Driving strategy for non-parallel arrays of electrostatic actuators sharing a common electrode
US6184607A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 1998 |
| Grant date | Feb 6, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 29, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02N1/006
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An electrostatic actuator array having at least one cell, in which the individual cells share a common electrode. Each cell includes first and second electrodes separated by a distance and having a moveable diaphragm mounted there between for conducting a voltage potential thereto. One of the pair is movable with respect to the other, and the pair are positioned to move upon application of a voltage potential thereto by electrodes attached thereto. A voltage potential producing an alternate polarity field generated from a single DC power supply is selectively provided to the electrodes to cause the movement. The preferred signals from the power supply are uni-polar square wave signals, preferably deriving the alternate polarity field from a DC current having time allocation of signals to present alternating fields to each actuator. The individual cells are configured in an actuator array wherein some cells operate out of phase with adjoining cells. The plurality of actuation cells equals n, having 2n electrodes, where n is an integer of at least 2. A preferred actuator array comprises n actuation cells working out of phase with 2n electrodes driven with n+1 unipolar signals.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.