Method of manufacturing a micropump check valve

• US 7,565,744 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2005
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsui, Masatomo, Sone, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afzali; Sarang
• Application Number:
  US11/033,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20050158188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 298/901.31, 298/901.2, 298/901.24, 137/859, 137/512, 417/413.2, 417/413.3
• US Class Current: 29/890.131
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/043 Micropumps
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/144 the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7838 Plural
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49425 including metallurgical bonding

Abstract

The invention provides a method capable of manufacturing a micropump check valve, inexpensively and without much trouble or time, which does not cause disadvantages even if a material that dissolves an adhesive is contained in the fluid, and which allows bonding with high accuracy. After a valve forming member and a valve receiving member are bonded, a valve receptor is projected towards a valve part and pretension is applied. Thus, the valve forming member and the valve receiving member can be satisfactorily bonded through a solid phase diffusion bonding method and the like using a relatively inexpensive material, such as stainless steel, without using an adhesive, and the pretension is not reduced when in the annealing state.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a micropump check valve arranged in a flow path for permitting fluid flow therethrough by pressure change, the method comprising:

forming a valve part and a valve-supporting part in a valve forming member;

forming a flow path hole for such fluid in a valve receiving member including a valve receptor for receiving the valve part;

bonding the valve forming member and the valve receiving member together, such that the valve part covers a flow path hole and is adjacent to and contacting the valve receptor, thereby closing the flow path hole; and

after bonding, applying pressure to a side of the valve receptor opposite the valve part, thereby projecting the valve receptor towards the valve part and deforming the valve receiving member toward the valve part.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the valve forming member and the valve receiving member comprise the same material.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the valve forming member and the valve receiving member are bonded by solid phase diffusion bonding.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying pressure to the valve receptor is performed by a pressing device.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming a depression on the valve receiving member in at least one of a location facing the supporting part of the valve part and a part of the valve receptor, so that at least one of the valve part and the supporting part is spaced apart from the valve receiving member during the bonding.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising placing a spacer material between the valve forming member and the valve receiving member, so that at least one of a part of the valve part and the supporting part of the valve part is spaced apart from the valve receiving member during the bonding.