Insert molded actuator components

• US 8,007,704 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Timothy J., Eskridge, Adam Z., Wang, Tzu-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Gupta; Yogendra N
• Assistant Examiner(s): HINDENLANG, ALISON L
• Application Number:
  US11/458,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20080029207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 264/272.11
• US Class Current: 264/272.11
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14811 Multilayered articles B29C45/14827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2705/00 Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/749 Motors
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7506 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/02 electric F16K31/004 takes precedence; magnetic

Abstract

The present invention relates to electrostatically actuated device components and methods of making the same. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of making an electrostatically actuated device component including providing a multilayered structure comprising a first layer comprising a first polymer, a second layer comprising a conductive material, the second layer disposed over the first layer, a third layer comprising a dielectric material, the third layer disposed over the second layer, positioning the multilayered structure within an injection mold, and injecting a second polymer into the mold and bonding the first layer to the second polymer to produce an electrostatically actuated device component. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of injection molding a stator component for an electrostatically actuated valve.

Claims

1. A method of making an electrostatically actuated device component for an electrostatically actuated device, comprising:

providing a multilayered structure comprising a first layer comprising a first polymer;

a second layer comprising a conductive material, the second layer disposed over the first layer; and

a third layer comprising a dielectric material, the third layer disposed over the second layer, the third layer having a surface roughness (Rq) of greater than about 100 angstroms to less than about 1000 angstroms;

positioning the multilayered structure within an injection mold such that when a second polymer is injected into the injection mold, the second polymer engages the first polymer of the first layer but does not significantly engage the third layer; and

injecting the second polymer into the injection mold and forming a bond between the first polymer of the first layer and the second polymer to produce an electrostatically actuated device component that has the third layer of the multilayered structure being exposed in order to selectively contact an electrostatically actuated diaphragm of an electrostatically actuated device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the multilayered structure comprises forming the multilayered structure by depositing the conductive material on the first polymer and depositing the dielectric material on the conductive material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the conductive material is vapor deposited onto the first polymer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the dielectric material is vapor deposited onto the conductive material.

5. The method of claim 1, the dielectric material extending continuously over the conductive material.

6. The method of claim 1, the electrostatically actuated device comprising a valve.

7. The method of claim 1, the electrostatically actuated device component comprising a stator.

8. The method of claim 1, the second layer having a surface roughness (Rq) of about 100 angstroms to about 1000 angstroms.

9. The method of claim 1, the conductive material extending continuously over the first layer.

10. The method of claim 9, the dielectric material extending continuously over the conductive material.

11. The method of claim 1, the multilayered structure comprising one or more apertures.

12. The method of claim 1, the injection mold defining a dome having a surface, the dome surface having a roughness (Rq) of about 100 angstroms to about 1000 angstroms.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein positioning the multilayered structure within an injection mold comprises positioning the multilayered structure within the injection mold with the third layer adjacent to the surface of the dome.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising discarding electrostatically actuated device components having a third layer roughness (Rq) of greater than about 1000 angstroms.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of joining the electrostatically actuated device component with a lower body portion with an electrostatically actuated diaphragm positioned therebetween to form an electrostatically actuated device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the second polymer comprises one or more high temperature plastics.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive material of the second layer comprises one or more of gold, platinum, copper and aluminum.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive material has a resistance that is 10 Ohms/square or less.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material of the third layer comprises one or more of aluminum oxide, fluoropolymers, acrylate polymers, polysiloxanes, polyimides, and parylene.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material of the third layer has a dielectric constant between about 3.0 and 4.0.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material of the third layer has a thickness of between about 0.1 microns and 5 microns.

22. A method of injection molding a stator component for an electrostatically actuated valve comprising:

disposing a planar conductive assembly within an injection mold, the planar conductive assembly comprising;

a support layer comprising a first polymer;

a conductive layer comprising a first side and a second side, the first side coupled to the support layer, the conductive layer having a thickness of between about 50 angstroms and 500 angstroms; and

a dielectric layer comprising a second polymer, the dielectric layer covering the second side of the conductive layer the dielectric layer having a surface roughness (Rq) of between about 100 angstroms and 1000 angstroms; and

injecting a third polymer into the injection mold to produce a stator component.

23. The method of claim 22, the conductive layer extending continuously over the support layer.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of joining the stator component with a lower body portion with an electrostatically actuated diaphragm positioned therebetween to form an electrostatically actuated valve.

25. A method of forming a component of an electrostatically actuated device comprising:

extruding a first polymer to form a support layer;

disposing a conductive material on the support layer to form a conductive layer extending continuously over the support layer;

disposing a dielectric material on the conductive layer to form a dielectric layer having a surface roughness (Rq) of between about 100 angstroms and 1000 angstroms;

placing the support layer, the conductive layer, and the dielectric layer within an injection mold defining a cavity, with the support layer facing the interior of the cavity;

filling the cavity with a second polymer to form the component of the electrostatically actuated device; and

removing the component of the electrostatically actuated device from the injection mold;

wherein the finished component includes the dielectric layer attached to the conductive layer on a first side, and exposed to atmosphere on an opposing side.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of joining the finished component with a lower body portion with an electrostatically actuated diaphragm positioned therebetween to form an electrostatically actuated device.