Electroactive polymer transducers biased for optimal output
First Claim
1. A transducer assembly comprising electroactive polymer material and at least one biasing element, the improvement consisting of at least one biasing element set to provide a negative rate bias on the electroactive polymer material.
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Abstract
Electroactive polymer transducers are disclosed. They are biased in a manner that provides for increased force and/or stroke output, thereby offering improved work potential and power output capacity. The biasing may offer additional or alternate functional advantage in terms of matching transducer performance with a given application such as a normally-closed valve. The improved biasing (including increased output biasing) may utilize negative spring rate biasing and/or a combination of negative or zero-rate biasing with positive rate biasing to achieve the desired ends.
95 Citations
10 Claims
- 1. A transducer assembly comprising electroactive polymer material and at least one biasing element, the improvement consisting of at least one biasing element set to provide a negative rate bias on the electroactive polymer material.
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8. A transducer assembly comprising electroactive polymer material and a positive rate biasing element, the improvement consisting of at least one additional biasing element set to provide a negative or substantially zero rate bias on the electroactive polymer material.
- 9. A transducer assembly comprising electroactive polymer material and at least one biasing element, the improvement consisting of at least one biasing element having a bi-stable configuration to enable the transducer assembly to actuate in opposite directions without further biasing.
Specification