ELECTROMECHANICAL POLYMER PUMPS

• US 20150059876A1
• Filed: 08/28/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kemet Electronics Corporation (Yageo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novasentis, Inc. (Yageo Corporation)
• Inventors: Ducharme, Richard, Levatich, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 10,125,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/487.5
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/0054 particularities of the flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/04 Pumps having electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/14 having plate-like flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/005 Piezoelectric benders
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0049 using an electroactive polymer [EAP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve

Abstract

A motor-less pump includes: (a) a housing having an inlet provided to allow fluid flow into the housing and an outlet provided to allow fluid flow out of the housing; (b) an elastic diaphragm positioned in the housing such that motion in the elastic diaphragm drives the fluid flows at the inlet and the outlet of the housing; and (c) one or more electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuators each being provided on a surface of the elastic diaphragm, wherein the mechanical responses to electrical stimuli applied on the EMP actuators cause the motion in the diaphragm. The EMP actuators may include one or more bimorphs.

Claims

1. A pump, comprising:

a housing having an inlet provided to allow fluid flow into the housing and an outlet provided to allow fluid flow out of the housing;

an elastic diaphragm positioned in the housing such that motion in the elastic diaphragm drives the fluid flows at the inlet and the outlet of the housing; and

one or more electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuators each being provided on a surface of the elastic diaphragm, wherein the mechanical responses to electrical stimuli applied on the EMP actuators cause the motion in the diaphragm.

2. The pump of claim 1, wherein one or more of the EMP actuators comprise a bimorph.

3. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a battery for providing power for generating the electrical stimuli.

4. The pump of claim 1, wherein the EMP actuators are provided as sides of a polygon.

5. The pump of claim 1, wherein the EMP actuators form a radiating pattern.

6. The pump of claim 1, wherein the EMP actuators cover an entire surface of the elastic diaphragm.

7. The pump of claim 1, wherein the EMP actuators are provided as annular rings.

8. The pump of claim 7, wherein the EMP actuators are activated individually.

9. The pump of claim 7, wherein the EMP actuators are activated in unison.

10. The pump of claim 1, wherein one or more of the EMP actuators are driven by an input voltage that is a combination of an AC signal with a DC offset signal.

11. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a programmable means capable disabling the mechanical responses of the EMP actuators.

12. A pressure-sensitive valve, comprising:

a mechanical valve which controls fluid flow by opening and closing; and

one or more EMP actuators attached to the valve acting as pressure sensors and actuators, wherein when one or more of the pressure sensors sense a fluid pressure reaching a predetermined threshold, the pressure sensors cause electrical stimuli to be applied to the EMP actuators to enable opening of the mechanical valve.

13. The pressure-sensitive valve of claim 12, wherein one or more of the EMP actuators act as both sensor and actuator.

14. The pressure-sensitive valve of claim 12, wherein the EMP actuators are driven by a signal having a frequency in the human audible range.

15. The pressure-sensitive valve of claim 12, wherein the mechanical valve comprises a wedge-shaped valve.

16. The pressure-sensitive valve of claim 12, wherein the mechanical valve comprises an umbrella-shaped valve.

17. A pump, comprising:

a housing having an inlet provided to allow fluid flow into the housing and an outlet provided to allow fluid flow out of the housing;

an elastic membrane positioned to divide the housing into a first space and a second space joined by a fluid conduit; and

one or more electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuators, wherein the EMP actuators receive electrical stimuli to provide mechanical responses for driving the elastic membrane, such that (i) when the elastic membrane is driven towards a relaxed state, the membrane is moved to a position at the inlet such that fluid flow into the first space is blocked, and fluid flows from the first space into the second space, and (ii) when the elastic membrane is driven to an extended state, the elastic membrane drives fluid flow from the second space through the outlet out of the housing.

18. A pump, comprising:

a housing having an inlet provided to allow fluid flow into the housing and an outlet provided to allow fluid flow out of the housing, the inlet and outlet being connected by a conduit for fluid flow between the inlet and the outlet;

a plurality of electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuator pairs being provided along the conduit, each EMP actuator pair comprising two or more EMP actuators that are positioned opposite each other and configured to bend away from a center point of the conduit, such that when the EMP actuators are activated according to a predetermined pattern, a fluid flow is created to transport a mass of fluid from the inlet to the outlet.

19. The pump of claim 18, wherein the conduit provides a helical flow path.

20. The pump of claim 19, wherein each EMP actuator pair comprises EMP actuators arranged in triplicates.