Electrostatically driven latchable actuator system
First Claim
1. An electrostatically driven latchable actuator system comprising:
- a substrate;
an actuator carried on said substrate to be movable along a linear axis between two operative positions past a neutral position, said actuator being adapted to be connected to an object for shifting the object, said actuator being formed on its opposite ends respectively with center electrodes with respect to said linear axis, and being resiliently supported to said substrate to be given a spring bias by which said actuator is biased towards said neutral position;
first and second side effectors carried on said substrate and disposed respectively on opposite ends of said actuator with respect to said linear axis;
said side effectors being formed respectively with side electrodes that are held in electrostatically coupling relation with said center electrodes;
driving means which develops an electrostatically attracting force between said center electrode and said side electrodes for driving said actuator into either one of said two operating position;
latch means which latches said actuator in one of said operative position against said spring bias when said actuator is moved to said one position, andunlatch means which unlatches said actuator to allow it to move out of said one operative position towards the other operative position,wherein said side effectors are movable towards and away from said actuator along said linear axis between a normal position and a shifted position close to said actuator,said unlatch means is interlocked with the movement of said side effectors in order to unlatch said actuator as one of said side effectors moves to it shifted position, thereby allowing said actuator to move out of one of said operative position and allowing it to move to the other operative position by the electrostatically attracting force developed between said one side effector and said actuator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrostatically driven latchable actuator system has an actuator and a pair of side effectors on opposite ends of the actuator. The actuator is resiliently supported to a substrate and is movable along a linear axis between two operative positions as being electrically attracted to one of the side effectors. A latch mechanism is provided to mechanically latch the actuator at either of the operative positions. The side effectors are movably towards and away from the actuator along the linear axis between a normal position and a shifted position close to the actuator. Both of the side effectors are also resiliently supported to the substrate to be movable towards the actuator by being electrostatically attracted thereto and away from the actuator by resiliency. The moving side effector is interlocked to the latch mechanism through a mechanical link so as to unlatch the actuator in response to one of the side effectors being attracted to the actuator, and allow the actuator to move from one operative position to the other operative position to be again latched thereat.
18 Citations
13 Claims
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1. An electrostatically driven latchable actuator system comprising:
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a substrate; an actuator carried on said substrate to be movable along a linear axis between two operative positions past a neutral position, said actuator being adapted to be connected to an object for shifting the object, said actuator being formed on its opposite ends respectively with center electrodes with respect to said linear axis, and being resiliently supported to said substrate to be given a spring bias by which said actuator is biased towards said neutral position; first and second side effectors carried on said substrate and disposed respectively on opposite ends of said actuator with respect to said linear axis;
said side effectors being formed respectively with side electrodes that are held in electrostatically coupling relation with said center electrodes;driving means which develops an electrostatically attracting force between said center electrode and said side electrodes for driving said actuator into either one of said two operating position; latch means which latches said actuator in one of said operative position against said spring bias when said actuator is moved to said one position, and unlatch means which unlatches said actuator to allow it to move out of said one operative position towards the other operative position, wherein said side effectors are movable towards and away from said actuator along said linear axis between a normal position and a shifted position close to said actuator, said unlatch means is interlocked with the movement of said side effectors in order to unlatch said actuator as one of said side effectors moves to it shifted position, thereby allowing said actuator to move out of one of said operative position and allowing it to move to the other operative position by the electrostatically attracting force developed between said one side effector and said actuator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An optical switch comprising:
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an input optical guide adapted to receive a light signal; two output optical guides each adapted to output said light signal; and an actuator system having an actuator carrying a mirror for reflecting the light signal incoming through said input optical guide to one of said output guides, said actuator system comprising; a substrate; an actuator carried on said substrate to be movable along a linear axis between two operative positions past a neutral position, said actuator being connected to said mirror, said actuator being formed on its opposite ends respectively with center electrodes with respect to said linear axis, and being resiliently supported to said substrate to be given a spring bias by which said actuator is biased towards said neutral position; first and second side effectors carried on said substrate and disposed respectively on opposite ends of said actuator with respect to said linear axis;
said side effectors being formed respectively with side electrodes that are held in electrostatically coupling relation with said center electrodes;driving means which develops an electrostatically attracting force between said center electrode and said side electrodes for driving said actuator into either one of said two operating position; latch means which latches said actuator in one of said operative position against said spring bias when said actuator is moved to said one position, and unlatch means which unlatches said actuator to allow said actuator to move out of said one operative position towards the other operative position, wherein said side effectors are movable towards and away from said actuator along said linear axis between a normal position and a shifted position close to said actuator, said unlatch means is interlocked with the movement of said side effectors in order to unlatch said actuator as one of said side effectors moves to it shifted position, thereby allowing said actuator to move out of one of said operative position and allowing it to move to the other operative position by the electrostatically force developed between said one side effector and said actuator.
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Specification