ELEMENT AND ELECTRIC POWER GENERATOR

• US 20170324023A1
• Filed: 10/27/2015
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: KONDOH, Tsuneaki, NATORI, Junichiro, SUGAWARA, Tomoaki, ARIZUMI, Yuko
• Granted Patent: US 10,777,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/00 Electric machines in general using piezoelectric effect, electrostriction or magnetostriction generating mechanical vibrations in general B06B; piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive devices in general H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/04 Treatments to modify a piezoelectric or electrostrictive property, e.g. polarisation characteristics, vibration characteristics or mode tuning
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/30 with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. functioning as generators or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/857 Macromolecular compositions
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/87 Electrodes or interconnections, e.g. leads or terminals

Abstract

An element, including a first electrode, an intermediate layer, and a second electrode, the first electrode, the intermediate layer, and the second electrode being laminated in this order, wherein the intermediate layer has flexibility, and wherein a deformation amount on a side of the first electrode of the intermediate layer is different from a deformation amount on a side of the second electrode of the intermediate layer when a pressure is applied to the intermediate layer in a direction orthogonal to a surface of the intermediate layer.

Claims

1. An element, comprising:

a first electrode;

an intermediate layer; and

a second electrode,

the first electrode, the intermediate layer, and the second electrode being laminated in this order,

wherein the intermediate layer has flexibility,

wherein a hardness on a side of the first electrode of the intermediate layer is different from a hardness on a side of the second electrode of the intermediate layer, and

wherein a deformation amount on the side of the first electrode of the intermediate layer is different from a deformation amount on the side of the second electrode of the intermediate layer when a pressure is applied to the intermediate layer in a direction orthogonal to a surface of the intermediate layer.

4. The element according claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer comprises polyorganosiloxane comprising a silicon atom bound to 3 to 4 oxygen atoms.

5. The element according to claim 4, wherein an oxygen concentration profile in a thickness direction of the intermediate layer has a local maximum value.

6. The element according to claim 4, wherein a carbon concentration profile in a thickness direction of the intermediate layer has a local minimum value.

7. The element according to claim 6, wherein, in the intermediate layer, a position at which the oxygen concentration profile takes the local maximum value is same as a position at which the carbon concentration profile takes the local minimum value.

8. The element according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has no surface potential in a stationary state.

9. The element according to claim 1, wherein there is a space between the intermediate layer and at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

10. An electric power generator, comprising:

the element according to claim 1.

2. An element, comprising:

a first electrode;

an intermediate layer; and

a second electrode,

the first electrode, the intermediate layer, and the second electrode being laminated in this order,

wherein the intermediate layer has flexibility, and

wherein a universal hardness (H1) at an indentation depth of 10 μ

m on a side of the first electrode of the intermediate layer is different from a universal hardness (H2) at an indentation depth of 10 μ

m on a side of the second electrode of the intermediate layer.

3. The element according to claim 2, wherein a ratio of the universal hardness (H1) to the universal hardness (H2) (H1/H2) is 1.01 or more.

11. The element according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate layer comprises polyorganosiloxane comprising a silicon atom bound to 3 to 4 oxygen atoms.

12. The element according to claim 11, wherein an oxygen concentration profile in a thickness direction of the intermediate layer has a local maximum value.

13. The element according to claim 11, wherein a carbon concentration profile in a thickness direction of the intermediate layer has a local minimum value.

14. The element according to claim 13, wherein, in the intermediate layer, a position at which the oxygen concentration profile takes the local maximum value is same as a position at which the carbon concentration profile takes the local minimum value.

15. The element according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate layer has no surface potential in a stationary state.

16. The element according to claim 2, wherein there is a space between the intermediate layer and at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

17. An electric power generator, comprising the element according to claim 2.