Patent ID: 8528591

Claim:
A micro pump, comprising: at least one micro valve arranged as at least one of (a) an intake valve and (b) a discharge valve, the micro valve including: a first valve chamber; a second valve chamber; a closing element adjustable between an open position, in which the valve chambers are connected to each other, and a close position in which the valve chambers are separated from each other; and a reference chamber delimited by the closing element; wherein: the closing element is adapted to move from the close position into the open position in response to pressure in at least one of the first and the second valve chambers; a reference pressure established by one of a fluid and a gas contained in the reference chamber biases the closing element toward the close position and determines how much pressure in the at least one of the first and the second valve chambers is required to move the closing element into the open position; and the closing element is at least one of (a) shaped as and (b) provided with at least one reinforcement structure that prevents the closing element from opening toward a region of the closing element in which the reinforcement structure is located, thereby making moving from the close position to the open position dependent upon a direction of a pressure differential between the first and the second valve chambers.