Patent ID: 6752601
Filing Date: 2004-06-22
Classification: B41J,F04B

Abstract:
A micro pump having at least one pump member for conveying a fluid by the action of pressure, comprising:a pump unit forming from at least one actuator member for generating a pressure fluctuation, and a fluid channel in which a fluid flows, said actuator member being provided with a cell formed by disposing two side walls comprising piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements or antiferrodielectric elements on a connecting plate, and a cover plate disposed on said side walls facing said connecting plate, and said actuator member selectively forming said fluid channel and generating pressure fluctuation in said fluid channel due to displacement of said cell caused by expansion/contraction of said side walls, wherein said cell is filled with a system fluid and said fluid channel is filled with a fluid that is insoluble in said system fluid, said cell is in communication with said fluid channel through a communicating hole and said fluid channel has substantially the same size in the width direction as the diameter of said communicating hole; at least at a portion at which said communicating hole is in communication with said fluid channel, and the expansion/contraction of said side walls forming said cell in the up/down direction provides a change in the volume of a portion at which said system fluid stored in said cell is ejected from said communicating hole into said fluid channel, such that the fluid channel can be selectively formed, and said pump unit is used as a pump member, and the micro pump is provided with at least one of said pump members.