Method for fabricating an actuator
First Claim
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1. A method for fabricating an actuator comprising the steps of:
- providing an elastomeric body having a corrugated surface;
coating the corrugated surface of the elastomeric body with an electrode forming an element; and
combining a plurality of elements to form a sheet defining the actuator;
wherein the elastomeric body has the corrugated surface having a corrugated profile.
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Abstract
A tubular elastomer actuator with a shape in a cross-sectional view which shape exposes at most one single axis of symmetry of a specific length, e.g., an oval shape. The actuator could be made from a sheet made from a plurality of plate shaped elements which are laminated together and rolled. Each plate shaped element may have a corrugation that gives the element an anisotropic structure, and contains an electrode on only one surface. The actuator displacement is the result of shrinkage displacement of the plate shaped elements upon the application of electrical field across their thickness.
5 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating an actuator comprising the steps of:
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providing an elastomeric body having a corrugated surface; coating the corrugated surface of the elastomeric body with an electrode forming an element; and combining a plurality of elements to form a sheet defining the actuator; wherein the elastomeric body has the corrugated surface having a corrugated profile. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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6. A method for fabricating an actuator comprising the steps of:
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providing an elastomeric body having a corrugated surface; coating the corrugated surface of the elastomeric body with an electrode forming an element; combining a plurality of elements to form a sheet defining an actuator; and rolling the sheet into a tubular actuator; wherein the tubular actuator is filled with a liquid elastomer material which is subsequently hardened to form an elastomer core for the tubular actuator. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for fabricating an actuator comprising the steps of:
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providing an elastomeric body having a corrugated surface; coating the corrugated surface of the elastomeric body with an electrode forming an element; combining a plurality of elements to form a sheet defining an actuator; and rolling the sheet into a tubular actuator; wherein a longitudinal axis of the tubular actuator is substantially perpendicular to direction in which corrugations of the corrugated surface extend.
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Specification