Housing construction for accommodating a micro system interspersed with fluid

Abstract

A housing for a micro pump or like micro system has at least three structured elements which are layered and which respectively form a support plate, a connecting block and a base element with a further plate-shaped layered structure element located between the connecting block and the support plate and serving with the axially oriented or circumferentially-oriented channel section for conveying fluid between the connecting block and the support plate.

1 . Housing construction for receiving or accommodating and supporting a micro pump conveying a fluid (F), particularly a toothed ring micro pump (MP;A,I) comprising an outer wheel (A) toothed towards the inside and an inner wheel (I) toothed towards the outside and being in a meshing engagement with said outer wheel, said inner wheel being in a non-rotating engagement ( 53 ) with an elongated axial shaft ( 50 ), said housing construction comprising 
 (a) an elongated axial opening for receiving or accommodating said shaft ( 50 ) of said micro pump, said opening defining a housing axis ( 100 );    (b) a number of—at least three—layered structure elements ( 20 ; 30 ; 31 ; 32 ; 40 ; 11 ;  12 ) extending in a perpendicular direction with respect to said housing axis ( 100 ), wherein 
 (aa) one of said elements being provided as a support plate ( 30 ) having a recess ( 30   a ) extending in axial direction, for rotatably supporting said outer wheel (A);  
 (bb) one of said elements being provided as a connecting block ( 11 ) for mounting at least one inlet and one outlet ( 60 ), for supplying and delivering said fluid (F);  
 (cc) one of said elements being provided as a base element ( 12 ) for receiving axially oriented mounting or clamping means ( 13 , 14 ) for the other layered structure elements;  
   (c) a further plate-shaped layered structure element ( 31 ; 20 ) located between said connecting block ( 11 ) and said support plate ( 30 ) and comprising one of axially oriented channel segments ( 20   a ; 31   k , 31   k ′), circumferentially oriented channel segments ( 41   k , 41   k ′) and radially oriented channel segments ( 20   r ) or an optional combination thereof ( 20   a , 20   r ), for conveying said fluid (F) from connections of said connection block ( 11 ) to a recess ( 30   a ) of said support plate ( 30 ) for said micro pump.    
     
     
         2 . Housing construction according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said axially, circumferentially and radially oriented channel segments form 
 a continuous first channel extending from said inlet to said recess ( 30   a ) for the micro pump (MP) for supplying fluid, and    a further circumferentially offset channel in said layered structure elements, for delivering a fluid (F) from said recess ( 30   a ) to said outlet ( 60 ).    
     
     
         3 . Housing construction according to  claim 1 , wherein said circumferentially oriented channel segments ( 41   k , 41   k ′) in said further plate-shaped layered structure element ( 31 ) are designed as kidneys axially open towards the surface of the adjacent layered structure elements to directly adjoin a face end of said outer and inner wheels (A,I) of said micro pump, when it is supported in said recess ( 30   a ) of said support plate ( 30 ).  
     
     
         4 . Housing construction according to  claim 1 , wherein said recess ( 30   a ) is located eccentrically in said support plate ( 30 ) as a cylindrical opening opposite said housing axis ( 100 ), for eccentrically bearing said outer wheel (A) relative to said inner wheel (I) which is in a fixed engagement with said shaft ( 50 ) located in said housing axis ( 100 ).  
     
     
         5 . Housing construction also according to  claim 3 , wherein said further plate-shaped layered structure element ( 31 ) has a thickness and is provided with at least one axial channel segment ( 31   k , 31   k ′) which is radially offset in relation to the corresponding kidney ( 41   k , 41   k ′) and has a length which is smaller than the thickness of said further plate-shaped element ( 31 ).  
     
     
         6 . Housing construction according to  claim 1 , wherein a further plate-shaped layered structure element ( 31 , 20 ) is located between said support plate ( 30 ) and said connecting block ( 11 ), for providing two further elements.  
     
     
         7 . Housing construction according to one of claims  2  and  6 , wherein said plate-shaped layered structure element ( 20 ) is provided with radially oriented channel segments ( 20   r ) for displacing a fluid current (F) in a radial outward direction away from said axial shaft opening for accommodating said shaft ( 50 ).  
     
     
         8 . Housing construction according to  claim 1 , wherein an additional plate-shaped layered structure element ( 32 ) is located between said support plate ( 30 ) and said base element ( 12 ), said element being provided with at least one of axially oriented channel segments and circumferentially oriented channel segments ( 42   k , 42   k ′).  
     
     
         9 . Housing construction according to  claim 8 , wherein said channel segments are designed as kidneys ( 42   k , 42   k ′) extending in a radial and a circumferential direction and continuously through said additional element  32  in an axial direction.  
     
     
         10 . Housing construction according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one additional plate-shaped layered structure element ( 40 , 32 ) is located between said support plate ( 30 ) for the micro pump and said base element ( 12 ) for receiving mounting or clamping means, and at least two plate-shaped layered structure elements ( 20 , 31 ) are located between said support plate ( 30 ) and said connecting block ( 11 ), said elements being adapted to be tightened together in an axial direction and fixed in relation to each other by said mounting or clamping means ( 13 ).  
     
     
         11 . Housing construction according to  claim 1 , wherein said housing construction has an outer circumferentially oriented surface which extends in an axial direction and substantially uniformly, said outer surface particularly having a cylindrical shape.  
     
     
         12 . Housing construction according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least two plate-shaped layered structure elements are made of the same basic plate having throughout its entire surface a surface structure required for the evenness and surface quality of layered structure elements ( 30 , 31 , 32 ) located close to a micro pump.  
     
     
         13 . Housing construction according to  claim 12 , wherein all inner plate-shaped layered structure elements ( 30 , 31 , 32 , 40 , 20 ) substantially comprise the same thickness as an axially directed height.  
     
     
         14 . Housing construction according to  claim 2 , wherein said inlet channel and said outlet channel have a substantially constant cross-section throughout their lengths between said connecting block ( 11 ) and said support plate ( 30 ).  
     
     
         15 . Housing construction according to  claim 1 , wherein two plate-shaped layered structure elements ( 31 , 32 ) for supporting said shaft ( 50 ) are provided inside said shaft opening for rotatably supporting said shaft ( 50 ), said elements directly contacting said support plate ( 30 ) on both sides.  
     
     
         16 . Housing construction according to  claim 5 , wherein said axial channel segment ( 31   k , 31   k ′) has a diameter which is larger than the width of the kidney at a circumferential position at which said axial channel segment contacts said kidney ( 41   k , 41   k ′).  
     
     
         17 . Housing construction according to  claim 5 , wherein two kidneys ( 41   k , 41   k ′) are located to be reflected symmetrically in relation to a center plane (B-B) of said housing construction, the width of each kidney continuously changing in a circumferential direction, and a respective axial channel segment ( 31   k , 31   k ′) contacting a respective kidney at a circumferential position at which a fluid current conveyed in an operation mode has a maximum volume.  
     
     
         18 . Housing construction according to  claim 17 , wherein an axial channel segment ( 31   k , 31   k ′) having a radial vector (C,C′) to its center axis, is angled between substantially 75° to 85° in relation to said center plane on one side or on both sides.  
     
     
         19 . Housing construction according to  claim 2 , wherein said first and said second channel are provided each with an axially and a radially oriented channel segment in said further plate-shaped layered structure element ( 20 ).  
     
     
         20 . Housing construction for receiving or accommodating and supporting therein a micro pump conveying a fluid (F), particularly a toothed ring micro pump (MP;A,I) comprising an outer wheel (A) toothed towards the inside and an inner wheel (I) toothed towards the outside and being in a meshing engagement with said outer wheel, said inner wheel being in a non-rotating engagement ( 53 ) with an elongated axial shaft ( 50 ), said housing construction comprising 
 (a) a shaft opening extending in an axial direction for supporting a shaft ( 50 ) of a micro pump, said opening defining a housing axis ( 100 );    (b) a number of layered structure elements ( 20 ; 30 ; 31 ; 32 ; 40 ; 11 ;  12 ) extending in a perpendicular direction with respect to said housing axis ( 100 ), said shaft opening extending in an axial direction and continuously through a number of layered structure elements;    (c) wherein a plate-shaped layered structure element ( 31 ; 20 ) connecting a fluid current is located between a connecting block ( 11 ) for mounting an inlet and an outlet connection ( 60 ) and a support plate ( 30 ) for receiving an outer wheel (A), said layered structure element being provided with at least one of an axially oriented ( 20   a ; 31   k , 31   k ′), a circumferentially oriented ( 41   k , 41   k ′) and a radially oriented channel segment ( 20   r ) and a combination of two segments thereof ( 20   a , 20   r ), for conveying said fluid (F) through from the connections of said connecting block ( 11 ) to a recess ( 30   a ) of said support plate ( 30 ).    
     
     
         21 . Housing construction according to one of claims  1  and  20 , wherein a combination of a substantially radially oriented channel segment and an axial channel segment together forms a substantially radially ( 20   a , 20   r ) oriented longitudinal opening, the axial height of which corresponds to the layer thickness of said plate-shaped layered structure element ( 20 ).  
     
     
         22 . Housing construction for accommodating and supporting a micro system (MP;A,I) at an inside thereof, such as a toothed ring micro pump, a fluid micro sensor or a toothed ring micro motor, said micro system being interspersed with a fluid (F) and comprising a first functional element (A) and a second functional element (I) engaging in said first element, said housing construction comprising a number of layered structure elements ( 20 ; 30 ; 31 ; 32 ; 40 ; 11 ; 12 ) extending in a perpendicular direction with respect to said housing axis ( 100 ),  
       characterized by 
 a plate-shaped layered structure element ( 31 ; 20 ) located between a connecting block ( 11 ) and a support plate ( 30 ) for said micro system (MP;A,I), said element being provided with one of an axially oriented channel segment ( 20   a ; 31   k , 31   k ′), a circumferentially oriented channel segment ( 41   k , 41   k ′) and a radially oriented channel segment ( 20   r ) or a combination of at least two such channel segments ( 20   a , 20   r ) for controlledly conveying a fluid (F) through between connections of said connecting block ( 11 ) and said micro system (MP;A,I).  
 
     
     
         23 . Housing construction for accommodating and supporting a micro system (MP;A,I) at an inside thereof, such as a toothed ring micro pump, a fluid micro sensor or a toothed ring micro motor, said micro system being interspersed with a fluid (F) and comprising a first functional element (A) and a second functional element (I) engaging in said first element (A), wherein said housing construction comprises 
 (a) a number of—at least two—layered structure elements ( 20 ; 30 ; 31 ; 32 ; 40 ; 11 ;  12 ) extending in a perpendicular direction with respect to said housing axis ( 100 ), 
 (aa) one of said elements being adapted as a support plate ( 30 ) having a recess ( 30   a ) extending in an axial direction, for receiving said first and said second functional element (A) of said fluidic micro system;  
 (bb) one of said elements being adapted as a connecting block ( 11 ) for being provided with an inlet and an outlet ( 60 ), for conveying a fluid (F) to and from said micro system;  
   (b) a further plate-shaped layered structure element ( 20 ) being positioned between said connecting block ( 11 ) and said support plate ( 30 ), said element being provided with an inlet channel and an outlet channel, said channels being provided each with an axially oriented channel segment ( 20   a ) and a substantially radially oriented channel segment ( 20   r ) for conveying said fluid (F) through between one connection, respectively, of said connecting block ( 11 ) and said recess ( 30   a ) of said support plate ( 30 ).    
     
     
         24 . Housing construction for accommodating and supporting at an inside a micro system (MP;A,I), such as a toothed ring micro pump, a fluid micro sensor or a toothed ring micro motor, said micro system being interspersed with a fluid (F) and comprising a first functional element (A) and a second functional element (I) engaging in said first element (A), wherein said housing construction comprises 
 (a) a number of—least two—layered structure elements ( 20 ; 30 ; 31 ; 32 ; 40 ; 11 ;  12 ) extending in a perpendicular direction with respect to said housing axis ( 100 ), 
 (aa) one of said elements being adapted as a support plate ( 30 ) having a recess ( 30   a ) extending in an axial direction, for receiving said first and said second functional element (A) of said fluidic micro system;  
 (bb) one of said elements being adapted as a connecting block ( 11 ) for being provided with an inlet and an outlet ( 60 ) for supplying fluid (F) to and delivering fluid from said micro system;  
   (b) a further plate-shaped layered structure element ( 31 ; 20 ) being positioned between said connecting block ( 11 ) and said support plate ( 30 ), said element comprising one of an axially oriented channel segment ( 20   a ; 31   k , 31   k ′), a radially oriented channel segment ( 41   k , 41   k ′) and a radially oriented channel segment ( 20   r ) or a combination of at least two such channel segments ( 20   a , 20   r ) for conveying said fluid (F) to and from said system.