Fluidic pump and latch gate

• US 10,422,362 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Ochs, Garett Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Minh Q
• Application Number:
  US15/695,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20190072119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 13756513, 137105, 13756536, 251 5, 251 611
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/1045 the valve being formed by two elements
• CPC Class Codes: F15C 1/06 Constructional details; Selection of specified materials ; Constructional realisation of one single element; Canal shapes; Jet nozzles; Assembling an element with other devices, only if the element forms the main part F15C5/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 2099/0094 Micropumps
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0026 Valves using channel deformation
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0057 the fluid being the circulating fluid itself, e.g. check valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0061 actuated by an expanding gas or liquid volume
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A fluidic device comprises a first channel conduit, a valve apparatus, and an additional element adjacent to the first channel conduit. The first channel conduit transports fluid from a first fluid entrance to a fluid exit. In one embodiment, the additional element is a pump chamber that receives fluid from a second fluid entrance and pumps fluid into the first channel conduit in accordance with fluid pressure. Alternatively, the additional elements include a second channel conduit and a neck of the first channel conduit. The first channel conduit and the second channel conduit share a common wall. Fluid pressure in the first channel conduit controls a valve apparatus. The value apparatus controls a rate of fluid flow in the first channel conduit by deforming the common wall to change a cross-sectional area of the neck, which changes a rate of fluid flow in the second channel conduit.

Claims

1. A fluidic device comprising:

a channel conduit configured to transport fluid from a first fluid entrance to a fluid exit, wherein the first fluid entrance is an input for the fluid in the channel conduit, and the fluid exit is an output for the fluid in the channel conduit;

a pump chamber configured to receive fluid from a second fluid entrance, wherein the second fluid entrance is an input for the fluid in the pump chamber, the pump chamber including a first inner surface and a second inner surface, a portion of the second inner surface of the pump chamber adjacent to the channel conduit and a gap in the portion of the second inner surface of the pump chamber forming the first fluid entrance of the channel conduit; and

a valve apparatus located within the pump chamber, the valve apparatus configured to change position to control a rate of fluid flow from the pump chamber into the channel conduit via the first fluid entrance of the channel conduit in accordance with a fluid pressure within the pump chamber, the valve apparatus configured to induce a first flow rate of fluid from the pump chamber into the channel conduit via the first fluid entrance of the channel conduit in accordance with a first fluid pressure within the pump chamber and a second flow rate of fluid from the pump chamber into the channel conduit via the first fluid entrance of the channel conduit in accordance with a second fluid pressure within the pump chamber, that is higher than the first fluid pressure.

2. The fluidic device of claim 1, wherein the valve apparatus comprises a plurality of segments, the plurality of segments including a first segment, and a second segment, and the first segment is coupled to the first inner surface of the pump chamber at a first coupling point and the second segment is coupled to the second inner surface of the pump chamber at a second coupling point, and each segment of the plurality of segments is coupled to at least one other segment at an additional coupling point.

3. The fluidic device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of segments further includes a third segment, and the first segment is coupled to the third segment at a third coupling point, and the third segment is also coupled to the second segment at a fourth coupling point, and the second segment is also coupled to the third segment at the fourth coupling point.

4. The fluidic device of claim 3, wherein an increasing fluid pressure within the pump chamber causes the plurality of segments to rotate about their respective coupling points acting to pump fluid into the channel conduit.

5. The fluidic device of claim 2, wherein coupling points on the first inner surface of the pump chamber and the second inner surface of the pump chamber are fixed in place.

6. The fluidic device of claim 1, whereby periodic changes in pressure within the pump chamber from the first fluid pressure to the second fluid pressure that cause the valve apparatus to periodically pump fluid into the channel conduit.

7. A fluidic device comprising:

a first channel conduit including a first inner surface and a second inner surface, the first channel conduit configured to transport fluid from a first fluid entrance to a first fluid exit, wherein the first fluid entrance is an input for the fluid in the first channel conduit, and the first fluid exit is an output for the fluid in the first channel conduit;

a second channel conduit including a third inner surface and a fourth inner surface, the second channel conduit located adjacent to the first channel conduit such that the first channel conduit and the second channel conduit share a common wall, the common wall including a portion of the second inner surface of the first channel conduit and a portion of the third inner surface of the second channel conduit, the second channel conduit configured to transport fluid from a second fluid entrance to a second fluid exit, wherein the second fluid entrance is an input for the fluid in the second channel conduit, and the second fluid exit is an output for the fluid in the second channel conduit;

a neck located between the second fluid entrance of the second channel conduit and the second fluid exit of the second channel conduit, the neck comprising a portion of the fourth inner surface of the second channel conduit and a portion of the third inner surface of the second channel conduit that is included in the common wall; and

a valve apparatus located within the first channel conduit, the valve apparatus configured to control a rate of fluid flow in the second channel conduit in accordance with a fluid pressure in the first channel conduit by changing position to deform the common wall, whereby deformation of the common wall changes a cross-sectional area of the neck, changing the rate of fluid flow in the second channel conduit, wherein the valve apparatus is configured to induce a first flow rate of the fluid in the second channel conduit in accordance with a first fluid pressure within the first channel conduit and a second flow rate of the fluid in the second channel conduit in accordance with a second fluid pressure within the first channel conduit, and the second fluid pressure is higher than the first fluid pressure.

8. The fluidic device of claim 7, wherein the first fluid entrance of the first channel conduit is adjacent to the second fluid exit of the second channel conduit and the first fluid exit of the first channel conduit is adjacent to the second fluid entrance of the second cannel conduit.

9. The fluidic device of claim 7, wherein the valve apparatus comprises a plurality of segments, the plurality of segments including a first segment and a second segment, and the first segment is coupled to the first inner surface of the first channel conduit at a first coupling point and the second segment is coupled to the second inner surface of the channel conduit at a second coupling point, and each segment of the plurality of segments is coupled to at least one other segment at an additional coupling point.

10. The fluidic device of claim 9, wherein each segment is configured to rotate about at least one coupling point.

11. The fluidic device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of segments further comprises a third segment, and the first segment is coupled to the third segment at a third coupling point, and the third segment is coupled to the second segment at a fourth coupling point.

12. The fluidic device of claim 11, wherein coupling points on the first inner surface of the first channel conduit and the second inner surface of the first channel conduit are fixed in place.

13. The fluidic device of claim 9, wherein an increasing fluid pressure to the second fluid pressure causes the plurality of segments to move in a manner that deforms the common wall.