Micromechanical element which can be deflected

• US 9,045,329 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2005
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Wolter, Alexander, Klose, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Garft, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/093,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20080284078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,476 Days
• Field of Search: 248/608, 248/560, 248/603, 248/605, 248/606, 267/154, 359/224, 359/224.2, 359/223.1, 359/224.1, 310/309
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0062 Devices moving in two or more dimensions, i.e. having special features which allow movement in more than one dimension
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/08 for controlling the direction of light in light guides G02B6/35

Abstract

The invention relates to deflectable micromechanical elements which can preferably be deflected in translation and optionally also in an oscillatory manner. With respect to known solutions, it is the object of the invention to enable larger deflections with a simultaneously improved resistance toward lateral forces and torques. In this connection, a suspension having at least one spring system is present at elements in accordance with the invention. Levers pivotally connected to torsion spring elements are present at spring systems. Torsion spring elements of a spring system are aligned in a common axis and/or a plurality of axes arranged parallel to one another and at least one torsion spring element is fixedly clamped.

Claims

1. A deflectable micromechanical element, comprising:

a substrate defining a plane, where a first axis extends parallel to the substrate and a second axis extends parallel to the substrate and orthogonal to the first axis; and

a suspension supporting the substrate and including at least first and second spring systems, wherein;

each of the first and second spring systems is formed with levers which are pivotally connected to torsion spring elements, such that the substrate is permitted to exhibit oscillating translation deflection movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, and the levers have a larger mechanical resistance torque than the torsion spring elements in the perpendicular direction of the substrate,

at least one of the levers of each of the first and second spring systems extends parallel to the first axis and directly engages a respective peripheral edge of the substrate,

at least one of the torsion spring elements of each of the first and second spring systems is fixedly clamped at one end thereof,

the torsion spring elements of each of the first and second spring systems are aligned parallel to the second axis and orthogonal to the first axis,

the respective levers and torsion spring elements of each of the first and second spring systems are arranged symmetrically about the first axis, such that the first axis is an axis of symmetry of the micromechanical element.

2. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the levers and the torsion spring elements are made of a common material.

3. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least first and second spring systems are arranged on a common peripheral edge of the substrate.

4. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one of the torsion spring elements of each of the first and second spring systems are fixedly clamped at respective positions diametrically opposite one another on respective sides of the first axis.

5. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the at least one of the levers of the first spring system extends parallel to the first axis and directly engages a first peripheral edge of the substrate; and

the at least one of the levers of each of the second spring system extends parallel to the first axis and directly engages a second peripheral edge of the substrate;

opposite to the first peripheral edge of the substrate.

6. An element in accordance with claim 4, wherein the respective positions at which the at least one of the torsion spring elements of each of the first and second spring systems are arranged at a spacing from one another which is at least as large as ⅔

of an extent of the micromechanical element in a region at which the first and second spring systems engage the substrate.

7. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein levers connected to the torsion spring elements are additionally connected to stiffening elements.

8. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one of the levers of the first spring system is one lever that engages the substrate on one side of the first axis, and the at least one of the levers of the second spring system is one lever that engages the substrate on an opposite side of the first axis.

9. An element in accordance with claim 1, further comprising first and second torsional springs oriented parallel to the second axis, wherein:

the first torsional spring directly engages a first further peripheral edge of the micromechanical element; and

the second torsional spring directly engages a second further peripheral edge of the micromechanical element, opposite to the first further peripheral edge.

10. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the substrate, as well as all levers and torsion spring elements, are in the plane in a non-deflected state of the substrate.

11. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the torsion spring elements have a cross-section varying along a longitudinal axis thereof.

12. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the levers of the at least one spring system are connected to bending spring elements.

13. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the levers the at least one of the levers of each of the first and second spring systems engaging the substrate are designed as bending spring elements.

14. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least some of the torsion spring elements of each of the first and second spring systems are arranged in a plurality of axes aligned parallel to one another and at different spacings from the substrate.

15. An element in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one further spring system arranged at respective distances from the first and second spring systems, where the respective distances are substantially equal to one another.

16. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the first and second spring systems is formed with the levers and torsion spring elements in such a way that the levers and torsion spring elements form a plurality of respective interleaved and parallel groups of the levers and torsion spring elements.

17. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein one or more spring system(s) are connected to further levers which form a lever structure.

18. An element in accordance with claim 17, wherein the lever structure(s) is/are made in the form of a serpentine.

19. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the levers are bendable in a locally defined manner in the deflection direction at one or more spring system(s).

20. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the element is made as a sensor or as an actuator.

21. An element in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

each of the torsion spring elements is elongate along an axis thereof and exhibiting torsional spring action about the axis,

wherein respective axes of the torsion spring elements are orthogonal to the first axis.