Electro-switchable polymer film assembly and use thereof

• US 9,231,186 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parker Intangibles LLC (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
• Inventors: Jenninger, Werner, Wagner, Joachim, Peiffer, Evelyn, Maier, Gerhard, Bsgen, Thomas, Grtner, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Sheeba
• Application Number:
  US13/263,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20120128960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F15D 1/12 by influencing the boundary layer use of materials, e.g. to reduce surface friction C09K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/206 using only longitudinal or thickness displacement, e.g. d33 or d31 type devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 Of polycarbonate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3154 Of fluorinated addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31551 Of polyamidoester [polyurethane, polyisocyanate, polycarbamate, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31826 Of natural rubber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31931 Polyene monomer-containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31935 Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31938 Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon

Abstract

The invention relates to an electro-switchable polymer film assembly having a first and a second surface side, comprising at least one pair of electrodes (3, 4) and a polymer matrix (2), wherein structuring particles (5) can be embedded in the polymer matrix and the polymer matrix or the structuring particles consist of an electro-active polymer, wherein furthermore, the first and/or the second surface sides can be transferred from a plane condition into a structured condition by electric switching of the electro-active polymer.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an electrically switchable polymer film arrangement comprising a first surface side and a second surface side which are disposed opposite one another, the electrically switchable polymer film arrangement comprising;

at least one electrode pair comprising an anode and a cathode;

a polymer matrix; and

structuring particles disposed in the polymer matrix,

wherein the polymer matrix and/or the structuring particles comprise an electroactive polymer, the first and/or second surface side being converted from a smooth state into a structured state by electrical switching of the electroactive polymer and

wherein the structured state comprises elevations and depressions in the first and/or second surface side that reflect an electrode structuring and wherein the elevations or depressions reflect a distribution of the structuring particles.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electroactive polymer is a field-activated polymer or an ionic electroactive polymer.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electrically switchable polymer film arrangement has a thickness of ≧

10 μ

m and ≦

1 mm in the smooth state.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the structuring particles is from 50 to 90% of the thickness of the polymer film arrangement.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the anode and cathode are disposed on mutually opposite surfaces of the polymer matrix, one surface side of the polymer film arrangement is configured as a flexible cover electrode and the respective other surface side is configured as a rigid base electrode.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the anodes and the cathodes are disposed on mutually opposite surfaces of the polymer matrix, and the electrodes are disposed in a structured fashion on one or both surface sides of the polymer film arrangement.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the polymer matrix comprises an electroactive polymer and the structuring particles comprise electrically nonconductive hard material particles, excluding ceramic hard material particles.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the structuring particles comprise a glass or an electrically nonconductive polymeric material selected from at least one of the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate and polyurethane.

9. The device according to claim 6, wherein the polymer matrix comprises an ionic electroactive polymer and no structuring particles are disposed in the polymer matrix.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the structuring particles consist of an electroactive polymer and the polymer matrix is formed from an elastomer.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first or second surface side is applied on a substrate, the respective other surface side being converted into a structured state by electrical switching of the electroactive polymer.

12. An electrically switchable surface coating comprising the electrically switchable polymer film arrangement according to claim 1.

13. A device comprising:

an electrically switchable polymer film arrangement comprising a first surface side and a second surface side which are disposed opposite one another, the electrically switchable polymer film arrangement comprising;

at least one electrode pair comprising an anode and a cathode;

a polymer matrix; and

structuring particles disposed in the polymer matrix,

wherein the polymer matrix and/or the structuring particles comprise an electroactive polymer, the first and/or second surface side being converted from a smooth state into a structured state by electrical switching of the electroactive polymer, and

wherein the structured state comprises elevations in the first and/or second surface side, wherein the elevations reflect a distribution of the structuring particles.

14. A device comprising:

an electrically switchable polymer film arrangement comprising a first surface side and a second surface side which are disposed opposite one another, the electrically switchable polymer film arrangement comprising;

at least one electrode pair comprising an anode and a cathode;

a polymer matrix; and

freely mobile anions and cations disposed in the polymer matrix,

wherein the first and/or second surface side being converted from a smooth state into a structured state by electrical switching of the electroactive polymer,

wherein the structured state comprises elevations in the first and/or second surface side that reflect an electrode structuring by ion diffusion in the region of at least one of the electrodes, and

wherein the structured state comprises depressions in the first and/or second surface side that reflect replicate an electrode structuring by ion depletion in the region between the at least one electrode pair.