A microvalve, and a multi-directional valve apparatus

A multi-directional valve apparatus comprising a plurality of microvalves comprising a hard base, a clamping plate, an inlet port, an outlet port, a membrane, a ball bearing and a drive head;

• wherein
• the hard base comprises a recess over which the membrane is clamped by the clamping plate, the recess defining a cup with a generally spherical cap shaped surface and a perimeter, both of the inlet and outlet ports being in the recess, and at least one of them being in the generally spherical cap shaped surface;
• the membrane extends across the recess and beyond the perimeter, whereat it is clamped, and is flexible for enabling the unclamped part of it to be flexed into the recess;
• the ball bearing is arranged opposing the recess, in the clamping plate on the other side of the membrane to the recess;
• and
• the drive head is behind the ball bearing for selective driving of the ball bearing against the membrane to flex the membrane into the recess as the membrane flexes around part of the ball bearing to move the membrane from a condition in which both ports are open to a port closing condition, the port closing condition being where the membrane has been flexed to extend over either one of, or alternatively both of, the input port and the output port, and clamped thereagainst by the ball bearing, wherein the microvalves have a common drive head, but separate ball bearings and cups in each micro-valve, and the multi-directional valve apparatus has a fluid line around and connecting to all of the micro valves, the microvalves being arranged for sequential activation by movement of the common drive head to selectively retract one or more ball bearing of the micro-valves to selectively open the port(s) of that micro-valve.