a specific one of the groups, so that the flow guiding units of the specific one of the groups are driven to transport fluid, and thereby controlling the fluid device to discharge a specific amount of fluid.

2. The control method of the fluid device according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet plate has at least one inlet aperture, wherein the resonance membrane is, in each flow guiding unit, a suspension structure manufactured by a surface micromachining process, wherein the actuating membrane is manufactured by the surface micromachining process, and has a suspension part, an outer frame and at least one interspace wherein the piezoelectric membrane is attached on a surface of the suspension part of the actuating membrane, wherein the outlet plate has an outlet aperture, wherein a gap formed between the resonance membrane and the actuating membrane is defined as a first chamber, and a second chamber is formed between the actuating membrane and the outlet plate, wherein while the piezoelectric membrane is driven to drive the actuating membrane, the fluid is inhaled into the convergence chamber via the inlet aperture of the inlet plate, is transported into the first chamber via the central aperture of the resonance membrane, is transported into the second chamber via the at least one interspace, and is discharged out from the outlet aperture of the outlet plate, so as to control the flowing of the fluid.

3. The control method of the fluid device according to claim 2 , wherein each actuating membrane is a metallic membrane or a polysilicon membrane.

4. The control method of the fluid device according to claim 2 , wherein each piezoelectric membrane is a metal oxide membrane manufactured by a sol-gel process.

5. The control method of the fluid device according to claim 2 , wherein each piezoelectric membrane has an anode and a cathode disposed for driving a vibration of the piezoelectric membrane.

6. A control method of a fluid device, comprising steps of:
(a) providing the fluid device, which is integrally manufactured by a micro-electro-mechanical-system process, wherein a plurality of flow guiding units are manufactured by the micro-electro-mechanical-system process and are connected to each other to integrally form the fluid device which is an one piece structure, wherein each of the flow guiding units includes an inlet plate, a substrate, a resonance membrane, an actuating membrane, a piezoelectric membrane and an outlet plate which are stacked sequentially, wherein the resonance membrane has a central aperture and a movable part, wherein a convergence chamber is formed between the resonance membrane and the inlet plate, wherein the actuating membrane is in the form of a hollow and suspension structure, wherein a surface of a material is micro-machined by means of dry and wet etching in the micro-electro-mechanical-system process to form the fluid device, wherein the resonance membrane and the actuating membrane of any adjacent two of flow guiding units are all integrally formed;
(b) dividing the flow guiding units into a plurality of groups so as to be controlled group by group, wherein the groups are electrically connected to at least one control module, and wherein any two adjacent ones of the flow guiding units are controlled to be actuated and shut down asynchronously and independently; and
(c) generating at least one driving signal by the control module for at least one of the groups, wherein the control module generates at least one actuating signal to a specific one of the groups, so that the flow guiding units of the specific one of the groups are driven to transport fluid, and thereby controlling the fluid device to discharge a specific amount of fluid.

Assignees

• Microjet Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mou Hao-Jan
• Yu Rong-Ho
• Chang Cheng-Ming
• Tai Hsien-Chung
• Liao Wen-Hsiung
• Tsai Chang-Yen

Classifications

• F04B43/026 Primary

  each plate-like pumping flexible member working in its own pumping chamber · CPC title

• F04B45/047

  Pumps having electric drive · CPC title

• F04B49/065

  and making use of computers · CPC title

• F04B43/046

  with piezoelectric drive · CPC title

• F04B23/06

  the pumps being all of reciprocating positive-displacement type · CPC title