TWI616593B - Micro-gas pressure driving apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A microfluidic control device comprising: an air inlet plate; a resonance piece having a hollow hole; a piezoelectric actuator; a gas collecting plate having a concave groove surface, a reference surface and a consistent perforation, recessed The groove mask has a depth, and the piezoelectric actuator, the resonance piece and the air inlet plate are sequentially stacked and assembled, and the bottom of the concave groove surface is recessed to form a gas collecting chamber, and the through hole and the reference surface are transmitted through the through hole and the reference surface. Connected, and the gas collection chamber is closed by the piezoelectric actuator; wherein a gap between the resonator and the piezoelectric actuator forms a temporary chamber, and the piezoelectric actuator is driven The gas enters through the air inlet plate, flows through the resonance piece, enters the temporary storage chamber and is then transmitted to the air collection chamber, and is discharged through the through hole to continuously transmit the gas.

Description

Microfluidic control device

This case relates to a pneumatic power device, especially a miniature ultra-thin and silent microfluidic control device.

At present, in various fields, such as medicine, computer technology, printing, energy and other industries, the products are developing in the direction of refinement and miniaturization. Among them, products such as micro-pumps, sprayers, inkjet heads, industrial printing devices, etc. The fluid transport structure is its key technology, which is how to break through its technical bottleneck with innovative structure and be an important part of development.

For example, in the pharmaceutical industry, many instruments or equipment that require pneumatic power drive are usually used with conventional motors and pneumatic valves to achieve their gas delivery. However, limited by the volume limitations of conventional motors and gas valves, it is difficult for such instruments to reduce the size of their overall devices, that is, it is difficult to achieve the goal of thinning, and it is impossible to achieve portable purposes. In addition, conventional motors and gas valves also cause noise problems when they are actuated, resulting in inconvenience and discomfort in use.

Therefore, how to develop a microfluidic control device capable of maintaining certain working characteristics and flow rate under long-term use is an urgent problem to be solved.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a microfluidic control device in which gas enters from the air inlet of the microfluidic control device and is actuated by a piezoelectric actuator to make the gas after design A pressure gradient is generated in the flow channel and the pressure chamber, so that the gas flows at a high speed, so that the microfluidic control device can achieve the effect of mute, and the overall volume of the microfluidic control device can be reduced and thinned, thereby making the microfluid The control device achieves a portable and portable purpose.

In order to achieve the above object, a broader aspect of the present invention provides a microfluidic control device comprising: an air inlet plate; a resonant plate having a hollow hole; a piezoelectric actuator; and a gas collecting plate having a concave groove surface, a reference surface and a consistent perforation, the concave groove mask has a depth, and the piezoelectric actuator, the resonance piece and the air inlet plate are sequentially stacked and assembled and positioned therein, and the bottom of the concave groove surface The recess forms a plenum chamber, communicates with the reference surface through the through hole, and the plenum chamber is closed by the piezoelectric actuator; wherein the resonator has a gap between the resonator and the piezoelectric actuator Forming a temporary storage chamber, when the piezoelectric actuator is driven, gas enters through the air inlet plate, flows through the resonant piece, enters the temporary storage chamber, and then is transmitted to the air collection chamber, and is discharged through the through hole Outside the gas gathering plate, the gas is continuously transported.

1‧‧‧Microfluidic control device

10‧‧‧Base

11‧‧‧Air intake plate

11a‧‧‧ second surface

11b‧‧‧ first surface

110‧‧‧Air intake

111‧‧‧Center recess

112‧‧‧ Bus Bars

12‧‧‧Resonance film

120‧‧‧ hollow holes

121‧‧‧movable department

122‧‧‧Fixed Department

13‧‧‧ Piezoelectric Actuator

130‧‧‧suspension board

130a‧‧‧second surface

130b‧‧‧ first surface

130c‧‧‧ convex

130d‧‧‧ Central Department

130e‧‧‧The outer part

131‧‧‧Front frame

131a‧‧‧second surface

131b‧‧‧ first surface

132‧‧‧ bracket

132a‧‧‧ second surface

132b‧‧‧ first surface

133‧‧‧Piezoelectric components

134, 151‧‧‧ conductive pins

135‧‧‧ gap

141, 142‧‧‧ insulating sheet

15‧‧‧Conductor

16‧‧‧ gas collecting plate

160‧‧‧ recessed groove surface

161‧‧‧ reference surface

162‧‧‧Gas chamber

163‧‧‧through holes

164‧‧‧Open window

17‧‧‧Storage chamber

G0‧‧‧ gap

Fig. 1A is a schematic perspective view showing the front view of the microfluidic control device of the present invention.

Fig. 1B is a schematic view showing the stereoscopic appearance of the back side of the microfluidic control device of the present invention.

2A is a schematic exploded view of the related components in the front direction of the microfluidic control device of the present invention.

2B is a schematic exploded view of the related components in the back direction of the microfluidic control device of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the microfluidic control device of the present invention.

Fig. 4A is a front perspective view showing the piezoelectric actuator of the present invention.

Fig. 4B is a perspective view showing the back side of the piezoelectric actuator of the microfluidic control device of the present invention.

4C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a piezoelectric actuator of the microfluidic control device of the present invention.

5A to 5C are schematic views showing the operation of the microfluidic control device of the present invention.

Some exemplary embodiments embodying the features and advantages of the present invention are described in detail in the following description. It is to be understood that the present invention is capable of various modifications in various aspects, and is not to be construed as a limitation.

Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, and 3, the microfluidic control device 1 of the present invention includes a base 10, a piezoelectric actuator 13, and two insulating sheets 141 and 142. The conductive sheet 15 and the gas collecting plate 16. The base 10 includes the air inlet plate 11 and the resonant plate 12, but is not limited thereto. The piezoelectric actuator 13 is provided corresponding to the resonance plate 12, and the air intake plate 11, the resonance plate 12, the piezoelectric actuator 13, the insulating sheet 141, the conductive sheet 15, the other insulating sheet 142, and the gas collecting plate 16 are provided. The piezoelectric actuator 13 is assembled by a suspension plate 130, an outer frame 131, at least one bracket 132, and a piezoelectric element 133.

The air intake plate 11 has a second surface 11a, a first surface 11b, and at least one air inlet hole 110. In this embodiment, the number of the air intake holes 110 is four, but not limited thereto, and the air intake through the air inlet The second surface 11a and the first surface 11b of the plate 11 are mainly used for allowing gas to flow from the at least one air inlet hole 110 into the microfluidic control device 1 from the outside of the device in response to atmospheric pressure. And as shown in FIG. 2B, the first surface 11b of the air inlet plate 11 is visible, and has at least one bus bar hole 112 corresponding thereto to correspond to at least one air inlet hole 110 of the second surface 11a of the air inlet plate 11. Settings. There is a central recess 111 at the center AC of the bus bar hole 112, and the central recess 111 communicates with the bus bar hole 112, thereby guiding the gas entering the bus bar hole 112 from the at least one air inlet hole 110 to the confluence to the center. The recess 111 is transmitted. In this embodiment, the air inlet plate 11 has an integrally formed air inlet hole 110, a bus bar hole 112, and a central recess 111, and is disposed in the central recess 111. At the same time, a confluence chamber for forming a confluent gas is provided for temporarily storing the gas. In some embodiments, the material of the air inlet plate 11 may be, but is not limited to, a stainless steel material. In other embodiments, the depth of the confluence chamber formed by the central recess 111 is the same as the depth of the bus bar opening 112. The resonator piece 12 is made of a flexible material, but not limited thereto, and has a hollow hole 120 on the resonator piece 12, corresponding to the central recess 111 of the first surface 11b of the air inlet plate 11, to The gas is allowed to pass through, and the resonator piece 12 corresponds to the central recess 111 as a movable portion 121, and a portion fixedly bonded to the air inlet plate 11 of the base 10 is a fixed portion 122. In other embodiments, the resonant plate 12 may be made of a copper material, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C, the piezoelectric actuator 13 is assembled by a suspension plate 130, an outer frame 131, at least one bracket 132, and a piezoelectric element 133. The piezoelectric element 133 has a side length not longer than the side length of the suspension plate 130, and is attached to the first surface 130b of the suspension plate 130 for applying a voltage to generate deformation to drive the suspension plate 130 to bend and vibrate. The suspension plate 130 has a center. The portion 130d and the outer peripheral portion 130e are such that when the piezoelectric element 133 is driven by a voltage, the suspension plate 130 can be flexibly vibrated from the central portion 130d to the outer peripheral portion 130e, and at least one bracket 132 is connected between the suspension plate 130 and the outer frame 131. In this embodiment, the two ends of the bracket 132 are respectively connected to the outer frame 131 and the suspension plate 130 to provide elastic support, and at least one gap 135 is further provided between the bracket 132, the suspension plate 130 and the outer frame 131. The gas is circulated, and the types and numbers of the suspension plate 130, the outer frame 131, and the bracket 132 have various changes. In addition, the outer frame 131 is disposed on the outer side of the suspension plate 130, and has an outwardly protruding conductive pin 134 for power connection, but is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the suspension plate 130 is a stepped surface structure, that is, the second surface 130a of the suspension plate 130 further has a convex portion 130c. The convex portion 130c may be, but not limited to, a circular convex structure. The convex portion 130c of the suspension plate 130 is coplanar with the second surface 131a of the outer frame 131, and the second surface of the suspension plate 130 The second surface 132a of the 130a and the bracket 132 is also coplanar, and the convex portion 130c of the suspension plate 130 and the second surface 131a of the outer frame 131 and the second surface 130a of the suspension plate 130 and the second surface 132a of the bracket 132 Has a specific depth. The first surface 130b of the suspension plate 130 and the first surface 131b of the outer frame 131 and the first surface 132b of the bracket 132 are a flat coplanar structure, and the piezoelectric element 133 has a side length not greater than the side length of the suspension plate 130. Attached to the first surface 130b of the flat suspension plate 130. In other embodiments, the shape of the suspension plate 130 may also be a double-sided flat plate-like square structure, and is not limited thereto, and may be changed according to actual application conditions. In some embodiments, the suspension plate 130, the bracket 132, and the outer frame 131 may be integrally formed, and may be formed of a metal plate, such as stainless steel, but not limited thereto.

Further, in the microfluidic control device 1, the insulating sheet 141, the conductive sheet 15, and the other insulating sheet 142 are sequentially disposed under the piezoelectric actuator 13, and the shape thereof substantially corresponds to the piezoelectric actuator 13. The shape of the box. In some embodiments, the insulating sheets 141, 142 are made of an insulating material, such as plastic, but not limited thereto for insulation; in other embodiments, the conductive sheet 15 is It is made of a conductive material, such as metal, but not limited to it for electrical conduction. Moreover, in the embodiment, a conductive pin 151 may be disposed on the conductive sheet 15 for electrical conduction.

The portion of the microfluidic control device 1 excluding the gas collecting plate 16 is sequentially formed by stacking an insulating sheet 142, a conductive sheet 15, another insulating sheet 141, a piezoelectric actuator 13, a resonance sheet 12, and an air inlet plate 11. A gap g0 is formed between the resonator piece 12 and the piezoelectric actuator 13. In the present embodiment, a material is filled in the gap g0 between the periphery of the frame 131 and the outer surface of the resonator piece 12 and the piezoelectric actuator 13. For example, the conductive paste, but not limited thereto, can maintain the depth of the gap g0 between the resonator piece 12 and the convex portion 130c of the suspension plate 130 of the piezoelectric actuator 13, thereby guiding the airflow more rapidly. Flowing, and because the convex portion 130c of the suspension plate 130 and the resonator piece 12 are kept at an appropriate distance to each other The contact interference is reduced, so that the noise generation can be reduced. In other embodiments, the height of the outer frame 131 of the high voltage electric actuator 13 can be increased to increase a gap when assembling the resonator piece 12. But not limited to this.

The gas collecting plate 16 has a concave groove surface 160, a reference surface 161, a gas collecting chamber 162 and a consistent perforation 163. The concave groove surface 160 has a depth, and the depth is provided for an insulating sheet 142 and a conductive sheet. 15. The other insulating sheet 141, the piezoelectric actuator 13, the resonant sheet 12, and the air inlet plate 11 are sequentially stacked to receive a microfluidic control device 1 therein, and the bottom of the recessed groove surface 160 is recessed to form a gas gathering. The chamber 162 communicates with the reference surface 161 through the through hole 163, so that the gas collection chamber 162 is closed by the piezoelectric actuator 13 so that the gas transmitted by the microfluidic control device 1 can temporarily accumulate in the gas collection chamber. The chamber 162 is discharged from the gas collecting plate 16 by the through hole 163. In addition, the air collecting plate 16 is provided on one side with an opening window 164 communicating with the concave groove surface 160, such an insulating sheet 142, the conductive sheet 15, the other insulating sheet 141, the piezoelectric actuator 13, the resonant sheet 12 and the air inlet. The plate 11 is sequentially placed on the concave groove surface 160 of the gas collecting plate 16 to be assembled and positioned to close the gas collecting chamber 162, so that the conductive pin 151 of the conductive sheet 15 and the piezoelectric actuator 13 outer frame 131 are formed. The outwardly protruding conductive pins 134 can protrude through the opening window 164 and protrude outside the gas collecting plate 16 for convenient connection for electrical conduction.

Referring to FIGS. 5A to 5C, one of the microfluidic control device 1 includes an insulating sheet 142, a conductive sheet 15, another insulating sheet 141, a piezoelectric actuator 13, a resonance sheet 12, and an air inlet plate 11. After being stacked and placed on the concave groove surface 160 of the gas collecting plate 16 to be assembled and closed to close the gas collecting chamber 162, the air inlet plate 11 of the resonant piece 12 can form a confluent gas together with the air inlet plate 11 thereon. And a temporary storage chamber 17 is formed between the resonant plate 12 and the piezoelectric actuator 13 for temporarily storing the gas, and the temporary storage chamber 17 passes through the hollow hole 120 of the resonant piece 12 to enter The chamber at the central recess 111 of the first surface 11b of the gas plate 11 is in communication, and the temporary chamber is Both sides of the 17 are in communication with the plenum chamber 162 by a gap 135 between the holders 132 of the piezoelectric actuator 13.

As shown in Fig. 5A, when the microfluidic control device 1 is actuated, the piezoelectric actuator 13 is mainly actuated by applying a voltage, and the reciprocating vibration in the vertical direction is performed with the holder 132 as a fulcrum. When the piezoelectric actuator 13 is actuated downward by the application of a voltage, since the resonator piece 12 is a light and thin sheet-like structure, when the piezoelectric actuator 13 vibrates, the resonance piece 12 also resonates. The vertical reciprocating vibration is performed, that is, the portion of the movable portion 121 of the resonant piece 12 corresponding to the central concave portion 111 is also deformed by bending vibration. As shown in FIG. 5B, the gas is at least one of the intake air on the air intake plate 11. The hole 110 enters and passes through at least one bus bar hole 112 of the first surface 11b to be collected at the central central recess 111, and then flows downward through the central hole 120 corresponding to the central recess 111 on the resonator piece 12 to the temporary storage. In the chamber 17, at this time, the movable portion 121 of the resonator piece 12 corresponding to the central recess 111 is driven by the introduction and pushing of the fluid and the vibration of the piezoelectric actuator 13, and the piezoelectric actuator 13 is bent downward. The vibration is deformed, and the movable portion 121 of the resonator piece 12 is also attached to the convex portion 130c of the suspension plate 130 of the piezoelectric actuator 13 with the downward vibration, so that the region other than the convex portion 130c of the suspension plate 130 and the resonator piece The spacing between the confluence chambers between the fixed portions 122 on both sides of 12 is not small, By the deformation of the resonator piece 12, the volume of the temporary storage chamber 17 is compressed, and the intermediate flow space of the temporary storage chamber 17 is closed, so that the gas in the chamber is pushed to flow to both sides, and then passes through the piezoelectric actuator 13 The gap 135 between the brackets 132 flows downward to the plenum chamber 162; as shown in FIG. 5C, the piezoelectric actuator 13 is actuated by applying a voltage to vibrate upward, and the resonator 12 is movable. The portion 121 is also pushed and deformed upwardly and flexibly, so that the volume of the temporary chamber 17 is also squeezed, but at this time, since the piezoelectric actuator 13 is lifted upward, the gas in the temporary chamber 17 is directed to both sides. Flowing, while gas continuously enters from at least one of the intake holes 110 on the air inlet plate 11, and then flows into the confluence chamber formed by the central recess 111 to temporarily store, and the gas in the temporary storage chamber 17 is piezoelectrically actuated. The gap 135 between the brackets 132 of the device 13 passes down to the air collection chamber 162, and is discharged through the through hole 163 to the outside of the air collection plate 16, when the piezoelectric actuator 13 returns to the downward vibration shown in FIG. 5A. The movable portion 121 of the resonator piece 12 also returns to the initial position, and the gas in the central recess portion 111 is further caused to flow into the temporary storage chamber 17 by the central hole 120 of the resonator piece 12. By repeating the operations as shown in Figs. 5A to 5C, the operation of the transport gas of the microfluidic control device 1 of the present invention can be carried out.

In summary, the microfluidic control device provided in the present invention mainly enters through the air inlet hole of the micro fluid control device, and uses the action of the piezoelectric actuator to make the gas flow and pressure after the design. A pressure gradient is generated in the chamber to allow the gas to flow at a high speed, so that the microfluidic control device can achieve the effect of mute, and the overall volume of the microfluidic control device can be reduced and thinned, thereby making the microfluidic control device light and comfortable. It is portable and can be widely used in medical equipment and related equipment. Therefore, the microfluidic control device of this case is of great industrial value and is submitted in accordance with the law.

The present invention has been described in detail by the above-described embodiments, and is intended to be modified by those skilled in the art.

Claims (6)

A microfluidic control device comprising: an air inlet plate; a resonance piece having a hollow hole; a piezoelectric actuator; a gas collecting plate having a concave groove surface, a reference surface and a consistent perforation, the concave The grooved mask has a depth, and the piezoelectric actuator, the resonance piece and the air inlet plate are sequentially stacked and assembled, wherein the reference surface is a horizontal surface, and the bottom surface of the concave groove surface is concavely formed. a collecting chamber communicating with the reference surface through the through hole, and the collecting chamber is closed by being supported by the piezoelectric actuator; wherein the resonant piece and the piezoelectric actuator have a The gap forms a temporary storage chamber, and the gap is filled with a material. When the piezoelectric actuator is driven, gas enters through the air inlet plate, flows through the resonant piece, enters the temporary storage chamber, and then transmits to The gas collecting chamber is discharged through the through hole outside the gas collecting plate to continuously transport the gas. The microfluidic control device of claim 1, wherein the air inlet plate has at least one air inlet hole, at least one bus bar hole, and a central recess forming a confluence chamber, the at least one air inlet hole being provided Introducing a gas, the bus bar hole corresponding to the air inlet hole, and the gas guiding the air inlet hole is converged to the confluence chamber formed by the central recess, and the confluence chamber corresponds to the hollow hole of the resonance piece. The microfluidic control device of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric actuator comprises: a suspension plate that can be flexibly vibrated from a central portion to an outer peripheral portion; and an outer frame disposed around the suspension plate An outer side; at least one bracket connected between the suspension plate and the outer frame to provide elastic support; A piezoelectric element having a side length not greater than a side length of the suspension plate is attached to a first surface of the suspension plate for applying a voltage to drive the suspension plate to bend and vibrate. The microfluidic control device of claim 3, wherein the suspension plate has a square shape. The microfluidic control device of claim 3, further comprising two insulating sheets and a conductive sheet, wherein the insulating sheet, the conductive sheet and the other insulating sheet are sequentially disposed on the piezoelectric actuator Under the device, the conductive sheet is provided with a conductive pin, and the outer frame of the piezoelectric actuator is also convexly disposed with a conductive pin. The microfluidic control device of claim 5, wherein the gas collecting plate is provided with an open window on one side thereof to communicate with the concave groove surface for the conductive pin of the conductive sheet and the piezoelectric actuator The conductive pin protruding from the outer frame protrudes outside the gas collecting plate through the opening window to facilitate connection for electrical conduction.