University of Minnesota

Crutchaid LLC

Nathan Paul Hagstrom

Thomas Richard Chase

Matthew L Gallagher

A valve includes an orifice plate including at least one orifice surrounded by an orifice plate seal surface, a seal plate, and an actuator. The seal plate includes a seal boss having a seal boss surface that faces the orifice plate, and a pocket that overlays the at least one orifice. The pocket includes a recessed surface that is surrounded by the seal boss surface and is displaced from the seal boss surface along an axis. The actuator is configured to move the seal plate relative to the orifice plate along the axis to transition the valve between open and closed states. The seal boss surface engages the orifice plate seal surface, surrounds the at least one orifice, and blocks a flow of fluid through the at least one orifice when the valve is in the closed state.

Fluidic control valve

Coupling

A fluidic control valve configured to control a flow of fluid through a conduit includes a piezostack actuator, a seal plate having a sealing face, an orifice plate including a plurality of orifices, and a suspension connected to the seal plate. The piezostack actuator is configured to displace the seal plate along a longitudinal axis of the conduit between a closed position, in which the sealing face engages the orifice plate, seals the orifices of the orifice plate and closes the valve, and an open position, in which the seal plate is displaced from the orifice plate to open the valve. The suspension is configured to flex and adjust an orientation of the sealing face relative to the orifice plate during movement of the seal plate from the open position to the closed position.

Growing community of inventors

Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Nathan Paul Hagstrom