Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Hiroyuki Yokoi

Nobuhira Tanaka

Daisuke Kondo

Kiyoshi Kurihara

Hiroaki Wada

Hiroshi Takemura

Yuzo Higashiyama

Hiroki Achiwa

Masahiro Sasaki

A fluid control apparatus includes a valve and a pump. The valve has a valve chamber surrounded by the first main plate, the second main plate, and the side plate. The first main plate has a first aperture, and the second main plate has a second aperture. The valve further includes a valve diaphragm disposed inside the valve chamber. The valve diaphragm is configured to switch between a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture communicate with each other and a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture do not communicate with each other. The pump includes a vibration unit that has a piezoelectric device and a vibrating plate. The pump has a pump chamber that is defined by the vibration unit and the second main plate. The pump chamber communicates with the valve chamber through the second aperture.

Fluid control apparatus

A valve includes a first plate having a first vent hole; a second plate defining a valve chamber, which communicates with the first vent hole, between the second plate and the first plate, the second plate having a second vent hole that communicates with the valve chamber and that does not face the first vent hole; and a movable plate having a third vent hole that faces the second vent hole and disposed in the valve chamber such that the movable plate is movable between the first plate and the second plate. The second plate has an auxiliary hole that does not face the third vent hole in the movable plate, the auxiliary hole being surrounded by an edge portion that forms a first corner portion having a substantially convex rounded shape in front view of a principal surface of the second plate at a side facing the valve chamber.

Valve and fluid control device including valve

A pump includes a housing, a first vibrating body, a second vibrating body, and a peripheral wall portion that define a pump chamber, and a driving body. The housing has a first wall portion opposed to the first vibrating body and a second wall portion. The first wall portion includes a first concave portion that opens toward the first vibrating body and opposed to a central portion of the first vibrating body and a first circumferential portion adjacent to the first concave portion. A first chamber includes a first wide portion defined by the first concave portion and the first vibrating body, and a first narrow portion defined by the first circumferential portion and the first vibrating body. The first narrow portion overlaps with at least part of the first vibrating body.

Piezoelectric pump with an upper and lower vibrating body

A fluid control apparatus includes a valve and a pump. The valve has a valve chamber. The first main plate has a first aperture through which the valve chamber communicates with the outside, and the second main plate has a second aperture through which the valve chamber communicates with the outside. The valve further includes a valve diaphragm disposed inside the valve chamber. The valve diaphragm is configured to switch the communication state. The pump includes a piezoelectric device. The pump has a pump chamber. The pump chamber communicates with the valve chamber through the second aperture. In addition, in flexural vibration of the vibration unit, a frequency coefficient of the first main plate is greater than a frequency coefficient of the second main plate.

A fluid control device () includes a valve section () and a blower section (). The valve section () allows fluid to flow in one direction. The valve section () has the shape of a cylindrical container with a valve chamber () provided therein. The valve section () includes a top plate (), a side-wall plate (), a bottom plate (), and a film (). A plurality of ejection holes () and a plurality of auxiliary holes () arranged in a predetermined pattern are formed in a central region of the top plate (). A plurality of communication holes () arranged in a predetermined pattern are formed in a central region of the bottom plate (). A plurality of film holes () arranged in a predetermined pattern are formed in a central region of the film ().

Valve and fluid control device

A valve includes a first plate () having a first through hole (), a second plate () having a second through hole () that does not face the first through hole (), a valve chamber () formed by being surrounded by the first plate () and the second plate (), and a valve body () disposed in the valve chamber () and having a third through hole () that does not face the first through hole () and that faces the second through hole (), the valve body () being movable up and down between the first plate () and the second plate (). In addition, a second opening area of the second through hole () is smaller than a third opening area of the third through hole (), and the second through hole () is located in the third through hole () when viewed from a front.

A fluid control device () having a flow passage passing through a pump chamber () and a valve chamber () includes a vibration unit () that vibrates to cause fluctuation of an internal pressure in the pump chamber (), a valve bottom plate () facing the valve chamber () and having a communication hole () communicating with the pump chamber () at one end and communicating with the valve chamber () at the other end, and a valve top plate () facing the valve chamber () to be opposed to the valve bottom plate () and having a discharge hole () communicating with the valve chamber (). The communication hole () and the discharge hole () are not opposed to each other, and the valve bottom plate () is elastically deformed by transmission of vibration of the vibration unit () thereto.

Fluid control device

A piezoelectric blower () includes a housing (), a vibrating plate (), and a piezoelectric element (). The vibrating plate () forms a column-shaped blower chamber () together with the housing (). The vibrating plate () and the housing () are formed so that the blower chamber () has a radius a. The piezoelectric element () causes the vibrating plate () to concentrically bend and vibrate at a resonance frequency f. A recessed portion () is formed in the housing () on the side facing the vibrating plate (). The recessed portion () defines a cavity (), which constitutes the blower chamber () and communicates with the vent hole (). The radius a of the blower chamber () and the resonance frequency f of the vibrating plate () satisfy a relationship of 0.8&#xd7;(kc)/(2&#x3c0;)&#x2264;af&#x2264;1.2&#xd7;(kc)/(2&#x3c0;).

Blower

A liquid delivery device includes a constant flow valve, a pump and channels. A medicinal solution bag is connected to the liquid delivery device. The pump has a suction aperture, a discharge aperture and check valves. The constant flow valve includes a valve casing and a diaphragm that partitions the interior of the valve casing to form a first valve chamber and a second valve chamber. A first opening, a second opening, and a third opening are provided in the valve casing. A conical spring arranged between and in contact with a top plate and the diaphragm is provided in the second valve chamber. The spring applies a pressure towards an O-ring side to a second main surface of the diaphragm.

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Hiroyuki Yokoi