Electrostatic actuator
First Claim
1. An electrostatic actuator comprising:
- a substrate;
a stationary electrode including a plurality of electrode plates disposed on the substrate in a comb-like pattern; and
a movable piece supported on the substrate and including a movable electrode including a plurality of electrode plates extending toward the electrode plates of the stationary electrode and arranged in a comb-like pattern;
wherein in one of the stationary electrode and the movable electrode, at least one of the lengths of the plurality of electrode plates is different from a length of another of the plurality of electrode plates; and
the movable electrode displaces the movable piece by an electrostatic force generated between the movable electrode and the stationary electrode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrostatic actuator includes a movable piece provided on a substrate via supporting beams such that the movable piece can be displaced in the Y-axial direction. The movable piece is displaced by an electrostatic force between movable and stationary electrodes to drive a mirror, so that an optical path of an optical device is switched over. The electrode plates of the movable electrode have lengths in the Y-axial direction which are stepwise decreased in order from the electrode plate nearest to the movable piece to the electrode plate farthest from the movable piece. Thus, the total overlapping length of the electrode plates of the stationary and movable electrodes is reduced to a minimum smallest value. Therefore, even if the sizes of the electrode plates are varied, the movable piece is prevented from being displaced and inclined due to electrostatic forces in the X-axial direction. Thus, the movable piece is stably operated.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electrostatic actuator comprising:
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a substrate;
a stationary electrode including a plurality of electrode plates disposed on the substrate in a comb-like pattern; and
a movable piece supported on the substrate and including a movable electrode including a plurality of electrode plates extending toward the electrode plates of the stationary electrode and arranged in a comb-like pattern;
whereinin one of the stationary electrode and the movable electrode, at least one of the lengths of the plurality of electrode plates is different from a length of another of the plurality of electrode plates; and
the movable electrode displaces the movable piece by an electrostatic force generated between the movable electrode and the stationary electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification