Torsional electrostatic actuator
First Claim
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1. Apparatus comprising:
- a first moveable plate electrode held offset from a substrate;
a second moveable plate electrode held offset from said substrate;
a fixed plate electrode, said fixed plate electrode being flanked by said first and second moveable plate electrodes so that a voltage difference between said fixed plate electrode and said first moveable plate electrode causes movement of said first moveable plate electrode and a voltage difference between said fixed plate electrode and said second moveable plate electrode causes movement of said second moveable plate electrode;
a first arm portion, coupled to said first moveable plate electrode and extending toward said second moveable plate electrode;
a second arm portion, coupled to said second plate and extending toward said first moveable plate electrode; and
a coupler coupling said first and second arms to each other.
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Abstract
Multiple drives are coupled together to cause rotation about a single axis by an arrangement in which two moveable electrode plates flank a fixed electrode plate such that the opposite direction rotations of the two moveable electrode plates are combined. To this end, at least one arm from at least one of the moveable electrode plates is connected to at least one arm of a moveable electrode plate on the opposite side of the fixed electrode plate, e.g., by a spring. The electrode plates may have comb projections. A post may be coupled at one of its ends to the top of one of the moveable electrode plates, and the post'"'"'s other end is coupled to a plate, e.g., a mirror or other structure to be moved.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising:
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a first moveable plate electrode held offset from a substrate; a second moveable plate electrode held offset from said substrate; a fixed plate electrode, said fixed plate electrode being flanked by said first and second moveable plate electrodes so that a voltage difference between said fixed plate electrode and said first moveable plate electrode causes movement of said first moveable plate electrode and a voltage difference between said fixed plate electrode and said second moveable plate electrode causes movement of said second moveable plate electrode; a first arm portion, coupled to said first moveable plate electrode and extending toward said second moveable plate electrode; a second arm portion, coupled to said second plate and extending toward said first moveable plate electrode; and a coupler coupling said first and second arms to each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Apparatus comprising:
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a first moveable plate held offset from a substrate; a second moveable plate held offset from said substrate; a fixed plate, said fixed plate being flanked by said first and second moveable plates; and torque coupling means for transferring at least a portion of the torque caused by rotation of one of said first and second moveable plates to the other of said first and second moveable plates; wherein at least one of said first and second moveable plates are held offset from said substrate by at least a spring that couples said one of said first and second moveable plates to a support structure. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of operating a torsional electrostatic actuator that includes
a first moveable plate held offset from a substrate; -
a second moveable plate held offset from said substrate; a fixed plate, said fixed plate being flanked by said first and second moveable plates; a first arm portion, coupled to said first plate and extending toward said second plate; a second arm portion, coupled to said second plate and extending toward said first plate; and a coupler coupling said first and second arm portions to each other, the method comprising the steps of; rotating each of said first and second moveable plates about its respective rotation axis so that the edge of each of said first and second plates that is closest to said substrate moves upward away from said substrate and toward said fixed plate; whereby a torque produced by said first fixed plate is coupled to said second fixed plate via said first arm, said coupler, and said second arm. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification