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US4895500A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Micromechanical non-reverse valve

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1989-04-07
•
Granted: 1990-01-23
•
Expires: 2009-04-07
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Abstract

Abstract A silicon micromechanical non-reverse valve. In a main surface of a silicon wafer there is provided a cavity and a cantilever beam. The beam extends over the cavity and is integrally formed with the wafer at its top portion. The beam is provided at a distance above the bottom wall of the cavity. A second wafer of silicon or glass is provided over the first silicon wafer and covers the cavity in order to form a chamber. A second wafer is provided with two openings one of which is situated within the outline of the beam and the other of which is situated outside said outline. The first opening acts as an inlet and the second opening as an outlet for the valve.

Inventors

  • 👤 Bertil Hok
  • 👤 Lars Tenerz
  • 👤 Jonas Tiren

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 19:42
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16K; F16K99/00; F16K99/0001; F04; F04B; F04B43/00; F04B43/02; F04B43/04; F04B43/043; F15; F15C; F15C5/00; F16K15/00; F16K15/14; F16K15/1402; F16K15/16; F16K99/0003; F16K99/0005; F16K99/0007; F16K99/0034; F16K99/0055; F16K99/0057; F16K2099/0073; F16K2099/0074; F16K2099/0082; F16K2099/0084; F16K2099/0086; F16K2099/0088; F16K2099/0092; F16K2099/0094; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/7722; Y10T137/7837; Y10T137/7838; Y10T137/7843; Y10T137/7879; Y10T137/7888; Y10T137/7891

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim 134 words
A silicon micromechanical non-reverse valve comprising a first silicon wafer having a cavity in one of its main surface and provided with a cantilever beam integral with the top portion of said first wafer, extending over said cavity and being arranged at a distance above the bottom wall of the cavity, and a second wafer made of a material selected from the group which consists of silicon and glass, said second wafer being provided over the first wafer and covering the cavity thereof in order to form a chamber, said second wafer being provided with two openings one of which is situated within the outline of the beam and the other being situated outside said outline, said first opening acting as an inlet and said second opening acting as an outlet for the valve.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 134 words
A silicon micromechanical non-reverse valve comprising a first silicon wafer having a cavity in one of its main surface and provided with a cantilever beam integral with the top portion of said first wafer, extending over said cavity and being arranged at a distance above the bottom wall of the cavity, and a second wafer made of a material selected from the group which consists of silicon and glass, said second wafer being provided over the first wafer and covering the cavity thereof in order to form a chamber, said second wafer being provided with two openings one of which is situated within the outline of the beam and the other being situated outside said outline, said first opening acting as an inlet and said second opening acting as an outlet for the valve.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 22 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tip portion of said cantilever beam is provided with a thick portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 40 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 2, wherein said beam has a length in the order of about 25 mils, a thickness in the order of about 0.4 mils and a width in the order of about 12 mils.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 3, wherein the form of the cavity and the form of the beam both are rectangular.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 42 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 4, wherein the two main surfaces on the first wafer both are doped with an impurity down to a depth corresponding to the thickness of the beam which later on is etched in the wafer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 45 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 5, wherein the cavity and the beam are formed by dopant selective etching of silicon of <100>-type in KOH with the beam so oriented that the sides thereof are parallel with the <100> direction of the silicon crystal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 58 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 4, wherein said second wafer on its surface opposite to the first wafer is provided with a silicon dioxide layer which in the region over said beam have been removed in order to form a recess between the bottom surface of the second wafer and the top surface of the beam.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 42 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 3, wherein the two main surfaces of the first wafer both are doped with an impurity down to a depth corresponding to the thickness of the beam which later on is etched in the wafer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 58 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 3, wherein said second wafer on its surface opposite to the first wafer is provided with a silicon dioxide layer which in the region over said beam have been removed in order to form a recess between the bottom surface of the second wafer and the top surface of the beam.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 42 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 2, wherein the two main surfaces of the first wafer both are doped with an impurity down to a depth corresponding to the thickness of the beam which later on is etched in the wafer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 42 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 1, wherein the two main surfaces of the first wafer both are doped with an impurity down to a depth corresponding to the thickness of the beam which later on is etched in the wafer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 45 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 11, wherein the cavity and the beam are formed by dopant selective etching of silicon of <100>-type in KOH with the beam so oriented that the sides thereof are parallel with the <100> direction of the silicon crystal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 58 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 12, wherein said second wafer on its surface opposite to the first wafer is provided with a silicon dioxide layer which in the region over said beam have been removed in order to form a recess between the bottom surface of the second wafer and the top surface of the beam.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 58 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 11, wherein said second wafer on its surface opposite to the first wafer is provided with a silicon dioxide layer which in the region over said beam have been removed in order to form a recess between the bottom surface of the second wafer and the top surface of the beam.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 28 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 1, when said second wafer is of silicon, wherein the openings provided in the second wafer are produced by anisotrop etching.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 58 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 15, wherein said second wafer on its surface opposite to the first wafer is provided with a silicon dioxide layer which in the region over said beam have been removed in order to form a recess between the bottom surface of the second wafer and the top surface of the beam.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 58 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 1, wherein said second wafer on its surface opposite to the first wafer is provided with a silicon dioxide layer which in the region over said beam have been removed in order to form a recess between the bottom surface of the second wafer and the top surface of the beam.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 34 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 17, wherein a further recess of restricted depth is provided in said region where the silicon dioxide layer has been removed in order to increase said recess.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 39 words
Micromechanical non-reverse valve in accordance with claim 18, when said second wafer is of silicon, wherein said first and second wafers are bonded to each other using atomic bonding or anodic bonding (also referred to as field assisted bonding).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 74 words
A membrane pump comprising a membrane adapted to be vibrated, a fluid duct a portion of which is formed by said membrane and at least one non-reverse valve provided in said fluid duct in order to direct the fluid pumped by the membrane vibrations generally in one flow direction along the fluid duct, said non-reverse valve being of the type indicated in claim 1 and said membrane being the bottom wall of the cavity.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4770740A Cited
US4573888A Cited
US4585209A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-01-22 1993-07-24 1994-01-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-01-22 1997-07-24 1998-01-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-01-22 2001-07-24 2002-01-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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