Membrane device the membrane of which can be deformed by actuation with a fast response time
AssigneeCommissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Ene Alt
InventorSébastien BOLIS
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AssigneeCommissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Ene Alt
InventorSébastien BOLIS
Estimating the term…
Device including a membrane and a support defining a cavity containing a fluid, where the membrane includes an anchoring area to the support, a central area able to be deformed following a displacement of fluid and an actuation area between the anchoring and central areas, and means of actuation to apply stress to the membrane in the actuation area and cause a displacement of the fluid to the central area following an actuation. The cavity includes a main chamber in the central area and a peripheral chamber in the actuation area communicating with the main chamber. The peripheral chamber includes at least one forced flow structure favoring the flow of at least a part of the fluid from the peripheral chamber to the main chamber or vice versa following the actuation. A given forced flow structure has no attachment both to the support and to the membrane.
A device having a membrane (1) and a support (2) defining a cavity containing a substantially constant quantity of a fluid (4), where the membrane (1) includes an anchoring area (1.1) peripheral to the support (2), a central area (1.3) able to be deformed reversibly when a displacement of fluid (4) occurs and an actuation area (1.2) between the anchoring area (1.1) and the central area (1.3), together with means of actuation (8) intended to apply stress to the membrane (1) in the actuation area (1.2) and to cause a displacement of the fluid (4) to the central area (1.3) when an actuation occurs, characterised in that the cavity has a main chamber (5.1) at the level of the central area (1.3) and a peripheral chamber (5.2) at the level of the actuation area (1.2) communicating with the main chamber (5.1), and in addition the peripheral chamber (5.2) includes at least one forced flow structure (9) communicating with the main chamber (5.1) to favour the flow of at least a part of the fluid (4) from the peripheral chamber to the main chamber (5.1) or vice versa when an actuation occurs, wherein the remainder of the fluid is displaced from the peripheral chamber (5.2) to the main chamber (5.1), or vice versa, without passing through the forced flow structure (9), and wherein a given forced flow structure (9) has no fastenings both to the support (2) and to the membrane (1).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.