Undulated Gate Actuation Membrane for Fluidic Flow Modulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing augmented and virtual reality systems with wearable fluidic devices face challenges in efficiently modulating fluid flow, leading to bulkier and less effective devices due to the lack of efficient mechanisms for compressing fluid channels.
Innovation Solution
A fluidic device with a gate actuation membrane that alternates between an initial and bent configuration, utilizing an undulation to compress the channel cross-section, allowing for reversible compression and efficient fluid flow modulation without straining the material, facilitated by an adjustable volume chamber and connecting membranes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a gate mechanism is used to compress the channel cross-section to modulate fluid flow, then fluid flow modulation efficiency is improved, but the device becomes bulkier and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible gate actuation membrane that can bend and deform to compress the channel cross-section. This thin film structure replaces complex rigid mechanical gate mechanisms, achieving fluid flow modulation while maintaining device simplicity and compactness. The membrane's flexibility allows it to conform to the channel geometry and provide effective compression without requiring bulky actuation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate mechanism utilizes dynamic bending motion of the gate actuation membrane to modulate fluid flow. The membrane transitions between different configurations (flat and bent) in response to actuation, enabling reversible control of the channel cross-section area. This dynamic approach replaces static complex mechanical gates with a simpler, motion-based control mechanism.
2Productivity
If the gate actuation membrane bends to compress the channel, then fluid flow is modulated, but the material may be strained beyond threshold amounts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an undulation feature that adds a third dimension (out-of-plane geometry) to the gate actuation membrane. This undulated configuration allows the membrane to accommodate bending deformations in multiple directions, distributing the strain more evenly across the material and preventing excessive localized stress that would occur with simple planar bending.
Solution Approach 2:
The undulation creates curved geometries in the gate actuation membrane that facilitate bending by pre-introducing controlled curvature. These curved features allow the membrane to flex more naturally during actuation, reducing the strain concentration that would occur in straight, rigid sections and enabling repeated bending cycles without material fatigue.
3Strength
If the gate actuation membrane is made longer to allow bending, then material strain is reduced, but the device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The undulated gate actuation membrane is nested within the existing device footprint by utilizing the vertical dimension and conforming to the channel geometry. The undulations are integrated into the membrane structure itself rather than adding external components, allowing the membrane to achieve the necessary length for strain distribution while remaining compact and fitting within the device's overall volume constraints.
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 enables efficient modulation of fluid flow rates and volumes, reducing energy and time requirements for bending, thus enhancing the performance and simplicity of wearable devices in augmented and virtual reality systems.
Implementation Method 1
a gate configured to modulate fluid flow through the channel by bending a gate actuation membrane that alternates between an initial configuration that does not interfere with a cross section of the channel and a bent configuration that causes the cross section of the channel to reversibly compress
Implementation Method 2
the undulation of the membrane may add extra length to the gate actuation membrane. This extra length may allow the gate actuation membrane to bend without straining the material that forms the gate actuation membrane more than a threshold amount
Implementation Method 3
The chamber may be defined by multiple membranes, including the gate actuation membrane, which may define the bottom of the chamber. In these embodiments, a low pressure state of the chamber may correspond to a first chamber size in which the gate actuation membrane rests in the initial configuration, and a high pressure state of the gate may correspond to a second chamber size, which may be larger than the first chamber size and which may displace the gate actuation membrane, toward the channel, into the bent configuration
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed fluidic device may include (1) a channel configured to transport fluid from a source to a drain and (2) a gate configured to modulate fluid flow through the channel. The gate may modulate fluid flow by bending a gate actuation membrane that alternates between an initial configuration that does not interfere with a cross section of the channel and a bent configuration that causes the cross section to reversibly compress. The gate actuation membrane may include an undulation that facilitates the bending of the gate actuation membrane.