JP2006522298A - Piezoelectric multi-valve manifold - Google Patents

Abstract

The fluid flow control device controls the flow of fluid from the at least one inlet hole to the at least one outlet hole. The support is a rigid, inflexible portion, at least one pivotable relatively rigid, inflexible folded arm portion extending from the rigid portion, relative to the support Of at least one surface coupled to the folded arm portion for movement to a position, and a rigid body operatively disposed to drive the folded arm portion pivotable with less than 40% loss of motion. A non-flexible force transmission member. An electrically actuated actuator is operatively engaged between the rigid portion and the force transmitting member to pivot the folded arm portion in response to an electrical actuation of the actuator. The manifold communicates with at least one valve seat and includes a fluid passage operable and engageable with at least one corresponding valve body for moving between a closed position and an open position.

Description

The present application claims the benefit of US Provisional Application No. 60 / 460,666, filed Apr. 4, 2003, and US Patent Application No. 10/107951, filed Mar. 27, 2002. And a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser. No. 10 / 613,138, filed Jul. 3, 2003.
The present invention relates to at least one piezo-actuated valve operable in two or three directions for on / off or proportional control of fluid passing between at least one inlet hole and at least one outlet hole of a fluid passage.

  Commercially available solenoid operated valves are usually available in dimensions up to 6 mm in diameter. Although there are valves smaller than 4.5 mm, these valves are too small and are based on another structure and / or actuation technique such as MEMS. In general, there are no smaller solenoid-based valves. This is because as the size of the solenoid decreases, the work capability of the solenoid reaches a point where the solenoid is unable to operate the valve for the desired valve pressure and flow rate. In the present invention, it would be desirable to provide an electrically operated valve capable of dimensions of 4.5 mm or less.

  Commercially available solenoid operated proportional valves are usually not less than 15 mm in diameter. The problem is that the ability to control the operation of the valve becomes very difficult, not just the net force of the solenoid field due to the reduced coil, but rather in a predictable linear fashion. In addition, proportional valves operate continuously and therefore typically require greater heat dissipation / processing capacity than simple on / off valves. It would be desirable to provide an electrically operated valve that is capable of two-way or three-way operation and that can be in either an on / off mode of operation or a proportional mode of operation.

A typical commercially available solenoid valve responds in a time ranging from 5 ms to 20 ms. Higher speeds of solenoids can be achieved, but generally require special electrical controls such as over-excitation or special coil construction. It would be desirable to provide an electrically operated, direct acting valve capable of a response time in the range of less than 5 ms, preferably about 1 ms.
Commercially available, competitively sized valves based on solenoid actuation are typically on the order of 6 to 16 mm pitch and can exceed 22 mm. In addition, commercially available solenoid valves typically consume between 0.5 and 4.0 watts of power. Other piezoelectric valves have less power consumption compared to such solenoid actuated valves, but none of the piezoelectric valves are direct acting on such narrow dimensions, with flow and pressure capability. Does not have the desired level. Piezoelectric valves having the desired level of pressure and flow capability typically reach the desired level when the larger valve is used as a pilot valve for a larger valve that provides the desired level of pressure and flow capability. Alternatively, the piezoelectric valve can reach the desired performance level but requires a larger width. In the present invention, it would be desirable to provide a direct acting electrically actuated valve having a narrow width, high pressure and high flow capability without operating as a pilot valve for a larger valve.

Although narrower examples are available, commercially available proportional valves are, for example, approximately 22.2 mm in diameter and 39.6 mm in height. A version of such a commercially available proportional valve with an orifice size of ~ 1.5 mm is 14 standard liters per minute (slpm) at a maximum pressure of 18 kgf per square centimeter (25 pounds per square inch (psi)). Flow rates up to are possible. Further, the maximum rated pressure at any flow rate of a commercially available proportional valve is 7.0 kgf / cm ² (100 psi). Providing an electrically actuated proportional valve capable of operating above 8.4 kgf / cm ² (120 psi) with an equivalent orifice of 1.5 mm and capable of flowing up to nearly 50 slpm at 5.6 kgf / cm ² (80 psi) It would be desirable to provide an electrically actuated proportional valve.

  The fluid flow control device according to the present invention controls the flow rate of fluid passing through the fluid passage from at least one inlet hole to at least one outlet hole in response to electrical actuation. The apparatus comprises a rigid, non-flexible support, at least one pivotable, relatively rigid, non-flexible, folded arm portion extending from the rigid part, the support At least one surface associated with the at least one folded arm portion, and operative for driving the at least one pivotable folded arm portion in rotational movement. It includes a rigid, inflexible force transmission member disposed. An electrically actuating actuator pivots the at least one pivotable, folded arm portion in response to an electrical actuation of the actuator so that the force transmitting member is rigid, non-flexible. Operatively engaged between the inflexible portion of the rigid body and the force transmitting member to drive against the sex portion. Here, the work generated by the rotational movement of the at least one pivotable folded arm portion can be greater than 60% of the work generated by the electrically operated actuator. The manifold includes a fluid passage that communicates with at least one valve seat and is adapted to move between a closed position for sealing engagement with the valve seat and an open position spaced from the valve seat. At least one of the valve seat and the valve body is responsive to electrical actuation and is electrically coupled to the other via the support by an actuator that operates electrically. On the other hand, it can move operably.

  The multi-valve manifold according to the present invention can accommodate a large number of piezoelectrically actuated and direct acting valves for fluid connection. The current design of the valve is 3-way on / off. These valves are for illustrative purposes only and can be used for a variety of applications including, but not limited to, mixing and switching. In the current configuration, this manifold has a common inlet hole, a common outlet hole, and a single outlet hole for each valve. It provides only one point for electrical connection, and in some configurations the manifold can also house the system power supply and valve controller. This same three-way valve configuration can operate in proportional mode for mixing or compounding applications. In such applications, the common discharge hole described above is used as the second common inlet hole. This change in flow allows for use in switching applications. A check valve can be incorporated to assist in mixing, blending or switching to prevent unwanted flow.

  A unique design feature of this multi-valve manifold pack is that the valve spacing is set to 4.5 mm. This close spacing, for example, allows the valve to directly dispense the analysis fluid. Such fluids, for example, in the current 4.5 mm spaced titration wells of a conventional titration tray, using a nozzle or valve to well-joined tube attached directly to the outlet hole of the manifold. Can be transported. This improves dispensing accuracy, saves reagent volume, and improves titration time. Typical existing valve manifolds use 10 mm spacing and therefore require complex valve mounting shapes and extension tubes or manifolds to transfer the fluid to be titrated from the valve. The present invention provides a nozzle that is mounted on a manifold at a pitch of 4.5 mm and has in-lay valves mounted on the manifold and spaced from each other by 4.5 mm. That is, the valves are in-line and very close so that there is minimal “dead volume” from the valve to the titration orifice or nozzle.

Another unique feature of this valve is its high flow capability within a 4.5 mm pitch interval. At 5.6 kgf / cm ² (80 psi), this three-way configuration valve flows approximately 50 standard liters (slpm) per minute. Even existing valves based on 10 mm width usually do not flow more than 20 lpm. Thus, this valve of the present invention can be used very effectively to pilot a much larger pneumatically operated valve, by way of example only and not limitation.

In the two-way configuration, the valve can operate as a proportional fluid controller. With such a small packaging, this level of control is considered unique. Furthermore, the flow rate of a valve according to the present invention will substantially exceed the performance of a known equivalent valve.
Other uses of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention is read with reference to the accompanying drawings. .
The description herein is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

  Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the present invention includes a multi-valve manifold 100. Each valve 102 in the manifold 100 is illustrative only and not limiting, and may be 4.2 mm wide × 31 mm high × 46 mm long. The narrow width of the actuator / valve combination according to the present invention allows manifolds with a center-to-center spacing or pitch 4.5 mm apart from each other to enable advantageous titration tray metering embodiments discussed in greater detail below The actuator / valve combination arranged in the above is possible. This 4.2 mm width is narrower than any other “meso-scale” electrically actuated valve and is therefore considered unique in the art. The closest known commercially available solenoid operated valve is 6 mm in diameter. Although there are electrically actuated valves smaller than 4.5 mm, these valves are too small and are based on alternative structures and / or actuation techniques. In general, there are no valves based on smaller solenoids. This is because as the size of the solenoid decreases, the work capability of the solenoid decreases to the point where the solenoid cannot perform valve operation for the desired valve pressure and flow rate.

  Existing valves with competitive performance are typically 6 to 16 mm pitch and typically consume between 0.5 and 4.0 watts of power. After operation in comparison, the piezoelectric actuator of the present invention draws less than 0.010 watts of power. Another piezoelectric valve has such a low power consumption. None have flow and pressure capabilities on a linear motion basis. Those with pressure and flow capability are only when used as pilots for larger valves. The benefits of the present invention include direct control using logic level circuits, the potential for long-life battery operation, the potential for radio frequency (RF) operation with solar cells, batteries or other low-power power supplies, Includes virtually no heat which is important for certain applications such as analysis. Minimal fever is also important. This is because it eliminates or at least greatly reduces the need to consider cooling. The heat generated and the associated heat transfer to the fluid to be metered is not only the function of the solenoid coil vs. piezoelectric, but also the fact that the present invention can separate the fluid control part of the valve from the heat generating and working part. Related. For solenoid-based valves, the fluid path is often very close to the coil. As the dimensions decrease, the relative proximity tends to increase. In some cases, the fluid path of the solenoid-based valve actually “pierces” the path in the solenoid's heat generating coil. A multi-valve manifold having a fluid control portion separated from a piezoelectric actuator according to the present invention avoids this drawback of solenoid-based valves.

  Apart from the net dimensions, the valve spacing is 4.5 mm pitch (4.5 mm from the center of the valve to the center) so that the valve fits exactly with a standard 384 well microtiter tray. This is a potential advantage for analytical automation applications. Currently this is done using a variety of complex configurations such as custom manifolds, custom tubing from valves to wells, micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) based dispensing devices, robotic systems, etc. . The multi-valve manifold according to the present invention can be doubled to provide a 16-valve version that can be metered directly into all wells of a standard 384 microtiter tray, by way of example only and not limitation. An 8-pack manifold can be included.

  Each valve is also capable of on / off operation and proportional operation. By comparison, none of the closest known commercially available solenoid operated proportional valves has a diameter less than 15 mm. This is not simply a problem with the net output of the electromagnetic field as the coil becomes smaller. The ability to control the valve behavior in a predictable linear fashion is also much more difficult. In addition, proportional valves operate continuously and therefore typically require greater heat dissipation / processing capacity than simple on / off valves.

These valves have the potential to respond to on / off operation faster than 1 millisecond (ms). A typical competitive solenoid valve responds within 5 ms to 20 ms. Faster speeds for the solenoid can be achieved, but usually require special electrical equipment such as over-excitation or the use of special coil structures.
The fluid portion of each valve can be pressure balanced. This allows the use of relatively smaller actuators while allowing high flow and high pressure capabilities. As an example, the recently published Clippard EVP proportional valve is 22.2 mm in diameter and 39.6 mm in height. Versions with dimensions equivalent to the orifices of each valve of the present invention (˜1.5 mm) are up to 14 standard liters per minute (slpm) at a maximum pressure of 18 kgf per square centimeter (25 pounds per square inch (psi)). It can flow. Further, the maximum rated pressure at any flow rate of the Clippard EVP proportional valve is 7.0 kgf / cm ² (100 psi). In comparison, each valve according to the present invention has an equivalent orifice of 1.5 mm, can operate at 8.4 kgf / cm ² (120 psi), and at 5.6 kgf / cm ² (80 psi), Can flow up to 50 slpm. The combination of pressure balanced fluid control valves with piezoelectric actuators according to the present invention provides improved performance. That is, pressure balancing reduces the work that the actuator must generate, thereby allowing the use of smaller actuators. In addition, the unique basic form factor of the piezoelectric actuator according to the invention, i.e. its narrowness, especially when compared to solenoids, allows for the overall narrow form of the valve according to the invention.

  It is to be understood that the present invention can be modified to provide one or more of the following features. A simple valve to the manifold that does not require an additional screw or the like, not just an electrical interface, but a control electrical device located at the “bottom” of the manifold that supports either 2-way or 3-way operation Mounting, manifold with any number of valves other than 8 valves, for example 2, 3, 4, 5,..., 8,. Fluid inlet holes located at different locations, such as located at the center of multiple valves to reduce the distance from the “bottom” inlet and the farthest valve from the inlet (manifold dead space), for illustrative purposes Only, but not exclusively, the use of a pressureless balance valve, which is illustrative only, can reduce flow rates but provide other benefits such as longer life or easier assembly Although not limited, the valve width according to the present invention is potentially scalable to smaller dimensions up to half of the valve width discussed above (ie, 4.5 mm) and is for illustrative purposes only and limited Although not expanded to much larger dimensions up to about 25 mm wide, manifolds of various sizes of multi-valve manifolds, metal or any other suitable material known to those skilled in the art, and Inlet and outlet hole connections including valve components, tubing “quick connect” or any other suitable connection known to those skilled in the art.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an actuator assembly 10 according to the present invention having a support 12 and an electrical actuator 14. The support 12 includes at least one pivotable relative, such as a rigid, inflexible portion 16, and first and second pivotable arm portions 18, 20 extending rearwardly from the rigid portion 16. A rigid, inflexible arm portion, at least one opposing surface on the at least one pivotable arm portion 18, 20 that moves relative to the rigid portion 16, and the at least one pivot A rigid, inflexible force transmission member 26 is operatively connected to the possible arm portions 18, 20. The support portion 12 is preferably a single, monolithic, single piece monolithic body. In order to drive the electrical actuator 14 in a linear motion away from the inflexible portion 16 of the rigid body in response to an electrical stimulus of the actuator 14, the inflexibility of the rigid body An operative engagement may be between the portion 16 and the rigid inflexible force transmitting member 26. The rigid, inflexible portion 16 of the support 12 is from the electrical actuator 14 with less than 40% work loss, preferably less than 20% work loss, and most preferably less than 10% work loss. It should be understood that motion transmission can result. The at least one pivotable, relatively rigid, inflexible arm 18, 20 is rigid and inflexible in an environment having a relatively limited temperature change or in a temperature controlled environment. is there. It should be understood that the at least one pivotable arm 18, 20 can include temperature compensation for improved on / off and / or proportional motion control over a wide range of environments, if desired.

  The rigid inflexible portion 16 can receive an adjustable support 54 with an adjustable seat 52 having a complementary surface to the end 42 of the actuator 14. The complementary surface of the adjustable sheet 52 may be planar or any shape to support the actuator 14 in the proper position for driving the force transmission member 26 in response to electrical actuation of the actuator 14. can do. The movement of the rigid, inflexible force transmitting member 26 pivots the at least one arm portion 18, 20 about at least one integral hinge 36, 38. At least one integral hinge 36, 38 extends between each rigid arm portion and a corresponding pivotable, relatively rigid, non-flexible arm portion pivot base portion 46, 48; At least one integral hinge 32, 34 extends between the corresponding base portion 46, 48 of the pivotable, relatively rigid, non-flexible arm portion and the rigid, force transmitting member 26.

  A controller 28 can be provided to operate the apparatus 10. This controller can provide a charging voltage across the piezoelectric device to cause a spatial displacement along a predetermined axis. The amount of charge stored by the piezoelectric device is generally proportional to the value of the voltage applied across the piezoelectric device. Therefore, the amount of spatial displacement along one predetermined axis can be controlled by changing the value of the voltage applied across the piezoelectric device. This spatial displacement is transmitted to at least one rigid, non-flexible pivotable arm 18, 20 and amplified via integral integral hinges 36, 38, out of opposing surfaces 22, 24. Are moved in a curved path relative to each other.

  In FIG. 5, the actuator 14 is in an inoperative state. Opposing surfaces 22, 24 are furthest from each other when the actuator 14 is inactive. This type of configuration is sometimes referred to as a normally open design. When the electrical actuator 14 is electrically actuated, the set end 42 of the actuator 14 is fixedly held by the rigid portion 16 and the drive end 44 of the actuator 14 is rigid and the inflexible force transmitting member 26. At a distance from or away from the rigid web 30 so that at least one pivotable, relatively rigid, non-flexible arm portion 18, 20 has at least one corresponding integral hinge 36, 38. Pivot around. In this way, the space or distance between the opposing surfaces 22, 24 is reduced. The distance between the opposing surfaces can be increased or decreased by adjusting the voltage across an electrical actuator 14, such as a piezoelectric actuator. FIG. 6 shows that when the actuator 14 is fully actuated, the flat drive end 44 of the actuator 14 is in operative contact with the flat sheet surface 40 of the rigid, inflexible force transmitting member 26. And exaggerated to show greater proximity between opposing surfaces 22, 24.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-6, these components are machined from a single integral piece of metallic material, such as stainless steel. Other suitable materials can include powdered metals, metal alloys, composite materials, or combinations of metals and composite materials. Although these materials given by way of example provide excellent performance, it may be appropriate to use other materials for the support, depending on the requirements of the particular application. Some components, such as a pivotable rigid, non-flexible arm portion, are manufactured separately from a rigid, non-flexible, generally C-shaped or generally U-shaped structure. 6 can be joined to define a generally W-shaped or generally M-shaped combined structure as shown in FIG.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the device 10a is made up of four individual components. The first component includes a rigid inflexible web 30a that connects a plurality of rigid inflexible portions that define a generally C-shaped or generally U-shaped portion of the device 10a. And a rigid inflexible support 12a. At least one integral hinge 36a, 38a extends between each rigid arm portion and each corresponding pivotable rigid, non-flexible arm portion pivot base portion 46a, 48a, and at least one A living hinge 32a, 34a extends between the corresponding pivot base portion 46a, 48a of each pivotable rigid, inflexible arm portion and the rigid, inflexible force transmitting member 26a. . The second and third components are separable and pivotable rigid, inflexible arms that are attached to corresponding bases 46a, 48a of support 12a using fixture 50. The portions 18a and 20a. The fourth component is an actuator 14a operatively engaged between a rigid, inflexible web 30a and a rigid, inflexible force transmission member 26a. An adjustable support 54a with an adjustable sheet having a surface complementary to the end 42a of the actuator 14a can be provided. The complementary surface of the adjustable sheet 52a supports the actuator 14a in the proper position to drive the rigid, inflexible force transmitting member 26a in response to electrical actuation of the actuator 14a. As such, it can be planar or any shape.

The disclosure and operation of actuator structures from US patent application Ser. No. 10/107951 filed Mar. 27, 2002 and US Patent Application No. 10/613138 filed Jul. 3, 2003 are described herein. Are incorporated by reference in their entirety. The disclosure of the 8-pack manifold from US Provisional Application No. 60 / 460,666, filed Apr. 4, 2003, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Although the present invention has been described with respect to what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, the present invention should not be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but conversely, the spirit of the appended claims It should be understood that various modifications and equivalent arrangements included in the scope are also intended to be included. The claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements permitted under the law.

1 is an exploded view of a multi-valve manifold according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a two-way operation of a multi-valve manifold according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a three-way operation of a multi-valve manifold according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an actuator that moves at least one folded arm having at least one surface in response to electrical actuation, the actuator assembly having a support member and an electrical actuator according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a side view of the actuator assembly of FIG. 4 with the electrical actuator in a non-actuated state. FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the actuator assembly of FIG. 4 with the electrical actuator fully operational. Actuator having a mechanically attached pivotable, relatively rigid, inflexible arm portion coupled to a rigid, inflexible portion of the support and extending outwardly from the position of the integral hinge FIG. 6 is a side view of the assembly.

Claims (20)

A fluid flow control device for controlling fluid flow from at least one inlet hole to at least one outlet hole through a fluid flow path in response to electrical actuation,
Moving relative to a rigid, non-flexible portion, at least one pivotable, relatively rigid, non-flexible, folded arm portion extending from the rigid portion; At least one surface on at least one folded arm portion and operable to drive said at least one pivotable folded arm portion in rotational movement with a loss of motion of less than 40% A support having a rigid, non-flexible force transmitting member disposed on
An electrically operated actuator operatively engaged between the inflexible portion of the rigid body and the force transmitting member, wherein the at least one pivot is responsive to an electrical actuation of the actuator; An actuator for driving the force transmitting member relative to the inflexible portion of the rigid body to pivot a movable, folded arm portion;
A fluid passage in communication with the at least one valve seat and at least one for moving between a closed position for sealing engagement with the valve seat and an open position spaced from the valve seat; A manifold operably engageable with a corresponding valve body, wherein at least one of said valve seat and valve body is electrically actuated in response to an electrical actuation by an actuator, A manifold that is operatively movable relative to the other via the support;
A fluid flow control device comprising:   The fluid flow control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one valve seat and a corresponding valve body define a pressure balance valve.   The fluid flow control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one valve seat and the corresponding valve body define a pressureless balance valve.   The manifold supports at least two valves, and connects the two valves to at least one inlet hole and at least one outlet hole having an independently operable electrical actuator for each valve; and Each orifice is 4.5 mm apart from each other and placed in-line with the corresponding fluid control valve so that the corresponding valve is in close proximity to the orifice and minimizes the dead space between each valve and the corresponding orifice. The fluid flow control device of claim 1, wherein the fluid flow control device is connected to at least two metering orifices associated with the manifold.   The fluid flow control device according to claim 1, wherein the electrically operated actuator is a piezoelectric actuator.   The fluid flow control device of claim 1, wherein the rigid portion is generally U-shaped and includes a web extending between a pair of rigid arm portions.   One of the pivotable folded arm portions is pivotally connected to one of the rigid arm portions, and the other pivotable folded arm portion is another of the rigid body portions. 7. The fluid flow control device according to claim 6, wherein the fluid flow control device is pivotally connected to the arm portion.   The rigid portion of the support is disposed between the pivotable folded arm portions so that the force transmitting member is adjacent to one end of the pivotable folded arm portion and at least The fluid flow of claim 7, wherein one of the surfaces defines an opposing surface on the pivotable folded arm portion disposed adjacent to the web of the support. Control device.   8. The fluid flow control device of claim 7, wherein the pivotable arm portion is mechanically coupled to the support. A fluid flow control device for controlling fluid flow from at least one inlet hole to at least one outlet hole through a fluid flow path in response to electrical actuation,
The first and second extending from the rigid portion such that the rigid, non-flexible portion and the rigid portion are inserted and positioned between first and second pivotable folded arm portions. Supported by a second pivotable, relatively rigid, inflexible, folded arm portion and said pivotable, folded arm portion for movement relative to each other A pair of opposing surfaces having one opposing surface and an operation to drive the first and second pivotable folded arm portions in rotational movement with a motion loss of less than 40% A rigid, non-flexible force transmission member disposed in a possible manner and extending in close proximity to each other and the at least one relatively rigid, non-flexible member relative to the rigid portion and the force transmission member Allows bending movement of the folded arm A support portion having first and second flexible hinge web portion of,
An electrically actuated actuator operatively engaged between an inflexible portion of the rigid body and an inflexible force transmitting member of the rigid body, the electrical actuation of the actuator Responsive to the actuator for driving the force transmitting member relative to the rigid portion to pivot the first and second pivotable folded arm portions;
Including at least one fluid passage in communication with at least one valve seat and for moving between a closed position in sealing engagement with the valve seat and an open position spaced from the valve seat; A manifold operably engageable with at least one corresponding valve body, wherein at least one of said valve seat and valve body is responsive to an electrical actuation of an electrically actuated actuator; A manifold that is operatively movable relative to the other via the support;
A fluid flow control device comprising:   The fluid flow control device of claim 10, wherein the at least one valve seat and a corresponding valve body define a pressure balance valve.   The fluid flow control device of claim 10, wherein the at least one valve seat and a corresponding valve body define a pressureless balance valve.   The manifold supports at least two valves, and connects the two valves to at least one inlet hole and at least one outlet hole having an independently operable electrical actuator for each valve; and The orifices are spaced 4.5 mm from each other and placed in-line with the corresponding fluid control valves so that the corresponding valves are in close proximity to the orifices and minimize the dead space between the valves and the corresponding orifices. 11. The fluid flow control device of claim 10, wherein the fluid flow control device is connected to at least two metering orifices associated with the manifold.   The fluid flow control device according to claim 10, wherein the actuator is a piezoelectric device.   11. The fluid flow control device of claim 10, wherein the rigid body portion is generally U-shaped and includes a web extending between a pair of rigid arm portions.   One of the pivotable folded arm portions is pivotally connected to one of the rigid arm portions, and the other pivotable folded arm portion is another of the rigid body portions. 16. The fluid flow control device of claim 15, wherein the fluid flow control device is pivotally connected to the arm portion.   The force transmitting member is adjacent to one end of the pivotable folded arm portion, and the opposing surface of the pivotable folded arm portion is adjacent to the web of the rigid portion of the support. The fluid flow control device according to claim 16.   The fluid flow control device according to claim 16, wherein the pivotable arm portion is mechanically fixed to the support portion. An apparatus for moving at least one of a pair of opposing surfaces in response to an electrical actuation comprising:
A rigid, inflexible portion, a generally U-shaped integral portion having a web extending between a pair of rigid arm portions, and the rigid, inflexible portion include a first And the first and second pivotable relative relative to each other and extending generally from the rigid portion such that the first and second pivotable relative portions extend from the rigid portion so as to be disposed between the second pivotable and folded arm portions. A rigid, inflexible, folded arm portion and one opposing surface on each of said pivotable folded arm portions for movement relative to each other A pair of opposing surfaces, the force transmitting member adjacent one end of the pivotable folded portion, and the opposing surfaces of the pivotable folded arm portion are the rigid bodies of the support Adjacent to the inflexible portion web. And an operatively disposed rigid, inflexible force transmission member for driving the second pivotable, folded arm portion in rotational movement with a loss of motion of less than 40%. Having a support part;
A first hinge web portion extends between the force transmitting members and is operably coupled to at least one rigid, folded arm, and a second hinge web portion is coupled to the rigid portion and the at least one First and second flexible hinge web portions operatively connected to and extending in close proximity to each other, at least one rigid, folded arm extending between the rigid, folded arms;
In response to electrical actuation of an actuator, the force transmitting member is moved relative to the rigid, non-flexible portion to pivot the first and second pivotable folded arm portions. A piezoelectric actuator operably engaged between the inflexible portion of the rigid body and the force transmitting member for relative driving
At least one fluid passage including at least one fluid passage in communication with at least one valve seat for moving between a closed position sealingly engaged with the valve seat and an open position spaced from the valve seat; A manifold operably engageable with two corresponding valve bodies, wherein at least one of the valve seat and valve body is responsive to electrical actuation of an electrically actuated actuator, A manifold that is operatively movable relative to the other via
A device comprising:   20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the pivotable arm portion is mechanically secured to the support.

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