Fluid control apparatus and electronic apparatus

Abstract

A fluid control apparatus includes a flow-path space forming portion, an inflow opening, an outflow opening, and a drive mechanism. The flow-path space forming portion includes a flexible portion that have flexibility, and a facing portion that faces the flexible portion, the flow-path space forming portion forming a flow path space between the flexible portion and the facing portion, the flow path space being a flow path of fluid. The inflow opening is provided to an outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, as viewed from a facing direction in which the flexible portion and the facing portion face each other, the inflow opening being an opening through which the fluid flows into the flow path space. The outflow opening is provided to a portion, in the outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, that is different from a portion, in the outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, that is provided with the inflow opening, as viewed from the facing direction, the outflow opening being an opening through which the fluid flows out of the flow path space. The drive mechanism bends the flexible portion to increase or decrease the volume of the flow path space. Further, the flexible portion is configured such that at least a portion of a region of the flexible portion is curved toward the facing portion to have a concave shape in a reference state in which the flexible portion is not bent by the drive mechanism, the region of the flexible portion being situated further inward than the outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, as viewed from the facing direction.

1 . A fluid control apparatus, comprising:
 a flow-path space forming portion that includes a flexible portion that have flexibility, and a facing portion that faces the flexible portion, the flow-path space forming portion forming a flow path space between the flexible portion and the facing portion, the flow path space being a flow path of fluid;   an inflow opening that is provided to an outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, as viewed from a facing direction in which the flexible portion and the facing portion face each other, the inflow opening being an opening through which the fluid flows into the flow path space;   an outflow opening that is provided to a portion, in the outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, that is different from a portion, in the outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, that is provided with the inflow opening, as viewed from the facing direction, the outflow opening being an opening through which the fluid flows out of the flow path space; and   a drive mechanism that bends the flexible portion to increase or decrease the volume of the flow path space,   the flexible portion being configured such that at least a portion of a region of the flexible portion is curved toward the facing portion to have a concave shape in a reference state in which the flexible portion is not bent by the drive mechanism, the region of the flexible portion being situated further inward than the outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, as viewed from the facing direction.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the flexible portion is configured such that a center portion of the flexible portion as viewed from the facing direction is curved toward the facing portion to have a concave shape in the reference state.   
     
     
         3 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the flexible portion has a shape obtained by a plate member being deformed and curved toward the facing portion to have a concave shape in the reference state.   
     
     
         4 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the drive mechanism bends the flexible portion such that a concave portion of the flexible portion in the reference state is moved by a largest distance in the facing direction.   
     
     
         5 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the drive mechanism includes a piezoelectric element that is connected to a certain surface of the flexible portion that is situated opposite to another surface of the flexible portion that faces the facing portion.   
     
     
         6 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when the flexible portion is a first flexible portion, the facing portion is a second flexible portion that has flexibility,   the drive mechanism bends the second flexible portion, and   the second flexible portion is configured such that at least a portion of a region of the second flexible portion is curved toward the first flexible portion to have a concave shape in the reference state, the region of the second flexible portion being situated further inward than the outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, as viewed from the facing direction.   
     
     
         7 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the first flexible portion and the second flexible portion are configured to resonate with each other.   
     
     
         8 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the drive mechanism includes
 a first piezoelectric element that is connected to a certain surface of the first flexible portion that is opposite to another surface of the first flexible portion that faces the second flexible portion, and 
 a second piezoelectric element that is connected to a certain surface of the second flexible portion that is opposite to another surface of the second flexible portion that faces the first flexible portion, and 
   the drive mechanism is configured such that a resonance frequency of the entirety of the first flexible portion and the first piezoelectric element is closer to a resonance frequency of the entirety of the second flexible portion and the second piezoelectric element.   
     
     
         9 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when the flexible portion is a first flexible portion, the facing portion is a second flexible portion that has flexibility, and   the first flexible portion and the second flexible portion are configured to resonate with each other.   
     
     
         10 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the drive mechanism includes a piezoelectric element that is connected to a certain surface of the first flexible portion that is situated opposite to another surface of the first flexible portion that faces the second flexible portion, and   the drive mechanism is configured such that a resonance frequency of the second flexible portion is closer to a resonance frequency of the entirety of the first flexible portion and the first piezoelectric element.   
     
     
         11 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the second flexible portion has a larger thickness than the first flexible portion.   
     
     
         12 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the second flexible portion is configured such that the at least the portion of the region of the second flexible portion is curved toward the first flexible portion to have a concave shape in the reference state, the region of the second flexible portion being situated further inward than the outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, as viewed from the facing direction.   
     
     
         13 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the flexible portion includes a groove that is formed near an outer peripheral portion of the flexible portion, as viewed from the facing direction.   
     
     
         14 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the drive mechanism includes a piezoelectric element that is connected to a certain surface of the flexible portion that is situated opposite to another surface of the flexible portion that faces the facing portion, and   the groove is formed at a position based on an outer peripheral portion of the piezoelectric element, as viewed from the facing direction.   
     
     
         15 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an inlet through which the fluid is intaken into the fluid control apparatus;   an intake space forming portion that forms an intake space through which the inlet and the inflow opening communicate with each other;   an outlet through which the fluid is discharged from the fluid control apparatus; and   a discharge space forming portion that forms a discharge space through which the outlet and the outflow opening communicate with each other.   
     
     
         16 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the flow-path space forming portion includes
 a first plate member that is made of a metallic material and includes the flexible portion in a center region of the first plate member, as viewed from the facing direction, 
 a second plate member that is made of a metallic material and includes the facing portion in a center region of the second plate member, as viewed from the facing direction, and 
 a spacer member that has a specified thickness and includes an opening in a center region of the spacer member, as viewed from the facing direction, the spacer member being arranged between the first plate member and the second plate member, the spacer member being joined to the first plate member and to the second plate member using diffused junction. 
   
     
     
         17 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the spacer member includes
 an inlet opening that is configured to communicate with an outer peripheral portion of the center opening, and 
 an outlet opening that is configured to communicate with the outer peripheral portion of the center opening, the outlet opening being provided to a portion, in the spacer member, that is different from a portion, in the spacer member, that is provided with the inlet opening. 
   
     
     
         18 . The fluid control apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein
 an inlet through which the fluid is intaken into the fluid control apparatus is formed in at least one of a region, in the first plate member, that covers the inlet opening, or a region, in the second plate member, that covers the inlet opening, and   an outlet through which the fluid is discharged from the fluid control apparatus is formed in at least one of a region, in the first plate member, that covers the outlet opening, or a region, in the second plate member, that covers the outlet opening.   
     
     
         19 . An electronic apparatus, comprising
 a fluid control apparatus that includes
 a flow-path space forming portion that includes a flexible portion that have flexibility, and a facing portion that faces the flexible portion, the flow-path space forming portion forming a flow path space between the flexible portion and the facing portion, the flow path space being a flow path of fluid, 
 an inflow opening that is provided to an outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, as viewed from a facing direction in which the flexible portion and the facing portion face each other, the inflow opening being an opening through which the fluid flows into the flow path space, 
 an outflow opening that is provided to a portion, in the outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, that is different from a portion, in the outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, that is provided with the inflow opening, as viewed from the facing direction, the outflow opening being an opening through which the fluid flows out of the flow path space, and 
 a drive mechanism that bends the flexible portion to increase or decrease the volume of the flow path space, 
   the flexible portion being configured such that at least a portion of a region of the flexible portion is curved toward the facing portion to have a concave shape in a reference state in which the flexible portion is not bent by the drive mechanism, the region of the flexible portion being situated further inward than the outer peripheral portion of the flow path space, as viewed from the facing direction.