Electrostatic actuator

• US 6,531,804 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kasahara, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): TAMAI, KARL I
• Application Number:
  US09/970,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20020074896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 310/309, 310/112, 318/116, 396/75, 396/661, 396/439, 396/133, 348/374, 359/823, 359/824
• US Class Current: 310/309
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/004 in which a body is moved along a path due to interaction with an electric field travelling along the path

Abstract

An electrostatic actuator comprises stators a movable section, and a holder. The stator is fixed to the holder and forms a stator frame together with the holder. The stator is mounted to the holder, faces the stator, and is positioned a predetermined distance away from the stator. Stripe-shaped stator electrodes extending in a predetermined direction are formed on the stators. The movable section comprises a support body arranged within a predetermined clearance and movable in a predetermined direction and movable section electrodes formed on the surface of the support body and positioned to face the stator electrodes. The movable section electrodes are arranged deviant in the moving direction, and the movable section electrodes are arranged deviant in the direction opposite to the moving direction. The movable section is attracted by applying voltage at a predetermined timing to each of the stator electrodes so as to move the movable section.

Claims

1. An electrostatic actuator, comprising:

a first stator provided with a first group including first, second and third stator electrodes extending substantially in a predetermined direction, the first stator electrode of the first group being arranged between the second and third stator electrodes of the first group and electrically isolated from the second and third stator electrodes of the first group, and the second and third stator electrodes of the first group being electrically connected to each other;

a second stator arranged to face the first stator with a space therebetween, and provided with a second group including first, second and third stator electrodes extending substantially along the predetermined direction, the first stator electrode of the second group being arranged between the second and third stator electrodes of the second group and being electrically isolated from the second and third stator electrodes of the second group, and the second and third stator electrodes of the second group being electrically connected to each other;

a movable section located in the space to be movable along the predetermined direction and having first and second electrode surfaces which include first and second center regions and are faced to the first and second stators, respectively, the movable section comprising a third group including first, second and third movable section electrodes and extending on the first electrode surfaces substantially in the predetermined direction, and a fourth groups including first, second and third movable section electrodes and extending on the second electrode surface substantially in the predetermined direction, the first centers of the first movable section electrodes of the third and fourth groups being so positioned as to deviate from the first and second center regions in one side of the predetermined direction, respectively, and the second and third centers of the second and third electrodes of the third and fourth groups being so positioned as to deviate from the first and second center regions in the other side of the predetermined direction, respectively.

2. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 1, wherein the first movable section electrodes of the third and fourth groups extend from the first and second center regions in the one side of the predetermined direction, respectively, and the second and third movable section electrodes of the third and fourth groups extend from the first and second center regions in the other side of the predetermined direction, respectively.

3. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 1, wherein the movable section comprises first and second groups of stoppers configured to prevent the third and fourth groups from directly contacting the first and second groups, respectively.

4. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 3, wherein each of the first and second electrode surfaces includes corner regions, the stoppers of the first group are mounted on the corner regions of the first electrode surface, and the stoppers of the second group are mounted on the corner regions of the second electrode surface.

5. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 1, wherein the first, second and third stator electrodes of the first and second groups have substantially same length and same width.

6. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 1, wherein the movable section has a longitudinal length along the predetermined direction, and the first, second and third movable section electrodes of the third and fourth groups have substantially half the longitudinal length of the movable section.

7. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 1, wherein the movable section includes a hollow support body and a lens system having an optical axis, the lens system being so arranged in the hollow support body as to align the optical axis with the predetermined direction.

8. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to apply driving signal to the first, second and third stator electrodes of the first and second groups, the movable section being subjected to tilting and deviating motions repeatedly in the space in response to the driving signal so that the movable section is shifted along the predetermined direction.

9. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 1, further comprising a guiding mechanism configured to guide the movable section along the predetermined direction and prevent the movable section from being rotated around the predetermined direction.

10. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second movable section located apart from the first movable section in the space to be movable in the predetermined direction and having third and fourth electrode surfaces which include first and second center regions and are faced to the first and second stators, respectively, the second movable section including a fifth group including fourth, fifth and sixth movable section electrodes and extending on the third electrode surface substantially in the predetermined direction, and a sixth groups including fourth, fifth and sixth movable section electrodes and extending on the fourth electrode surfaces substantially in the predetermined direction, the fourth centers of the fourth movable section electrodes of the fifth and sixth groups being so positioned as to deviate from the third and fourth center regions in one side of the predetermined direction, respectively, and the fifth and sixth centers of the fifth and sixth electrodes of the fifth and sixth groups being so positioned as to deviate from the third and fourth center regions in the other side of the predetermined direction, respectively.

11. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 10, wherein the second movable section comprises third and fourth groups of stoppers configured to prevent the third and fourth groups from directly contacting the first and second groups, respectively.

12. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 11, wherein each of the third and fourth electrode surfaces includes corner regions, the stoppers of the third group are mounted on the corner regions of the third electrode surface, and the stoppers of the fourth group are mounted on the corner regions of the fourth electrode surface.

13. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 10, wherein the movable section has a longitudinal length along the predetermined direction, and the fourth, fifth and sixth movable section electrodes of the fifth and sixth groups have substantially half the longitudinal length of the second movable section.

14. The electrostatic actuator according to claim 10, wherein the second movable section includes a hollow support body and a lens system having an optical axis, the lens system being so arranged in the hollow support body as to align the optical axis with the predetermined direction.