Inertial haptic actuators having a cantilevered beam and a smart material

• US 10,445,996 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Alghooneh, Mansoor, Khoshkava, Vahid, Cruz Hernandez, Juan Manuel, Olien, Neil, Lacroix, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flores, Leon
• Application Number:
  US16/017,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20180374321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/045 using vibrating magnet, armature or coil system
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/06 operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices per se H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/52 Electrodynamic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/55 Piezoelectric transducer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A haptic actuator comprising a base and a haptic transducer at least partially suspended by the base. The haptic transducer comprises a substrate and a smart material operably connected to the substrate. The smart material has resonance in response to an electrical signal having a determined frequency, and the resonance causes the haptic transducer to vibrate and deliver a haptic effect.

Claims

1. A haptic actuator comprising:

a beam structure that includes a substrate and a smart material component including a plurality of macro fibers; and

a base that is configured to support or cantilever the beam structure;

wherein the beam structure vibrates in response to an electrical signal in order to produce one or more haptic effects.

2. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the smart material component is coupled to a pair of electrodes that receive the electrical signal and generate an electric field that is applied to the smart material.

3. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the smart material component is positioned along a bottom surface of the substrate.

4. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the smart material component includes a first smart material component on a first surface of the substrate and a second smart material component disposed on a second surface of the substrate.

5. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the smart material component includes a macro fiber composite (MFC) having a first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes, the smart material component being positioned between the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes.

6. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of macro fibers run parallel to one another and are arranged to lay on a same plane when in a non-stimulated or relaxed state.

7. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the smart material is selected from a piezoelectric material, an electro active polymer, and/or combinations thereof.

8. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the base is positioned proximal to an end portion of the beam structure and the beam structure forms a cantilever.

9. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the base includes a first base and a second base, and the beam structure forms a bridge extending between the first base and the second base.

10. The haptic actuator of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first base and the second base includes a spring.

11. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the beam structure has an acceleration in a range of about 100 G or below.

12. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the electrical signal has a frequency in a range of about 60 Hz to about 250 Hz.

13. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the beam structure vibrates is in a range of about 100 Hz to about 200 Hz.

14. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the electrical signal has an amplitude in a range of about 60 Volts to 100 Volts.

15. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the haptic actuator has a resonant frequency lower than 100 Hz.

16. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the haptic actuator has a resonant frequency higher than 200 Hz.

17. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the smart material component is formed by applying the smart material to the substrate using three-dimensional printing.

18. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the base includes a smart gel.

19. The haptic actuator of claim 1, wherein the base includes a fluid having a viscosity that selectively changes in response to a magnetic field.

20. The haptic actuator of claim 19, wherein the fluid includes a magnetorheological fluid, a ferrofluid, and/or combinations thereof.