IP Library Granted Patent US 10,077,768
Granted Patent B2
US 10,077,768 · App. 14/697,971 · Granted Sep 18, 2018

Planar coil and support for actuator of fluid mover

Inventors: Sukhvinder S. Kang (Concord, NH); Timothy Swain Lucas (Richmond, VA)
Assignee: Aavid Thermalloy, LLC
F04B45/043F04B43/046F04B45/047H02K33/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,077,768
App. No.
14/697,971
Granted
Sep 18, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A fluid mover includes a chamber with one or more outlet openings, first and/or second fluidic diaphragm(s) having a portion movable in the chamber to cause fluid to move at the outlet opening, and a coil assembly magnetically coupled to the fluidic diaphragm to move the movable portion of the fluidic diaphragm(s) in response to a current in the coil. The coil assembly includes a coil with an opening, and a plug may be positioned in the opening and/or a support may be positioned around a periphery of the coil. The plug and/or the support may have a magnetic permeability greater than one and be arranged so magnetic field lines created by the coil pass through the plug and/or support. The coil, plug and/or support may define a flat surface, e.g., such that a uniform gap is present between the diaphragm(s) and the coil, plug and/or support.

Claims (40)

1. A fluid mover comprising:

a chamber having one or more outlet openings;

a first fluidic diaphragm having a portion movable in the chamber to cause fluid to move at the one or more outlet openings;

a second fluidic diaphragm having a portion movable in the chamber to cause fluid to move at the one or more outlet openings; and

a coil assembly in the chamber that is positioned between the first fluidic diaphragm and the second fluidic diaphragm such that the first fluidic diaphragm is positioned over a top of the coil, and the second fluidic diaphragm is positioned under a bottom of the coil, the coil assembly being magnetically coupled to the first and second fluidic diaphragms to move the movable portions of the fluidic diaphragms toward the coil assembly and toward each other in response to a current in the coil assembly, the coil assembly including a coil with an opening, a plug in the opening, and a support around a periphery of the coil arranged to support the coil in the chamber, the support including a plate that defines a hole at which the coil is supported by the support,

wherein the support, coil and plug define a first flat surface opposed to the first fluidic diaphragm, and the support, coil and plug define a second flat surface opposed to the second fluidic diaphragm, and

wherein the plug includes a material with a relative magnetic permeability greater than one and the coil assembly is arranged such that magnetic field lines, created by a current in the coil to cause movement of the movable portions of the first and second fluidic diaphragms, pass through the plug and support.

2. The fluid mover of claim 1 , wherein the support includes a material with a relative magnetic permeability greater than one.

3. The fluid mover of claim 1 , wherein the first fluidic diaphragm and the coil assembly are arranged such that no portion of the first fluidic diaphragm enters the opening of the coil during movement of the movable portion of the first fluidic diaphragm.

4. The fluid mover of claim 1 , wherein the plug completely occludes the opening.

5. The fluid mover of claim 1 , wherein the support is immediately adjacent the periphery of the coil around the hole.

6. The fluid mover of claim 5 , wherein the plug and the support each include a material with a relative magnetic permeability greater than one.

7. The fluid mover of claim 6 , wherein the support, coil and plug define a flat structure.

8. The fluid mover of claim 6 , wherein each of the first and second fluidic diaphragms includes an armature formed as a flat plate of material with a relative magnetic permeability greater than one.

9. The fluid mover of claim 1 , wherein the plug and the support each include a material with a relative magnetic permeability greater than one.

10. The fluid mover of claim 9 , wherein upper and lower gaps are present between the first fluidic diaphragm and the coil assembly, and between the second fluidic diaphragm and the coil assembly, respectively, and wherein the fluid mover is arranged to move fluid in the upper and lower gaps based on movement of the first and second fluidic diaphragms relative to the housing.

11. The fluid mover of claim 10 , wherein the coil assembly is arranged to remain stationary relative to the chamber.

12. The fluid mover of claim 1 , wherein the first and second fluidic diaphragms are arranged for vibratory movement in the chamber in which a portion of the fluidic diaphragm moves at a frequency of 0.1 Hz to 1kHz.

13. The fluid mover of claim 1 , wherein the first and second fluidic diaphragms each have a periphery which is fixed relative to the chamber, and the coil assembly is arranged to move portions of the first and second fluidic diaphragms located inward of the periphery of the respective fluidic diaphragm relative to the chamber.

14. The fluid mover of claim 1 , wherein the coil has an annular shape.

15. A fluid mover comprising:

a chamber having one or more outlet openings;

a first fluidic diaphragm having a portion movable in the chamber to cause fluid to move at the one or more outlet openings;

a second fluidic diaphragm having a portion movable in the chamber to cause fluid to move at the one or more outlet openings; and

a coil assembly in the chamber that is positioned between the first and second fluidic diaphragms and magnetically coupled to the first and second fluidic diaphragms to move the portions of the fluidic diaphragms toward each other and toward the coil assembly, the coil assembly including a coil having an opening, and a plug in the opening, and a support arranged to support the coil in the chamber such that the coil, the plug and the support define first and second flat surfaces opposed to the first and second fluidic diaphragms, respectively, the support formed as a flat plate having a hole in which the coil is positioned, and

wherein an upper surface of the coil is located in a same plane as an upper surface of the support, and a lower surface of the coil is located in a same plane as a lower surface of the support.

16. The fluid mover of claim 15 , wherein the upper surface of the coil is located in a same plane as an upper surface of the plug.

17. The fluid mover of claim 16 , wherein a lower surface of the coil is located in a same plane as a lower surface of the plug.

18. The fluid mover of claim 15 , wherein the first fluidic diaphragm is positioned over a top of the coil, and the second fluidic diaphragm is positioned under a bottom of the coil.

19. The fluid mover of claim 15 wherein upper and lower gaps are present between the first fluidic diaphragm and the coil assembly, and between the second fluidic diaphragm and the coil assembly, respectively, and wherein the fluid mover is arranged to move fluid in the upper and lower gaps based on movement of the first and second fluidic diaphragms relative to the housing.

20. The fluid mover of claim 15 , wherein the coil assembly is arranged to remain stationary relative to the chamber.

21. The fluid mover of claim 15 , wherein the first and second fluidic diaphragms each includes a flat diaphragm surface opposed to the coil assembly.

22. The fluid mover of claim 15 , wherein the first and second fluidic diaphragms are arranged for vibratory movement in the chamber in which movable portions of the first and second fluidic diaphragms move at a frequency of 0.1 Hz to 1kHz.

23. The fluid mover of claim 15 , wherein the first and second fluidic diaphragms each have a periphery which is fixed relative to the chamber, and the coil assembly is arranged to move portions of the first and second fluidic diaphragms located inward of the periphery relative to the chamber.

24. A fluid mover comprising:

a chamber having one or more outlet openings;

a first fluidic diaphragm having a portion movable in the chamber to cause fluid to move at the one or more outlet openings;

a second fluidic diaphragm having a portion movable in the chamber to cause fluid to move at the one or more outlet openings; and

a coil assembly in the chamber that is positioned between the first and second fluidic diaphragms and magnetically coupled to the first and second fluidic diaphragms to move the portions of the fluidic diaphragms toward each other and toward the coil assembly, the coil assembly including a coil having an opening, a plug in the opening, and a support arranged to support the coil in the chamber such that the coil, the plug and the support define first and second flat surfaces opposed to the first and second fluidic diaphragms, respectively,

wherein an upper surface of the coil is located in a same plane as an upper surface of the plug, and a lower surface of the coil is located in a same plane as a lower surface of the plug.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE (REEL047028/FRAME0743) Recorded Jul 30, 2024
From: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
To: LTI FLEXIBLE PRODUCTS, INC.; LIFETIME INDUSTRIES, INC.; AAVID THERMALLOY, LLC (NOW KNOWN AS BOYD LACONIA, LLC; NUVENTIX, INC.; THERMAL CORP. (NOW KNOWN AS AAVID THERMAL CORP.; CSI MEDICAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 068195/0243 →
RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (042477/0643) Recorded Sep 10, 2018
From: ANTARES CAPITAL LP, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AND COLLATERAL AGENT
To: LTI HOLDINGS, INC.; AAVID NIAGARA, LLC; AAVID THERMACORE, INC.; AAVID THERMAL CORP.; AAVID THERMALLOY, LLC; LIFETIME INDUSTRIES, INC.; LTI FLEXIBLE PRODUCTS, INC.; NUVENTIX, INC.
Reel/Frame 047223/0380 →
RELEASE OF FIRST LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (042477/0565) Recorded Sep 10, 2018
From: ANTARES CAPITAL LP, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AND COLLATERAL AGENT
To: LTI HOLDINGS, INC.; AAVID NIAGARA, LLC; AAVID THERMACORE, INC.; AAVID THERMAL CORP.; AAVID THERMALLOY, LLC,; LIFETIME INDUSTRIES, INC.; LTI FLEXIBLE PRODUCTS, INC.; NUVENTIX, INC.
Reel/Frame 047052/0001 →
SECOND LIEN SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2018
From: LTI FLEXIBLE PRODUCTS, INC.; LIFETIME INDUSTRIES, INC.; AAVID THERMALLOY, LLC; NUVENTIX, INC.; AAVID THERMAL CORP. (F/K/A THERMAL CORP.); CSI MEDICAL, INC.
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
Reel/Frame 047028/0743 →
FIRST LIEN SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2018
From: LTI FLEXIBLE PRODUCTS, INC.; LIFETIME INDUSTRIES, INC.; AAVID THERMALLOY, LLC; NUVENTIX, INC.; AAVID THERMAL CORP. (F/K/A THERMAL CORP.); CSI MEDICAL, INC.
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
Reel/Frame 047026/0666 →
FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 16, 2017
From: LTI HOLDINGS, INC.; AAVID NIAGARA, LLC; AAVID THERMACORE, INC.; AAVID THERMAL CORP.; AAVID THERMALLOY, LLC; LIFETIME INDUSTRIES, INC.; LTI FLEXIBLE PRODUCTS, INC.; NUVENTIX, INC.
To: ANTARES CAPITAL LP, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 042477/0565 →
SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 16, 2017
From: LTI HOLDINGS, INC.; AAVID NIAGARA, LLC; AAVID THERMACORE, INC.; AAVID THERMAL CORP.; AAVID THERMALLOY, LLC; LIFETIME INDUSTRIES, INC.; LTI FLEXIBLE PRODUCTS, INC.; NUVENTIX, INC.
To: ANTARES CAPITAL LP, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 042477/0643 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2015
From: KANG, SUKHVINDER S.; LUCAS, TIMOTHY S.
To: AAVID THERMALLOY, LLC
Reel/Frame 035515/0815 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61988429 · May 5, 2014
Related Publication 20150316046A1 · Nov 5, 2015