MEMS device for interaction with fluids
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorsChristoph Schelling, Timothy Schultz
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Abstract
A fluidic microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device includes fluid interaction elements (FIEs) that can be displaced by an actuator to generate fluid flow. The FIEs include a serial arrangement of cantilevered lever arms to achieve, for example, high sound pressure levels in a micro speaker or high pump rates in a micropump as compared to some conventional MEMS devices.
Claims19
A micro electromechanical system (MEMS) device, comprising:
- a substrate, the substrate including
- a first layer including a first fluid port,
- a second layer including a second fluid port, and
- an intermediate layer that is disposed between the first layer and the second layer in a stacked arrangement, the intermediate layer including a central opening, the central opening being in communication with the first fluid port and the second fluid port:
- a support rail that protrudes from an inner surface of the substrate so as to extend into the central opening, the support rail including a support surface;
- a fluid interaction element (FIE) that is disposed in the central opening, the FIE including
- a first cantilever element that protrudes from the support surface, the first cantilever element having a first cantilever first end that is fixed to the support surface and a first cantilever second end that is opposite the first cantilever first end and is unsupported,
- a second cantilever element having a second cantilever first end that is fixed to the first cantilever second end and a second cantilever second end that is opposite the second cantilever first end, the second cantilever second end being unsupported;
- and
- an actuator that is connected to the FIE and is configured to actuate FIE to move relative to the support rail.
A fluid interaction element (FE) of a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) device, the MEMs device comprising a substrate that has an internal cavity that receives the FIE, the FIE comprising:
- a first cantilever element that is configured to be cantilevered from an internal surface of the substrate, the first cantilever element having a first cantilever first end and a first cantilever second end that is opposite the first cantilever first end, the first cantilever second end being unsupported, and
- a second cantilever element having a second cantilever first end and a second cantilever second end that is opposite the second cantilever first end, the second cantilever first end being fixed to the first cantilever at a location that is spaced apart from the first cantilever first end, and the second cantilever second end being unsupported.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.