Patent · US Expired

Pleated sheet microelectromechanical transducer

US5479061A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
28References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 31, 1992
Grant dateDec 26, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 31, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02N1/006
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An electrically and mechanically robust microelectromechanical transducer is formed of a pleated dielectric sheet having patterned electrical conductors on the opposing faces thereof. The pleats define a plurality of spaced apart walls, with each wall including an electrically conductive portion at one side thereof. Positive and negative voltages, applied to opposite faces of the pleated sheet, cause the walls to move towards one another by electrostatic attraction. The walls can also move away from one another by electrostatic repulsion upon application of appropriate voltages. The microelectromechanical transducer may be fabricated by fabricating a sheet with integral pleats or by forming a "self-pleating" flat sheet which forms pleats after conductor fabrication thereon.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.