A pump is provided with a pump housing, a vibrating portion, a driving portion, and a displacement regulating portion. The pump housing internally has a pump chamber. The vibrating portion is supported against the pump housing in the pump chamber and divides the pump chamber into a first pump chamber and a second pump chamber. The driving portion drives the vibrating portion so as to bend and vibrate the vibrating portion in a predetermined direction. The displacement regulating portion is positioned to prevent displacement of the vibrating portion that results in plastic deformation.

A pump includes a vibrating plate, a flow path forming member, a pump chamber, and a film valve. The vibrating plate is provided with a piezoelectric element, vibrates due to distortion of the piezoelectric element, and has a gap on an outer periphery. The flow path forming member is disposed so as to face the vibrating plate, and has a hole in a portion facing the vibrating plate. The pump chamber is surrounded by the vibrating plate and the flow path forming member, and has a central space communicating with the hole and an outer edge space communicating with the gap. The film valve is disposed in the pump chamber. The film valve is in contact with the vibrating plate and the flow path forming member when a pressure in the central space is lower than a pressure in the outer edge space.

Disclosed are example purge valve assemblies for a printing system and related methods. In an example, the purge valve assembly includes a valve body to couple to a carriage of the printing system. In addition, the purge valve assembly includes an actuator, an arm, and a diaphragm coupled to the arm and the valve body. The purge valve assembly is to transition between: a first position in which the actuator is disposed at an initial position and the diaphragm is extended outward from the valve body; and second position in which the actuator is translated along an axis from the initial position to slidingly engage with the arm to rotate the arm and depress the diaphragm toward the valve body.

A pump (10) includes: a flat plate (20); a piezoelectric element (21); a flat plate (30); a side wall (40); a support member (22); a support member (32); a shielding plate (500); a ventilation hole (23); a ventilation hole (33); a film valve (61); and a film valve (62). The film valve (61) is arranged in a region where the flat plate (20) and the shielding plate (500) face each other. The film valve (62) is arranged in a region where the flat plate (30) and the shielding plate (500) face each other. A center side of one of the film valve (61) and the film valve (62) is fixed in a state in which an outer edge side is movable, and the outer edge side of the other is fixed in a state in which the center side is movable.

An automated computer-controlled sampling system and related methods for collecting, processing, and analyzing agricultural samples for various chemical properties such as plant available nutrients. The sampling system allows multiple samples to be processed and analyzed for different analytes or chemical properties in a simultaneous concurrent or semi-concurrent manner. Advantageously, the system can process soil samples in the “as collected” condition without drying or grinding. The system generally includes a sample preparation sub-system which receives soil samples collected by a probe collection sub-system and produces a slurry (i.e. mixture of soil, vegetation, and/or manure and water), and a chemical analysis sub-system which processes the prepared slurry samples for quantifying multiple analytes and/or chemical properties of the sample. The sample preparation and chemical analysis sub-systems can be used to analyze soil, vegetation, and/or manure samples. A soil collection system is disclosed which captures and directs samples to the sampling system for processing.

An automated computer-controlled sampling system and related methods for collecting, processing, and analyzing agricultural samples for various chemical properties such as plant available nutrients. The sampling system allows multiple samples to be processed and analyzed for different analytes or chemical properties in a simultaneous concurrent or semi-concurrent manner. Advantageously, the system can process soil samples in the “as collected” condition without drying or grinding. The system generally includes a sample preparation sub-system which receives soil samples collected by a probe collection sub-system and produces a slurry (i.e. mixture of soil, vegetation, and/or manure and water), and a chemical analysis sub-system which processes the prepared slurry samples for quantifying multiple analytes and/or chemical properties of the sample. The sample preparation and chemical analysis sub-systems can be used to analyze soil, vegetation, and/or manure samples. A soil collection system is disclosed which captures and directs samples to the sampling system for processing.

A pump includes a vibrating plate, a flow path forming member, a pump chamber, and a film valve. The vibrating plate is provided with a piezoelectric element, vibrates due to distortion of the piezoelectric element, and has a gap on an outer periphery. The flow path forming member is disposed so as to face the vibrating plate, and has a hole in a portion facing the vibrating plate. The pump chamber is surrounded by the vibrating plate and the flow path forming member, and has a central space communicating with the hole and an outer edge space communicating with the gap. The film valve is disposed in the pump chamber. The film valve is in contact with the vibrating plate and the flow path forming member when a pressure in the central space is lower than a pressure in the outer edge space.

An automated computer-controlled sampling system and related methods for collecting, processing, and analyzing agricultural samples for various chemical properties such as plant available nutrients. The sampling system allows multiple samples to be processed and analyzed for different analytes or chemical properties in a simultaneous concurrent or semi-concurrent manner. Advantageously, the system can process soil samples in the “as collected” condition without drying or grinding. The system generally includes a sample preparation sub-system which receives soil samples collected by a probe collection sub-system and produces a slurry (i.e. mixture of soil, vegetation, and/or manure and water), and a chemical analysis sub-system which processes the prepared slurry samples for quantifying multiple analytes and/or chemical properties of the sample. The sample preparation and chemical analysis sub-systems can be used to analyze soil, vegetation, and/or manure samples. A soil collection system is disclosed which captures and directs samples to the sampling system for processing.

A two-cavity pump having a single valve in one cavity and a bidirectional valve in another cavity is disclosed. The pump has a side wall closed by two end walls for containing a fluid. An actuator is disposed between the two end walls and functions as a portion of a common end wall of the two cavities. The actuator causes an oscillatory motion of the common end walls to generate radial pressure oscillations of the fluid within both cavities. An isolator flexibly supports the actuator. The first cavity includes the single valve disposed in one of a first and second aperture in the end wall to enable fluid flow in one direction. The second cavity includes the bidirectional valve disposed in one of a third and fourth aperture in the end wall to enable fluid flow in both directions.

A power cable can include a conductor; an insulation layer disposed about the conductor where the insulation layer includes a first polymeric material; and a shield layer disposed about the insulation layer where the shield layer includes a second polymeric material where a solubility parameter of the first polymeric material is less than a solubility parameter of the second polymeric material.