Piezoelectric actuator and pump using same
AssigneePAR Technologies, LLC
InventorW. East
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Thin chamber diaphragm-operated fluid handling devices, including thin chamber pumps and thin chamber valves, facilitate device compactness and, in some configurations, self-priming. Diaphragm actuators of the thin chamber devices either comprise or are driven by piezoelectric materials. The thinness of the chamber, in a direction parallel to diaphragm movement, is in some embodiments determined by the size of a perimeter seal member which sits on a floor of a device cavity, and upon which a perimeter (e.g. circumferential or peripheral portion) of the diaphragm actuator sits. The diaphragm actuator is typically retained in a device body between the floor seal member and another seal member between which the perimeter of the actuator is sandwiched. The devices have an input port and an output port.
Claims71
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
A valve comprising:
- a body for at least partially defining a valve chamber including an interior floor, the valve chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port provided on the interior floor, one of the inlet port and the outlet port being a controlled port;
- at least one piezoelectric actuator provided in the valve chamber, the piezoelectric actuator comprising a piezoelectric element having a fluid-contacting layer adhered thereto;
- a valve chamber spacer member provided around the interior floor;
- a port sealing gasket provided around a mouth of the controlled port;
- the piezoelectric actuator being operable by selective application of an electric field to a first state and a second state, in the first state the fluid-contacting layer of the piezoelectric actuator being positioned against the port sealing gasket of the controlled port to prevent transmission of fluid between the valve chamber and the controlled port, in the second state the fluid-contacting layer of the piezoelectric actuator being positioned away from the port sealing gasket of the controlled port to permit transmission of between the valve chamber and the controlled port;
- a thickness of the valve chamber being uniformly essentially a thickness of the valve chamber spacer member and chosen to facilitate self-priming of the valve.
A diaphragm pump comprising:
- a body for at least partially defining a pumping chamber and an inlet port for the pumping chamber;
- a diaphragm which, in conjunction with application of an electric field to a piezoelectric material, acts upon a fluid in the pumping chamber;
- a wicking material situated in at least one of the pumping chamber and the inlet port, the wicking material facilitating priming of the pump with a liquid by capillary action.
(canceled)
A method of self-priming a diaphragm pump, the diaphragm pump comprising a body for at least partially defining a pumping chamber and a diaphragm which is actuated by selective application of an electric field to a piezoelectric material to act upon a liquid in the pumping chamber;
- the method comprising:
- putting a wicking material in one of the pumping chamber and an inlet port of the pumping chamber;
- putting a wicking material into a vessel;
- inserting a first end of the vessel into the pumping chamber so that the wicking material in the vessel contacts the wicking material in the pump;
- inserting a second end of the vessel into a liquid;
- actuating the diaphragm to facilitate priming of the pump with the liquid by capillary action.
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
A diaphragm pump comprising:
- a body for at least partially defining a pumping chamber, the pumping chamber having a pumping chamber first lateral portion, a pumping chamber second lateral portion, an inlet port, and an outlet port;
- a first diaphragm which, in conjunction with application of an electric field to a first piezoelectric element, acts upon a fluid in the pumping chamber first lateral portion;
- a second diaphragm which, in conjunction with application of an electric field to a second piezoelectric element, acts upon a fluid in the pumping chamber second lateral portion;
- a driver circuit which actuates the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm.
A diaphragm pump comprising:
- a body for at least partially defining a pumping chamber, the pumping chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port;
- a diaphragm which, in conjunction with application of an electromagnetic field to a piezoelectric element, acts upon a fluid in the pumping chamber;
- a flapper valve situated in one of the inlet port and the outlet port, the flapper valve comprising a thin wafer having an arcuate cut therein.
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.