WO2022025230A1 - Pump and fluid control device - Google Patents

Abstract

A pump and fluid control device are provided which allow for miniaturization and which achieve high pump performance. This pump comprises: an actuator element having a first principal surface and a second principal surface opposite of each other and having a first through-hole passing between the first principal surface and the second principal surface; a first plate comprising an opposite part, which includes a first surface that is spaced away from and opposite of the second principal surface of the actuator element, and a connection part, which is connected to the opposite part and which has a second through-hole; a housing internally housing the actuator element and the opposite part of the first plate and including a cylindrical first housing member which is connected to the connection part; and a support member connecting the actuator element and the first housing member and supporting the actuator element inside of the first housing member.

Description

Pump and fluid control device

The present disclosure relates to pumps and fluid control devices.
This application claims priority under Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-130733 filed in Japan on July 31, 2020 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-130735 filed in Japan on July 31, 2020. Incorporate the content here.

As a small pump for transporting a fluid such as gas or liquid, a pump having a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid discharge port and an actuator element arranged inside the housing is known. Further, a fluid control device combining this small pump and a container capable of temporarily storing the fluid sent from the small pump is used, for example, as a sphygmomanometer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In the above-mentioned small pump, the fluid introduced into the housing from the fluid inlet due to the bending motion of the actuator element flows along the surface of the actuator element and is discharged to the outside from the fluid discharge port.

International Publication No. 2016/063710

In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the piezoelectric pump has a flexible plate having a suction hole on the lower surface side of the piezoelectric actuator and a lid plate having a discharge hole on the upper surface side of the piezoelectric actuator. It has become. The piezoelectric pump also has a valve capable of exhausting gas from the cuff. This valve fills the cuff with compressed air and then rapidly exhausts the air from the cuff. As a result, the cuff shrinks rapidly, and the next blood pressure measurement can be started immediately.

Here, it is desired that the small pump using the actuator element be further miniaturized. However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the cuff is directly connected to the discharge hole of the piezoelectric pump without passing through a valve to reduce the size (reduction in height), the piezoelectric pump is filled with compressed air and then the piezoelectric pump is used. When the drive is stopped, air flows back into the piezoelectric pump and the piezoelectric actuator approaches the flexible plate. As a result, there is a risk that the suction hole will be blocked by the piezoelectric actuator and exhaust will not be possible.

Further, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the diaphragm has a structure in which two connecting portions elastically support the frame plate at two points. That is, the peripheral portion of the piezoelectric actuator is not substantially restrained. Therefore, the gap between the piezoelectric actuator and the fixed portion cannot be accurately controlled, which may reduce the pump performance.

The technology according to the present disclosure has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pump and a fluid control device that can cope with miniaturization and realize high pump performance.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the pump has a first main surface and a second main surface facing each other, and has a first through hole penetrating between the first main surface and the second main surface. A first plate having an actuator element, a facing portion including a first surface facing the second main surface of the actuator element via a space, and a connecting portion connected to the facing portion and having a second through hole. A housing including the tubular first housing member that houses the actuator element and the facing portion of the first plate and is connected to the connection portion, and the actuator element and the first housing member. It has a support member that is connected and supports the actuator element inside the first housing member.

According to the technology according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a pump and a fluid control device that can cope with miniaturization and realize high pump performance.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a fluid control device including the pump of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. It is a schematic cross-sectional view explaining the operating state of the actuator element shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the diameter of the 2nd opening, the pressure in a container, and the air flow rate of a pump in the fluid control apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the diameter of the opening of a diaphragm, the pressure of a lower valve chamber, and the air flow rate in a conventional fluid control device. It is sectional drawing which showed the manufacturing method of the fluid control apparatus of 1st Embodiment step by step. It is sectional drawing which showed the manufacturing method of the fluid control apparatus of 1st Embodiment step by step. It is sectional drawing which shows the fluid control apparatus provided with the pump of 2nd Embodiment of this disclosure. It is sectional drawing which shows the fluid control apparatus provided with the pump of 3rd Embodiment of this disclosure. It is sectional drawing which shows the fluid control apparatus provided with the pump of 4th Embodiment of this disclosure. FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operating state of the actuator element shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the fluid control apparatus provided with the pump of 5th Embodiment of this disclosure. It is sectional drawing which shows the fluid control apparatus provided with the pump of 6th Embodiment of this disclosure. FIG. 20 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the fluid control apparatus which concerns on 7th Embodiment of this disclosure. FIG. 22 is a sectional view taken along line XI-XI of FIG. It is sectional drawing which showed the manufacturing method of the fluid control apparatus of 7th Embodiment step by step. It is sectional drawing which showed the manufacturing method of the fluid control apparatus of 7th Embodiment step by step. It is sectional drawing which showed the manufacturing method of the fluid control apparatus of 7th Embodiment step by step.

Hereinafter, a pump and a fluid control device including the pump, which is an embodiment to which the present disclosure is applied, will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments shown below are specifically described in order to better understand the gist of the invention, and do not limit the present disclosure unless otherwise specified. In addition, the drawings used in the following description may be shown by enlarging the main parts for convenience in order to make the features of the present disclosure easy to understand, and the dimensional ratios of each component are the same as the actual ones. It is not always the case.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the fluid control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an operating state of the actuator element shown in FIG.

The fluid control device 1A according to the first embodiment includes a pump 11A and a container (tank) 2 for temporarily storing the fluid sent from the pump 11A.
The pump 11A includes a housing 20, an actuator element 30, a flow path plate (first plate) 40, and a support member 50 for supporting the actuator element 30.

The housing 20 is an exterior body of the pump 11A, and the actuator element 30 and the flow path plate 40 are housed therein.
The housing 20 has a square tubular first housing member 20A having a square outer cross section and an inner cross section and extending along the thickness direction t.

Further, the housing 20 has a second housing member 20B which is formed so as to close one open end of the first housing member 20A and has a bottomed cylindrical body having a square outer cross section and an inner cross section, respectively.
Further, the housing 20 is formed so as to close a part of the other open end of the first housing member 20A, and the outer cross section and the inner cross section are square bottomed tubular bodies, respectively, as a third housing member (position regulating member). ) Has 20C.

The first housing member 20A, the second housing member 20B, and the third housing member (position regulating member) 20C constituting these housings 20 may be integrally formed, for example.

The first opening portion (opening) 21 is formed in the third housing member (position regulating member) 20C constituting the housing 20. Further, the second housing member 20B constituting the housing 20 is formed with a second opening portion 22 penetrating the inner surface 20B1 facing the flow path plate 40 and the opposite surface 20B2. With such a configuration, when the fluid is stored in the container 2, the first opening portion 21 becomes a fluid introduction hole and the second opening portion 22 becomes a fluid discharge hole. Further, when the fluid stored in the container 2 is discharged to the outside, the first opening portion 21 becomes a fluid discharge hole and the second opening portion 22 becomes a fluid introduction hole.

A flow path plate 40 is arranged between the second housing member 20B and the first housing member 20A of the housing 20. As a result, the flow path plate 40 is fixed to the housing 20. Further, a support member 50 is arranged between the first housing member 20A and the third housing member 20C. That is, the support member 50 is sandwiched between the first housing member 20A and the third housing member 20C. As a result, the support member 50 is supported inside the first housing member 20A and is fixed to the housing 20.

In the present embodiment, in the housing 20, the second housing member 20B is connected to the first housing member 20A via the flow path plate 40, and the third housing member 20C is connected to the first housing member 20A via the support member 50. Is connected to.

The method of fixing the flow path plate 40 to the housing 20 is not limited to this. For example, the flow path plate 40 may be fixed to the inner wall of, for example, the first housing member 20A of the housing 20 by using an adhesive or the like.

The housing 20 has a square outer cross section and an inner cross section, respectively. However, the shape of the housing 20 is not limited to this. The housing 20 may have, for example, a square outer cross section and a circular inner cross section, a circular outer cross section and a circular inner cross section, or a circular outer cross section and a square inner cross section. May be. As the constituent material of the housing 20, for example, an insulating material such as resin or ceramics can be used.

It is preferable that the actuator element 30 vibrates (bends) at a predetermined frequency. The actuator element 30 may have a resonance frequency. The resonance frequency of the actuator element 30 is, for example, in the range of 20 kHz or more.

The actuator element 30 has a through hole (first through hole) 31. The through hole 31 communicates with the first opening portion 21 of the housing 20. In the present embodiment, the actuator element 30 has a disk shape, and the through hole 31 is arranged in the center of the disk-shaped actuator element 30. The shape of the actuator element 30 is not limited to a disk shape. The actuator element 30 may be, for example, a square plate or a polygonal plate. However, the shape of the actuator element 30 is preferably a disk shape from the viewpoint of suppressing the appearance of unnecessary resonance frequencies.

The actuator element 30 of this embodiment is composed of a vibration element 36. Such a vibrating element 36 is a piezoelectric vibrator including a plate-shaped piezoelectric body 37 and electrodes 38a and 38b arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 37. The plate-shaped piezoelectric body 37 is composed of, for example, a joint of two piezoelectric bodies whose polarization directions are opposite to each other. As the constituent material of the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 37, for example, a PZT-based piezoelectric vibrating material using lead zirconate titanate-based ceramics can be used. As the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 37 in the present embodiment, two bulk type PZT-based piezoelectric vibrating materials in which the polarization directions are opposite to each other are joined.
As the vibrating element 36, an electrostraining oscillator may be used instead of the piezoelectric oscillator as the vibrating element.

The support member 50 that supports the actuator element 30 is in contact with the protrusion (position regulating portion) 26 of the third housing member (position regulating member) 20C whose surface opposite to the surface joined to the actuator element 30 constitutes the housing 20. In addition, the through hole 31 is arranged at a position communicating with the first opening portion 21 of the third housing member 20C.

The protrusion (position regulating portion) 26 of the third housing member (position regulating member) 20C is arranged around the first opening portion 21, and is arranged from the third housing member (position regulating member) 20C to the inside of the housing 20. It is protruding toward. note that. In the present embodiment, the protrusion (position regulating member) 26 is integrally formed with the third housing member (position regulating member) 20C as a configuration included in the third housing member (position regulating member) 20C. The protrusion (position regulating portion) 26 may be formed of a member different from the third housing member (position regulating member) 20C.

Further, the support member 50 is arranged so as to cover the entire region between the actuator element 30 and the first housing member 20A when the support member 50 is viewed in a plan view from the flow path plate 40.
As a result, the fluid flows from the first opening portion 21 only through the through hole 31. The other paths are blocked by the support member 50. Therefore, the support member 50 not only supports the actuator element 30, but also plays a role of blocking the inflow path of the fluid, so that the structure can be simplified.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the actuator element 30 is vibrating. The position where the node (node) N generated when the actuator element 30 alone vibrates comes into contact with the protrusion (position regulating portion) 26 via the support member 50, or the node N is closer to the protrusion (position regulating portion) 26 than the protrusion (position regulating portion) 26. It is preferable that the position is slightly outside.

In the present embodiment, the actuator element 30 is in contact with the protrusion (position regulating portion) 26 of the third housing member (position regulating member) 20C via the support member 50, and is projected by the elastic force of the support member 50. It is configured to be pressed against the portion (position regulating portion) 26 so as not to be separated from each other.

Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the surface of the actuator element 30 on the side in contact with the protrusion (position regulating portion) 26 of the third housing member (position regulating member) 20C is the first main surface 32a, and the surface on the opposite side thereof is the first. 2 It may be referred to as a main surface 32b.
In the present embodiment, the first main surface 32a of the actuator element 30 is one surface of the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 37, and the second main surface 32b is the other surface of the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 37.

The flow path plate 40 is arranged at a position facing the second main surface 32b of the actuator element 30 via the space E1. The space E1 constitutes a part of the flow path of the fluid introduced into the housing 20, and the surface of the flow path plate 40 facing the space E1 is a first flow path surface (first surface) 41a. There is. The flow path plate 40 has a facing portion including a first flow path surface 41a facing the second main surface 32b of the actuator element 30. The facing portion of the flow path plate 40 is housed inside the housing 20.

It is preferable that the recess 42 is formed in the first flow path surface 41a of the flow path plate 40. The recess 42 is formed in an annular shape centered on the through hole 31 of the actuator element 30, for example. The recess 42 forms in the space E1 an expansion portion E2 having an expanded cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the fluid flows.

With such a configuration, even when the size of the actuator element 30 of the pump 11A is reduced, Helmholtz resonance is likely to occur at a low frequency at 20 kHz or higher. Therefore, even when the size of the pump 11A is reduced, the suction capacity of the pump 11A can be increased. The recess 42 may be a curved surface having an arcuate cross section. In this case, the flow of the fluid to the expansion portion E2 becomes smoother.

In the flow path plate 40, the outer region not facing the actuator element 30 is a connecting portion 40a, and a through hole (second through hole) 43 is formed in the connecting portion 40a. In the present embodiment, the through hole 43 has a rectangular shape when the flow path plate 40 is viewed in a plan view (see FIG. 3), and the peripheral edge of the pump 11A on the center side overlaps with the peripheral edge of the actuator element 30 to form a pump. The outer peripheral edge of 11A is located at a distance from the first housing member 20A.

That is, the connecting portion 40a is connected to the facing portion including the first flow path surface 41a at the portion excluding the region where the through hole 43 is formed. That is, the connecting portion 40a is arranged around the facing portion. Further, the flow path plate 40 is connected to the first housing member 20A (and the second housing member 20B) by the connecting portion 40a except for the region where the through hole 43 is formed. The flow path plate 40 may be a single plate-shaped member in which the connecting portion 40a is integrally formed.

The through hole 43 is a flow path through which the fluid flows. That is, the through hole 43 communicates with the space E1 facing the first flow path surface 41a and the space E3 facing the second flow path surface (second surface) 41b forming the opposite surface of the first flow path surface 41a.

A plurality of through holes 43 may be arranged concentrically with the actuator element 30 at equal intervals. As the material of the flow path plate 40 including the connecting portion 40a, for example, resin, metal, or the like can be used.

The support member 50 includes a first wiring 51a and a second wiring 51b. The first wiring 51a and the second wiring 51b extend in opposite directions to each other. The support member 50 may be formed of a flexible resin sheet so as not to interfere with the vibration (bending motion) of the actuator element 30. Further, the flexible resin sheet may have an insulating property. Examples of the flexible resin sheet having an insulating property include a polyimide sheet.

The first wiring 51a and the second wiring 51b connect the electrodes 38a and 38b of the vibrating element 36 to a power supply (not shown). The first wiring 51a and the electrode 38a are connected via a through hole 52 formed in the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 37. The electrode 38b is formed so as to avoid the periphery of the through hole 52 so that the first wiring 51a and the electrode 38b do not come into contact with each other. The second wiring 51b is connected to the electrode 38b.

The pump 11A of the present embodiment having the above configuration transports the fluid as follows.
A voltage is applied to the electrodes 38a and 38b of the vibrating element 36 via the first wiring 51a and the second wiring 51b.
As a result, the vibrating element 36 vibrates. The vibration of the vibrating element 36 causes the actuator element 30 to vibrate (bend motion).

When the actuator element 30 vibrates, the fluid flows from the first opening portion 21 through the through hole 31 of the actuator element 30 and is introduced into the housing 20. The fluid flows in the space E1 between the second main surface 32b of the actuator element 30 and the first flow path surface 41a of the flow path plate 40. The fluid that has passed through the expansion portion E2 of the space E1 then flows from the through hole 43 of the flow path plate 40 to the space E3 between the second flow path surface 41b and the inner surface 20B1 of the second housing member 20B, and is second-opened. It is supplied to the container 2 through the hole 22.

Due to such a fluid flow, the fluid in the expansion part E2 of the space E1 resonates with Helmholtz. By matching the frequency of the Helmholtz resonance with the vibrating element and the operating frequency, it becomes possible to improve the suction capacity of the pump 11A.

When the actuator element 30 stops vibrating after the container 2 is filled with the fluid, the fluid stored in the container 2 flows back into the pump 11A and is discharged from the through hole 31. At this time, the actuator element 30 receives a force in the direction of pushing the support member 50 toward the protrusion (position regulating portion) 26 by the pressure of the fluid, and the space (space) between the actuator element 30 and the flow path plate 40. Since E1 and the expansion part E2) do not change, the fluid can be rapidly exhausted.

Here, in the fluid control device 1A provided with the pump 11A of the present embodiment, the effect of eliminating the need for a valve will be described in detail.

First, the configuration of a conventional fluid control device equipped with a valve will be described. In a conventional fluid control device, for example, the piezoelectric pump described in Patent Document 1, the valve is connected to the piezoelectric pump by joining the upper surface of the piezoelectric pump to the bottom surface of the valve, and the cuff is attached to the cuff connection port of the valve. By doing so, the cuff is connected to the valve. The piezoelectric pump has a structure having a flexible plate having a suction hole on the lower surface side of the piezoelectric actuator and a lid plate having a discharge hole on the upper surface side of the piezoelectric actuator.

The valve has a first vent that communicates with the discharge hole of the piezoelectric pump, a second vent that communicates with the internal space of the cuff, a third vent that communicates with the outside, a first valve seat, and a third valve. It comprises a valve housing with a second valve seat protruding from the perimeter of the pores and a diaphragm fixed to the valve housing having an opening. The diaphragm forms a lower valve chamber that communicates with the first vent and an upper valve chamber that communicates with the second vent and the third vent.

In such a conventional fluid control device, when the piezoelectric pump is driven, air flows into the lower valve chamber through the first ventilation hole, the pressure in the lower valve chamber becomes higher than the pressure in the upper valve chamber, and the diaphragm is formed. By contacting with the second valve seat to close the third ventilation hole and separating from the first valve seat, air is sent to the cuff through the opening of the diaphragm. On the other hand, when the drive of the piezoelectric pump is stopped, the pressure in the lower valve chamber becomes lower than the pressure in the upper valve chamber, the diaphragm is separated from the second valve seat, the third vent is opened, and the pressure in the first valve seat is reached. Upon contact, the opening of the diaphragm is closed, and the air in the cuff is rapidly exhausted through the third ventilation hole.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the diameter of the opening of the diaphragm and the pressure in the lower valve chamber (solid line) and the relationship with the air flow rate (broken line) in the piezoelectric pump described in Patent Document 1. In FIG. 7, the horizontal axis represents the diameter of the opening of the diaphragm (μm), the left vertical axis represents the pressure in the lower valve chamber (kPa), and the right vertical axis represents the flow rate during operation (ml / min). The piezoelectric actuator has a disk shape (diameter: 12 mm). The distance between the piezoelectric actuator and the flexible plate was set to 10 μm.

From the graph of FIG. 7, in the conventional fluid control device, the flow rate increases as the diameter of the opening of the diaphragm increases, while the pressure in the lower valve chamber decreases. That is, in the conventional fluid control device, when trying to send air to the cuff, the pressure in the lower valve chamber must be higher than the pressure in the upper valve chamber, and in order to avoid a decrease in the pressure in the lower valve chamber, It can be seen that the diameter of the opening of the diaphragm cannot be increased and the flow rate cannot be increased.

This is because a valve having a diaphragm forming a lower valve chamber communicating with the first vent and an upper valve chamber communicating with the second vent and the third vent is required. If the valve is removed by the conventional fluid control device, when the piezoelectric pump stops driving after the cuff is filled with compressed air, the air flows back into the piezoelectric pump and the piezoelectric actuator approaches the flexible plate. As a result, the suction hole may be blocked by the piezoelectric actuator, and exhaust may not be possible. Therefore, a valve provided with a ventilation hole for exhaust is required, the diameter of the opening of the diaphragm cannot be increased, and the flow rate cannot be increased.

FIG. 8 shows the relationship (solid line) between the diameter of the second opening portion 22 and the pressure in the container (tank) 2 and the relationship between the air flow rate of the pump 11A in the fluid control device 1A of the first embodiment (the relationship between them). It is a graph which shows (dashed line). In FIG. 8, the horizontal axis is the diameter (μm) of the second opening portion 22, the left vertical axis is the pressure (kPa) in the container (tank) of the pump, and the right vertical axis is the flow rate of air during operation (ml). / Min). The actuator element 30 has a disk shape (diameter: 12 mm). The opening height of the space E1 (distance between the second main surface 32b of the actuator element 30 and the first flow path surface 41a of the flow path plate 40) was set to 10 μm. In this embodiment, the opening of the diaphragm of the conventional example corresponds to the second opening 22. Further, according to FIG. 8, when the diameter of the second opening is set to 200 μm or more, the pressure and the flow rate converge to constant values, and each becomes a high value.

From the graph of FIG. 8, in the fluid control device 1A provided with the pump 11A of the present embodiment, the valve in the conventional fluid control device is not required by forming the through hole 31 in the actuator element 30. Therefore, the opening diameter of the second opening portion 22 can be widened to increase the flow rate.

In the fluid control device 1A of the present embodiment configured as described above, the actuator element 30 of the pump 11A has a through hole 31, and the flow path plate 40 passes through the second main surface 32b of the actuator element 30 and the space E1. It has a facing portion including a first surface facing the facing portion, and a connecting portion connected to the facing portion and having a through hole 43. Further, it has a cylindrical first housing member 20A connected to the connection portion of the flow path plate 40, and the support member 50 supports the actuator element 30 inside the first housing member 20A.

Further, in the fluid control device 1A of the present embodiment, the surface of the support member 50 that supports the actuator element 30 of the pump 11A and the surface opposite to the surface joined to the actuator element 30 and the protrusion of the third housing member 20C (position restriction). The portion) 26 is in contact with the through hole 31, and the through hole 31 is arranged at a position facing the first opening portion 21 of the third housing member 20C.

In the pump 11A having such a configuration, when the actuator element 30 vibrates, the flow path is in the vicinity of the center of the actuator element 30 near the through hole 31 which is close to or separated from the flow path plate 40 and in the opposite phase to the vicinity of the center. The vicinity of the peripheral edge of the actuator element 30 separated from or close to the plate 40 functions as a valve. That is, the vicinity of the center and the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the actuator element 30 form a valve structure that functions in conjunction with the resonance vibration of the actuator element 30. As a result, it has a valve opening / closing function that works reliably even at a high vibration speed of the audible band or higher (20 kHz or higher), so that a high pumping capacity can be exhibited.

Further, in the pump 11A having such a configuration, even if the pressure in the pump 11A rises, the through hole 31 is not blocked by this pressure rise, so that the pump 11A pushes the pump 11A into the container (tank) 2. The fluid can be stored and the fluid in the container (tank) 2 can be discharged. That is, since the fluid control device 1A of the present embodiment can eliminate the need for a valve, it is possible to reduce the size, cost, and performance.

Further, since the fluid control device 1A having such a configuration does not need to be provided with a valve, the opening diameter of the second opening portion 22 can be increased without limitation. As a result, it becomes possible to realize a fluid control device that generates a large flow rate at high pressure.

(Manufacturing method of fluid control device 1)
Next, an example of the manufacturing method of the fluid control device 1A of the first embodiment will be described.
9 and 10 are cross-sectional views showing a method of manufacturing the fluid control device 1A of the first embodiment.

First, as shown in FIG. 9A, a disk-shaped vibrating element 36 having a through hole 31 in the center is formed on the elastic substrate forming material 335. The vibrating element 36 can be formed, for example, as follows. First, the first electrode, the plate-shaped piezoelectric body, and the second electrode are laminated in this order on the elastic substrate forming material 335 to form a piezoelectric vibration film. The first electrode, the plate-shaped piezoelectric body, and the second electrode can be formed into a film by using, for example, a sputtering method. Next, the piezoelectric vibrating membrane is formed into a disk shape having a through hole in the center by using an etching process.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the vibrating element 36 is covered with the positive resist film pattern 339. The positive resist film pattern 339 can be formed, for example, as follows. First, a positive resist is applied on the vibrating element 36 and the elastic substrate forming material 335 to form a positive resist film. Next, with the photomask placed near the peripheral edge of the vibrating element 36, the positive resist film is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to develop a positive resist film that covers the portion other than the peripheral edge of the vibrating element 36. It is easily soluble in liquid. Then, the positive resist film that has been altered to be easily soluble is dissolved with a developing solution.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9C, a support member forming film 350 is formed on the vibrating element 36 and the positive resist film pattern 339. As a method for forming the support member forming film 350, for example, a spin coating method can be used.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9D, a wiring pattern is formed on the support member forming film 350. The wiring pattern forms a first wiring 51a connected to the first electrode of the vibrating element 36 and a second wiring 51b connected to the second electrode of the vibrating element 36. The first wiring 51a is connected to the first electrode of the vibrating element 36 via the first through hole 52a. The second wiring 51b is connected to the second electrode of the vibrating element 36 via the second through hole 52b.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10A, the support member forming film 350 is cut into the shape of the support member 50, and the positive resist film pattern 339 is removed. The positive resist film pattern can be removed, for example, by irradiating the positive resist film pattern with ultraviolet rays to easily change the positive resist film pattern into a developing solution and then dissolving the positive resist film pattern in the developing solution. .. By removing the positive resist film pattern 339, a gap 39 is formed between the peripheral edge of the vibrating element 36 and the support member forming film 350.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10B, the temporary substrate 362 is bonded to the surface of the support member 50 on the side opposite to the vibrating element 36 side via the adhesive 361 to obtain a bonded body 370. The material of the temporary substrate is not particularly limited, and for example, a glass substrate or a metal substrate can be used.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10C, the joint body 370 is inverted so that the temporary substrate 362 is on the lower side, the elastic substrate forming material 335 is processed into the shape of the elastic substrate 35, and the support member 50 has a through hole. 31 is formed.

Then, as shown in FIG. 10 (D), the adhesive 361 and the temporary substrate 362 of the bonded body 370 are removed. In this way, the actuator element 30 with the support member 50 is obtained. The obtained actuator element 30 with the support member 50 and the flow path plate 40 are fixed by the housing 20 to form the pump 11A. Next, the fluid control device 1A is obtained by joining the container 2 to the second opening portion 22 of the pump 11A.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid control device according to the second embodiment.
In the following description, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment described above will be assigned the same number, and duplicate description will be omitted.
The pump 11B constituting the fluid control device 1B according to the second embodiment has an actuator element 60 formed inside the housing 20.

The actuator element 60 of the present embodiment is composed of an elastic substrate (substrate) 65 and a vibration element 66 arranged on the surface (lower surface) of the elastic substrate 65. The elastic substrate 65 is preferably made of a material capable of bending vibration due to the vibration of the vibrating element 66 and hardly dampening the vibration energy of the vibrating element 66. Examples of the material of the elastic substrate 65 include silicon and iron. Phosphor bronze or the like can be used. The vibrating element 66 is a piezoelectric vibrator including a thin-film piezoelectric body 67 and electrodes 68a and 68b arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the thin-film piezoelectric body 67. The vibration element 66 may be a piezoelectric vibrator laminated body in which two or more piezoelectric vibrators are laminated.

In such an actuator element 60, the surface (lower surface) of the vibrating element 66 is the first main surface 62a, and the surface (upper surface) of the elastic substrate 65 which is the opposite surface thereof is the second main surface 62b. To make.

The actuator element 60 is formed with a through hole (first through hole) 61 that penetrates between the first main surface 62a and the second main surface 62b. The through hole 61 is composed of a first opening region 65A formed in the vibrating element 66 and a second opening region 65B connected to the first opening region 65A and formed in the elastic substrate 65. ..

Such a through hole 61 is formed so that the opening diameter of the first opening region 65A formed in the vibrating element 66 is larger than the opening diameter of the second opening region 65B formed in the elastic substrate 65. ing.
Further, the central axis of the first opening region 65A and the central axis of the second opening region 65B are formed so as to be on the same axis S.

When the first opening region 65A and the second opening region 65B are holes having a circular cross section as in the present embodiment, the opening diameter may be a diameter, but the first opening region and the second opening region may be used. When the region 65B is a hole having a rectangular cross section or a polygonal cross section, the opening diameter may be the maximum diameter (maximum opening diameter).

Even if the actuator element 60 is composed of the elastic substrate 65 and the vibration element 66 joined to each other as in the present embodiment, the vibration speed is higher than the audible band (20 kHz or more) as in the pump of the first embodiment. Since it has a valve opening / closing function that works reliably even in the above, a high pumping capacity can be exhibited.

In addition, the pump 11C capable of storing the fluid in the container (tank) 2 and discharging the fluid in the container (tank) 2 can be realized, and the valve can be eliminated, so that the size, cost, and performance can be improved. Can be planned. Further, since it is not necessary to provide a valve, the opening diameter of the second opening portion 22 can be increased without limitation, and it becomes possible to realize a fluid control device that generates a large flow rate at a high pressure.

By configuring the actuator element 60 from a vibrating element 66 and an elastic substrate 65 joined as in the present embodiment, even if a thin thin film piezoelectric body 67 is used as the vibrating element 66, the actuator element 60 can be used. Physical strength can be maintained. Further, by using the thin film piezoelectric body 67, it is possible to cope with high frequency vibration, and the actuator element 60 can be driven more efficiently.

Further, as in the present embodiment, the opening diameter of the first opening region 65A formed in the vibrating element 66 is made larger than the opening diameter of the second opening region 65B formed in the elastic substrate 65. Since the vibrating element 66 is securely fixed to the elastic substrate 65 as compared with the case where they are formed to have the same opening diameter, reliability can be improved.

Further, in the actuator element 60, when the fluid flows in the suction direction by making the opening diameter of the first opening region 65A on the suction side at the time of suction larger than the opening diameter of the second opening region 65B. In comparison, the fluid resistance when the fluid flows backward can be increased. This can improve the pump performance.

(Third Embodiment)
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid control device according to the third embodiment.
In the following description, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment described above will be assigned the same number, and duplicate description will be omitted.
The pump 11C constituting the fluid control device 1C according to the third embodiment has an actuator element 70 formed inside the housing 20.

The actuator element 70 of the present embodiment is composed of an elastic substrate (board) 75 and a vibration element 76 arranged on the surface (upper surface) of the elastic substrate 75. The elastic substrate 65 is preferably made of a conductive material capable of bending vibration due to the vibration of the vibrating element 76 and hardly dampening the vibration energy of the vibrating element 76. Examples of the material of the elastic substrate 75 include iron. Phosphor bronze or the like can be used. The vibrating element 76 is a piezoelectric vibrator including a thin-film piezoelectric body 77 and electrodes 78a and 78b arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the thin-film piezoelectric body 77. In this embodiment, one electrode 78b of the vibrating element 76 is connected to the first wiring 51a via an elastic substrate 75 made of a conductive material.

In such an actuator element 70, one surface (lower surface) of the elastic substrate 75 is the first main surface 72a, and the surface (upper surface) of the vibrating element 76, which is the opposite surface, is the second main surface. It forms 72b. That is, the actuator element of the second embodiment has a configuration in which the formation positions of the elastic substrate and the vibration element are opposite to each other.

The actuator element 70 is formed with a through hole (first through hole) 71 that penetrates between the first main surface 72a and the second main surface 72b. The through hole 71 is composed of a first opening region 75A formed in the vibrating element 76 and a second opening region 75B connected to the first opening region 75A and formed in the elastic substrate 75. ..

In the present embodiment, the opening diameter of the first opening region 75A and the opening diameter of the second opening region 75B formed on the elastic substrate 75 are formed to have the same size. Further, the central axis of the first opening region 75A and the central axis of the second opening region 75B are formed so as to be on the same axis S.

As in the present embodiment, the actuator element 70 is configured by joining the elastic substrate 75 and the vibrating element 76, and even if the vibrating element 76 is positioned to face the first flow path surface 41a of the flow path plate 40, the first Similar to the pump of one embodiment, it has a valve opening / closing function that reliably works even at a high vibration speed in the audible band or higher (20 kHz or higher), so that a high pumping capacity can be exhibited. In addition, the pump 11C capable of storing the fluid in the container (tank) 2 and discharging the fluid in the container (tank) 2 can be realized, and the valve can be eliminated, so that the size, cost, and performance can be improved. Can be planned. Further, since it is not necessary to provide a valve, the opening diameter of the second opening portion 22 can be increased without limitation, and it becomes possible to realize a fluid control device that generates a large flow rate at a high pressure.

(Fourth Embodiment)
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the fluid control device according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 14, FIG. 16 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 14, and FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the node portion of the actuator element shown in FIG. 13 and the protrusion portion formed on the third housing member.

The fluid control device 2A according to the fourth embodiment includes a pump 111A and a container (tank) 102 for temporarily storing the fluid sent from the pump 111A.
The pump 111A includes a housing 120, an actuator element 130, a flow path plate (first plate) 140, and a support member 150 that supports the actuator element 130.

The housing 120 is an exterior body of the pump 111A, and the actuator element 130 and the flow path plate 140 are housed therein.
The housing 120 has a square tubular first housing member 120A having a square outer cross section and an inner cross section and extending along the thickness direction t.

Further, the housing 120 has a second housing member 120B which is formed so as to close one open end of the first housing member 120A and has a bottomed cylindrical body having a square outer cross section and an inner cross section, respectively. The second housing member 120B is connected to the first housing member 120A.
Further, the housing 120 is formed so as to close a part of the other open end of the first housing member 120A, and is a bottomed cylindrical body having a square outer cross section and a circular inner cross section (position restriction). Member) has 120C. The third housing member (position regulating member) 120C is connected to the first housing member 120A.

The first housing member 120A, the second housing member 120B, and the third housing member (position regulating member) 120C constituting these housings 120 may be integrally formed, for example.
The housing 120 is not limited to the above-mentioned shape, and may have an arbitrary tubular shape.

A first opening portion (first opening) 121 is formed in the third housing member (position regulating member) 120C constituting the housing 120. Further, the second housing member 120B constituting the housing 120 is formed with a second opening portion (second opening) 122 penetrating the inner surface 120B1 facing the flow path plate 140 and the opposite surface 120B2 thereof. There is. When the fluid is stored in the container 102, the first opening portion 121 serves as a fluid introduction port, and the second opening portion 22 serves as a fluid discharge port. Further, when the fluid stored in the container 102 is discharged to the outside, the first opening portion 121 serves as a fluid discharge port, and the second opening portion 122 serves as a fluid introduction port.

A flow path plate 140 is arranged between the second housing member 120B and the first housing member 120A of the housing 120. As a result, the flow path plate 140 is fixed to the housing 120. Further, a support member 150 is arranged between the first housing member 120A and the third housing member 120C. That is, the support member 150 is sandwiched between the first housing member 120A and the third housing member 120C. As a result, the support member 150 is supported inside the first housing member 120A and is fixed to the housing 120.

In the present embodiment, in the housing 120, the second housing member 120B is connected to the first housing member 120A via the flow path plate 140, and the third housing member 120C is connected to the first housing member 120A via the support member 150. Is connected to.

The method of fixing the flow path plate 140 to the housing 120 is not limited to this. For example, the flow path plate 140 may be fixed to the inner wall of the housing 120, for example, the first housing member 120A by using an adhesive or the like.

The housing 120 has a square outer cross section and an inner cross section, respectively. However, the shape of the housing 120 is not limited to this. The housing 120 may have, for example, a square outer cross section and a circular inner cross section, a circular outer cross section and a circular inner cross section, or a circular outer cross section and a square inner cross section. May be. As the constituent material of the housing 120, for example, an insulating material such as resin or ceramics can be used.

It is preferable that the actuator element 130 vibrates (bends) at a predetermined frequency. The actuator element 130 may have a resonance frequency. The resonance frequency of the actuator element 130 may be in the range of, for example, 20 kHz or more.

In this embodiment, the actuator element 130 is formed with a through hole 131. The through hole 131 communicates with the first opening portion 121 of the housing 120. In the present embodiment, the actuator element 130 has a disk shape, and the through hole 131 is arranged in the center of the disk-shaped actuator element 130. The shape of the actuator element 130 is not limited to a disk shape. The actuator element 130 may be, for example, a square plate or a polygonal plate. However, the shape of the actuator element 130 is preferably a disk shape from the viewpoint of suppressing the appearance of unnecessary resonance frequencies.

The actuator element 130 of this embodiment is composed of a vibration element 136. Such a vibrating element 136 is a piezoelectric vibrator including a plate-shaped piezoelectric body 137 and electrodes 138a and 138b arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 137. The plate-shaped piezoelectric body 137 is composed of, for example, a joint of two piezoelectric bodies whose polarization directions are opposite to each other. As the constituent material of the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 137, for example, a PZT-based piezoelectric vibrating material using lead zirconate titanate-based ceramics can be used. As the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 137 in the present embodiment, two bulk type PZT-based piezoelectric vibrating materials in which the polarization directions are opposite to each other are joined.
As the vibrating element 136, an electrostraining oscillator may be used instead of the piezoelectric oscillator as the vibrating element.

The actuator element 130 is joined to the support member 150 by the joint portion 153.
The lower surface of the actuator element 130 is in contact with the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 via the support member 150. That is, the support member 150 is in contact with the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 on the opposite surface (lower surface) of the surface (upper surface) on which the joint portion 153 is formed. Further, the through hole 131 of the actuator element 130 is arranged at a position communicating with the first opening portion 121 of the third housing member 120C.

The protrusion (position regulating member) 126 is arranged around the first opening (first opening) 121 of the third housing member (position regulating member) 120C, and is arranged from the third housing member (position regulating member) 120C. , Projecting inward of the housing 120. The protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 is connected to the third housing member (position regulating member) 120C. In the present embodiment, the protrusion (position regulating member) 126 is integrally formed with the third housing member (position regulating member) 120C as a configuration included in the third housing member (position regulating member) 120C. The protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 may be formed of a member different from the third housing member (position regulating member) 120C.

The protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 is formed inside the node N generated when the actuator element 130 is vibrated, that is, closer to the center of the actuator element 130. That is, the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 is connected to the actuator element 130 at a position closer to the center of the actuator element 130 than the node N generated when the actuator element 130 vibrates. More specifically, the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 is connected to the actuator element 130 via the support member 150, and the support member 150 is located closer to the center of the actuator element 130 than the node N. It is in contact with a surface opposite to the surface to be joined to the actuator element 130 of the above.

Although the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 is in contact with the surface opposite to the surface of the support member 150 closer to the center of the actuator element 130 than the node N to be joined to the actuator element 130, the actuator element 130 At the peripheral edge of the node N and the node N, the support member 150 is not in contact with the surface opposite to the surface joined to the actuator element 130. That is, the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 is separated from the support member 150 closer to the peripheral edge than the node N and the node N.

In the actuator element 130 of the present embodiment, when a voltage is applied to the electrodes 138a and 138b via the first wiring 151a and the second wiring 151b, the vibrating element 136 vibrates. The vibration of the vibrating element 136 causes the actuator element 130 to vibrate (bend motion) at a predetermined frequency.

As shown in FIG. 18A, when the vibrating element 136 is vibrated in a state where there is nothing in contact with the vibrating element 136, the node (node) N does not vibrate at all and the amplitude becomes 0 in the plane of the vibrating element 136. And the anti-node (antinode) AN where the amplitude becomes maximum and the displacement oscillates most occurs. In the present embodiment, the anti-node AN at the time of vibration of the vibrating element 136 occurs at the center of the vibrating element 136, and the node (node) N occurs inside the peripheral edge of the vibrating element 136.

As an example, when a vibrating element 136 having a vibrating element having a diameter of D12 mm, which is formed by forming a PZT (lead zirconate titanate) film having a thickness of 10 μm on a Si single crystal film having a thickness of 260 μm, is vibrated (vibration resonance). Gain 40 dB), the runout width V1 of the anti-node AN is about 15 μm, and the runout width V2 of the peripheral portion is about 11 μm.

As shown in FIG. 18B, in the present embodiment, the vibration width V1 of the anti-node AN and the vibration width V2 of the peripheral portion at the time of vibration of the vibrating element 136 are arranged in a circular position where they are the same as each other. The protrusions (position regulating portions) 126 are provided so as to overlap each other. At this position, when the diameter of the center of the cross section of the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 is e and the diameter of the node N is c, the relationship is c> e, that is, the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 is the node. It will be inside N. That is, the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 contacts the actuator element 130 inside the node N via the support member 150.

In the present embodiment, the actuator element 130 is in contact with the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 via the support member 150, and is pressed against the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 by the elastic force of the support member 150. It is configured so that it does not separate from each other.

The joint portion 153 to which the actuator element 130 is joined to the support member 150 is formed closer to the center of the actuator element 130 than the above-mentioned node N. That is, the actuator element 130 is supported by the support member 150 inside the node N (see FIGS. 14 and 17).

The support member 150 is formed of a flexible resin sheet so as not to interfere with the vibration (bending motion) of the actuator element 130. Further, the flexible resin sheet may have an insulating property.
Examples of the flexible resin sheet having an insulating property include a polyimide sheet.

The support member 150 is bent like a crank toward the third housing member (position regulating member) 120C on the peripheral side of the joint portion 153. With such a configuration, at the position of the node N of the actuator element 130, the support member 150 is formed with a separation portion 150a separated from the actuator element 130 in the thickness direction t.

Further, the support member 150 is further bent in a crank shape on the peripheral edge side of the separation portion 150a to form a drawer portion 150b extending from between the first housing member 120A and the third housing member 120C to the outside of the housing 120. ing.

The drawer portion 150b of the support member 150 is formed so as to be at the same position in the thickness direction t with respect to the joint portion 153 of the support member 150. That is, the upper surface of the drawer portion 150b of the support member 150 and the upper surface of the joint portion 153 of the support member 150 are on the same surface in the plane spreading direction f perpendicular to the thickness direction t. By forming the support member 150 in a bellows structure in this way, it is possible to improve the displacement amount and improve the pump performance without disturbing the vibration of the actuator element 130.

Further, the support member 150 is arranged so as to cover the entire region between the actuator element 130 and the first housing member 120A when the support member 150 is viewed in a plan view from the flow path plate 140.
As a result, the fluid flows only from the first opening portion 121 through the through hole 131. The other paths are blocked by the support member 150. Therefore, since the support member 150 not only supports the actuator element 130 but also plays a role of blocking the inflow path of the fluid, the structure can be simplified.

As shown in FIG. 17, the support member 150 is formed with a power supply wiring 151 that supplies electric power to the actuator element 130. The power supply wiring 151 includes a first wiring 151a and a second wiring 151b. The first wiring 151a and the second wiring 151b extend in opposite directions along the surface spreading direction f. Therefore, since the support member 150 not only supports the actuator element 130 but also serves as an electric wiring, the structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

The wirings 151a and 151b connect the electrodes 138a and 138b of the vibrating element 136 and the power supply (not shown). The first wiring 151a and the electrode 138a are connected to each other via a through hole 152 formed in the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 137. The electrode 138b is formed so as to avoid the periphery of the through hole 152 so that the first wiring 151a and the electrode 138b do not come into contact with each other. The second wiring 151b is connected to the electrode 138b. The electrical connection portion T1 between the first wiring 151a and the electrode 138a and the electrical connection portion T2 between the second wiring 151b and the electrode 138b are formed at positions inside the node N, respectively.

Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the surface of the actuator element 130 on the side connected to the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 via the support member 150 is the first main surface 132a, and the surface on the opposite side is the second main surface. It may be referred to as 132b.
In the present embodiment, the first main surface 132a of the actuator element 130 is one surface of the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 137, and the second main surface 132b is the other surface of the plate-shaped piezoelectric body 137.

The flow path plate 140 is arranged at a position facing the second main surface 132b of the actuator element 130 via the space E1. The space E1 constitutes a part of the flow path of the fluid introduced into the housing 120, and the surface of the flow path plate 140 facing the space E1 is the first flow path surface 141a. The flow path plate 140 has a facing portion including a first flow path surface 141a facing the second main surface 132b of the actuator element 130. The inner surface of the second housing member 120B extends so as to face the second flow path surface 141b (second surface) forming the opposite surface of the first flow path surface 141a of the flow path plate 140.

In the present embodiment, the recess 142 is formed in the first flow path surface 141a of the flow path plate 140.
The recess 142 is formed in an annular shape centered on the through hole 131 of the actuator element 130, for example. The recess 142 forms an expansion portion E2 in the space E1 with an expanded cross-sectional area along the thickness direction t. As a result, even when the size of the actuator element 130 of the pump 111A is reduced, Helmholtz resonance is likely to occur at a low frequency at 20 kHz or higher.

Therefore, even if the size of the pump 111A is reduced, the suction capacity of the pump 111A can be increased. The recess 142 may be a curved surface having an arcuate cross section. In this case, the flow of the fluid to the expansion portion E2 becomes smoother.

The outer region of the flow path plate 140 that does not face the actuator element 130 is a connecting portion 140a, and a through hole 143 is formed in the connecting portion 140a. In the present embodiment, the through hole 143 has a rectangular shape when the flow path plate 140 is viewed in a plan view, the peripheral edge on the center side of the pump 111A overlaps with the peripheral edge of the actuator element 130, and the outer peripheral edge of the pump 111A is formed. It is located at a distance from the first housing member 120A. That is, the connecting portion 140a is connected to the facing portion including the first flow path surface 141a at a portion excluding the region where the through hole 143 is formed. That is, the connecting portion 140a is arranged around the facing portion.

Further, the flow path plate 140 is connected to the first housing member 120A (and the second housing member 120B) by the connecting portion 140a at a portion excluding the region where the through hole 143 is formed.
The flow path plate 140 may be a single plate-shaped member in which the connecting portion 140a is integrally formed.

The through hole 143 is a flow path through which the fluid flows. That is, the through hole 143 communicates with the space E1 facing the first flow path surface 141a and the space E3 facing the second flow path surface 141b forming the opposite surface of the first flow path surface 141a.

A plurality of through holes 143 may be arranged concentrically with the actuator element 130 at equal intervals. In the present embodiment, the through hole 143 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, but is not limited to this, and may have various shapes such as a circle, an ellipse, and a semicircle in a plan view. Can be formed. Further, as the material of the flow path plate 140 including the connection portion 140a, for example, resin, metal, or the like can be used.

The pump 111A of the present embodiment having the above configuration transports the fluid as follows.
A voltage is applied to the electrodes 138a and 338b of the vibrating element 136 via the first wiring 151a and the second wiring 151b.
As a result, the vibrating element 136 vibrates. The actuator element 130 vibrates (flexing motion) due to the vibration of the vibrating element 136.

When the actuator element 130 vibrates, the fluid flows from the first opening portion 121 through the through hole 131 of the actuator element 130 and is introduced into the housing 120. The fluid flows in the space E1 between the second main surface 132b of the actuator element 130 and the first flow path surface 141a of the flow path plate 140. The fluid that has passed through the expansion portion E2 of the space E1 then flows from the through hole 143 of the flow path plate 140 through the space E3 between the second flow path surface 141b and the inner surface 120B1 of the second housing member 120B, and is second-opened. It is supplied to the container 102 through the hole 122.

Due to such a fluid flow, the fluid in the expansion part E2 of the space E1 resonates with Helmholtz. By matching the frequency of this Helmholtz resonance with the vibrating element and the operating frequency, it becomes possible to improve the suction capacity of the pump 111A.

When the actuator element 130 stops vibrating after the container 102 is filled with the fluid, the fluid stored in the container 102 flows back into the pump 111A and is discharged from the through hole 131. At this time, the actuator element 130 receives a force in the direction of pushing the support member 150 toward the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 due to the pressure of the fluid, and the space between the actuator element 130 and the flow path plate 140 (space). Since E1 and the expansion part E2) do not change, the fluid can be rapidly exhausted.

In the fluid control device 2A of the present embodiment configured as described above, the actuator element 130 of the pump 111A is connected to the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126. That is, in the present embodiment, the actuator element 130 is connected to the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 via the support member 150, and the through hole 131 faces the first opening portion 121 of the third housing member 120C. The flow path plate 140 is arranged at a position, and further, the flow path plate 140 is arranged at a position facing the second main surface 132b of the actuator element 130 via the space E1.

Further, in the fluid control device 2A of the present embodiment, the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 of the pump 111A is located inside the node N generated when the actuator element 130 vibrates, that is, at a position closer to the center of the actuator element 130. , The support member 150 is in contact with a surface opposite to the surface to be joined to the actuator element 130, and is connected to the actuator element 130.

In the pump 111A having such a configuration, when the actuator element 130 vibrates (bending vibration) at an operating frequency, the displacement amount near the center of the actuator element 130 and the displacement amount near the peripheral edge of the actuator element 130 are substantially the same. Can be displaced. Therefore, the accuracy of the gap between the actuator element 130 and the flow path plate 140 when the actuator element 130 vibrates (bending vibration) is improved, and high pump performance can be realized.

Further, in the fluid control device 2A of the present embodiment, the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 is separated from the support member 150 closer to the peripheral edge than the node N and the node N. Therefore, since it is suppressed that the displacement of the actuator element 130 on the peripheral side of the node N is restricted, the displacement amount near the center of the actuator element 130 and the displacement amount near the peripheral edge of the actuator element 130 are more reliably about the same magnitude. It can be a displacement.

(Fifth Embodiment)
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid control device according to the fifth embodiment.
In the following description, the same configurations as those of the fourth embodiment described above will be assigned the same number, and duplicate description will be omitted.
The pump 111B constituting the fluid control device 2B according to the fifth embodiment has an actuator element 160 formed inside the housing 120.

The actuator element 160 of this embodiment is composed of an elastic substrate (board) 165 and a vibration element 166 arranged on the surface (lower surface) of the elastic substrate 165. The elastic substrate 165 is preferably made of a material capable of bending vibration due to the vibration of the vibrating element 166 and hardly dampening the vibration energy of the vibrating element 166. Examples of the material of the elastic substrate 165 include silicon and iron. Phosphor bronze or the like can be used.

The vibrating element 166 is a piezoelectric vibrator including a thin-film piezoelectric body 167 and electrodes 168a and 168b arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the thin-film piezoelectric body 167. The vibration element 166 may be a piezoelectric vibrator laminated body in which two or more piezoelectric vibrators are laminated.

In the present embodiment, the outer edge of the vibrating element 166 is formed to be inside the outer edge of the elastic substrate 165 in the plane spreading direction f perpendicular to the thickness direction t. That is, the outer edge of the vibrating element 166 is inside the outer edge of the elastic substrate 165 when viewed from the opposite direction (thickness direction t in FIG. 19) of the first main surface 132a and the second main surface 132b of the actuator element 130. Specifically, the elastic substrate 165 is formed so as to have a larger diameter than the vibrating element 166.

In such an actuator element 160, the surface (lower surface) of the vibrating element 166 connected to the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 via the support member 150 is the first main surface 162a and the surface on the opposite side thereof. The surface (upper surface) of a certain elastic substrate 165 forms the second main surface 162b.

The actuator element 160 is formed with a through hole 161 penetrating between the first main surface 162a and the second main surface 162b. The through hole 161 is composed of a first opening region 165A formed in the vibrating element 166 and a second opening region 165B connected to the first opening region 165A and formed in the elastic substrate 165. .. Such a through hole 161 is formed so that the opening diameter of the first opening region 165A formed in the vibrating element 166 is larger than the opening diameter of the second opening region 165B formed in the elastic substrate 165. ing.

Further, in the flow path plate 170 of the present embodiment, the first flow path surface 171a facing the actuator element 160 is a flat surface, and the recess as in the fourth embodiment is not formed. Therefore, no expansion portion or the like is formed between the actuator element 160 and the first flow path surface 171a.

Also in this embodiment, the joint portion 153 to which the actuator element 160 is joined to the support member 150 is formed closer to the center of the actuator element 160 than to the node N. That is, the actuator element 160 is supported by the support member 150 inside the node N. Further, also in the present embodiment, the protrusion (position regulating portion) 126 is located inside the node N, that is, at a position closer to the center of the actuator element 130, opposite to the surface of the support member 150 to be joined to the actuator element 130. It is in contact with the surface and is connected to the actuator element 130.

Even if the actuator element 160 is configured by joining the elastic substrate 165 and the vibration element 166 as in the present embodiment, the actuator element 130 vibrates (bending vibration) at the operating frequency as in the fourth embodiment. At that time, the displacement amount near the center of the actuator element 130 and the displacement amount near the peripheral edge of the actuator element 130 can be made substantially the same size, and therefore, the actuator element when the actuator element 130 vibrates (bending vibration). The accuracy of the gap between the 130 and the flow path plate 140 is improved, and high pump performance can be realized.

By configuring the actuator element 160 from a vibrating element 166 and an elastic substrate 165 joined as in the present embodiment, even if a thin thin film piezoelectric body 167 is used as the vibrating element 166, the actuator element 160 can be used. Physical strength can be maintained. Further, by using the thin-film piezoelectric body 167, it is possible to cope with high-frequency vibration and drive the actuator element 160 more efficiently.

Further, as in the present embodiment, the outer edge of the vibrating element 166 is inside the outer edge of the elastic substrate 165 when viewed from the opposite direction of the first main surface 132a and the second main surface 132b of the actuator element 130. Therefore, since the vibrating element 166 is securely fixed to the elastic substrate 165, reliability can be improved.

(Sixth Embodiment)
FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid control device according to the sixth embodiment. 21 (A) is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 20, FIG. 21 (B) is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 20, and FIG. 21 (C) is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. be.
In the following description, the same configurations as those of the fourth embodiment described above will be assigned the same number, and duplicate description will be omitted.
The fluid control device 2C according to the sixth embodiment has a pump 111A, a container 102, and a valve 103 arranged between the pump 111A and the container 102. It is the same as the 4th embodiment except that the valve 103 is provided.

The valve 103 includes a cylindrical tube 181 that opens in the vertical direction, and a valve body 183 and a ball 186 that are arranged inside the cylindrical tube 181. The cylindrical tube 181 has an outlet 182 connected to the outside. The valve body 183 has a first flow path hole 184 that is closed in the vertical direction, and a second flow path hole 185 that has one end opened downward and the other end is connected to the outlet 182. Have. The ball 186 is located below the valve body 183.

When the pump 111A drives the valve 103 having such a configuration and stores the fluid in the container 102, the ball 186 is pushed by the fluid sent from the pump 111A and moves upward to move upward to the second flow path hole. By closing the lower barrier of 185, the fluid is pumped to the container 102 through the first channel hole 184.

On the other hand, when the pump 111A is stationary and the fluid stored in the container 102 is taken out to the outside, the ball 186 moves downward and closes the second opening 122 of the pump 111A. As a result, the fluid flows below the valve body 183 through the first flow path hole 184, and the fluid flowing below the valve body 183 passes through the second flow path hole 185 and passes through the outlet 182. Is taken out to the outside.

According to the fluid control device 2C of the present embodiment configured as described above, since the valve 103 for connecting the pump 111A and the container 102 is provided, the fluid stored in the container 102 is sent to the outside via the valve 103. Can be taken out.

(7th Embodiment)
FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid control device according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 23 is a sectional view taken along line XI-XI of FIG.
In the following description, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment described above will be assigned the same number, and duplicate description will be omitted.
In the fluid control device 3A shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the flow path plate 240 constituting the pump 211A has a flow path board 244 and a first convex portion 245a in which the flow path board 244 is arranged on the surface of the flow path board 244 on the actuator element 230 side. It is different from the fluid control device of the first embodiment in that it is composed of the second convex portion 245b and the second convex portion 245b.

The expansion portion 202 is formed in the internal space E4 by the recessed portion 242 located between the first convex portion 245a and the second convex portion 245b. The first convex portion 245a is provided at a position facing the through hole 231 of the actuator element 230. The second convex portion 245b is provided at a position facing the peripheral edge portion of the actuator element 230.

The fluid control device 3A is the fluid of the first embodiment in that the surface of the actuator element 230 on the elastic substrate 235 side is the first main surface 232a and the surface on the vibration element 236 side is the second main surface 232b. It is different from the control device. The support member 250 is connected to the elastic substrate 235.

The first wiring 251a is connected to the first electrode (not shown) of the vibrating element 236 via the first through hole 252a formed in the support member 250, the elastic substrate 235, and the vibrating element 236. The second wiring 251b is connected to the second electrode (not shown) of the vibrating element 236 via the support member 250 and the second through hole 252b formed in the elastic substrate 235.

The support member 250 is provided with a resin film 253 on the surface opposite to the vibrating element 236 side. As the material of the resin film 253, for example, polyimide can be used. An annular vibration adjusting plate 254 is arranged around the through hole 231 of the resin film 253.

As the material of the vibration adjusting plate 254, for example, a metal such as nickel can be used. The vibration adjusting plate 254 made of such a metal can be formed by electroplating via the seed layer 255. The vibration adjusting plate 254 serves as a weight that applies a load to the actuator element 230, and can adjust the operating frequency of the actuator element 230.

In the fluid control device 3A, the second member 224 of the housing 220 is formed of a hard member 260 and an elastic member 261. As the material of the hard member 260, for example, silicon can be used. As the material of the elastic member 261, a resin material can be used. Further, a metal member 262 is arranged between the resin film 253 and the third member 225. As the material of the metal member 262, for example, it is preferable to use a metal such as nickel that can be formed by electroplating.

According to the fluid control device 3A having such a configuration, since the expansion portion 202 is formed in the internal space E4, the same effect as that of the fluid control device according to the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, by forming the vibration adjusting plate 254, the operating frequency of the actuator element 230 can be made lower than the resonance frequency peculiar to the actuator element 230. Generally, with the miniaturization of the actuator element 230, the resonance frequency peculiar to the actuator element 230 tends to be high, but the size of the actuator element 230 is increased by using the vibration adjusting plate 254 as in the present embodiment. Regardless, it is possible to adjust the operating frequency.

(Manufacturing method 2 of fluid control device)
Next, an example of the manufacturing method of the fluid control device 3A according to the seventh embodiment will be described.
It can be manufactured by using the fluid control device 3A, for example, the manufacturing method shown in FIGS. 24 to 26.
First, as shown in FIG. 24A, a disk-shaped vibrating element 236 having a through hole 231 in the center is formed on the hard substrate 360. The vibrating element 236 is, for example, a laminated body in which the first electrode, the plate-shaped piezoelectric body, and the second electrode are laminated in this order from the hard substrate 360 side. The method of forming the vibrating element 236 is the same as that of the fluid control device 1A according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 24B, an elastic substrate 235 is formed on the surface of the vibrating element 236 opposite to the hard substrate 360 side, and an elastic member 261 is formed on the surface of the hard substrate 360 at intervals around the vibrating element 236. To form. The elastic substrate 235 and the elastic member 261 can be formed, for example, as follows. First, an elastic film is formed on the vibrating element 236 and the hard substrate 360. Next, the elastic film around the vibrating element 236 is removed, and the elastic film is separated into the elastic substrate 235 and the elastic member 261.

Next, as shown in FIG. 24C, the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the vibrating element 236 is covered with the positive resist film pattern 339. The method for forming the positive resist film pattern 339 is the same as that for the fluid control device 1A according to the first embodiment.

Next, as shown in FIG. 24D, a support member forming film 350 is formed on the elastic substrate 235, the elastic member 261 and the positive resist film pattern 339, and a wiring pattern is formed on the support member forming film 350. do. The method for forming the support member forming film 350 is the same as that for the fluid control device 1A according to the first embodiment.

The wiring pattern forms a first wiring 251a connected to the first electrode of the vibrating element 236 and a second wiring 251b connected to the second electrode of the vibrating element 236. The first wiring 251a is connected to the first electrode of the vibrating element 236 via the first through hole 252a. The second wiring 251b is connected to the second electrode of the vibrating element 236 via the second through hole 252b.

Next, as shown in FIG. 25 (A), a resin film 353 is formed on the support member forming film 350. As a film forming method for the resin film 353, for example, a spin coating method can be used. In this way, a laminated body 390 in which the vibrating element 236, the support member forming film 350, and the resin film 353 are laminated in this order is obtained on the hard substrate 360.

Next, as shown in FIG. 25 (B), the seed layer 255 is formed on the resin film 353 of the laminated body 390, and the metal layer is formed on the seed layer 255 by electroplating. The seed layer 255 is formed around a position facing the through hole 231 of the vibrating element 236 and a region facing the elastic member 261. The metal layer formed around the position facing the through hole 231 of the vibrating element 236 is the vibration adjusting plate 254, and the metal layer formed in the region facing the elastic member 261 is the metal member 262.

Next, as shown in FIG. 25C, through holes are provided in the elastic substrate 235, the support member forming film 350, and the resin film 353 along the vibrating element 236 through hole 231, and the elastic member 261 of the hard substrate 360 is provided with through holes. A hard member 260 is formed by removing a portion other than the facing region. As a result, the vibrating element 236 of the laminated body 390 and the positive resist film pattern 339 are exposed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 26 (A), the laminated body 390 is inverted so that the vibration adjusting plate 254 and the metal member 262 are on the lower side, and the positive resist film pattern 339 is removed. The method for removing the positive resist film pattern is the same as that for the fluid control device 1A according to the first embodiment.

Next, as shown in FIG. 26B, a flow path plate forming member 340 is prepared, and the flow path plate forming member 340 and the hard member 260 of the laminated body 390 are joined to form a joined body 392. The flow path plate forming member 340 is composed of a flow path substrate 244 and a first convex portion 245a and a second convex portion 245b arranged on the surface of the flow path substrate 244. The flow path plate forming member 340 and the laminated body 390 are joined so that the first convex portion 245a of the flow path plate forming member 340 and the through hole 231 of the actuator element 230 of the laminated body 390 face each other.

Next, as shown in FIG. 26C, the joint body 392 is cut to obtain a structure 393 in which the actuator element 230 with the support member 250 and the flow path plate 240 are integrated. The pump 211a is formed by joining the flow path plate 240 of the obtained structure 393 and the first member 223, and joining the metal member 262 of the structure 393 and the third member 225. Next, the fluid control device 3A is obtained by joining the container 270 to the second opening portion 222 of the pump 211a.

(Configuration example)
As an example of configuration, in a pump, an actuator element having a first main surface and a second main surface facing each other and having a first through hole penetrating between the first main surface and the second main surface. A first plate having a facing portion including a first surface facing the second main surface of the actuator element via a space, and a connecting portion connected to the facing portion and having a second through hole. A housing including the tubular first housing member that houses the actuator element and the facing portion of the first plate and is connected to the connection portion, and the actuator element and the first housing member are connected to each other. It has a support member that supports the actuator element inside the first housing member.

As a configuration example, the first through hole may be located at the center of the actuator element.

As a configuration example, the actuator element may have a substrate constituting the second main surface and a vibration element constituting the first main surface and bonded to the substrate.

As a configuration example, the first through hole may be composed of a first opening region included in the vibrating element and a second opening region connected to the first opening region and possessed by the substrate.

As a configuration example, the opening diameter of the first opening region may be larger than the opening diameter of the second opening region.

As a configuration example, the central axis of the first opening region and the central axis of the second opening region may be on the same axis.

As a configuration example, the support member may be arranged so as to cover the entire region between the actuator element and the first housing member when the support member is viewed in a plan view from the first plate. ..

As a configuration example, the second housing member is provided with an inner surface that is connected to the first housing member and has an inner surface that extends so as to face a second surface that forms an opposite surface of the first surface of the first plate. The housing member may have an opening that penetrates between the inner surface and the opposite surface thereof.

As a configuration example, the fluid control device may be a fluid control device having the above-mentioned pump and may include a container in which the fluid flows in and out through the opening.

As an example of the configuration, a protrusion protruding from the housing toward the inside of the housing is provided, and the protrusion is located closer to the center of the actuator element than the node portion generated when the actuator element vibrates. , May be connected to the actuator element.

As a configuration example, the protrusion may be separated from the actuator element at the node.

As a configuration example, the actuator element may have a substrate constituting the second main surface and a vibration element constituting the first main surface and bonded to the substrate.

As a configuration example, the outer edge of the vibrating element may be inside the outer edge of the substrate when viewed from the opposite direction of the first main surface and the second main surface.

As a configuration example, the housing has a first opening, has a third housing member connected to the first housing member, and the protrusion is connected to the third housing member. You may.

As an example of configuration, the protrusion is connected to the actuator element via the support member, and is connected to the actuator element of the support member at a position closer to the center of the actuator element than the node portion. It may be in contact with the surface opposite to the surface to be joined.

As a configuration example, the support member has a drawer portion extending to the outside of the first housing member, and the support member is separated from the actuator element at the node portion, and the support member and the support member are described. The joint portion to which the actuator element is bonded and the drawer portion may be located on the same surface.

As a configuration example, the support member may have a power supply wiring for supplying electric power to the actuator element.

As an example of the configuration, the power feeding wiring may be electrically connected to the actuator element closer to the center of the actuator element than the node portion.

As a configuration example, the housing has a second housing member that is connected to the first housing member and has an inner surface that extends so as to face a second surface that forms the opposite surface of the first surface of the first plate. However, the second housing member may have a second opening penetrating between the inner surface and the opposite surface thereof.

As a configuration example, a vibration adjusting plate for adjusting the operating frequency of the actuator element may be further provided on at least one of the first main surface and the second main surface of the actuator element.

As a configuration example, the fluid control device may include a container in which the fluid flows in and out through the opening.

As a configuration example, a valve may be formed between the pump and the container.

Although the embodiment of the technique according to the present disclosure has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention as well as the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A Fluid control device 2,102 Container (tank)
11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 111A, 111B, 111C Pump 20,120 Housing 20A, 120A First housing member 20B, 120B Second housing member 20C, 120C Third housing member 21,121 First opening (opening) , 1st opening)
22,122 Second opening (second opening)
26,126 Projection part (position regulation part)
30,130 Actuator element 31,131 Through hole (first through hole)
32a, 132a 1st main surface 32b, 132b 2nd main surface 36,136 Vibration element 37,137 Plate-shaped piezoelectric body 38a, 38b, 138a, 138b Electrode 40,140 Flow plate 41a, 141a First flow surface 41b, 141b 2nd flow path surface 42,142 Recessed portion 43,143 Through hole (2nd through hole)
50, 150 Support members 51a, 151a First wiring (wiring)
51b, 151b 2nd wiring (wiring)
103 Valve E1 Space E2 Expansion part N node (node part)

Claims (21)

1. An actuator element having a first main surface and a second main surface facing each other and having a first through hole penetrating between the first main surface and the second main surface.
   A first plate having a facing portion including a first surface facing the second main surface of the actuator element via a space, and a connecting portion connected to the facing portion and having a second through hole.
   A housing including the tubular first housing member that houses the actuator element and the facing portion of the first plate and is connected to the connecting portion.
   A support member that connects the actuator element and the first housing member and supports the actuator element inside the first housing member.
   A pump characterized by having.
2. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the first through hole is located at the center of the actuator element.
3. The invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuator element includes a substrate constituting the second main surface and a vibration element forming the first main surface and bonded to the substrate. pump.
4. The third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the first through hole is connected to the first opening region of the vibrating element and the second opening region of the substrate. Pump.
5. The pump according to claim 4, wherein the opening diameter of the first opening region is larger than the opening diameter of the second opening region.
6. The pump according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the central axis of the first hole region and the central axis of the second hole region are on the same axis.
7. The claim is characterized in that the support member is arranged so as to cover the entire region between the actuator element and the first housing member when the support member is viewed in a plan view from the first plate. The pump according to any one of 1 to 6.
8. The second housing member is provided with an inner surface that is connected to the first housing member and has an inner surface that extends so as to face a second surface that is connected to the first plate and forms an opposite surface to the first surface of the first plate.
   The pump according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second housing member has an opening penetrating between the inner surface and the opposite surface thereof.
9. A protrusion is provided from the housing toward the inside of the housing, and the protrusion is provided on the actuator element at a position closer to the center of the actuator element than a node portion generated when the actuator element vibrates. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the pump is connected to the pump.
10. The pump according to claim 9, wherein the protrusion is separated from the actuator element at the node.
11. 9. pump.
12. The pump according to claim 11, wherein the outer edge of the vibrating element is inside the outer edge of the substrate when viewed from the opposite direction of the first main surface and the second main surface.
13. The housing has a first opening and has a third housing member connected to the first housing member.
    The pump according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the protrusion is connected to the third housing member.
14. The protrusion is connected to the actuator element via the support member, and is joined to the surface of the support member to be joined to the actuator element at a position closer to the center of the actuator element than the node portion. The pump according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the pump is in contact with the opposite surface.
15. The support member has a drawer portion extending to the outside of the first housing member.
    The support member is separated from the actuator element at the node portion, and is separated from the actuator element.
    The pump according to claim 14, wherein the joint portion to which the support member and the actuator element are joined and the drawer portion are located on the same surface.
16. The pump according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the support member has a power supply wiring for supplying electric power to the actuator element.
17. The pump according to claim 16, wherein the feeding wiring is closer to the center of the actuator element than the node portion and is electrically connected to the actuator element.
18. The housing has a second housing member that is connected to the first housing member and has an inner surface that extends opposite to a second surface that forms the opposite surface of the first surface of the first plate.
    The pump according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the second housing member has a second opening penetrating between the inner surface and the opposite surface thereof.
19. Claims 1 to 18, wherein a vibration adjusting plate for adjusting the operating frequency of the actuator element is further provided on at least one of the first main surface and the second main surface of the actuator element. The pump according to any one item.
20. The fluid control device having the pump according to claim 8.
    A fluid control device including a container through which fluid flows in and out through the opening.
21. The fluid control device according to claim 20, wherein a valve is formed between the pump and the container.

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