Patent · US Expired

Rotary electrostatic microactuator with area-efficient comb electrode arrangement

US5995334A · kind A · utility

25Cited by
4References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 30, 1997
Grant dateNov 30, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 30, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B5/5552
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A rotary microactuator that includes a stationary structure formed on a substrate and a movable structure attached to the stationary structure by a flexure. The stationary structure has at least one branch, with each branch of the stationary structure having at least one electrode finger. The movable structure has at least one branch and a center of rotation about which the movable structure rotates. Each branch of the movable structure has at least one electrode finger. Each branch of the movable structure is separated from an adjacent branch of the stationary structure by a minimum-required distance along the branch of the movable structure. The minimum-required distance is based on an electrostatic attractive force generated between the branch of the movable structure and a branch of the stationary structure that is adjacent to the branch of the movable structure and is located in a direction from the branch of the movable structure that is opposite to a direction that the branch of the movable structure is driven. Additionally, the minimum-required distance is based on a minimum length of the fingers of a branch of the movable structure and of a branch of the stationary structu…

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