Microvalve
First Claim
1. A microvalve system for providing robust and durable operation within a MEMS environment, said microvalve comprising:
- a valve seat comprised of a substrate material;
a diaphragm configured with said valve seat to define a passageway, said diaphragm comprised of said substrate material and having a boss component, said boss component having a protruding portion configured for closure of said passageway when said boss component is in juxtaposition with said valve seat; and
an external actuation device being adjacent to said diaphragm and having an internal bias pressure, said external actuation being configured to urge said diaphragm towards said valve seat to regulate flow of fluid within said passageway; and
an actuation mechanism for operating said external actuation device based on said bias pressure to facilitate regulation of flow fluid within said passageway.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved microvalve device is configured to provide a more robust and durable operation to withstand the demands of various operating environments. The microvalve may comprise a valve seat and a diaphragm, with the diaphragm operated by an external actuator device, such as a bladder, through various mechanisms of actuation, such as direct and indirect mechanisms, that are separate from the microvalve. Through use of the various mechanisms of actuation, the actuator device is configured to apply forces on the diaphragm to suitably move the diaphragm to open and close the microvalve. The valve seat and diaphragm can be configured to provide the microvalve with a plurality of openings configured to permit flow thereinbetween. In addition, the microvalve may be configured to facilitate uni-directional or bi-directional flow. Further, a plurality of microvalves can be cascaded together in a parallel and/or series configuration, with each valve having similar or different flow characteristics, and being selectively operated. The microvalve can also include a combination gate valve configuration and a bladder configuration to provide high frequency response characteristics in addition to stability and reduction in leak flow.
68 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A microvalve system for providing robust and durable operation within a MEMS environment, said microvalve comprising:
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a valve seat comprised of a substrate material;
a diaphragm configured with said valve seat to define a passageway, said diaphragm comprised of said substrate material and having a boss component, said boss component having a protruding portion configured for closure of said passageway when said boss component is in juxtaposition with said valve seat; and
an external actuation device being adjacent to said diaphragm and having an internal bias pressure, said external actuation being configured to urge said diaphragm towards said valve seat to regulate flow of fluid within said passageway; and
an actuation mechanism for operating said external actuation device based on said bias pressure to facilitate regulation of flow fluid within said passageway. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A microvalve for providing regulation of flow within a MEMS application, said microvalve comprising:
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a valve seat comprised of a substrate material;
a diaphragm configured with said valve seat to define a passageway, said diaphragm comprised of said substrate material and having a boss component, said boss component having a protruding portion configured for closure of said passageway when said boss component is in juxtaposition with said valve seat; and
an actuation device being adjacent to said diaphragm and having an internal bias pressure, said actuation device being configured to urge said diaphragm towards said valve seat to regulate flow of fluid within said passageway, said actuation device being configured for actuation by external actuation mechanisms. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification