Method of manufacturing microvalves
AssigneesBurkert GmbH Werk Ingelfingen, Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH
InventorsBernd Kowanz, Dirk Schmidt, Wolfgang Ehrfeld
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The plate-like valve elements (10 and 20) of the microvalve are provided with a plurality of valve seats and, respectively, corresponding valve members. The sealing surfaces of a secondary valve element (10) are respectively formed by molding to copy the sealing faces of a primary valve element (20) so that the sealing surfaces of both valve elements are completely complementary to each other. The sealing surfaces need no further processing such as machining. Despite liberal tolerances of manufacture a high precision register of the valve elements in relation to each other is ensured.
Claims13
A method of producing a microvalve comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a plate-shaped first valve element having an alternating succession of closure bodies and openings, said closure bodies and openings having sealing surface portions;
- b) producing a second valve element by molding against at least said sealing surface portions of said first valve element to produce closure bodies and openings complementary in shape and complimentary in arrangement to the closure bodies of said first valve element;
- c) separating said first and second valve elements from each other;
- d) mounting said first and second valve elements in a valve housing defining a fluid flow path, in a mutually opposed relationship between the closure bodies and openings of said valve elements to provide a plurality of cooperating pairs of closure bodies and openings, and transverse to said fluid flow path;
- and
- e) coupling said first and second valve elements to an actuator accommodated in said valve housing for moving the closure bodies and openings of one of said valve elements into sealing contact with or away from the closure bodies and openings of the other of said valve elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.