Flexure

• US 7,623,142 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2004
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2004
• 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: Jilani, Adel, Schmidt, Charles Gustav, Faase, Kenneth James
• Primary Examiner(s): Wesner, Sajous
• Application Number:
  US10/940,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20060056004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 359237-242, 359223-225, 359244-247, 359291-295, 359/325, 359/344, 359/357, 296/030.3, 296/030.4, 372/107, 372/36, 372/15, 372/30, 372/95, 372/99, 372/103, 360103-104, 360/245.8, 360/119.01, 360/123.36, 360/123.35, 310/6, 310 15- 17, 605/17, 605/20, 137/529, 137/540, 345 31- 32, 345/903, 345/905, 313/364
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/047 Optical MEMS not provided for in B81B2201/042 - B81B2201/045
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00182 Arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures, e.g. membrane and cavity for use in a transducer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/903 Modular display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

An apparatus includes a first member, a second member and a flexure. The flexure has a central portion connected to the first member, outer portions connected to the second member and an intermediate portion spaced from the first member and the second member.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first member;

a second member;

a flexure having a central portion connected to the first member, outer portions connected to the second member and an intermediate portion spaced from the first member and the second member, wherein portions of the flexure are spaced from the first member and the second member in a direction perpendicular to the flexure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first member is electrically conductive.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second member is electrically conductive.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexure is circular.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the flexure is rectangular.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexure is a hypocycloid.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexure is triangular.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexure and the second member are connected so as to prevent contact between the central portion and the second member.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 including a spacer spacing the flexure from the second member.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the spacer interconnects the flexure and the second member.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 including at least three spaced spacers spacing the flexure and the second member.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first member has a reflective surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 including a third member, wherein the third member is at least semi-transparent and wherein the first member is between the second member and the third member.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the third member is electrically conductive.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the reflective surface is no greater than about 400 square micrometers.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 including a third member between the first member and the flexure, wherein the third member is electrically conductive.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second member has a reflective surface.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 including a third member, wherein the third member is semi-transparent and wherein the second member is between the first member and the third member.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the third member is electrically conductive.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the reflective surface is no greater than 400 micrometers squared.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexure is formed from at least one of a group of materials including:

TaAl, Al₃Ti.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first member is formed from at least one of a group of materials including:

AlCu, Al, Ag, Au and their alloys, dielectric and metal/dielectric composite thin film stacks.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the first member and the second member includes a reflective surface and wherein the apparatus includes a light source configured to direct light upon the reflective surface.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 including at least one lens through which reflected light from the reflective surface passes.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 including at least one lens between the light source and the reflective surface.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 including a voltage source configured to electrically bias at least one of the first member and the second member to a non-zero voltage.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexure has a stiffness of no greater than 15 micro newtons per micrometer.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the flexure has a stiffness of at least 7 micro newtons per micrometer.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexure has a thickness of between about 200 angstroms and 600 angstroms.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer portions of the flexure connected to the second member continuously extend about the central portion.

31. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer portions of the flexure connected to the second member are spaced from one another about the central portion.

32. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the central portion of the flexure connected to the first member is equidistantly spaced from the outer portions of the flexure that are connected to the second member.

33. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first member, the second member and the flexure are integrally formed as part of a single unitary body.

34. The apparatus of claim 1 including a central via connecting the flexure to the first member and at least one outer via connecting the outer portions of the flexure to the second member.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the at least one outer via and the flexure are formed from a first common material and wherein the central via and the first member are formed from a second common material.

36. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexure comprises a membrane.

37. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexure includes legs, wherein first portions of the legs converge towards one another and are connected to the first member and second portions connected to the second member.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the first portions have ends spaced from one another.

39. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion extends on opposite sides of the central portion and wherein the flexure movably supports the first member relative to the second member.

40. An apparatus comprising:

a first member;

a second member;

a flexure having a central portion connected to the first member, outer portions connected to the second member and an intermediate portion spaced from the first member and the second member, wherein the first member has a reflective surface.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 including a third member, wherein the third member is at least semi-transparent and wherein the first member is between the second member and the third member.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the third member is electrically conductive.

43. An apparatus comprising:

a first member;

a second member;

a flexure having a central portion connected to the first member, outer portions connected to the second member and an intermediate portion spaced from the first member and the second member; and

a third member between the first member and the flexure, wherein the third member is electrically conductive.

44. An apparatus comprising:

a first member;

a second member;

a flexure having a central portion connected to the first member, outer portions connected to the second member and an intermediate portion spaced from the first member and the second member, wherein the second member has a reflective surface.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 including a third member, wherein the third member is semi-transparent and wherein the second member is between the first member and the third member.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the third member is electrically conductive.

47. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the reflective surface is no greater than 400 micrometers squared.

48. An apparatus comprising:

a first member;

a second member;

a flexure having a central portion connected to the first member, outer portions connected to the second member and an intermediate portion spaced from the first member and the second member, wherein the flexure is formed from at least one of a group of materials including;

TaAl, Al₃Ti.

49. An apparatus comprising:

a first member;

a second member;

a flexure having a central portion connected to the first member, outer portions connected to the second member and an intermediate portion spaced from the first member and the second member, wherein one of the first member and the second member includes a reflective surface and wherein the apparatus includes a light source configured to direct light upon the reflective surface.

50. The apparatus of claim 49 including at least one lens through which reflected light from the reflective surface passes.

51. The apparatus of claim 50 including at least one lens between the light source and the reflective surface.

52. An apparatus comprising:

a first member;

a second member;

a flexure having a central portion connected to the first member, outer portions connected to the second member and an intermediate portion spaced from the first member and the second member; and

a voltage source configured to electrically bias at least one of the first member and the second member to a non-zero voltage.

53. An apparatus comprising:

a first member;

a second member;

a flexure having a central portion connected to the first member, outer portions connected to the second member and an intermediate portion spaced from the first member and the second member, wherein the flexure includes legs, wherein first portions of the legs converge towards one another and are connected to the first member and second portions connected to the second member.