Actuating and sensing module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019063421-A1
Application number	US-201816042629-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2018
Priority date	Aug 31, 2017
Publication date	Feb 28, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An actuating and sensing module is disclosed and includes an actuating device, a first substrate, a second substrate, a valve membrane and a sensor stacked sequentially. The first substrate includes an intake channel, an exhaust channel, an inlet and an outlet. The valve membrane is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and includes an intake valve and an exhaust valve to insulate the intake channel and the exhaust channel, respectively. The actuating device is disposed to seal a through slot of the second substrate to form a compressing chamber. The inlet, the intake channel, the compressing chamber, the exhaust channel and the outlet are in communication with each other to define a gas flow loop. The sensor is disposed in the gas flow loop. While the actuating device drives gas from the outside, the gas is transported into the gas flow loop and sensed by the sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An actuating and sensing module, comprising:
a first substrate comprising an intake channel, an exhaust channel, an inlet and an outlet, wherein the intake channel and the exhaust channel are in communication with an outside of the first substrate through the inlet and the outlet, respectively; a second substrate comprising a through slot, wherein the through slot is open setting; a valve membrane comprising an intake valve and an exhaust valve, wherein the valve membrane is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the intake valve and the exhaust valve are configured to close and insulate the intake channel and the exhaust channel, respectively; an actuating device disposed in the second substrate and covering the through slot, so as to form a compressing chamber between the valve membrane and the through slot of the second substrate, wherein the inlet, the intake channel, the compressing chamber, the exhaust channel and the outlet are in communication with each other to form a gas flow loop; and a sensor disposed in the gas flow loop; wherein while the actuating device is enabled to drive the intake valve of the valve membrane to vibrate upwardly and be opened, outside gas is inhaled into the intake channel through the inlet and transferred to the compressing chamber through the intake valve, wherein while the actuating device compresses the compressing chamber and drives the exhaust valve of the valve membrane to vibrate downwardly and to be opened, the gas is transferred to the exhaust channel and discharged out through the outlet, so that the gas circulated in the gas flow loop is sensed by the sensor.

2 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed in the intake channel and aligned with the inlet.

3 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed in the exhaust channel and aligned with the outlet.

4 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate by a semiconductor process.

5 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 1 , wherein the intake channel and the exhaust channel of the first substrate are formed by a semiconductor process and the through slot of the second substrate is formed by a semiconductor process.

6 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 1 , wherein the first substrate comprises a first control circuit formed by a semiconductor process, and the second substrate comprises a second control circuit formed by a semiconductor process, wherein the sensor is electrically connected to the first control circuit so as to transmit a sensed data generated by the sensor to the first control circuit to be calculated and processed, and the actuating device is electrically connected to the second control circuit so as to obtain a driving power.

7 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 1 , wherein the intake valve and the exhaust valve include an openable and closeable valve switch structure, respectively.

8 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 1 , wherein the valve membrane is a flexible membrane.

9 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 8 , wherein the valve membrane further comprises a plurality of perforations, wherein the plurality of the perforations are disposed around peripheral regions of the intake valve and the exhaust valve for allowing the gas to flow therethrough.

10 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 9 , wherein the first substrate further comprises a convex structure aligned with the intake valve to provide a pre-force to abut against the intake valve and the second substrate further comprises a convex structure aligned with the exhaust valve to provide a pre-force to abut against the exhaust valve, so as to prevent the gas from being reversely returned.

11 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 8 , wherein one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve further comprises a convex structure to provide a pre-force to abut against one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve, so as to prevent the gas from being reversely returned.

12 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an oxygen sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a temperature sensor, an ozone sensor, a volatile organic compound sensor and a combination thereof.

13 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating device is a microelectromechanical system gas pump integrally formed and comprises:
an actuating membrane including a flat structure made by a surface micromachining process and formed by one of a metallic membrane and a polysilicon membrane; and a piezoelectric membrane including a metal oxide membrane made by a sol-gel process and attached on a surface of the actuating membrane; wherein while the piezoelectric membrane is enabled to drive the actuating membrane to vibrate upwardly, a pressure gradient is generated in the compressing chamber for allowing the gas to flow from the intake channel into the compressing chamber, wherein while the piezoelectric membrane is enabled to drive the actuating membrane to vibrate downwardly, the compressing chamber is compressed for allowing the gas to flow from the compressing chamber to the exhaust channel.

14 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating and sensing module further comprises a first protective membrane and a second protective membrane, wherein the first protective membrane is disposed to cover one of the inlet, and the second protective membrane is disposed to cover the outlet, wherein the first protective membrane and the second protective membrane includes a waterproof, dustproof and gas-allowed film structure, respectively.

15 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 14 , wherein the first protective membrane and the second protective membrane comply with Rating IP64 of International Protection Marking (IEC 60529).

16 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 14 , wherein the first protective membrane and the second protective membrane comply with Rating IP65 of International Protection Marking (IEC 60529).

17 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 14 , wherein the first protective membrane and the second protective membrane comply with Rating IP66 of International Protection Marking (IEC 60529).

18 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 14 , wherein the first protective membrane and the second protective membrane comply with Rating IP67 of International Protection Marking (IEC 60529).

19 . The actuating and sensing module according to claim 14 , wherein the first protective membrane and the second protective membrane comply with Rating IP68 of International Protection Marking (IEC 60529).

20 . An actuating and sensing module, comprising:
at least one first substrate comprising at least one intake channel, at least one exhaust channel, at least one inlet and at least one outlet, wherein the intake channel and the exhaust channel are in communication with an outside of the first substrate through the inlet and the outlet, respectively; at least one second substrate comprising at least one through slot, wherein the through slot is open setting; at least one valve membrane comp

Assignees

• Microjet Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mou Hao-Jan
• Chen Shih-Chang
• Liao jia-yu
• Chen Shou-Hung
• Liao Hung-Hsin
• Lee Chiu-Lin
• Chen Mei-Yen
• Huang Chi-Feng
• Han Yung-Lung

Classifications

• F04B45/047 Primary

  Pumps having electric drive · CPC title

• G01N33/0009

  General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment (devices for withdrawing samples in the gaseous state G01N1/22) · CPC title

• B81B3/0021

  Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa (dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00) · CPC title

• H01L41/0926

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01N1/2273

  Atmospheric sampling · CPC title