Fluid control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020371536-A1
Application number	US-202016991458-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 12, 2020
Priority date	Feb 16, 2018
Publication date	Nov 26, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fluid control apparatus includes a valve and a pump. The valve has a valve chamber surrounded by the first main plate, the second main plate, and the side plate. The first main plate has a first aperture, and the second main plate has a second aperture. The valve further includes a valve diaphragm disposed inside the valve chamber. The valve diaphragm is configured to switch between a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture communicate with each other and a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture do not communicate with each other. The pump includes a vibration unit that has a piezoelectric device and a vibrating plate. The pump has a pump chamber that is defined by the vibration unit and the second main plate. The pump chamber communicates with the valve chamber through the second aperture.

First claim

1 . A fluid control apparatus, comprising:
a valve including
a first main plate,
a second main plate having one principal surface opposite to one principal surface of the first main plate, and
a side plate connecting the first main plate and the second main plate to each other,
the valve having a valve chamber surrounded by the first main plate, the second main plate, and the side plate,
the first main plate having one or more first apertures through which the valve chamber communicates with outside of the valve chamber,
the second main plate having a second aperture through which the valve chamber communicates with outside of the valve chamber,
the valve further including
a valve diaphragm disposed inside the valve chamber, the valve diaphragm being configured to switch between a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture communicate with each other and a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture do not communicate with each other; and
a pump including
a vibration unit having a piezoelectric device and a vibrating plate and disposed so as to be opposite to another principal surface of the second main plate,
the pump having a pump chamber defined by the vibration unit and the second main plate,
the pump chamber communicating with the valve chamber through the second aperture, wherein
in flexural vibration of the vibration unit, a frequency coefficient of the first main plate is smaller than a frequency coefficient of the second main plate.

2 . A fluid control apparatus, comprising:
a valve including
a first main plate,
a second main plate having one principal surface opposite to one principal surface of the first main plate, and
a side plate connecting the first main plate and the second main plate to each other,
the valve having a valve chamber surrounded by the first main plate, the second main plate, and the side plate,
the first main plate having one or more first apertures through which the valve chamber communicates with outside of the valve chamber,
the second main plate having a second aperture through which the valve chamber communicates with outside of the valve chamber,
the valve further including
a valve diaphragm disposed inside the valve chamber, the valve diaphragm being configured to switch between a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture communicate with each other and a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture do not communicate with each other; and
a pump including
a vibration unit having a piezoelectric device and a vibrating plate and disposed so as to be opposite to another principal surface of the second main plate,
the pump having a pump chamber defined by the vibration unit and the second main plate,
the pump chamber communicating with the valve chamber through the second aperture, wherein
the first main plate and the second main plate are comprised of the same material, and a thickness of the first main plate is smaller than a thickness of the second main plate in a direction normal to respective principal surfaces.

3 . The fluid control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a frequency coefficient ratio of the first main plate to the second main plate is greater than 0.85 and smaller than 1.

4 . The fluid control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first main plate has a plurality of the first apertures, and a gap between the first main plate and the second main plate is smaller than a minimum opening width of each of the first apertures.

5 . The fluid control apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the gap between the first main plate and the second main plate is smaller than a gap between the vibration unit and the second main plate.

6 . A medical apparatus comprising
the fluid control apparatus according to claim 1 .

7 . The fluid control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the first main plate has a plurality of the first apertures, and a gap between the first main plate and the second main plate is smaller than a minimum opening width of each of the first apertures.

8 . The fluid control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the first main plate has a plurality of the first apertures, and a gap between the first main plate and the second main plate is smaller than a minimum opening width of each of the first apertures.

9 . A medical apparatus comprising
the fluid control apparatus according to claim 2 .

10 . A medical apparatus comprising
the fluid control apparatus according to claim 3 .

11 . A medical apparatus comprising
the fluid control apparatus according to claim 4 .

12 . A medical apparatus comprising
the fluid control apparatus according to claim 5 .

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Tanaka Nobuhira
• Kondo Daisuke
• Yokoi Hiroyuki

Classifications

• A61M1/964

  having venting means on or near the dressing · CPC title

• A61M1/962

  having pumping means on the suction site, e.g. miniature pump on dressing or dressing capable of exerting suction · CPC title

• A61M1/80

  Suction pumps (A61M1/64, A61M1/71, A61M60/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61M1/743

  by changing the cross-section of the line, e.g. flow regulating valves (A61M1/7413 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/0235

  Valves specially adapted therefor · CPC title