Structured actuators: shaped electroactive polymers

US11502240B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC · US

Inventors

• Kenneth Diest · Kirkland, US
• Andrew John Ouderkirk · Kirkland, US
• Renate Eva Klementine Landig · Seattle, US
• Katherine Marie Smyth · Seattle, US
• Spencer Allan Wells · Seattle, US
• Tingling Rao · Bellevue, US
• Sheng Ye · Carlsbad, US
• Eric Schmitt · Needham, US
• Nagi Hosni Elabbasi · Framingham, US
• Bachir Ahmed Abeid · Watertown, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 23, 2020
• Grant date: Nov 15, 2022
• Expiry date: Feb 2, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10N30/857

Abstract

An actuator assembly includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode, and an electroactive polymer layer disposed between the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, where the electroactive polymer layer includes a non-vertical (e.g., sloped) sidewall with respect to a major surface of at least one of the electrodes. The electroactive polymer layer may be characterized by a non-axisymmetric shape with respect to an axis that is oriented orthogonal to an electrode major surface.