Rotary microactuator having optimally curved electrodes

• US 6,563,249 B1
• Filed: 08/04/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Sunghwan, Choi, Jae-joon, Jeon, Jong Up
• Primary Examiner(s): TAMAI, KARL I
• Application Number:
  US09/633,288
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 310/309, 735/041.2
• US Class Current: 310/309
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/008 Laterally driven motors, e.g. of the comb-drive type

Abstract

A rotary microactuator having optimally curved electrodes is provided. The rotary microactuator is optimally designed so that the interval between two electrodes, which are a rotor and a stator, is constant regardless of a distance from the central axis of the rotor. Thus, a parallel-plate configuration can generate a maximum driving force, and also can widen a driving range. In particular, in a rotary microactuator using parallel-plate configuration electrodes, the electrodes are optimally designed so that the interval between the electrodes remains constant regardless the radius by tilting the electrodes or by zigzagging the electrodes. Therefore, a driving force per a given area can be maximized.

Claims

1. A rotary microactuator including a rotor and a stator as two electrodes for driving rotation, wherein the rotor and the stator have a tangent tilting angle which continuously varies according to a radius from the central axis of the rotor so that the interval between the rotor and the stator in the normal direction to the curvature of the rotor and stator is constant regardless of a radius from the central axis of the rotor, wherein in the manufacture of pieces from the zigzagged rotor and the zigzagged stator, when the minimum interval between the two electrodes that can be obtained by a process is set to be g_f, a driving angle required by the actuator is set to be θ

₀, a factor for satisfying the static stability of the two electrodes within an electrical field is set to be n, and the radius is set to be r, the tangent tilting angle θ

_t(r,g_f) with respect to the axis of the radius r is expressed as in the following Equation;

${\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_t<br><br>\left(r,g_f\right)={\cos }^{-1}<br><br>\left(\frac{g_f}{\mathrm{nr}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_0}\right).$

2. The rotary microactuator of claim 1, wherein an electrode position angle θ

_e(r*) formed by the axis of an electrode position radius r* from the axis of the inner radius r₁ at which an electrode begins is expressed as in the following Equation;

${\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_e<br><br>\left(r^{*}\right)={\int <br><br>}_{\mathrm{r1}}^{r^{*}}<br><br>\frac{\tan <br><br>\left({\cos }^{-1}<br><br>\left(\frac{g_f}{\mathrm{nr}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_0}\right)\right)}{r}<br><br><br><br>r$

wherein g_f denotes the minimum interval between the two electrodes that can be obtained in the manufacture of the rotor and the stator, n denotes a factor for satisfying the static stability of the two electrodes within an electrical field, r₁ denotes the inner radius of the rotor, which is the distance to the innermost portions of the two electrodes, r₂ denotes the outer radius of the rotor, which is the distance to the outermost portions of the two electrodes, θ

₀ denotes a driving angle required by the actuator between the inner radius and the outer radius, and r* denotes an electrode position radius from the central axis of the rotor to an arbitrary point on each of the two electrodes within the required driving angle θ

₀.

3. A rotary microactuator including a rotor and a stator as two electrodes for driving rotation, wherein the rotor and the stator have a zigzag shape so that the interval between the rotor and the stator in the normal direction is constant regardless of a distance from the central axis of the rotor 4, wherein each zigzagged piece of the rotor and the stator has a continuous tilting angle along the radius from the central axis of the rotor, wherein in the manufacture of pieces from the zigzagged rotor and the zigzagged stator, when the minimum interval between the two electrodes that can be obtained by a process is set to be g_f, a driving angle required by the actuator is set to be θ

₀, a factor for satisfying the static stability of the two electrodes within an electrical field is set to be n, and the radius is set to be r, the tangent tilting angle θ

_t(r,g_f) with respect to the axis of the radius r is expressed as in the following Equation;

${\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_t<br><br>\left(r,g_f\right)={\cos }^{-1}<br><br>\left(\frac{g_f}{\mathrm{nr}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_0}\right).$

4. The rotary microactuator of claim 3, wherein the rotor and the stator are zigzagged into pieces in which the radii of the rotator and the stator are divided at regular intervals.

5. A rotary microactuator including a rotor and a stator as two electrodes for driving rotation, wherein the rotor and the stator have a zigzag shape so that the interval between the rotor and the stator in the normal direction is constant regardless of a distance from the central axis of the rotor, wherein the rotor and the stator are zigzagged more sharply in the direction of the outer radius of the rotor, so that the width of each piece in the circumferential direction is constant.

6. The rotary microactuator of claim 5, wherein the rotor and the stator are zigzagged into pieces in which the radii of the rotator and the stator are divided at regular intervals.

7. The rotary microactuator of claim 5, wherein each zigzagged piece of the rotor and the stator has a continuous tilting angle along the radius from the central axis of the rotor.

8. The rotary microactuator of claim 7, wherein in the manufacture of pieces from the zigzagged rotor and the zigzagged stator, when the minimum interval between the two electrodes that can be obtained by a process is set to be g_f, a driving angle required by the actuator is set to be θ

₀, a factor for satisfying the static stability of the two electrodes within an electrical field is set to be n, and the radius is set to be r, the tangent tilting angle θ

_t(r,g_f) with respect to the axis of the radius r is expressed as in the following Equation;