Fluid pressure-feeding device

Abstract

A fluid pressure-feeding device includes: a balloon pump of a bag shape that is elastically expandable, contractible and deformable, and defines a pump chamber inside; and a flow path unit that includes at least a portion of a flow path communicating with the pump chamber. The balloon pump and the flow path unit are integrally arranged. The flow path includes a supply path that supplies a fluid to the pump chamber, and a discharge path that discharges the fluid from the pump chamber. The discharge path has a greater pressure loss than the supply path.

1 . A fluid pressure-feeding device, comprising:
 a balloon pump of a bag shape, being elastically expandable, contractible and deformable, and defining a pump chamber inside; and   a flow path unit, comprising at least a portion of a flow path communicating with the pump chamber, wherein   the balloon pump and the flow path unit are integrally arranged;   the flow path comprises a supply path that supplies a fluid to the pump chamber, and a discharge path that discharges the fluid from the pump chamber; and   the discharge path has a greater pressure loss than the supply path.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid pressure-feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the flow path unit comprises a supply part comprising at least a portion of the supply path, a discharge part comprising at least a portion of the discharge path, and a pump accommodation part defined between the supply part and the discharge part and accommodating the balloon pump.   
     
     
         3 . The fluid pressure-feeding device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 with a direction in which the supply part and the discharge part are arranged in parallel as an axial direction,   the flow path unit comprises a base material of a sheet shape, the base material connecting the supply part and the discharge part, being arranged in parallel with the pump accommodation part, and extending in the axial direction;   the flow path comprises an extension part arranged in the base material; and   the extension part has a greater length in the axial direction than the pump accommodation part.   
     
     
         4 . The fluid pressure-feeding device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 with a direction in which the supply part and the discharge part are arranged in parallel as an axial direction, a direction orthogonal to the axial direction as an axially perpendicular direction, a state in which the balloon pump contracts and a storage amount of the fluid in the pump chamber becomes minimum as a contracted state, and a state in which the balloon pump expands and the storage amount of the fluid in the pump chamber becomes maximum as an expanded state,   in the contracted state, the balloon pump is accommodated in the pump accommodation part with excess space remaining in the axial direction; and   during a transition from the contracted state to the expanded state, the balloon pump expands more greatly in the axial direction than in the axially perpendicular direction.   
     
     
         5 . The fluid pressure-feeding device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 with a direction in which the supply part and the discharge part are arranged in parallel as an axial direction, a direction orthogonal to the axial direction as an axially perpendicular direction, a state in which the balloon pump contracts and a storage amount of the fluid in the pump chamber becomes minimum as a contracted state, and a state in which the balloon pump expands and the storage amount of the fluid in the pump chamber becomes maximum as an expanded state,   the balloon pump has one axial end fixed to the supply part and the other axial end fixed to the discharge part;   in the contracted state, the balloon pump is in a suspended state; and   during a transition from the contracted state to the expanded state, the balloon pump expands in the axially perpendicular direction.   
     
     
         6 . The fluid pressure-feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the discharge path comprises a micro flow path part having smaller flow path cross-sectional area than the supply path.   
     
     
         7 . The fluid pressure-feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the supply path and the discharge path have at least one of following relationships (A) to (C):   (A) the discharge path has smaller flow path cross-sectional area than the supply path;   (B) the discharge path has a greater flow path length than the supply path;   (C) the supply path and the discharge path are different in flow path shape.   
     
     
         8 . The fluid pressure-feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a wall of the balloon pump comprises a base wall part and a thick wall part having a greater wall thickness than the base wall part.   
     
     
         9 . The fluid pressure-feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the balloon pump is made of PDMS.   
     
     
         10 . The fluid pressure-feeding device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the balloon pump and at least a portion of the flow path unit are an integral body.   
     
     
         11 . The fluid pressure-feeding device according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a connection part, arranged between the flow path unit and an adjacent member, and being attachable and detachable with respect to at least one of the flow path unit and the adjacent member.