US Patent 11956921 Support structure designs for MEMS-based active cooling

A cooling system including a support structure and a cooling element is described. The cooling element has a central region and a perimeter. The cooling element is supported by the support structure at the central region. At least a portion of the perimeter is unpinned. The cooling element is configured to undergo vibrational motion when actuated to drive a fluid toward a heat-generating structure. Further, the cooling element has a first side distal from the heat-generating structure and a second side proximate to the heat-generating structure. The support structure supports the cooling element from one of the first side and the second side.