Deformable Substrate Alignment for Fluid Control Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid control devices with flat-plate structures face challenges in precisely aligning the piezoelectric actuator and substrate to maintain a specified gap, leading to assembling errors, reduced fluid transportation efficiency, and noise generation, especially as components miniaturize.
Innovation Solution
A deformable substrate with a flexible plate and communication plate is used, subjected to a preformed synchronous deformation process, allowing for precise alignment with a bulge on the piezoelectric actuator's vibration plate to define a specified depth, reducing assembling errors and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If flat-plate structures with certain rigidities are used for the piezoelectric actuator and substrate, then structural stability is maintained, but precise alignment and gap depth maintenance become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is designed to be deformable rather than rigid, allowing it to dynamically adjust its shape during assembly. The deformation unit can be elastically deformed to compensate for alignment deviations, automatically maintaining the specified gap depth between the piezoelectric actuator and substrate without requiring high-precision rigid positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the substrate is changed from rigid to deformable, altering its mechanical properties. This parameter change enables the substrate to adapt its shape and maintain the gap depth through elastic deformation, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and manufacturing precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If the gap depth is increased to compensate for alignment errors, then assembly tolerance is improved, but fluid transportation efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the gap depth statically to accommodate alignment errors, the invention uses a dynamically deformable substrate that automatically adjusts to maintain the optimal gap depth. This eliminates the need for excessive gap depth while preserving both assembly tolerance and fluid transportation efficiency.
3Productivity
If the gap depth is decreased to improve fluid transportation efficiency, then productivity is improved, but the piezoelectric actuator may contact or interfere with other components causing noise
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable substrate with its deformation unit provides dynamic compensation that maintains the precise gap depth needed for high fluid transportation efficiency while preventing the piezoelectric actuator from contacting other components. The elastic deformation capability ensures the gap remains optimal without causing interference or noise.
4Volume of moving object
If miniature components are adopted for device miniaturization, then device size is reduced, but the difficulty of precise alignment is largely enhanced
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable substrate compensates for alignment difficulties in miniature components through elastic deformation. The deformation unit can adjust the substrate shape to maintain the specified gap depth even when alignment is not perfectly precise, making miniaturization feasible without sacrificing alignment quality.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the substrate from rigid to deformable, the invention alters the mechanical parameters to enable automatic compensation for alignment errors in miniature components, resolving the contradiction between device miniaturization and alignment precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances fluid transfer efficiency and reduces noise by maintaining a precise gap between the substrate and actuator, improving the performance and user-friendliness of the fluid control device.
Implementation Method 1
In response to an applied voltage, the piezoelectric actuator 102 is subjected to deformation and a fluid is driven to flow through various chambers of the fluid control device 100
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A manufacturing method of a fluid control device (2) is provided. Firstly, a housing (26), a piezoelectric actuator (23) and a deformable substrate (20) are provided. The piezoelectric actuator (23) includes a piezoelectric element (233) and a vibration plate (230). The deformable substrate (20) includes a flexible plate (22) and a communication plate (21). A bulge (230c) is formed on the vibration plate (230). The flexible plate (22) includes a movable part (22a). Next, the flexible plate (22) and the communication plate (21) are stacked and coupled, and a preformed synchronous deformation process is implemented by applying at least one external force to outer portion of the deformable substrate (20) to form a preformed synchronously-deformed structure. Then, the housing (26), the piezoelectric actuator (23) and the deformable substrate (20) are sequentially stacked and coupled. The preformed synchronously-deformed structure is aligned with the bulge (230c) of the vibration plate (230). Consequently, a specified depth (δ) is defined between the movable part (22a) of the flexible plate (22) and the bulge (230c) of the vibration plate (230).