Micromembrane pump
First Claim
1. A self-filing and self-priming micromembrane pump comprising:
- a housing, said housing having a wall which serves as a pump chamber wall;
a pump membrane;
at least one device for shifting said pump membrane between a drained condition and a maximum volume condition;
at least one inlet valve and at least one outlet valve; and
one pump chamber located between said pump chamber wall and said pump membrane, wherein said pump membrane adjoins said pump chamber wall substantially along its length when said pump membrane is in said drained condition,wherein said at least one inlet valve and said at least one outlet valve comprise;
a single piece valve membrane, said valve membrane being separate from and substantially parallel with the pump membrane when in said drained condition, said single piece valve membrane controlling the flow through said at least one inlet valve and said at least one outlet valve;
membrane valve seats formed from the structure of the pump housing, and wherein said valve membrane has at least one hole in an area adjacent to each of one said valve seats.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A micromembrane pump is described which is self-priming and self-filling. For this, the pump chamber (14) is so configured that in a drained condition of the pump chamber (14), the pump membrane (4) adjoins the pump chamber wall (22), which causes the volume of the pump chamber (14) to be minimized. For this, the pump chamber wall (22) can be flat, so that the pump membrane (4) adjoins the flat pump chamber wall (22) in its unshifted rest position. Preferably, the pump includes membrane valves which consist of a valve membrane (3) situated between two halves of the housing (1, 2), and valve seats (10, 16). It also includes a heteromorphic piezoactuator (5) attached to the pump membrane (4). The compact pump is suited to deliver gases and liquids, and can be manufactured in cost-effective fashion from only a few components.
158 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A self-filing and self-priming micromembrane pump comprising:
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a housing, said housing having a wall which serves as a pump chamber wall; a pump membrane; at least one device for shifting said pump membrane between a drained condition and a maximum volume condition; at least one inlet valve and at least one outlet valve; and one pump chamber located between said pump chamber wall and said pump membrane, wherein said pump membrane adjoins said pump chamber wall substantially along its length when said pump membrane is in said drained condition, wherein said at least one inlet valve and said at least one outlet valve comprise;
a single piece valve membrane, said valve membrane being separate from and substantially parallel with the pump membrane when in said drained condition, said single piece valve membrane controlling the flow through said at least one inlet valve and said at least one outlet valve;
membrane valve seats formed from the structure of the pump housing, and wherein said valve membrane has at least one hole in an area adjacent to each of one said valve seats. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification