Electromechanical switch

• US 20070126536A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Hantschel, Thomas, Van Schuylenbergh, Koenraad, Lu, Jeng, Fork, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 335/78
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2059/0081 with a tapered air-gap between fixed and movable electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 59/0009 making use of micromechanics

Abstract

In one aspect, an electromechanical switching device is illustrated. The electromechanical switching device includes a relay with at least one first conductive portion, at least one second conductive portion, and at least one actuation component that moves the at least one first conductive portion and the at least one second conductive portion into and out of conductive contact. The at least one first conductive portion includes a conductive stationary end coupled to a substrate and a conductive free-floating end. The at least one actuation component includes an actuation stationary end coupled to the substrate and an actuation free-floating end. The actuation free floating end, when the at least one actuation component is not energized, curls, which curls the conductive free floating end into or out of conductive contact with the at least one second conductive portion.

Claims

1. An electromechanical switching device, comprising:

a relay having;

at least one first conductive portion, including;

a conductive stationary end coupled to a substrate, and

a conductive free-floating end;

at least one second conductive portion coupled to the substrate; and

at least one actuation component, including;

an actuation stationary end coupled to the substrate, and

an actuation free floating end that curls when not energized, which curls the conductive free floating end into or out of conductive contact with the at least one second conductive portion.

2. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the actuation free floating end, when energized, uncurls the conductive free floating end out of or into conductive contact with the at least one second conductive portion.

3. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, further including at least one additional second conductive portion, wherein the actuation free floating end, when not energized, curls the conductive free floating end into conductive contact with one of the second conductive portions, and when energized, uncurls the conductive free floating end into conductive contact with the other second conductive portion.

4. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, further including a coupling that couples the actuation free-floating end and the conductive free-floating end.

5. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the coupling includes at least one of a dielectric tether, a dielectric sheet, and a laminate.

6. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the actuation free-floating end and the conductive free-floating end curl in substantial unison.

7. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one actuation component is electrostatically actuated.

8. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the conductive free-floating end and the at least one second conductive portion includes at least one conductive member which facilitates establishing the conductive contact between the at least one first conductive portion and the at least one second conductive portion.

9. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the conductive contact between the first conductive portion and the at least one second conductive portion includes at least one of a metal-to-metal contact and a capacitive coupling contact.

10. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the conductive free floating end and the actuation free floating end curls due to internal stresses formed during fabrication.

11. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one first conductive portion and/or the at least one actuation component is a spring configuration with a less than 90 degree release angle.

12. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the relay is one of a single pole single throw, a single pole double throw, a multi pole single throw, and a multi pole double throw switch.

13. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the substrate is formed from one or more of silicon, gallium arsenide, germanium, and ceramic.

14. The electromechanical switching device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the conductive free-floating end and the actuation free-floating end are substantially isolated from each other to reduce coupling between the conductive free-floating end and the actuation free-floating end.

15. An electromechanical relay, comprising:

a conductive conduit, including;

a first conductive portion, and

a second conductive portion separated from the first portion by a gap;

an actuator, including;

at least one stationary leg,

at least one mobile leg, and

at least one spring portion disposed between the at least one stationary leg and the at least one mobile leg, the at least one spring portion moves the at least one mobile leg by curling when in an off state and uncurling when in an on state; and

a conductive member, coupled to the at least one mobile leg, that moves in substantial unison with the at least one mobile leg, the conductive member, when the relay is in an on state, moves, via the uncurling of the at least one spring portion, into conductive contact with the first and second conductive portions and creates a conductive path for conveying a signal through the relay.

16. The electromechanical relay as set forth in claim 15, wherein the conductive member, when the relay is in an off state, moves, via the curling of the at least one spring portion, out of conductive contact with the first and second conductive portions.

17. The electromechanical relay as set forth in claim 15, wherein the conductive conduit is a conductive strip of a coplanar stripline waveguide.

18. The electromechanical relay as set forth in claim 15, wherein the at least one stationary leg is mechanically coupled to at least one strip of the coplanar stripline waveguide.

19. A relay, comprising:

a first conductive electrode;

a second conductive electrode;

an actuator that curls the first conductive electrode into and out of conductive contact with the second conductive electrode based at least in part on internal stresses built into the actuator during fabrication.

20. The electromechanical relay as set forth in claim 19, wherein the actuator is a conductive free-floating spring portion of the first conductive electrode.