Micro pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11608823-B2
Application number	US-202016903089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2020
Priority date	Jul 17, 2019
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

A micro pump is disclosed and includes a fluid-converging plate, a valve membrane, a fluid-outlet plate and a pump core module. The fluid-converging plate includes an inner recess, a protruding portion and a fluid-converging aperture. The protruding portion is disposed at a center of the inner recess. The valve membrane includes a valve aperture. The protruding portion of the fluid-converging plate abuts against the valve aperture. A fluid-converging chamber is formed between the valve membrane and the fluid-converging plate. The fluid-outlet plate in a ring shape includes a fluid-outlet channel. The valve aperture is in fluid communication with the fluid-outlet channel. When the fluid is inhaled into the pump core module, the fluid flows to the fluid-converging chamber through the fluid-converging aperture and then pushes out the valve membrane to flow into the fluid-outlet channel of the fluid-outlet plate through the valve aperture. Thereby the fluid transportation is achieved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A micro pump comprising:
a fluid-converging plate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are two opposite surfaces, and the fluid-converging plate comprises:
an outer groove disposed on the first surface;
an inner recess disposed on the first surface and surrounded by the outer groove; a protruding portion disposed on the first surface and located at a center of the inner recess;
at least one fluid-converging aperture disposed in the inner recess and adjacent to an outer edge of the protruding portion, wherein the fluid-converging aperture penetrates the first surface and the second surface of the fluid-converging plate; and
a fluid-converging peripheral wall disposed on the second surface of the fluid-converging plate to define a fluid-converging space;

a valve membrane disposed in the inner recess of the fluid-converging plate and comprising a valve aperture disposed at a center of the valve membrane, wherein the protruding portion of the fluid-converging plate abuts against the valve aperture, and a fluid-converging chamber is formed between the valve membrane and the fluid-converging plate;
a fluid-outlet plate comprising a fluid-outlet channel, at least one fluid-relief channel and a fluid-outlet peripheral wall, wherein the fluid-outlet channel is disposed at a center of the fluid-outlet plate, and the fluid-outlet peripheral wall is configured to define a fluid-outlet space, wherein the fluid-outlet space, the fluid-outlet channel and the at least one fluid-relief channel are in fluid communication, wherein the valve aperture of the valve membrane, the fluid-outlet space and the fluid-outlet channel are in fluid communication, wherein the fluid-outlet peripheral wall is engaged within the outer groove of the fluid-converging plate, whereby the valve membrane is accommodated within the fluid-outlet space; and
a pump core module accommodated within the fluid-converging space of the fluid-converging plate,
wherein after fluid is inhaled by the pump core module and flows into the pump core module, the fluid passes through the at least one fluid-converging aperture, flows into the fluid-converging chamber, pushes out the valve membrane to flow through the valve aperture, and enters the fluid-outlet channel of the fluid-outlet plate, so as to achieve fluid transportation.

2. The micro pump according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid-converging plate comprises a plurality of fluid-converging apertures arranged in the inner recess equidistantly and surrounding the protruding portion.

3. The micro pump according to claim 2 , wherein the outer groove of the fluid-converging plate is in a ring shape, and the inner recess and the protruding portion of the fluid-converging plate are in a circular shape, respectively, so that the fluid-converging plate forms a concentric symmetric structure.

4. The micro pump according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid-outlet plate comprises a plurality of fluid-relief channels arranged equidistantly and surrounding the fluid-outlet channel.

5. The micro pump according to claim 4 , wherein the fluid-outlet plate is in a circular shape, so that the fluid-outlet plate forms a concentric symmetric structure.

6. The micro pump according to claim 1 , wherein the valve membrane comprises a valve peripheral wall disposed on a side of the valve membrane adjacent to the fluid-converging plate, and accommodated within the inner recess of the fluid-converging plate.

7. The micro pump according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid-outlet channel is a straight channel.

8. The micro pump according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid-outlet channel is a curved channel.

9. The micro pump according to claim 1 , wherein the pump core module comprises:
a fluid-inlet plate comprising at least one inlet aperture, at least one convergence channel and a convergence chamber, wherein the at least one inlet aperture allows the fluid to flow in and passes through the convergence channel, and the convergence channel and the convergence chamber are in fluid communication, so that the liquid inhaled through the at least inlet aperture is transported through the at least one convergence channel and converged into the convergence chamber;
a resonance plate connected and attached to the fluid-inlet plate and having a central aperture, a movable part and a fixing part, wherein the central aperture is disposed at a center of the resonance plate and aligned with the convergence chamber of the fluid-inlet plate, the movable part surrounds the central aperture, and the fixing part is located at a peripheral portion of the resonance plate and is fixed on and attached to the fluid-inlet plate; and
a piezoelectric actuator connected and attached to the resonance plate,
wherein a resonance chamber is formed between the resonance plate and the piezoelectric actuator, whereby when the piezoelectric actuator is driven, the movable part of the resonance plate is in resonance with the piezoelectric actuator, and the fluid is introduced into the at least one inlet aperture of the fluid-inlet plate, converged to the convergence chamber along the at least one convergence channel, and flows into the central aperture of the resonance plate, so as to achieve fluid transportation.

10. The micro pump according to claim 9 , wherein the piezoelectric actuator comprises:
a suspension plate being a square suspension plate and permitted to undergo a bending vibration;
an outer frame arranged around the suspension plate;
at least one bracket connected between the suspension plate and the outer frame for elastically supporting the suspension plate; and
a piezoelectric element, wherein a length of a side of the piezoelectric element is smaller than or equal to a length of a side of the suspension plate, and the piezoelectric element is attached on a surface of the suspension plate to drive the suspension plate to undergo the bending vibration in response to an applied voltage.

11. The micro pump according to claim 10 , wherein the pump core module further comprises a first insulation plate, a conducting plate and a second insulation plate, wherein the fluid-inlet plate, the resonance plate, the piezoelectric actuator, the first insulation plate, the conducting plate and the second insulation plate are stacked sequentially.

12. The micro pump according to claim 11 , wherein the piezoelectric actuator further comprises a first conducting pin extended outwardly from an outer edge of the outer frame, the conducting plate has a second conducting pin extended outwardly from an outer edge of the conducting plate, and the fluid-converging plate comprises a plurality of openings, wherein the first conducting pin and the second conducting pin are extended outside the fluid-converging plate through the plurality of openings, respectively.

13. The micro pump according to claim 9 , wherein the piezoelectric actuator comprises:
a suspension plate being a square suspension plate and permitted to undergo a bending vibration;
an outer frame arranged around the suspension plate;
at least one bracket connected between the suspension plate and the outer frame for elastically supporting the suspension plate, wherein a non-coplanar structure is formed on a surface of the suspension plates and a surface of the outer frame, and a cavity space is maintained between the surface of the suspension plate and the resonance plate; and
a piezoelectric element, wherein a length of a side of the piezoelectric element is smaller than or equal to a length of a side of the suspension plate, and the piezoelectric element is attached on the surface of the s

Assignees

• Microjet Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mou Hao-Jan
• Chen Shih-Chang
• Liao jia-yu
• Liao Hung-Hsin
• Kao Chung-Wei
• Han Yung-Lung
• Huang Chi-Feng
• Tsai Chang-Yen
• Lee Wei-Ming

Classifications

• F16K99/0015

  Diaphragm or membrane valves · CPC title

• F04B43/046 Primary

  with piezoelectric drive · CPC title

• F04B45/047

  Pumps having electric drive · CPC title

• F16K2099/0094

  Micropumps · CPC title

• F04B39/1066

  Valve plates · CPC title