Thin and Foldable Fluid Pump Carried under User's Clothes

Abstract

This invention presents three kinds of conceptual models of fluid pump with similar innovation, to design thin and small compartments and laterally link all compartments with flexible means so that the whole fluid pump is thin and flexible. The first one uses the concept of spiral peristaltic pump. The rollers on the thin and round rotator of the thin spiral type of peristaltic pump roll over a section of elastic tube to press out the fluid in the tube. The rotator may be driven by a thin motor, electromagnetic driver, or spring. The second one uses the concept of linear peristaltic pump. The thin motors or electromagnetic drivers press different places of a section of elastic tube or its variation in special sequence to press out the fluid in the tube. The third one uses the concept of distributed processor. It comprises a number of thin and small pumping units where each one uses the elastic force, compressed air, linear motor, or the electromagnetic device to press out limited amount of fluid in the container. The number of pumping units is appropriate so that the user carries enough fluid to be convenient. For all models, the pump is laterally integrated by linking thin and small compartments with flexible means. The pump is as thin as the compartments and is flexible as the compartments are small and are linked with flexible cables, tubes, and other linking means. So, the user will feel comfortable to carry the pump under their clothes or to attach it to the skin.

1 . A thin fluid pump to deliver the fluid from the fluid reservoir to the destination, comprising: 
 a round rotator having any number of rollers on its outside edge,    a rotating driving means installed inside of said round rotator to drive said round rotator to rotate,    a section of elastic pumping tube installed along part of the outer edge of said round rotator and said rollers,    an amount controlling means,    a controller,    flexible fluid tubes and adapters,    any number of thin batteries,    flexible cables to laterally link said controller, said rotating driving means, and said batteries, and    flexible linking means to laterally link said controller, said rotator, and said batteries where there is at least one roller that presses and shuts off said pumping tube at any time; 
 the input end of said pumping tube is connected to said fluid reservoir and the output end is connected to said destination said fluid tubes and adapters when said fluid pump delivers said fluid directly from said fluid reservoir to said destination; and the input end of said pumping tube is open and the output end is connected to said fluid reservoir and said fluid reservoir is connected to said fluid destination with said fluid tubes and adapters when said fluid pump pumps the air into said fluid reservoir to deliver said fluid indirectly from said fluid reservoir to said destination  
   so that said controller controls said rotating driving means to drive said round rotator to rotate in the direction from the input end to the output end of said pumping tube; said rollers that press and shut off said pumping tube press said fluid inside said pumping tube to move along said pumping tube from the input end to the output end when said rotator rotates; either said fluid is delivered from said fluid reservoir to said destination or the air is pumped into said fluid reservoir to press out said fluid from said fluid reservoir to said destination; said amount controlling means detects the amount of said fluid that is delivered; said controller controls said rotating driving means to stop said round rotator when enough fluid is delivered; and said fluid pump is as thin as said controller, said round rotator, and said rotating driving means and is foldable.    
   
   
       2 . The closure of  claim 1  wherein said rotating driving means is a thin and flat rotary step motor and said round rotator is the actuator of said rotary step motor; 
 and said amount controlling means is that said controller counts the steps that said actuator rotates and translates said number to be the amount of said fluid pressed out.    
   
   
       3 . The closure of  claim 1  wherein said rotating driving means further comprises a ring of driving gears fixed to the inner side of said round rotator and a thin driver having an actuator installed inside of said ring of driving gears; and said amount controlling means is that said controller counts the number of times that said actuator presses said driving gears and translates it to be the amount of said fluid pressed out 
 where said round rotator rotates when said actuator presses said driving gears    so that said controller controls said driver to drive said actuator to press said driving gears that drives said ring of driving gears to rotate in the direction from the input end to the output end of said pumping tube; hence, said round rotator and said rollers rotate accordingly to deliver said fluid; and said controller stops said driver when enough fluid has been pressed out.    
   
   
       4 . The closure of  claim 1  wherein said rotating driving means further comprises an spiral elastic device, a fastener, and a unit controller and said amount controlling means further comprises a set of stator contacts and a set of actuator contacts 
 where said spiral elastic device is installed inside of said round rotator; the outer end of said spiral elastic device is fixed to said round rotator; the inner end of said spiral elastic device is fixed to said fastener; said unit controller can release said round rotator to let it rotate and can hold it to stop it; said stator contacts are installed to be stationary; said actuator contacts are installed to rotate with said round rotator; and the angular distance that said rotator rotates between two consecutive pairs of stator contact and actuator contact are connected is constant    so that said spiral elastic device is fastened by said fastener before said fluid pump is used; said unit controller releases said round rotator to let it rotate when delivering starts; said spiral elastic device drives said round rotator and said rollers to rotate in the direction from the input end to the output end of said pumping tube; said controller or said unit controller determines the amount of said fluid delivered by counting how many times that one stator contact and one actuator contact are connected; and said unit controller holds said round rotator to stop delivering said fluid when said fluid delivered is enough.    
   
   
       5 . The closure of  claim 1  wherein said fluid pump further comprises an empty detector, comprising: 
 a switch, and    a section of empty detecting tube having an elastic portion    where the input end of said empty detecting tube is connected to the output end of said pumping tube and the output end of said empty detecting tube is connected to said fluid reservoir if said fluid pump is to pump the air into said fluid reservoir to press out said fluid from said fluid reservoir to said destination; the input end of said empty detecting tube is connected to said fluid reservoir and the output end of said empty detecting tube is connected to the input end of said pumping tube if said fluid pump is to draw said fluid from said fluid reservoir and to pump the drawn fluid to said destination; said elastic portion is significantly easier than said pumping tube to be deformed by the pressure in said empty detecting tube and in said pumping tube; and said elastic portion is linked to said switch    so that, when said fluid reservoir is empty, said elastic portion is deformed that changes the state of said switch and, hence, said controller acknowledges that said fluid reservoir is empty.    
   
   
       6 . A thin and foldable fluid pump to deliver the fluid from the fluid reservoir to the destination, comprising: 
 a controller,    an input stage and an output stage, each further comprising: a driving means and a valve means having an elastic portion where said driving means can press said elastic portion to shut off said valve means that disallows said fluid or the air to flow through said valve means and can release said elastic portion to open said valve means that allows said fluid or the air to flow through said valve means under the control of said controller,    any number of dosage stages, each further comprising: a driving means and a quantifier having an elastic portion and a housing under said elastic portion where said driving means can press said elastic portion to press out said fluid or the air in said housing and can release said elastic portion to let said elastic portion returns to the original shape that draws said fluid or the air into said housing under the control of said controller,    flexible and/or hard tubes and adapters to connect the input ends of all said quantifiers to the output end of said valve means of said input stage and to connect the output ends of all said quantifiers to the input end of said valve means of said output stage, and either to connect the input end of said valve means of said input stage to said fluid reservoir and to connect the output end of said valve means of said output stage to said destination when said fluid pump delivers said fluid directly from said fluid reservoir to said destination or to connect the output end of said valve means of said output stage to said fluid reservoir while the input end of said valve means of said input stage is open when said fluid pump pumps the air into said fluid reservoir to press out said fluid from said fluid reservoir to said destination,    any number of thin batteries,    flexible and/or hard cables or the similar to laterally link said controller, all said driving means, and all said batteries, and    flexible linking means to laterally link said controller, said input stage, all said dosage stages, said output stage, and all said batteries    where either said input stage shuts off its associated valve means or said output stage shuts off its associated valve means when said fluid is not being delivered    so that each hard compartment of said fluid pump is small and all hard compartments are linked by flexible tubes, flexible cables, and flexible linking means; said fluid or the air is drawn into and pressed out of said dosage stages with the following five-step cycling sequence under the control of said controller: 1) said input stage shuts off its associated valve means; 2) said output stage opens its associated valve means; 3) selected said dosage stages press their associated elastic portions, respectively, to press out said fluid or the air in their associated housings, respectively; 4) said output stage shuts off its associated valve means; and 5) said input stage opens its associated valve means and said dosage stages release their associated elastic portions, respectively, to draw said fluid or the air into their associated housings, respectively; said fluid is delivered from said fluid reservoir to said fluid destination; said controller determines how much said fluid is delivered; said cycling sequence repeats until enough said fluid is delivered; and said fluid pump is as thin as said controller, said input stage, said output stage, said dosage stages, and said batteries and is foldable.    
   
   
       7 . The closure of  claim 6  wherein said valve means is a section of elastic tube.  
   
   
       8 . The closure of  claim 6  wherein any number of said valve means and any number of said quantifiers are built in a compartment that comprises a section of elastic tube and a section of hard tube that has one concavity for each said valve means and each said quantifier 
 where said hard tube is installed inside of said elastic tube and all said concavities are covered with said elastic tube; and said elastic portion is the portion of said elastic tube covering each said concavity    so that, for each said valve means, said elastic tube touches the contour of the associated concavity to shut off said elastic tube and said hard tube when the associated driving means presses said elastic tube; for each said quantifier, said elastic tube touches the contour of the associated concavity to press out the fluid or the air in the associated housing when the associated driving means presses said elastic tube; and said elastic tube returns to its original shape when the associated driving means releases said elastic tube.    
   
   
       9 . The closure of  claim 6  wherein any number of said valve means and any number of said quantifiers are built in a compartment that comprises a section of hard tube that has one concavity for each said valve means and each said quantifier and said elastic portion is an elastic membrane laminated to cover each said concavity 
 so that, for each said valve means, the associated elastic membrane touches the contour of the associated concavity to shut off said hard tube when the associated driving means presses the associated elastic membrane; for each said quantifier, the associated elastic membrane touches the contour of the associated concavity to press out the fluid or the air in the associated housing when the associated driving means presses the associated elastic membrane; and each said elastic membrane returns to its original shape when the associated driving means releases said elastic membrane.    
   
   
       10 . The closure of  claim 6  wherein any number of said valve means and any number of said quantifiers are built in a compartment that has one cavity for each said valve means and each said quantifier and a tunnel to link all said cavities and the two ends on a surface of the body of said compartment and said elastic portion is an elastic membrane laminated to cover each said concavity and said tunnel 
 so that, for each said valve means, the associated elastic membrane touches the contour of the associated cavity to shut off said tunnel when the associated driving means presses the associated elastic membrane; for each said quantifier, the associated elastic membrane touches the contour of the associated cavity to press out the fluid or the air in the associated housing when the associated driving means presses the associated elastic membrane; and each said elastic membrane returns to its original shape when the associated driving means releases said elastic membrane.    
   
   
       11 . The closure of  claim 10  wherein a cover layer is further installed on the top of said elastic membrane where there is a hole on said cover layer for each said cavity so that the associated driving means can press said elastic membrane.  
   
   
       12 . The closure of  claim 6  wherein said driving means that shuts off the associated valve means when said fluid is not being delivered has an actuator that is connected to an elastic device so that said elastic device drives said actuator to press the associated elastic portion to shut off the associated valve means when said fluid is not being delivered and said controller activates said driving means to drive said actuator to release the associated elastic portion to open the associated valve means in said cycling sequence to deliver said fluid.  
   
   
       13 . The closure of  claim 6  wherein said driving means that does not press the associated elastic portion when said fluid is not being delivered has an actuator that is connected to an elastic device so that said elastic device drives said actuator to release the associated elastic portion and said controller activates said driving means to drive said actuator to press the associated elastic portion in said cycling sequence to deliver said fluid.  
   
   
       14 . The closure of  claim 6  wherein said controller applies the electrical current with different polarities to said driving means to press and to release the associated elastic portion.  
   
   
       15 . The closure of  claim 6  wherein said driving means that does not press the associated elastic portion when said fluid is not being delivered is applied with the electrical current to press the associated elastic portion by said controller and is pushed back by the associated elastic portion when the electrical current is stopped.  
   
   
       16 . The closure of  claim 6  wherein said fluid pump further comprises an empty detector, comprising: 
 a switch, and    a section of empty detecting tube having an elastic portion    where the input end of said empty detecting tube is connected to the output end of said valve means of said output stage and the output end of said empty detecting tube is connected to said fluid reservoir if said fluid pump is to pump the air into said fluid reservoir to press out said fluid from said fluid reservoir to said destination; the input end of said empty detecting tube is connected to said fluid reservoir and the output end of said empty detecting tube is connected to the input end of said valve means of said input stage if said fluid pump is to draw said fluid from said fluid reservoir and to pump said drawn fluid to said destination; said elastic portion of said empty detecting tube is significantly easier than said elastic portions of said valve means and said elastic portion of said quantifiers to be deformed by the pressure in said empty detecting tube; and said elastic portion is linked to said switch    so that, when said fluid reservoir is empty, said elastic portion of said empty detecting tube is deformed that changes the state of said switch and, hence, said controller acknowledges that said fluid reservoir is empty.    
   
   
       17 . A thin and foldable fluid pump to pump the fluid pre-stored in said fluid pump to the destination; comprising: 
 a system controller;    any number of thin pumping units, each further comprising: a housing, a flexible fluid holder holding said fluid, a piston, a unit controller, and a driving means where one end of said fluid holder is fixed to said piston and the other end is fixed to said housing and said driving means drives said piston to press out said fluid in said fluid holder;    any number of thin batteries;    flexible fluid tubes and adapters to laterally link said fluid holders to said destination;    flexible cables to laterally link said system controller, said unit controllers, said driving means, and said batteries; and    flexible linking means to laterally link said pumping units, said system controller, and said batteries;    so that said system controller determines which pumping unit to deliver said fluid; each said unit controller controls the associated driving means to drive said piston to press out said fluid; said fluid pump is as thin as said pumping units, said system controller, and said batteries and is foldable.    
   
   
       18 . The closure of  claim 17  wherein said driving means of said pumping unit is that said fluid holder is elastic and has tension when said fluid holder holds fluid so that said fluid holder pulls said piston and presses out said fluid when said unit controller releases said piston and said piston stops pressing said fluid when said unit controller holds said piston.  
   
   
       19 . The closure of  claim 17  wherein said driving means of said pumping unit comprises elastic devices so that said elastic devices press said piston to press out said fluid when said unit controller releases said piston; and said piston stops pressing said fluid when said unit controller holds said piston.  
   
   
       20 . The closure of  claim 17  wherein said driving means of said pumping unit comprises air bags that are pumped with air or are linked to the air reservoirs that are pumped with air before said pumping unit is used so that the compressed air in said air bags presses said piston to press out said fluid when said unit controller releases said piston; and said piston stops pressing said fluid when said unit controller holds said piston.  
   
   
       21 . The closure of  claim 17  wherein said driving means of said pumping unit comprises thin driver whose actuator drives said piston to press out the fluid.