# US 12,180,954 B2 · Piezoelectric pump casing and space arrangement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,954 B2 - Document ID: US12180954B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/504,681 - Filed: 2021-10-19 - Published: 2022-02-24 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-27 - Assignees: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kenjiro Okaguchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180954B2 ## CPC - F04B 43/046: {with piezoelectric drive} - F04B 23/04: Combinations of two or more pumps - F04B 39/06: Cooling; Heating; Prevention of freezing - F04B 39/121: {Casings} - F04B 45/047: Pumps having electric drive - F04B 53/08: Cooling; Heating; Preventing freezing - F04B 53/16: Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) ## Abstract A pump device (1) includes a piezoelectric pump (10) and an outer casing (70). The piezoelectric pump (10) includes a pump casing having inlets (400) and an outlet (520), a vibration plate (31) disposed inside the pump casing and dividing an internal space (500) of the pump casing into a first space (501) on a side near the inlets (400) and a second space (502) on a side near the outlet, and a piezoelectric element (20) disposed on the vibration plate (31). The outer casing (70) forms a flow path composed of an internal space (700) that allows communication between an external inlet (701), which communicates with the outside, and the inlets (400). The flow path has a part that is parallel to an outer main surface (40op) of the pump casing in which the inlets (400) are formed, the part being located outside the outer main surface (40op). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pump device comprising: a piezoelectric pump including: a first casing member, a second casing member, a plate member having a base part, a vibration plate, a support part that connects the base part to the vibration plate, and a plurality of through holes defined by and adjacent to the base part, support part, and vibration plate, and a piezoelectric element disposed on the vibration plate, wherein the first casing member, second casing member, and plate member form a pump casing having an inlet, an outlet, and an outer main surface having the inlet provided, wherein the vibration plate of the plate member is disposed inside the pump casing and divides an interior of the pump casing into a first portion on a side near the inlet and a second portion on a side near the outlet; and an outer casing including a first main plate and a second main plate defining a space therebetween, the space allowing communication between an external inlet and the inlet of the pump casing, wherein the external inlet communicates with an outside, wherein the first main plate of the outer casing defines a first main surface that faces the outer main surface of the pump casing having the inlet provided, wherein the second main plate of the outer casing faces and abuts the outer main surface of the pump casing, and defines an outlet port that is aligned with the inlet of the piezoelectric pump, wherein the space extends at least directly between the outer main surface of the pump casing and the first main surface of the outer casing, and wherein the space extends directly between an external surface of the pump casing different from the outer main surface and a surface of the outer casing different from the first main surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the outer main surface or a surface contacting the outer main surface is one wall surface providing the space. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the space is comprised of only a part facing the outer main surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the external surface of the pump casing is an outer surface of the pump casing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein a length of the external inlet in a direction perpendicular to the outer main surface is greater than or equal to a length of the space in the direction perpendicular to the outer main surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the piezoelectric pumps are disposed, and the plurality of piezoelectric pumps are disposed side by side so that the outer main surfaces of the plurality of piezoelectric pumps are flush with the outer casing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein a wall of the pump casing having the inlet provided is composed of metal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the outer casing includes, within an interior of the outer casing, a partition wall that partitions the interior and defines a shape of the space. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the external inlet includes a plurality of external inlets, and the outer casing includes the plurality of external inlets. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein a wall of the pump casing having the outer main surface having the inlet provided is a part of a wall providing the space, and the outer main surface is exposed to the space. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The pump device according to claim 2, wherein the outer main surface or a surface contacting the outer main surface is one wall surface providing the space. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The pump device according to claim 2, wherein a length of the external inlet in a direction perpendicular to the outer main surface is greater than or equal to a length of the space in a direction perpendicular to the outer main surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The pump device according to claim 3, wherein a length of the external inlet in a direction perpendicular to the outer main surface is greater than or equal to a length of the space in the direction perpendicular to the outer main surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The pump device according to claim 4, wherein a length of the external inlet in a direction perpendicular to the outer main surface is greater than or equal to a length of the space in the direction perpendicular to the outer main surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The pump device according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the piezoelectric pumps are disposed, and the plurality of piezoelectric pumps are disposed side by side so that the outer main surfaces of the plurality of piezoelectric pumps are flush with the outer casing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The pump device according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the piezoelectric pumps are disposed, and the plurality of piezoelectric pumps are disposed side by side so that the outer main surfaces of the plurality of piezoelectric pumps are flush with the outer casing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the space extends along an entire length of the piezoelectric pump. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the space extends directly between the pump casing and outer casing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric pump includes an electrode, and the pump device includes another electrode provided on an outer main surface of the outer casing that is connected to the electrode of the piezoelectric element. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the pump casing includes a lower wall that defines the inlet, an upper wall that defines the outlet, and a side wall that extends between and connects the upper wall and lower wall, wherein the external surface of the pump casing is an outer surface of the side wall. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The pump device according to claim 20, wherein the outer casing directly contacts the outer surface of the side wall of the pump casing. ### Claim 22 (depends on 6) The pump device according to claim 6, wherein the piezoelectric elements of the piezoelectric pumps each include an electrode, and the pump device includes a shared electrode provided on an outer main surface of the outer casing that is connected to the electrodes of the piezoelectric pumps. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The pump device according to claim 1, wherein the second main plate opposes the first main plate. ### Claim 24 A pump device comprising: a piezoelectric pump including: a first casing member, a second casing member, a plate member having a base part, a vibration plate, a support part that connects the base part to the vibration plate, and a plurality of through holes defined by and adjacent to the base part, support part, and vibration plate, and a piezoelectric element disposed on the vibration plate, wherein the first casing member, second casing member, and plate member form a pump casing having: a lower wall that defines an inlet and an outer main surface of the pump casing, an upper wall that defines an outlet, and a side wall that extends between and connects the upper wall and lower wall, the side wall defining an external surface of the pump casing different from the outer main surface, wherein the vibration plate of the plate member is disposed inside the pump casing and divides an interior of the pump casing into a first portion on a side near the inlet and a second portion on a side near the outlet; and an outer casing providing a space allowing communication between an external inlet and the inlet of the pump casing, wherein the external inlet communicates with an outside, wherein a first main surface of the outer casing faces the outer main surface of the pump casing, wherein the space extends at least directly between the outer main surface of the pump casing and the first main surface of the outer casing, and wherein the space provides a path for fluid to flow in a direction from the external inlet of the outer casing toward the inlet of the pump casing, wherein the direction is parallel to the outer main surface of the pump casing, wherein the space extends directly between the external surface of the pump casing and a surface of the outer casing different from the first main surface.