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Check valve and diaphram pumpRelated Patent Categories: Pumps, Expansible Chamber Type, Valve In Collapsible Wall Pumping MemberCheck valve and diaphram pump description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070248478, Check valve and diaphram pump. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a check valve which is suitable for use in a pump for controlling a flow of liquid in a small amount, and a diaphragm pump employing the same. BACKGROUND ART [0002] Recently, in fields of fuel cells, medical care, analysis and so on, various pumps for controlling a flow of liquid in a small amount with high accuracy have been developed. [0003] Conventionally, a check vale for a piezoelectric vibrator pump which has a piezoelectric vibrator as a drive source and a valve body in a cantilever shape formed in a frame part (a valve box, a valve chamber) has been proposed, for example, in Patent Document 1. This check valve includes a supporting arm, of which one end is inserted into an inner wall of the frame part to support the check valve, and the other end forms a valve body capable of closing a valve hole. The valve body and the supporting arm are made of metal, plastic or the like into an integral plate body. [0004] Patent Document 1: JP-A-4-72479 (the right column of page 4, FIG. 1) DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems that the Invention is to Solve [0005] The following problems remain in the above described conventional art. [0006] Heretofore, metal, resin material, and rubber material have been used as material for the valve body in the cantilever shape. This valve body can be opened with pressure. However, because the valve body has rigidity, an amount of its deformation is not stable due to variation of components and assembling, and there has been such inconvenience that times when the valve is closed are not stable, and hence, response is also unstable. [0007] In case where the valve body is made of resin material, the valve body has a thickness to some extent, and a considerable force is required to deform the valve body into an open state. Under the circumstances, it is possible to minimize the required force by increasing a longitudinal length of the valve body, which however, incurs an increase in size (capacity) of the valve chamber, and an increase of a residence space of bubbles which is generated by vaporization of gas dissolved in the liquid. Consequently, liquid conveying ability of the pump is influenced, and plastic deformation of the valve body is also concerned. [0008] When the valve body is made of rubber material, plastic deformation is not concerned. However, there is a limit in reducing the thickness of the valve body, and there are substantially same inconveniences as that made of resin material in respect of the force required for deformation and the size. [0009] The invention has been made in view of the above described problems, and it is an object of the invention to provide a check valve and a diaphragm pump employing the same which has a good response, and in which a valve chamber can be made small so as to be hardly influenced by bubbles. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS [0010] In order to solve the above described problem, the invention has adopted the following structure. Specifically, a check valve according to the invention includes a valve chamber which is defined by a top wall having an introducing port of a fluid, a bottom wall having an exhaust port of the fluid, and a side wall, and a valve body which is supported in the valve chamber in a cantilever manner having its base end fixed to the side wall and its distal end as a free end, the valve body being arranged above the introducing port, and characterized in that the bottom wall includes a valve seat having an inclined face which is inclined so as to be gradually separated from the top wall along the valve body from the base end to the distal end of the valve body. [0011] In this check valve, the valve seat having the inclined face is formed on the bottom wall. Therefore, when the valve body in the cantilever shape moves between the top wall and the valve seat having the inclined face, the valve body is restricted by the valve seat having the inclined face at the opening and closing operation of the valve body, whereby a moving amount of the valve body becomes smaller, and response time from an open state to a closed state becomes shorter. Moreover, because the moving amount has been restricted to be smaller, the valve chamber can be made small, and is not be easily influenced by bubbles. Further, even though the soft valve body made of flexible material is used, deformation of the valve body is unlikely to occur because the valve body is restricted by the inclined face of the valve seat. [0012] Moreover, the check valve according to the invention is characterized in that the valve seat includes a groove of which one end is connected to the exhaust port and the other end extends beyond the distal end of the valve body. Specifically, according to this check valve, because the groove is formed in the valve seat, the fluid is able to flow out from the other end of the groove which is arranged at the distal end side of the valve body to the exhaust port through the groove, even though the valve body is arranged above the exhaust port in contact with the inclined face of the valve seat, when the valve body is pushed by the fluid into an open state. [0013] Moreover, the check valve according to the invention is characterized in that at least one of the introducing port and the exhaust port is disposed at a side of the base end of the valve body. When the introducing port and the exhaust port are arranged at the distal end side of the valve body, there is such anxiety that a strong force may be exerted on the distal end of the valve body to deform the valve body, in some cases. However, in the check valve according to the invention, at least one of the introducing port and the exhaust port is disposed at the base end side of the valve body, and therefore, the strong force is not be exerted on the distal end side of the valve body. Accordingly, deformation of the valve body is restricted, and hence, normal opening and closing operation of the valve can be maintained. Particularly, when the valve seat having the above described groove is employed, even in case the exhaust port is disposed at the base end side of the valve body, passage of the fluid can be ensured by the groove, and favorable valve operation can be maintained. [0014] Further, the check valve according to the invention is characterized in that the valve body is made of a flexible film. Specifically, because the soft and thin valve body made of the flexible film is used in this check valve, the valve body has least rigidity, and the force required for deformation is small. Accordingly, it is possible to shorten the longitudinal length of the valve body, and to reduce volume of the fluid required for the opening and closing operation. As the results, the valve chamber can be made smaller in size, and hence, response and stability of the valve operation is enhanced. At the same time, influence of bubbles can be further decreased. [0015] Still further, the check valve according to the invention is characterized in that the check valve includes a first case body having the top wall, a second case body having the bottom wall, a film body having the valve body and sandwiched between the first case body and the second case body, the first case body being provided with a convex part, the second case body being provided with a concave part to be engaged with the convex part, and the convex part and the concave part are respectively formed with opposed faces which are parallel to each other and configured to sandwich the base end of the valve body therebetween. Because the base end of the valve body is sandwiched between the convex part and the concave part, the base end (a supporting point) of the valve body is defined. Accordingly, the valve body is positioned, and positional displacement of the valve body can be prevented. Moreover, because the valve body is sandwiched between the opposed faces which are formed in the convex part and the concave part, and parallel to each other, an angle of the valve body protruding into the valve chamber can be made constant, even in case where positional displacement between the convex part and the concave part may occur. [0016] A diaphragm pump according to the invention includes: a diaphragm including a piezoelectric element attached thereto; an upper case body which defines a pressure room in cooperation with the diaphragm therebetween and has an upper intake flow passage and an upper discharge flow passage which are connected to the pressure room; a lower case body having a lower intake flow passage which is connected to the upper intake flow passage through an intake side check valve and a lower discharge flow passage which is connected to the upper discharge flow passage through a discharge side check valve, and is characterized in that each of the intake side check valve and the discharge side check valve is the check valve according to the above-described invention, the exhaust ports are respectively connected to the upper intake flow passage and the lower discharge flow passage, the introducing ports are respectively connected to the upper discharge flow passage and the lower intake flow passage. [0017] Specifically, because the check valve according to the invention is employed as the intake side check valve and the discharge side check valve, this diaphragm pump has high response, and is hardly influenced by bubbles. As the results, a flow of liquid in a small amount can be controlled with high accuracy in this diaphragm pump. ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION [0018] According to the invention, the following advantages are obtained. Continue reading about Check valve and diaphram pump... Full patent description for Check valve and diaphram pump Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Check valve and diaphram pump patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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