Electrostatically driven latchable actuator system
US7468571B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 25, 2004 |
| Grant date | Dec 23, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 6, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H2001/0047
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An electrostatically driven latchable actuator system has an actuator and a pair of side effectors on opposite ends of the actuator. The actuator is resiliently supported to a substrate and is movable along a linear axis between two operative positions as being electrically attracted to one of the side effectors. A latch mechanism is provided to mechanically latch the actuator at either of the operative positions. The side effectors are movably towards and away from the actuator along the linear axis between a normal position and a shifted position close to the actuator. Both of the side effectors are also resiliently supported to the substrate to be movable towards the actuator by being electrostatically attracted thereto and away from the actuator by resiliency. The moving side effector is interlocked to the latch mechanism through a mechanical link so as to unlatch the actuator in response to one of the side effectors being attracted to the actuator, and allow the actuator to move from one operative position to the other operative position to be again latched thereat.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.