Micromachined pump apparatus

Details Micromachined pump apparatus Micromachined pump apparatus

1999-11-23

2001-08-14

Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3742)

Pumps

Motor driven

Electric or magnetic motor

C435S286500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06273687

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a micromachined pump apparatus having a diaphragm adjacent an internal closed space for the closure thereof which operates in such a manner that whenever the volume of the internal closed space is increased, the diaphragm is deformed or expanded toward a passage, thereby forcing an object fluid to move in the passage.
Miniature pumps, hereinafter referred to as micropumps, can be constructed using fabrication techniques adapted from those applied to integrated circuits. Such fabrication techniques are often referred to as micromachining.
Micromachined pumps or micropumps are disclosed for example in Japanese Patent Laid-open Print No. Hei. 10(1998)-159811 and Japanese Patent Laid-open Print No. Hei. 7(1995)-139471.
In the former, the increase of pressure in the closed space which causes the expansion of the diaphragm is made in such a manner that a light beam is applied to a light/heat converting substance accommodated in the closed space and the resultant heat generation causes the operating fluid in the closed space to expand. However, the light application requires an optical fiber which is not very efficient in transmitting light and an optical transmission mechanism per se is expensive.
In the latter, the diaphragm is expanded by supplying air into the closed space. However, a large pressure loss occurs between a pressure source and the micropump, thereby requiring a relatively large scaled pressure source for effective expansion of the diaphragm.
Accordingly, a need exists for a micromachined pump apparatus without the foregoing drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed to satisfy the need noted above and thus has for a primary object the provision of a micromachined pump apparatus which comprises a substrate having upper and lower surfaces, the substrate having a plurality of lengthwise arranged apertures each of which has an upper surface opening and a lower surface opening, a plurality of diaphragms closing the upper surface openings of the apertures, respectively, a guide plate fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the substrate and defining a passage through which an object fluid is moved by cooperating with the diaphragms on the upper surface of the substrate, a base plate fixedly mounted at its upper surface on the lower surface of the substrate and enclosing an operating fluid in each of the apertures, and an electrically operated heater device provided on the upper surface of the base plate, the heater device heating the fluids in the apertures, respectively, in such a manner that whenever the operating fluids are heated the resultant expansion of the respective operating fluid expands the diaphragms, respectively, toward the passage, the expansions of the diaphragms being made in sequence, thereby forcing the object fluid to move though the passage.
In accordance with the present invention having the foregoing structure, unlike the conventional devices, the expansion of the enclosed fluid which causes the expansion of the diaphragm is made electrically, which simplifies the structure for the fluid inflation. In addition, the amount of heat on which the degree of expansion of the diaphragm depends can be easily controlled by adjusting the current.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4636149 (1987-01-01), Brown
patent: 5499909 (1996-03-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 5659171 (1997-08-01), Young et al.
patent: 5725363 (1998-03-01), Bustgens et al.
patent: 5836750 (1998-11-01), Cabuz
patent: 5856174 (1999-01-01), Lipshutz et al.
patent: 6007309 (1999-12-01), Hartley
patent: 6116863 (2000-09-01), Ahn et al.
patent: 7-139471 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 10-159811 (1998-06-01), None

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