Methods for reducing the non-linear behavior of actuators used for synthetic jets

• US 20080043061A1
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuventix, Inc. (LTI Flexible Products Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nuventix, Inc. (LTI Flexible Products Inc.)
• Inventors: Diamond, Robert, Glezer, Ari, Mahalingam, Raghavendran, Heffington, Samuel, Grimm, Daniel, Schwickert, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 8,672,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/53
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/467 by flowing gases, e.g. air H01L23/473 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/00 Machines with more than one rotor or stator machines for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; permanent magnet machines with multiple rotors or stators relatively rotated for vectorially combining the excitation fields or the armature voltages H02K21/029
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 33/18 with coil systems moving upon intermittent or reversed energisation thereof by interaction with a fixed field system, e.g. permanent magnets

Abstract

A synthetic jet ejector (101) is provided herein which comprises a diaphragm (119), a first voice coil (121) disposed on a first side of said diaphragm, and a second voice coil (123) disposed on a second side of said diaphragm.

Claims

1. A synthetic jet ejector, comprising:

a diaphragm;

a first voice coil disposed on a first side of said diaphragm; and

a second voice coil disposed on a second side of said diaphragm.

2. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 1, further comprising first and second permanent magnets, wherein said first magnet is adapted to interface with said first voice coil, and wherein said second magnet is adapted to interface with said second voice coil.

3. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 2, wherein said first magnet is disposed on said first side of said diaphragm, and wherein said second magnet is disposed on said second side of said diaphragm.

4. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 3, wherein said first magnet and said first voice coil are together characterized by a first flux field, wherein said second magnet and said second voice coil are together characterized by a second flux field, and wherein said first and second transducers are adapted such that said first and second flux fields combine to form an aggregate symmetric flux field that is essentially symmetrical along at least one mirror plane.

5. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 1, wherein said first and second voice coils are fixed in a stationary position.

6. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 5, further comprising a first permanent magnet.

7. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 6, wherein said first permanent magnet is supported between said first and second voice coils by a first surround.

8. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 7, further comprising a second permanent magnet, and wherein said second permanent magnet is supported between said first and second voice coils by a second surround.

9. A synthetic jet ejector comprising a transducer having an essentially symmetric magnetic flux field.

10. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 9, wherein the magnetic flux field has at least one mirror plane of symmetry.

11. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 10, wherein said transducer has a diaphragm, and wherein said diaphragm is disposed within said mirror plane of symmetry.

12. A synthetic jet ejector, comprising:

an actuator equipped with a diaphragm;

a surround which supports said diaphragm; and

at least one spring which is adapted to reduce the lateral movement of said diaphragm.

13. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 12, further comprising a voice coil which depends from said diaphragm.

14. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 12, wherein said spring has a plurality of terminal portions which releasably engage said surround.

15. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 14, wherein each of said terminal portions contains at least one fold that releasably engages a groove in said surround.

16. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 14, wherein said suspension spring contains a central hub having a plurality of arms attached thereto, and wherein each of said arms terminates in one of said plurality of terminal portions.

17. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 16, wherein said hub is adhered to said diaphragm.

18. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 13, further comprising a permanent magnet.

19. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 18, wherein said actuator is disposed within a housing, wherein said voice coil terminates in a hollow cylindrical portion, and wherein said hollow cylindrical portion interfaces with a circular space between said magnet and said housing.

20. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 12, further comprising a housing and a stationary permanent magnet;

wherein said permanent magnet is disposed on a first side of said diaphragm, and wherein said at least one spring is attached to a portion of said housing which is adjacent to a second side of said diaphragm.

21. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 20, wherein said at least one spring includes first and second springs.

22. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 12, further comprising a housing and a stationary permanent magnet;

wherein said permanent magnet is disposed on a first side of said diaphragm, and wherein said at least one spring is attached to a portion of said housing disposed on said first side of said diaphragm.

23. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 22, wherein said at least one spring is attached to a portion of said housing adjacent to said magnet.

24. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 23, wherein said at least one spring includes first and second springs, and wherein said first and second springs are disposed on first and second sides of said magnet.

25. A synthetic jet ejector, comprising:

a wall which encloses an interior space; and

an aperture in open communication with said interior space;

wherein at least a portion of said wall comprises a piezoelectric material.

26. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 25, wherein said piezoelectric material is adapted to undergo a change, upon application of an electrical potential, from a first state to a second state, and wherein the interior space enclosed by the wall is larger in the first state than in the second state.

27. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 26, wherein said synthetic jet ejector is provided with first and second electrodes.

28. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 26, wherein the change from said first state to said second state causes a synthetic jet to be emitted from said aperture.

29. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of said wall comprises a piezoelectric layer and a base layer.

30. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 29, wherein the base layer comprises a first high modulus layer and a second low modulus layer.

31. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 30, wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), barium titanate, lithium niobate, and polyvinyledene difluoride (PVDF).

32. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 30, wherein the low modulus layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyolefins and polyesters.

33. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 30, wherein the high modulus layer comprises a metal.

34. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37. (canceled)

38. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

40. A synthetic jet ejector, comprising:

a diaphragm;

a first voice coil; and

an alignment structure which is adapted to restrict the lateral motion of said diaphragm.

41. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 40, wherein said diaphragm has an aperture therein, and wherein said alignment structure is a pin which extends through said aperture.

42. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 41, wherein said alignment structure is disposed along an axis perpendicular to said diaphragm.

43. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 40, wherein said diaphragm has an aperture therein, and wherein said alignment structure is a permanent magnet which extends through said aperture.

44. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 42, wherein said magnet is disposed within said voice coil.

45. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 40, further comprising a permanent magnet, and wherein said voice coil is disposed on a first side of said diaphragm.

46. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 45, wherein said magnet is attached to said diaphragm.

47. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 46, wherein said alignment structure is a pin which extends through a central aperture provided in said diaphragm and said magnet.

48. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 47, further comprising a housing;

wherein said pin is attached to a surface of said housing.

49. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 40, wherein said alignment structure is a pin which is attached to said diaphragm and which extends through an aperture provided in said magnet.

50. A synthetic jet ejector, comprising:

an actuator equipped with a diaphragm;

a voice coil attached to said diaphragm;

a housing; and

at least one structure disposed between said voice coil and said housing which is adapted to reduce the lateral movement of said diaphragm.

51. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 50, wherein said at least one structure is a roller which abuts said voice coil.

52. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 50, wherein said at least one structure is a ball bearing which abuts said voice coil.

53. The synthetic jet ejector of claim 50, wherein said at least one structure is an O-ring which abuts said voice coil.