Bending actuators and sensors constructed from shaped active materials and methods for making the same
First Claim
1. An apparatus for actuation comprising a non-planar shaped, single active member slab of continuous homogeneous material and non-uniform thickness for bending, said apparatus having non-uniform fields induced therein when subjected to an external field, said non-uniform fields defined by said non-planar shape and generating moments to bend said apparatus.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Bender devices are demonstrated by developing non-uniform fields within a homogeneous, non-planar single slab active member material of non-uniform thickness through geometrical constraints and electrode placement. Single slab actuators are demonstrated for semiconductor designs including MEMS applications. Single slab bender periodic designs are demonstrated to be well suited for MEMS fabrication. Shaped actuators having a topological pattern formed across at least one portion are demonstrated to induced strain at the patterned portion of the actuator, causing the patterned portion to flare into open and close positions upon application of an external field. Voltage transformers, spark generators, power sources, and sensors are developed using the non-planar, homogeneous, single slab active member material of non-uniform thickness. Last, semiconductor process design techniques are demonstrated for periodic and other non-planar single slab actuators.
41 Citations
40 Claims
- 1. An apparatus for actuation comprising a non-planar shaped, single active member slab of continuous homogeneous material and non-uniform thickness for bending, said apparatus having non-uniform fields induced therein when subjected to an external field, said non-uniform fields defined by said non-planar shape and generating moments to bend said apparatus.
- 20. An apparatus comprising a non-planar shaped, single active member slab of continuous homogeneous material and non-uniform thickness for sensing, said apparatus having fields induced therein when subjected to an external energy, said fields defined by said non-planar shape and generating non-zero average electrical reactions to said external fields, causing said apparatus to sense.
- 26. An apparatus for bending comprising a continuous homogeneous, single active member slab of non-planar geometry having a first portion and a second portion, said apparatus having non-uniform fields induced therein when subjected to an external field, said non-uniform fields producing approximately no strain in said first portion and strain responsive to said non-uniform fields in said second portion, and generating moments to bend said apparatus.
- 28. An apparatus for bending comprising a continuous homogeneous, single active member slab of non-planar geometry having a first active portion and a second active portion, said apparatus having non-uniform fields induced therein when subjected to an external field, said non-uniform fields producing strain fields responsive to said external fields, said strain fields induced in said first active portion different from said strain fields induced in said second active portion, and generating moments to bend said apparatus.
- 30. A voltage transformer comprising a non-planar shaped, single active member slab of continuous homogeneous material and non-uniform thickness, a first electrode pair, and a second electrode pair, said transformer having non-uniform fields induced therein when a first potential difference is applied across said first electrode pair, said non-uniform fields defined by said non-planar shape and causing said transformer to generate a second potential difference across said second electrode pair.
-
37. A bending actuator comprising a non-planar shaped, single active member slab of continuous homogeneous material, said slab including a top, a bottom, a non-uniform thickness, a bending portion, a predetermined direction of bending, said top and bottom aligned in said predetermined direction of bending;
- said bending portion mechanically unrestrained in said predetermined direction of bending.
- View Dependent Claims (38)
- 39. An apparatus comprising a non-planar shaped, single active member slab of continuous homogeneous material and non-uniform thickness for generating electrical power, said apparatus having fields induced therein when subjected to an external energy, said fields defined by said non-planar shape and generating non-zero average electrical reactions to said external fields, causing said apparatus to transform said external energy to electrical energy.
Specification