Micropump check valve device and method of manufacturing the same

• US 20050053504A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamanishi, Toshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/559
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/043 Micropumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0491 Valve or valve element assembling, disassembling, or replacing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7838 Plural
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7888 With valve member flexing about securement

Abstract

A micropump check valve device which can be designed thin with good assemblability and applied with urging force. The micropump check valve device includes an upstream side member having a small-bore hole for passing therethrough a fluid, a downstream side member having a large-bore hole for passing therethrough the fluid, and a valve member having a valve mechanism sandwiched between the upstream side member and the downstream side member. The valve mechanism includes a passing hole formed in correspondence to a position and a size of the large-bore hole in the downstream side member, a contacting part formed inside the passing hole in correspondence to the position and size of the small-bore hole in the upstream side member thereby to close the small-bore hole, and supporting parts formed to bridge across the passing hole to support the contacting part. The valve member has a greater linear expansion coefficient than the upstream side and downstream side members.

Claims

1. A micropump check valve device provided in a flow path through which a fluid is passed from an upstream side to a downstream side through pressure change in a micropump, the micropump check valve device comprising:

an upstream side member having formed therein a small-bore hole through which the fluid is passed;

a downstream side member having formed therein a large-bore hole through which the fluid is passed; and

a valve member having a valve mechanism formed therein and sandwiched between the upstream side member and the downstream side member,

wherein the valve mechanism of the valve member is composed of a passing hole formed in correspondence to a position and a size of the large-bore hole in the downstream side member, a contacting part for closing the small-bore hole in the upstream side member, the contacting part being formed inside the passing hole in such a manner as to correspond to the position and size of the small-bore hole in the upstream side member, and supporting parts for supporting the contacting part, the supporting parts being formed in such a manner as to bridge across the passing hole, and

wherein the valve member has a greater linear expansion coefficient than the upstream side member and the downstream side member.

2. The micropump check valve device according to claim 1, wherein each of the supporting parts of the valve mechanism has a recess formed on a downstream side surface thereof.

3. The micropump check valve device according to claim 1, wherein each of the supporting parts of the valve mechanism has a projection on an upstream side surface thereof.

4. The micropump check valve device according to claim 1, wherein the linear expansion coefficient of the valve member is at least 1.4 times greater than the linear expansion coefficient of at least one of the upstream side member and the downstream side member.

5. A method of manufacturing a micropump check valve device, the device comprising an upstream side member having formed therein a small-bore hole through which the fluid is passed, a downstream side member having formed therein a large-bore hole through which the fluid is passed, and a valve member having a valve mechanism formed therein and sandwiched between the upstream side member and the downstream side member, wherein the valve mechanism of the valve member is composed of a passing hole formed in correspondence to a position and a size of the large-bore hole in the downstream side member, a contacting part for closing the small-bore hole in the upstream side member, the contacting part being formed inside the passing hole in such a manner as to correspond to the position and size of the small-bore hole in the upstream side member, and supporting parts for supporting the contacting part, the supporting parts being formed in such a manner as to bridge across the passing hole, wherein the valve member has a greater linear expansion coefficient than the upstream side member and the downstream side member, the method comprising:

fixing the upstream side member, the valve member and the downstream side member together under an environment at a temperature higher than room temperature.

6. A method of manufacturing a micropump check valve device, the device comprising an upstream side member having formed therein a small-bore hole through which the fluid is passed, a downstream side member having formed therein a large-bore hole through which the fluid is passed, and a valve member having a valve mechanism formed therein and sandwiched between the upstream side member and the downstream side member, wherein the valve mechanism of the valve member is composed of a passing hole being formed in correspondence to a position and a size of the large-bore hole in the downstream side member, a contacting part for closing the small-bore hole in the upstream side member, the contacting part being formed inside the passing hole in such a manner as to correspond to the position and size of the small-bore hole in the upstream side member, and supporting parts for supporting the contacting part, the supporting parts being formed in such a manner as to bridge across the passing hole, wherein the valve member has a greater linear expansion coefficient than the upstream side member and the downstream side member, and wherein each of the supporting parts of the valve mechanism has a recess formed on a downstream side surface thereof, the method comprising:

fixing the upstream side member, the valve member and the downstream side member together under an environment at a temperature higher than room temperature.

7. A method of manufacturing a micropump check valve device, the device comprising an upstream side member having formed therein a small-bore hole through which the fluid is passed, a downstream side member having formed therein a large-bore hole through which the fluid is passed, and a valve member having a valve mechanism formed therein and sandwiched between the upstream side member and the downstream side member, wherein the valve mechanism of the valve member is composed of a passing hole formed in correspondence to a position and a size of the large-bore hole in the downstream side member, a contacting part for closing the small-bore hole in the upstream side member, the contacting part being formed inside the passing hole in such a manner as to correspond to the position and size of the small-bore hole in the upstream side member, and supporting parts for supporting the contacting part, the supporting parts being formed in such a manner as to bridge across the passing hole, wherein the valve member has a greater linear expansion coefficient than the upstream side member and the downstream side member, and wherein each of the supporting parts of the valve mechanism has a projection on an upstream side surface thereof, the method comprising:

fixing the upstream side member, the valve member and the downstream side member together under an environment at a temperature higher than room temperature.

8. A method of manufacturing a micropump check valve device, the device comprising an upstream side member having formed therein a small-bore hole through which the fluid is passed, a downstream side member having formed therein a large-bore hole through which the fluid is passed, and a valve member having a valve mechanism formed therein and sandwiched between the upstream side member and the downstream side member, wherein the valve mechanism of the valve member is composed of a passing hole formed in correspondence to a position and a size of the large-bore hole in the downstream side member, a contacting part for closing the small-bore hole in the upstream side member, the contacting part being formed inside the passing hole in such a manner as to correspond to the position and size of the small-bore hole in the upstream side member, and supporting parts for supporting the contacting part, the supporting parts being formed in such a manner as to bridge across the passing hole, wherein the valve member has a greater linear expansion coefficient than the upstream side member and the downstream side member, the linear expansion coefficient of the valve member being at least 1.4 times greater than the linear expansion coefficient of at least one of the upstream side member and the downstream side member, the method comprising:

fixing the upstream side member, the valve member and the downstream side member together under an environment at a temperature higher than room temperature.

9. A micropump check valve device provided in a flow path through which a fluid is passed from an upstream side to a downstream side through pressure change in a micropump, the micropump check valve device comprising:

an upstream side member having formed therein a small-bore hole through which the fluid is passed;

a downstream side member having formed therein a large-bore hole through which the fluid is passed; and

a valve member having a valve mechanism formed therein and sandwiched between the upstream side member and the downstream side member,

wherein the valve mechanism of the valve member is composed of a passing hole formed in correspondence to a position and a size of the large-bore hole in the downstream side member, a contacting part for closing the small-bore hole in the upstream side member, the contacting parts being formed inside the passing hole in such a manner as to correspond to the position and size of the small-borehole in the upstream side member, and supporting parts for supporting the contacting part, the supporting parts being formed in such a manner as to bridge across the passing hole, and

wherein the valve member itself is supported by the supporting parts in such a manner that the contacting part of the valve member projects toward the upstream side.