BISTABLE MINIATURE VALVE

Dino Accoto (Inventor), B Prinz, Friedrich (Inventor), Tibor Fabien (Inventor), Wonhyoung Ryu (Inventor), Jun Sasahara (Inventor), Hideaki Tsuru (Inventor), Georg Brasseur (Inventor)

Research output: Patent

Abstract

A bistable minivalve includes a movable component, an actuator that is elcetrostatically, magnetically, or mechanically coupled to the movable component for controllably switching the movable component between open and closed states, and a casing providing structural support. The movable component has an actuation surface (300) movably positioned in the valve conduit and a bistable element attached to the actuation surface providing mechanical stability to the open and closed states of the movable component. The bistable element may be realized as a pair of elastic buckling beams (302, 304) attached at their midpoints to opposite sides of the actuation surface. Optionally, there may also be elastic support beams (306, 308) attached at their endpoints to the actuation surface and attached at their midpoints to the elastic buckling beams.

Original languageEnglish
Patent numberWO2005124797
IPCH01F 7/ 16 A N
Priority date10/06/05
Publication statusPublished - 29 Dec 2005

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