A diaphragm pump mechanism is powered by steam generated by an internal heater coil heating the pumped water, which moves the diaphragm and an attached piston to pump water through the pump. The heater coil is turned on-and-off using a switch that is timed to the movement of the pump. The water is pumped through a series of one-way rubber valves and reed valves to prevent a back flow of water. The pressure generated by the steam is released when a reed valve located on the diaphragm makes contact with a pin located on the body of the pump, opening the reed valve and allowing the steam to travel through and to condense. The piston and diaphragm are returned to the starting position when the steam pressure is released by a spring attached to the pump shaft. On the return stroke an accumulator refills the diaphragm chamber with water.

A description is given of a pump comprising a suction space which is at least partly bounded by a flexible body and which is located between end elements at least one of which can be driven so as to move in a reciprocating manner, a delivery space which surrounds the suction space and around which a housing is provided, and valves provided in the housing and in at least one of the end elements, the valves being constructed such that when the volume of the suction space is increased, a medium is sucked into said suction space, which, when the volume is reduced, flows through one of the valves to the delivery space from which it is expelled when the volume of the delivery space is reduced.

A fluid transportation device comprises a valve main body, a valve chamber base, a valve membrane, an actuator and a cover body. The valve main body comprises an inlet passage and an outlet passage. The valve chamber base comprises an inlet valve passage, an outlet valve passage and a compressible chamber communicating therewith. The valve membrane is arranged between the valve main body and the valve chamber base, having two valve plates respectively form a valve switch structure which seal the inlet valve passage and the outlet valve passage. The actuator covers the compressible chamber. The cover body covers the actuator and has a plurality of screw holes, which are corresponding to the penetration holes of the valve main body, the valve chamber base and the actuator, and several locking elements are inserting the penetration holes and locked with the screw holes to assemble the fluid transportation device.

A diaphragm pump includes an inflow chamber and an outflow chamber. The inflow chamber is provided with an inflow valve seat. An inflow valve that prevents backflow of a liquid is disposed against the inflow valve seat. The outflow chamber is provided with an outflow valve seat. An outflow valve that prevents backflow of a liquid is disposed against the outflow valve seat. The diaphragm pump also includes an inflow-valve presser that presses the inflow valve against the inflow valve seat, and an outflow-valve presser that presses the outflow valve against the outflow valve seat. Each of the inflow valve and the outflow valve is defined by an elastically deformable member. Each of the inflow valve seat and the outflow valve seat includes a surface at least a portion of which is a curved surface.

[Object] To provide a fluid control apparatus having a diaphragm structure and small flow path resistance. [Solving Means] A fluid control apparatus according to the present technology includes a first space, two flat plate members, a drive mechanism, a second space, a first check valve, and a second check valve. The first space has an inlet and an outlet. The two flat plate members face each other via the first space, and at least one of the flat plate members is an elastic body having flexibility. The drive mechanism bends the elastic body. The second space adjoins the first space, communicates with the first space via the inlet, and has a suction port. The first check valve allows fluid to flow from the suction port to the first space via the inlet. The third space adjoins the first space, communicates with the first space via the outlet, and has a discharge port. The second check valve allows the fluid to flow from the first space to the discharge port via the outlet. At least one of the suction port and the discharge port is positioned on an extension surface of at least one of the two flat plate members.

Provided is a check valve including: a duckbill valve; and a support member which is inserted into an inside portion of the duckbill valve, in which the duckbill valve includes a slit which is provided on a side where fluid is discharged, an inflow port which is provided on a side where the fluid flows in, and a flow path which connects the inflow port to the slit, and in which the support member is inserted into the flow path from the inflow port, a hole for sending the fluid to the slit when flowing in from the inflow port is provided, and the hole is provided so as to be hermetically sealed by the duckbill valve when a negative pressure is applied from the inflow port side.

The pump unit comprises a pump including a piezoelectric element and a discharge mechanism for discharging fluid according to operation of the piezoelectric element, and a valve mechanism attached to the pump. The discharge mechanism and the valve mechanism are separately formed by joining a plurality of metal layer pieces stacked in a predetermined stacking direction by diffusion welding, and are secured to each other by diffusion welding.

Provided is a pumping system that includes a parallel dual chamber pumping mechanism and an attachable disposable cassette. The disposable cassette includes a multi-laminate membrane which facilitates efficient, accurate and uniform delivery of fluids. The multi-laminate membrane is held in intimate contact with the pumping fingers of the pumping mechanism by electrostatic or magnetic attraction, thereby allowing the pump to pull a vacuum without the need for a preloaded elastomeric pumping segment.

Plastic microfluidic structures having a substantially rigid diaphragm that actuates between a relaxed state wherein the diaphragm sits against the surface of a substrate and an actuated state wherein the diaphragm is moved away from the substrate. As will be seen from the following description, the microfluidic structures formed with this diaphragm provide easy to manufacture and robust systems, as well readily made components such as valves and pumps.

Plastic microfluidic structures having a substantially rigid diaphragm that actuates between a relaxed state wherein the diaphragm sits against the surface of a substrate and an actuated state wherein the diaphragm is moved away from the substrate. As will be seen from the following description, the microfluidic structures formed with this diaphragm provide easy to manufacture and robust systems, as well readily made components such as valves and pumps.