Method for manufacturing actuator

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an actuator includes: creating a semi-cured product in a semi-cure state in such a manner that an element material that is to be a string-shaped actuator element of all actuator that is made of dielectric elastomer and includes the actuator element is formed in a string shape and that the element material is heated to its cure temperature or higher at least one of in and after formation; and creating a fully-cured product with a cure reaction of the semi-cured product completed in such a manner that the semi-cured product is heated while elongated in its axial direction.

Description

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE[0001]The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-297326 filed on Nov. 15, 2007 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an actuator that includes an actuator element capable of outputting a driving force by expanding and contracting according to an applied voltage.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]An example of a hollow string-shaped actuator is described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2003-230288. The disclosed actuator includes a hollow string-shaped actuator element and a pair of electrode layers disposed on the inner and outer surfaces of the actuator element.[0006]As described in paragraph [0024] in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2003-230288, the disclosed actuator is manufactured in the following method: fir...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an actuator with adequate tensile strength and durability. The method involves creating a semi-cured product in a semi-cure state and heating it while elongated in an axial direction to achieve a fully-cured state. This allows for orientation of molecules constituting the actuator element in the axial direction, which results in improved performance and larger degree of deformation of the actuator. The method also allows for mass production of the actuator with high dimensional accuracy. The actuator can be used in various applications such as medical devices and robotics.

Problems solved by technology

If an uncured product is elongated in the axial direction as it is, the element material in an uncure state only flows due to elongation, which does not facilitate orientation of its molecules.

If elongation in the axial direction is carried out when a full-cure state is achieved, the dielectric elastomer in the full-cure state is only elastically deformed due to elongation, which does not facilitate orientation of its molecules, either.

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