US 11,835,041 B2
Thin MEMS pump with membrane and valve lip structure
Martin Seidl, Moosburg a.d. Isar (DE); Alfons Dehe, Villingen Schwenningen (DE); Daniel Fruechtl, Regensburg (DE); Wolfgang Klein, Zorneding (DE); Ulrich Krumbein, Rosenheim (DE); Johann Strasser, Schierling (DE); and Matthias Vobl, Munich (DE)
Assigned to Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed by Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed on Jul. 7, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/922,530.
Claims priority of application No. 19190302 (EP), filed on Aug. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0040942 A1, Feb. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. F04B 53/10 (2006.01); F04B 43/04 (2006.01); F16K 99/00 (2006.01)
CPC F04B 53/1047 (2013.01) [F04B 43/046 (2013.01); F16K 99/0015 (2013.01); F16K 2099/0094 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A MEMS pump comprising:
a basis structure;
a membrane structure opposing the basis structure and being deflectable parallel to a surface normal of the basis structure;
a pump chamber between the basis structure and the membrane structure, wherein a volume of the pump chamber is based on a position of the membrane structure with respect to the basis structure;
a passage configured for letting a fluid pass into the pump chamber or exit the pump chamber, wherein the passage is arranged in-plane with respect to the pump chamber; and
a valve structure fluidically coupled to the passage and configured for connecting, in a first state, the passage to a first outer volume so as to provide the fluid to the pump chamber and for connecting, in a second state, the passage to a second outer volume so as to provide the fluid to the second outer volume,
wherein the valve structure comprises a first portion, and a second portion, wherein a relative position of the first portion and the second portion is variable, and wherein the valve structure is configured for intermittently fluidically blocking in different states a path to one of the first and the second outer volume responsive to a control signal provided to the valve structure,
wherein a lip structure is arranged at the first portion and configured for abutting the second portion so as to fluidically block the path; or wherein the lip structure is arranged at the second portion and configured for abutting the first portion so as to fluidically block the path, and
wherein the lip structure is a first lip structure; wherein the valve structure comprises a second part of the second portion; wherein the first portion is arranged between a first part of the second portion and the second part of the second portion, the valve structure comprising a second lip structure between the first portion and the second part of the second portion; and wherein the valve structure is configured for alternately connecting the first portion with the first part via the first lip structure and with the second part via the second lip structure.