Tuned micro check valves and pumps
AssigneeQ T Flow Ltd
InventorNoam Hadas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid pump for pumping a fluid between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet has a chamber with an inlet and an outlet. At least one flow restricting element is disposed at a flow line portion and is configured to resonate along a continuum of states between a first end state and a second end state to thereby affect fluid flow profile through said inlet or said outlet. While resonating the element transitions through a range of states differing in the flow they permit. A driver is configured to modulate conditions in the chamber or on the at least one flow restricting element at a characteristic frequency profile, thereby inducing the at least one flow restricting element to resonate between the first and second states at about said characteristic frequency profile.
Claims18
A fluid pumping arrangement for pumping a fluid between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, comprising:
- a chamber which comprises an inlet and an outlet;
- at least one flow restricting element disposed at a flow line portion and configured to resonate along a continuum of states between a first end state and a second end state, thereby affecting a fluid flow profile through said inlet or said outlet, wherein the at least one flow restricting element restricts the flow through the inlet or the outlet more in one or more first ranges of states than the at least one flow restricting element does in one or more second ranges of states;
- a driver configured to modulate conditions in the chamber or on the at least one flow restricting element at a characteristic frequency profile, thereby inducing the at least one flow restricting element to matchingly resonate between the first and second end states at about said characteristic frequency profile;
- wherein the at least one flow restricting element has a free end;
- wherein while resonating, the relation between said free end and a wall portion in the flow line portion varies defining whether the at least one flow restricting element is in the first range of states or in the second range of states;
- wherein the free end of the at least one flow restricting element is configured for contact-free harmonic oscillation.
A method for generating fluid pressure, comprising:
- modulating conditions in a chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet at a characteristic frequency profile;
- wherein the fluid flow through at least one of said fluid inlet and fluid outlet is controlled by at least one fluid restricting element, and said modulating results in a matchingly continuum resonance oscillation of said at least one flow restricting element between first and second end states, wherein the at least one flow restricting element restricts the flow through the inlet or the outlet more in the one or more first ranges of states than the at least one flow restricting element does in one or more second ranges of states;
- wherein the continuum resonance oscillation of the at least one flow restricting element is contact-free.
A valve for disposal at a flow line portion for controlling the flow profile through said flow line portion, the valve comprising:
- at least one flow restricting element configured to continuously switch between one or more first range of states and one or more second range of states, wherein the at least one flow restricting element restricts the flow through the inlet or the outlet more in the one or more first ranges of states than the at least one flow restricting element does in said one or more second ranges of states;
- wherein the at least one flow restricting element has a free end;
- wherein while resonating, the relation between the free end of the at least one flow restricting element and a wall portion in the flow line portion varies defining whether the at least one flow restricting element is in the first range of states or in the second range of states;
- and
- wherein the free end of the at least one flow restricting element is configured for contact-free harmonic oscillation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.