1. Peristaltic pump comprising
a pump body (3) with a face containing at least a first groove (4) covered by a flexible membrane (2) fixed to said pump body (3), in such a way as to form a fluid tight channel, said membrane (2) furthermore comprising a sealing ridge (19) which is in permanent contact against said groove (4) so as to obtain a resting fluid tight sealing segment in the channel,
a movable pressure element (7) adapted to temporarily press a portion of the membrane (2) above said groove (4) and form a moving sealing segment in the channel,
driving means (8) adapted to move said movable pressure element (7) along said groove, said driving means (8) furthermore being adapted to move said movable pressure element (7) exclusively along a plane which is parallel to said pump body face, said sealing ridge (19) andor said groove (4) being adapted to let said movable pressure element (7) in said parallel plane when moving over said sealing ridge (19), characterized by the fact that the movable pressure element (7) is rotatably fixed to an axis (9) forming part of said driving means (8), said axis (9) being parallel to the membrane (2).
2. Peristaltic pump according to claim 1 wherein said sealing ridge is made of an elastomeric material which allows said sealing ridge to collapse when compressed by the movable pressure element (7).
3. Peristaltic pump according to claim 1 wherein said groove (4) contains a zone of greater depth (17), said zone forming a part of said permanent fluid tight sealing segment and said sealing ridge (19) being designed to tightly fill said zone of greater depth (17).
4. Peristaltic pump according to claim 1 wherein said pump body face contains additional grooves (13,14) and wherein said membrane (2) contains additional ridges (11,12), said additional ridges (11,12) being designed to be located in said additional grooves (13,14) in order to tightly fix the membrane (2) to the pump body (3).
5. Peristaltic pump according to claim 1 wherein said first groove (4) forms a non-complete circle.
6. Peristaltic pump according to claim 1 wherein said first groove (4) forms a complete circle.
7. Peristaltic pump according to claim 6 wherein said first groove (4) contains a fluid inlet (10) and a fluid outlet (10), said permanent fluid tight sealing segment being located on the shortest distance separating said inlet (10) from said outlet (10).
8. Peristaltic pump according to claim 5 wherein said driving means (8) comprise a crown (15) with a diameter at least identical to the first groove diameter.
9. Peristaltic pump according to claim 8 wherein the crown (15) is adapted to be in close contact with the membrane (2) when the membrane is not pressed by said movable pressure element (7).
10. Peristaltic pump according to claim 1 comprising several movable pressure elements (7).
11. Peristaltic pump according to claim 10 wherein said movable pressure elements (7) are separated by a rigid element (16) which is in close contact with the membrane (2).
12. Peristaltic pump according to claim 11 wherein said rigid element (16) contains several smaller movable pressure elements such as balls adapted to freely rotate on the membrane (2) when the driving means (8) are activated.
13. Peristaltic pump according to claim 1 wherein said pump body face contains at least another cavity (21) forming part of an element such as a valve, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor or a hub chamber, said other cavity being also covered by the membrane (2).
14. Peristaltic pump according to claim 1 wherein said membrane (2) is tightly fixed to the pump body.
15. Peristaltic pump according to claim 1 furthermore comprising a pressure sensor located within the channel entry, said pressure sensor being connected to a flow compensating means in such a way that any pressure difference recorded by said pressure sensor would adapt the fluid flow accordingly.
16. Peristaltic pump according to claim 1 furthermore comprising a pressure sensor located within the channel exit, said pressure sensor being connected to a flow compensating means in such a way that any pressure difference recorded by said pressure sensor would adapt the fluid flow accordingly.
17. Peristaltic pump according to anyone of the previous means furthermore comprising a flow compensating means, based on membrane wear, which is adapted to automatically correct the fluid flow after a certain time andor a certain number of pumping cycles.
18. Peristaltic pump according to anyone of the previous means wherein said movable pressure element is a ball (7).
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of making a flat panel display device, the method comprising:
providing an unfinished product comprising:
a first substrate,
a second substrate opposing the first substrate,
an array of pixels interposed between the first and second substrates, and
a frit comprising a plurality of elongated segments, which forms a closed loop surrounding the array and interposed between the first and second substrates, wherein the plurality of elongated segments comprises a first elongated segment extending generally in a first direction, wherein the first elongated segment comprises a first surface, which contacts the first substrate;
applying a first laser beam to the first elongated segment while moving the first laser beam relative to the first elongated segment, whereby the first laser beam moves generally along the first direction while illuminating a first strip of the first surface, wherein the first strip of the first surface extends generally in the first direction; and
applying a second laser beam to the first elongated segment while moving the second laser beam relative to the first elongated segment, whereby the second laser beam moves while illuminating a second strip of the first surface.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the first and second laser beams are carried out substantially simultaneously.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the first and second laser beams are carried out using an apparatus comprising:
a first laser source irradiating the first laser beam;
a second laser source irradiating the second laser beam; and
a support coupled to the first and second laser sources and configured to simultaneously move the first and second laser sources along the first direction.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the second laser beam is carried out subsequent to applying the first laser beam.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second strips overlap with each other.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second strips do not overlap with each other.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first beam is larger than the second beam.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first strip has a first central line extending generally in the first direction, and wherein the first central line is located within the second strip.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first strip has a first central line extending generally in the first direction, wherein the second strip has a second central line extending generally in the first direction.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first surface has a first edge and a second edge, which are substantially parallel to each other and extend generally in the first direction, and wherein the first central line and second central line are located between the first and second edges.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first surface has a width, which is a distance between the first and second edges in a second direction, wherein the first central line and the first edge has a first distance therebetween in the second direction, and wherein the first distance is from about one eighth to about three eighth of the width.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first surface has a width, which is a distance between the first and second edges in a second direction, wherein the second central line and the first edge has a second distance therebetween in the second direction, and wherein the second distance is from about five eighth to about seven eighth of the width.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the first laser beam causes to melt a portion of the first elongated segment.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a third laser beam to the first elongated segment while moving the third laser beam relative to the first elongated segment, whereby the third laser beam moves while illuminating a third strip of the first surface.
15. An apparatus of making a flat panel display device according to the method of claim 1, the apparatus comprising:
a first laser source irradiating the first laser beam;
a second laser source irradiating the second laser beam; and
a support coupled to the first and second laser sources and configured to move the first and second laser sources along the first direction.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the support is configured to move the first and second laser sources simultaneously.