Patent ID: 8113482

Claim:
A microvalve device comprising: a body formed of multiple plates of material, an intermediate plate of the body having a cavity defined therein, the cavity having a longitudinal axis, at least a first port and a second port being defined in the body, which ports can communicate with the cavity; a slider element movable within the cavity along the longitudinal axis of the cavity to selectively substantially block and unblock the first port, thereby selectively controlling fluid communication between the first port and the second port within the microvalve device, the slider element substantially sealing against the body to define a variable-volume region within the cavity, which variable-volume region varies in volume as the slider element moves; and a fluid conduit being defined in a portion of the body, which portion of the body is not formed from the intermediate plate, the fluid conduit providing fluid communication between the second port and the variable-volume region regardless of the position of the slider element, the fluid conduit being at least one of non-linear and non-parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cavity.