Appeal 2006-2438
Application 09/259,306
port valves are molded integrally through silicon processing in a liquid feed
chamber substrate formed therein with the liquid feed chamber. A valve seat
part of each valve is pressed against the associated port by a force associated
with resiliently deformable beams integrally incorporated with the valve
seats. Claim 4 is reproduced below as illustrative of the claimed invention:
4. A liquid feed apparatus comprising a liquid feed chamber
having an inlet port and one outlet port and having a variable
volume, and a deformable diaphragm constituting at least one
of side surfaces defining said liquid feed chamber, said
diaphragm being deformed in a direction in which the volume
of said liquid feed chamber increases, so as to introduce fluid
into said liquid feed chamber through said inlet port, and said
diaphragm being deformed to a direction in which the volume
of said liquid feed chamber decreases, so as to discharge the
fluid through said outlet port, said liquid feed chamber being
provided in the inlet port with a valve for decreasing a
resistance of fluid flowing into from the outside, and in the
outlet port with a valve located for decreasing a resistance of
fluid flowing out to the outside, but increasing a resistance of
fluid flowing into from the outside, said liquid feed chamber
has a peripheral part circumscribing the liquid feed chamber,
the outlet port is formed at said peripheral part of the liquid feed
chamber, said valves provided in the inlet port and said outlet
port are molded integrally through silicon processing in a liquid
feed chamber substrate formed therein with said liquid feed
chamber, and each of said valves is composed of a valve seat
part and resiliently deformable beams integrally incorporated
with the valve seat part so that the valve seat part is pressed
against the associated inlet or outlet port by a force exerted by
the beams resiliently deformed, the valve seat part is
displaceable to and from the associated inlet or outlet port.
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