835results about "Electrostatic motors" patented technology

A bistable electrostatic actuator with pneumatic or liquid coupling. The actuator has enclosed metallic electrodes. It can be used for a microvalve or micropump. The actuator has buckled membrane sections in pairs and curved substrate electrodes, locally associated with said membrane sections.

The present invention provides meta-materials with an actively controllable mechanical property. The meta-material includes a deformable structure and a set of activation elements. The activation elements are controllable between multiple states. The meta-material includes a first value for a mechanical property when one or more of the activation elements is in the first activation state and includes a second value for the mechanical property when the activation elements have been activated to the second activation state. In one aspect, the meta-material resembles a composite material where the connectivity between the component materials or shape and arrangement of the component materials is dynamically controllable so as to affect a mechanical property of the meta-material.

A transducer compressible in response to electric power, including a flexible, conductive plastic layer microimprinted with a pattern and a stiff plastic layer containing a conductive embedded sheet.

Various embodiments of the invention are directed to various microdevices including sensors, actuators, valves, scanning mirrors, accelerometers, switches, and the like. In some embodiments the devices are formed via electrochemical fabrication (EFAB™).

An embodiment of the present invention provides a stepping actuator, comprising a suspended membrane comprising a plurality of movable electrodes connected by plurality of spring hinges to a payload platform; and anchors connecting said membrane to a substrate, said substrate comprising a plurality of fixed electrodes; wherein said movable electrodes of said suspended membrane and said fixed electrodes from said substrate form parallel-plate electrostatic sub-actuators.

An electrostatic interaction system includes a first structure having a first fixed electrostatic charge and a second structure having a second fixed electrostatic charge. The polarity of the first and second fixed electrostatic charges determines a positional relationship of the first structure to the second structure.

A micromechanical element described includes a vibrating system having a vibrating body and an elastic suspension by means of which the vibrating body is suspended to be able to vibrate, and an adjuster for adjusting a resonant frequency of the vibrating system by applying a voltage difference between at least one part of the vibrating body and at least one stationary electrode.

A microvalve for controlling fluid flow, including a body portion having a plurality of spaced openings formed therein, a shutter located adjacent to and substantially parallel with the body portion having a plurality of spaced openings formed therein, a drive mechanism for causing the shutter to move laterally with respect to the body portion so that the spaced openings of the shutter are brought into and out of alignment with the spaced openings of the body portion, wherein the microvalve is in an open position and a closed position, respectively, and, a latching mechanism for preventing the shutter from moving laterally with respect to the body portion.

A number of methods and systems for overcoming stiction are provided. The systems include electro-mechanical systems capable of exerting a variety of forces upon areas prone to stiction. The systems can be MEMS arrays or other types of devices where stiction related forces occur. The methods include a variety of ways of causing movement in areas prone to stiction forces. Such movement can be vibrational in nature and is sufficient to overcome stiction, allowing a trapped element to be moved to a desired location.

An optical scanning apparatus includes an in-plane vibratory mass platform having at least one diffraction grating formed thereon as the scanning element, at least one flexure structure that connects the mass platform to at least one fixed support, and at least one driving actuator that drives the mass platform into an in-plane vibratory motion which can be rotational and/or translational. The apparatus may also be formed by a mass platform having at least one diffraction grating formed thereon as the scanning element, at least one driving actuator connected to the mass platform through at least one flexure structure. The driving actuator drives the mass platform into an in-plane vibratory motion.

Provided are a biaxial actuator and a method of manufacturing the same. The biaxial actuator includes: a stage unit seesawing in a first direction; a first support unit supporting the stage unit; a stage unit driving unit including first driving comb electrodes outwardly extending from opposite sides of the stage unit in the first direction, and first fixed comb electrodes extending from the first support unit facing the first driving comb electrodes such that the first driving and fixed comb electrodes alternate with each other; a second support unit supporting the first support unit such that the first support unit seesaws in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a first support unit driving unit including second driving comb electrodes installed at the first support unit, and second fixed comb electrodes corresponding to the second driving comb electrodes, wherein the first and second driving comb electrodes and the stage unit are formed at a first level, and the first and second fixed comb electrodes are formed at a second level lower than the first level such that the first and second fixed comb electrodes do not overlap with the first and second driving comb electrodes at a vertical plane.

A capacitive sensor and a capacitive actuator having at least one seismic mass deflectably mounted on a substrate. A comb electrode having comb fingers is mounted on the seismic mass, and a comb electrode having comb fingers is mounted on the substrate in such a way that the comb fingers are situated parallel to a deflection direction of the seismic mass and interlock in a comb-like manner. The characteristic curve of the sensor or actuator is adjusted by optimizing the geometry of at least one comb electrode, in particular of at least one comb finger.

A microelectromechanical system is disclosed that uses a stiff tether between an actuator assembly and a lever that is interconnected with an appropriate substrate such that a first end of the lever may move relative to the substrate, depending upon the direction of motion of the actuator assembly. Any appropriate load may be interconnected with the lever, including a mirror for any optical application.

An electrostatic comb drive suitable for micro-electro-mechanical systems ("MEMS") application uses shaped fingers to achieve bi-directional actuation from a uni-polar actuation pulse. The finger shape also provides auto-braking of the movable member of the drive using a simple actuating pulse. In a further embodiment, an end stop inhibits overshoot and a back spring pushes the movable portion of the device back toward an operating position. In yet a further embodiment, a Vernier scale is provided on the movable portion of the drive relative to the fixed portion of the drive to indicate relative shift of these portions after the device is fabricated.