Pumps – Motor driven – Electric or magnetic motor
Patent
1994-03-09
1996-06-25
Gluck, Richard E.
Pumps
Motor driven
Electric or magnetic motor
F04B 4304
Patent
active
055294650
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a micro-miniaturized, electrostatically driven diaphragm micropump.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A plurality of micro-miniaturized diaphragm pumps has already been known. In the technical publication F. C. M. van de Pol, H. T. G. van Lintel, M. Elwsenspoek and J. H. J. Fluitman "A Thermo-Pneumatic Micropump Based on Micro-Engineering Techniques" Sensors and Actuators, A21-A23 (1990), pages 198-202, a thermopneumatically driven diaphragm micropump is described. The realization of such a drive is very expensive.
Piezoelectrically driven diaphragm pumps are explained in detail in the technical publications F. C. M. van de Pol, H. T. G. van Lintel, S. Bouwstra, "A Piezoelectric Micropump Based on Micromachining of Silicon", Sensors and Actuators, 19 (1988), pages 153-167 and M. Esashi, S. Shoji and A. Nakano, "Normally closed Microvalve and Micropump", Sensors and Actuators, 20 (1989), 163-169.
The realization of these drive means includes manufacturing steps which do not belong to the standard technology steps of semiconductor technology, such as the step of glueing on a piezo film or a piezo stack, so that the manufacturing costs are high.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,562 already discloses a microminiaturized diaphragm pump having an outer diaphragm which is adapted to be deformed by a piezoelement. An inner pump chamber of the micropump is subdivided by a partition within which valve structures are arranged. The valves structures are a constituent part of stop means which limit the movement of the diaphragm relative to the partition or relative to the rest of the pump body so as to determine a constant amount of medium pumped per pumping cycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,843 discloses an additional micropump whose structure largely corresponds to the micropump which has just been assessed hereinbefore.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,062 discloses a micropump comprising a first pump body and a second pump body having a diaphragm region; each of said pump bodies have electrically conductive electrode areas which are adapted to be connected to a voltage source and which are electrically insulated from each other, said two pump bodies defining together a pump chamber bordering on the diaphragm region. The pump capacity of this micropump is not always satisfactory. The fact that the liquid to be pumped is acted upon by an electric field is in some cases unwanted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide a micro-miniaturized diaphragm micropump in which the liquid to be pumped will not, or only to a minor extent be acted upon by or exposed to an electric field.
This object is achieved by an electrostatically driven diaphragm micropump comprising: pump bodies having each electrically conductive electrode areas which are adapted to be connected to a voltage source and which are electrically insulated from one another, and flow resistance which depends on the flow direction of the fluid to be pumped, wherein diaphragm region, and from the fluid to be pumped, and area of the first pump body and the electrically conductive electrode area of the second pump body so that the fluid medium will be acted upon by the electric field generated between said electrically conductive electrode areas of the pump bodies, whereas the fluid to be pumped will not, or only to a minor extent be acted upon by said electric field.
Furthermore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a micro-miniaturized diaphragm micropump which can be produced easily and at a reasonable price and which has a high pump capacity.
This object is achieved by an electrostatically driven diaphragm micropump comprising: pump bodies having each electrically conductive electrode areas which are adapted to be connected to a voltage source and which are electrically insulated from one another, and flow resistance which depends on the flow direction of the fluid to be pumped, wherein diaphragm region, and from the fluid to be pumped, said fluid medium having a relative dielectric c
REFERENCES:
patent: 4939405 (1990-07-01), Okuyama et al.
patent: 5085562 (1992-02-01), van Lintel
patent: 5094594 (1992-03-01), Brennan
patent: 5224843 (1993-07-01), van Lintel
patent: 5336062 (1994-08-01), Richten
Richter Axel
Zengerle Roland
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung
Gluck Richard E.
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