Flexures

• US 7,471,441 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Nikkel, Eric L., Piehl, Arthur, Jilani, Adel, Przybyla, James R., McKinnell, James C., Yeh, Bao-Sung Bruce, Faase, Kenneth, Monroe, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi; William C
• Application Number:
  US11/450,639
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 359/198, 359/212, 359/214, 359/223, 359/224, 359/247, 359/290, 359/295, 359/298, 359/302
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

Various embodiments of a MEMs structure including flexures movably supporting a reflective face are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one first electrically conductive layer having a first reflective face;

a support centrally located opposite the at least one first electrically conductive layer;

a plurality of flexures extending from the support and coupled to the at least one first electrically conductive layer;

at least one second electrically conductive layer opposite the at least one first electrically conductive layer; and

a control system configured to establish an electrical potential between the at least one first electrically conductive layer and the at least one second electrically conductive layer such that the first reflective face uniformly moves towards and away from the at least one second conductive layer.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a partial reflective layer opposite to and spaced from the first reflective face.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the flexures outwardly spiral from the support.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of flexures has an enlarged mounting portion coupled to the at least one first conductive layer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one of the plurality of flexures having the enlarged mounting portion includes a main portion smoothly transitioning to the enlarged mounting portion.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first conductive layer includes a second opposite face having a central portion and channels extending from the central portion, wherein the flexures extend from the central portion within the channels.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second reflector including a third electrically conductive layer and a second reflective base;

a second support centrally located opposite the second reflector;

a second plurality of flexures extending from the second support and coupled to the second reflector;

a second fourth electrically conductive layer opposite the second reflector;

a third reflector including a fifth electrically conductive layer and a third reflective base;

a third support centrally located opposite the third reflector;

a third plurality of flexures extending from the third support and coupled to the third reflector;

a sixth electrically conductive layer opposite the third reflector; and

a support post directly supporting first partial reflector, the second partial reflector and third partial reflector;

wherein said first, second, and third partial reflectors are disposed opposite to and spaced from the first, second, and third reflective faces, respectively.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of flexures includes at least three flexures.

9. A MEMs structure comprising:

a first reflector;

a second reflector;

a third reflector;

a support post between the first reflector, the second reflector and the third reflector;

a first flexure extending from the support post and coupled to the first reflector;

a second flexure extending from the support post and coupled to the second reflector; and

a third flexure extending from the support post and coupled to the third reflector;

wherein the first flexure spirals from the support post towards a central portion of the first reflector.

10. The MEMs structure of claim 9, wherein at least one of the second and third flexures spirals from the support post towards a central portion of its respective reflector.

11. A MEMs structure comprising:

at least one partial reflector;

a first reflector opposite the at least one partial reflector;

a second reflector opposite the at least one partial reflector;

a third reflector opposite the at least one partial reflector;

a support post between the first reflector, the second reflector and the third reflector supporting the at least one partial reflector;

a flexure support proximate the support post; and

a flexure extending from the flexure support to the first reflector.