502 results about "Dielectric elastomers" patented technology

Energy harvesting systems are described in which electroactive materials, such as dielectric elastomers, may be utilized to absorb the shocks, bumps, and vibrations from the road or path to generate energy which is captured and stored for use in the vehicle to provide additional power for any number of uses. Other devices and systems, such as household appliances which dissipate vibrational energy, may also incorporate any number of the dielectric elastomer generators.

The invention discloses a flexible polymer conductor, and a preparation method and applications thereof. According to the preparation method, 0.01 to 20 parts of a nano conductive filler is uniformly dispersed in an aqueous solution or an ethanol solution containing 0 to 1 part of a surfactant via ultrasonic dispersion; 100 parts of a flexible polymer powder is added, full stirring is carried out so as to coat the surfaces of the flexible polymer particles with the nano conductive filler uniformly; the flexible polymer powder coated with the nano conductive filler is obtained via filtering, drying, and screening, and is dispersed onto a selective laser sintering device workbench for 3D printing so as to obtain the flexible polymer conductor. The flexible polymer conductor possesses excellent mechanical properties and electrical conductivity; electrical conductivity can be as high as 5.06S/m; cyclic tension can be carried out for one thousand times under deformation of 50%, and electrical conductivity is maintained to be essentially constant; the flexible polymer conductor can be applied to the fields such as electronic skin, flexible electrode, flexible implantable device, wearable devices, flexible display screen, artificial blood vessel, or dielectric elastomer drivers.

The invention relates to actuators based on electroactive polymeric materials for use in pumping fluids or in other applications where a contractile actuation is required, in particular although not necessarily exclusively for use in vascular pulsation devices such as a variable aortic tension device. Embodiments disclosed include an actuator (10) comprising: an inner tubular structure (15, 12); an outer tubular structure (13, 14) surrounding the inner tubular structure (15, 12) and comprising a plurality of layers of a dielectric elastomeric material (13) and a tubular elastic support structure (14), the elastic support structure (14) configured to maintain a pre-stress in the layers of the dielectric elastomeric material (13), wherein the outer tubular structure (13, 14) is configured to contract in a radial direction around the inner tubular structure (12, 15) upon application of an actuation voltage signal across the dielectric elastomeric material layers (13).

A mobile device uses sensor data related to the type of surface in contact with the mobile device to determine an action to perform. The sensors, by way of example, may be one or more of a microphone and noise generator, a light based proximity sensor, and pressure sensors, such as dielectric elastomers, configured to detect a texture of the surface, and/or pressure waves produced by setting the mobile device down or by a noise generator and reflected by the surface. The mobile device may identify the type of surface and perform the action based on the type of surface. The mobile device may further determine its location based on the sensor data and use that location to identify the action to be performed. The location may be determined using additional data, e.g., data not related to determining the type of surface with which the mobile device is in contact.

A dielectric elastomer has a film that contains a fluorinated silicone elastomer and has two faces. A coating of a stretchable electrode material is applied to each one of the two faces. The fluorinated silicone elastomer has a modulus of elasticity of maximally 450 kPa. The fluorinated silicone elastomer is a three-dimensionally crosslinked, fluorinated, alkyl group-containing polysiloxane in combination with a fluorinated silicone oil. Alternatively, or in addition, the fluorinated silicone elastomer is a three-dimensional wide-mesh crosslinked, fluorinated, alkyl-group containing polysiloxane whose wide mesh property has been effected by a chain length extension by addition of a chain-shaped silicone molecule containing two Si—H groups to an alkenyl group-containing polysiloxane molecule.

The system of the present invention includes an actuator having at least two electrodes, an elastomeric dielectric film disposed between the two electrodes, and a frame attached to the elastomeric dielectric film. The frame provides a linear actuation force characteristic over a displacement range. The displacement range is preferably the stroke of the actuator. The displacement range can be about 5 mm and greater. Further, the frame can include a plurality of configurations, for example, at least a rigid members coupled to a flexible member wherein the frame provides an elastic restoring force. In preferred embodiments, the rigid member can be, but is not limited to, curved beams, parallel beams, rods and plates.

In a preferred embodiment the actuator can further include a passive element disposed between two flexible members such as, for example, links to tune a stiffness characteristic of the actuator. The passive element can be a bi-stable element. Further, the actuator can include a plurality of layers of the elastomeric dielectric film integrated into the frame. The elastomeric film can be made of different materials such as, for example, acrylic, silicone and latex.

The invention discloses a graphene elastomer nano composite material with low filling quantity and a preparation method thereof, which belong to the technical field of preparation of dielectric elastomer. The preparation method comprises the following steps of: adding an aqueous solution of graphene oxide into water-soluble rubber latex so that the graphene oxide is dispersed in rubber matrix on molecular level, reducing the graphene oxide into graphene by adopting an in-situ hot-pressing reduction method, and thus forming a network structure that graphene flake layers wrap latex particles. The obtained composite material has high dielectric constant under low filling quantity, keeps low dielectric loss, and has low percolation value. The composite material solves the problem that the performance of the composite material is reduced because the filling quantity required when an inorganic conductor is filled with rubber and the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss are simultaneously improved.

The invention relates to a graphene-based dielectric elastomer composite material and a preparing method thereof. The composite material comprises an elastomer matrix, graphene oxide dielectric padding and a crosslinking system, wherein the graphene oxide dielectric padding is oxidation graphene with the surface wrapped by a poly-dopamine organic layer and is scattered in the elastomer matrix in a nanometer horizontal layer mode, and an isolation network structure that an oxidized graphene slice layer which is wrapped by the poly-dopamine organic layer wraps latex particles. According to the preparing method, the dopamine bionic ornament oxidization graphene is adopted, the dielectric loss is obviously reduced, the electric breakdown strength is improved, the organic layer thickness of the poly-dopamine can be regulated through the parameters of the modification process of the dopamine, the dielectric constant, the dielectric loss and the electric breakdown strength of the composite material can be adjusted according to the demands, and the graphene-based dielectric elastomer composite material meeting the safety requirement in the biology medical field can be prepared.

A feedback enabled system, module, and method are disclosed. The feedback enabled system comprises a first feedback module. The first feedback module comprises a membrane (thin film); a frame; a motion coupling, wherein when a voltage is applied to the membrane (thin film), the motion coupling exerts a force on the frame to provide feedback; and a user interface, wherein the first feedback module is configured to provide feedback through the user interface. The method comprises applying a first voltage with a first waveform to a first feedback module, the first feedback module comprising a dielectric elastomer membrane (thin film), a frame, and a motion coupling, wherein, when the first voltage is applied to the dielectric elastomer membrane (thin film), the motion coupling exerts a force on the frame.

The invention relates to a silicon rubber based porous dielectric elastomer composite material, in particular to a silicon rubber based porous dielectric elastomer composite material having high dielectric constant, low dielectric loss and low Young modulus and a preparation method thereof. The silicon rubber based porous dielectric elastomer composite material comprises polydimethylsiloxane, curing agent, polyethylene glycol and conductive filler, a mass ratio of polydimethylsiloxane to the curing agent is 5:1-40:1, a mass ratio of polydimethylsiloxane to polyethylene glycol is 17:10-88:1, and the conductive filler accounts for higher than 0 and lower than or equal to 2.7% of total mass of polydimethylsiloxane/polyethylene glycol/curing agent. The composite material has a uniform microporous structure, and the conductive filler is selectively distributed at an interface of polydimethylsiloxane and polyethylene glycol. The silicon rubber based porous dielectric elastomer composite material has the advantages of high dielectric constant, low dielectric loss and low Young modulus.

The present invention relates to an actuator which is one of the energy conversion devices, and is characterized by improving the ability to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy by way of using a dielectric elastomer composite comprising a filler with an efficient dispersibility. In case of using a conventional resilient dielectric layer, there was a problem in that the operating voltage is high, while advantageously exhibiting a fast response and a high strain. The present invention can provide dielectric elastomer composite actuators that show excellent electromechanical conversion properties, by adding a dispersing agent such as a pyrene derivative or a polymeric compound having an amine end group when preparing the composite wherein carbon-based conductive fillers such as carbon blacks, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphenes, or high dielectric fillers such as copper phthalo-cyanine (CuPc), MOFs (metal organic frameworks) and barium titanate (BaTiO₃) are comprised in a thermoplastic resilient dielectric layer to enhance the dispersibility of the fillers.

An energy conversion apparatus configured to convert energy from a mechanical energy source into electrical energy is provided. The energy conversion apparatus includes a transducer comprising a dielectric elastomer module made of stretchable electroactive polymer material. The dielectric elastomer module comprising at least one dielectric elastomer film layer is disposed between at least first and second electrodes. A transmission coupling mechanism is configured to couple the mechanical energy source and is operatively attached to the transducer to cyclically strain and relax the transducer in response to the mechanical energy acting on the transmission coupling mechanism. A conditioning circuit is coupled to the at least first and second electrodes and configured to apply an electric charge to the dielectric elastomer film when the dielectric elastomer film is in a strained state, to disconnect from the dielectric elastomer film when the dielectric elastomer film transitions from the strained state to a relaxed state, and to remove electrical charge from the dielectric elastomer film when the dielectric elastomer film reaches a relaxed state.

To provide an actuator which is easily made a small size and flexible, and has a large displacement. The actuator comprises a rod-shaped actuator element, having one axial end thereof fixed, including a dielectric film made of a dielectric elastomer and a plurality of electrodes arranged via the dielectric film, in the actuator element, the dielectric film extends as a voltage applied across the electrodes becomes large, and a load member connected to the other axial end of the actuator element and fixed in a state in which the actuator element is permitted to be extended axially, characterized in that making large the voltage applied across the electrodes causes the dielectric film to be extended, whereby the actuator element is extended axially according to the tension of the load member.

Disclosed is an inflated dielectric elastomer hemispherical driver, relating to a driver. The hemispherical driver solves the problems of long response time, big noise, large size, large electricity consumption, complex mechanical structure, poor flexibility and poor simulation property on current drivers. A first pre-stretched elastomer membrane(4) is adhibited at the inner surface(2-1) of a first film(2)of the hemispherical driver and a second pre-stretched elastomer membrane(5) is adhibited at the inner surface(3-1) of a second film(3); the inner facade (4-1) of the upper end of the first pre-stretch elastomer membrane(4) is jointed with the inner facade (5-1) of the upper end of the second pre-stretched elastomer membrane(5); a hemispherical room(10) is developed between a first electrode(6) and a substrate(1). The hemispherical driver requires small driving power and has the advantages of low cost and light weight. The hemispherical driver is widely applicable in various fields, such as facial expression field, aerospace field, robot field, mechanical insect field, artificial muscle field, noise control field, tactile interface field, muscle restoration and growth field, and liquid and gas flow control field.

The invention relates to a flexible dielectric elastomer composite material based on nanometer liquid metal. The flexible dielectric elastomer composite material comprises an elastomer and the liquidmetal and is prepared by the following steps: preparing a mercaptan-coated nanometer liquid metal emulsion through ultrasonic crushing, dissolving the elastomer in a solvent, then mixing with the nanometer liquid metal emulsion and uniformly stirring to obtain a liquid metal/elastomer/solvent suspension; obtaining the flexible dielectric elastomer composite material through hot pressing film formation or room-temperature curing. The flexible dielectric elastomer composite material provided by the invention has the benefits that dielectric constants of the composite material are improved, the dielectric loss is effectively reduced, and meanwhile, the elastic modulus of the composite material is not significantly increased, so that the problems of poor compatibility and flexibility of a dielectric elastomer modified by traditional inorganic rigid packing are solved, and the liquid metal-based dielectric elastomer composite material capable of meeting the requirements of a flexible wearable technology is prepared.

Dielectric elastomer material and a preparation process thereof relate to the dielectric elastomer material and the preparation process thereof, which solves the problems existing in the current dielectric elastomer material of low dielectric constant, low deformation, voltage which is exerted to deform close to the disruptive voltage of material. The dielectric elsastomer material is prepared by plasticizer, catalyst and virgin rubber of silicon rubber in silicon resin BJB TC 5005 and relaxation-type ferro-electricity ceramic material. The preparation process comprises firstly agitating raw materials under constant temperature except relaxation-type ferro-electricity ceramic material, then adding relaxation-type ferro-electricity ceramic material to agitate under constant temperature again, and conducting solidification treatment for prepared substances after poured into patternmaking dies. The dielectric elastomer material of the invention has high dielectric constant, large deformation, and voltage for deformation is far lower than the disruptive voltage of the dielectric elastomer material of the invention. The preparation process of the invention is simple, and is easy to be operated, and technique is easy to control.

The invention relates to transformers. More particularly, the invention relates to transformers using (preferably electrostatic and more preferably dielectric elastomer) transducers such as generators and actuators. The invention further provides a priming circuit therefor.

An elastomeric piezoelectric ultracapacitor embodiment is also disclosed. A dielectric elastomer is a polymer that may be configured to operate in a “generator mode.” In generator mode the dielectric elastomer operates like a variable capacitor, and amplifies the energy of charge placed on a pair of compliant electrodes, formed on opposite sides of the elastomer, when the elastomer is in a compressed state. An elastomeric piezoelectric ultracapacitor employs generator mode techniques to further increase the power generation capabilities of an piezoelectric ultracapacitor.

A power generation device includes: a composite layer formed by a dielectric elastomer with ferroelectric particles dispersed therein; and a pair of electrodes disposed on opposite sides of the composite layer, the pair of electrodes being stretchable and compressible along with stretch and compression of the composite layer. The ferroelectric particles have crystal orientability and are orientationally dispersed in the dielectric elastomer, and are polarized in the layer thickness direction of the composite layer.