Ultrasonic particle reduction system for an acoustic micro-valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12470856-B2
Application number	US-202418420523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2024
Priority date	Feb 23, 2023
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A portable electronic device comprising: an enclosure having an enclosure wall that forms an interior chamber containing a transducer and a valve operable to open or close a vent to the interior chamber; and a particle removal mechanism coupled to the valve that is operable to drive particles away from the valve upon application of a current.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A portable electronic device comprising:
an enclosure having an enclosure wall that forms an interior chamber containing a transducer and a valve operable to open or close a vent to the interior chamber; and a particle removal mechanism coupled to the valve that is operable to drive particles away from the valve upon application of a current.

2 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the particle removal mechanism comprises an alternating current circuit operable to apply a current that deforms a moving component of the valve to at least one of a number of mechanical modes operable to remove solid particles from the valve.

3 . The portable electronic device of claim 2 wherein the current is within an ultrasonic frequency range.

4 . The portable electronic device of claim 2 wherein the current comprises a number of frequencies within an ultrasonic frequency range that are sequentially applied to deform the moving component.

5 . The portable electronic device of claim 2 wherein the current comprises a number of frequencies within an ultrasonic frequency range that are simultaneously applied to deform the moving component.

6 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the valve comprises an electrostatic valve having a flap that is deformed upon application of the current.

7 . The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the particle removal mechanism comprises a Fourier horn coupling the vent to an ambient environment and a piezoelectric actuator that drives a liquid particle within the Fourier horn out to the ambient environment.

8 . The portable electronic device of claim 7 wherein the actuator is attached to a side wall of the Fourier horn or a moving component of the valve.

9 . A portable electronic device comprising:
an enclosure having an enclosure wall that forms an interior chamber and a port to an ambient environment; a transducer positioned within the interior chamber and dividing the interior chamber into a front volume chamber coupling a first side of the transducer to the port and a back volume chamber coupled to a second side of the transducer; a valve comprising a moving component operable to open and close a vent to the interior chamber, the front volume chamber or the back volume chamber; and an actuator coupled to the valve and operable to actuate the moving component to deform to at least one of a number of mechanical modes operable to remove a particle from the valve.

10 . The portable electronic device of claim 9 wherein the actuator comprises an alternating current circuit operable to generate an alternating current frequency within an ultrasonic frequency range to deform the moving component.

11 . The portable electronic device of claim 10 wherein the alternating current circuit sequentially applies a number of frequencies within the ultrasonic frequency range to deform the moving component.

12 . The portable electronic device of claim 10 wherein the alternating current circuit simultaneously applies a number of frequencies within the ultrasonic frequency range to deform the moving component.

13 . The portable electronic device of claim 9 wherein the number of mechanical modes comprises a first mechanical mode actuated by application of an alternating current within a frequency range of from 20 kHz to 30 kHz.

14 . The portable electronic device of claim 9 wherein the number of mechanical modes comprises a second mechanical mode actuated by application of an alternating current within a frequency range of from 30 kHz to 40 kHz.

15 . The portable electronic device of claim 9 wherein the number of mechanical modes comprises a third mechanical mode actuated by application of an alternating current within a frequency range of from 40 kHz to 100 kHz.

16 . The portable electronic device of claim 9 wherein the number of mechanical modes comprises a fourth mechanical mode actuated by application of an alternating current within a frequency range of from 100 kHz to 150 kHz.

17 . The portable electronic device of claim 9 wherein the number of mechanical modes comprises a fifth mechanical mode actuated by application of an alternating current within a frequency range of from 150 kHz to 200 kHz.

18 . The portable electronic device of claim 9 wherein the valve comprises an electrostatic valve.

19 . The portable electronic device of claim 9 further comprising a Fourier horn coupling the vent to the ambient environment and a piezoelectric actuator operable to drive a liquid within the Fourier horn out to the ambient environment.

20 . The portable electronic device of claim 19 wherein the piezoelectric actuator is attached to a side wall of the Fourier horn and causes a displacement of the side wall that drives the liquid out to the ambient environment.

21 . A micro-electromechanical device comprising:
a valve operable to open or close a vent to an enclosure chamber coupled to a transducer; and a particle removal mechanism coupled to the valve that is operable to drive particles away from the valve upon application of a current.

22 . The micro-electromechanical device of claim 21 wherein the particle removal mechanism comprises an alternating current circuit operable to apply a current that deforms a moving component of the valve to at least one of a number of mechanical modes operable to remove solid particles from the valve.

23 . The micro-electromechanical device of claim 22 wherein the current is within an ultrasonic frequency range and the valve comprises an electrostatic valve having a flap that is deformed upon application of the current.

24 . The micro-electromechanical device of claim 21 wherein the particle removal mechanism comprises a Fourier horn coupling the vent to an ambient environment and a piezoelectric actuator that drives a liquid particle within the Fourier horn out to the ambient environment.

25 . The micro-electromechanical device of claim 24 wherein the piezoelectric actuator is attached to a side wall of the Fourier horn or a moving component of the valve.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Grinker Scott C
• Hatipoglu Gokhan
• Hrudey Peter C

Classifications

• B81B7/0041

  maintaining a controlled atmosphere with techniques not provided for in B81B7/0038 · CPC title

• B81B2201/032

  Bimorph and unimorph actuators, e.g. piezo and thermo · CPC title

• H04R2499/11

  Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's · CPC title

• H05K5/0217

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title

• B08B13/00

  Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning · CPC title