Patent ID: 11927281
Assignee: CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVES
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 41:
42. A three-way microvalve device comprising:
a first fluid chamber including a first fluid port;
a second fluid chamber including a second fluid port;
a fluid channel connecting the first and second fluid chambers that includes a third fluid port;
a first fluid sealing surface provided around an opening of the first fluid port protruding from a bottom of a first surface of the first fluid chamber;
a second fluid sealing surface provided around an opening of the second fluid port protruding from a bottom of a second surface of the second fluid chamber;
a first membrane disposed in the first fluid chamber fixed to sidewalls of the first fluid chamber and in physical contact with the first fluid sealing surface;
a second membrane disposed at a top of the second fluid chamber fixed to sidewalls of the second fluid chamber and not in physical contact with the second fluid sealing surface;
a first mechanism comprising a first and a second piezoelectric actuator and a spacer element that are mechanically coupled to the first membrane whereupon the application of an electrically applied signal to the first and second piezoelectric actuators of the normally-closed first component of the microvalve results in a change of state from closed to open to the flow of fluid through the microvalve; and
a second mechanism composed of a third piezoelectric actuator coupled to the second membrane that upon application of an electrically applied signal to the third piezoelectric actuator of the normally-open first component of the microvalve results in a change state from open to closed to the flow of fluids through the microvalve.