Electroactive polymer transducers biased for increased output

US7915790B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Bayer MaterialScience AG · DE

Inventors

• Jonathan R. Heim · Pacifica, US
• Ilya Polyakov · San Francisco, US
• Alizreza Zarrabi · Santa Clara, US
• Otto Hui · Burlingame, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 12, 2009
• Grant date: Mar 29, 2011
• Expiry date: Jan 12, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S310/80
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Electroactive polymer transducers are disclosed. They are biased in a manner that provides for increased force and/or stroke output, thereby offering improved work potential and power output capacity. The biasing may offer additional or alternate functional advantage in terms of matching transducer performance with a given application such as a normally-closed valve. The improved biasing (including increased output biasing) may utilize negative spring rate biasing and/or a combination of negative or zero-rate biasing with positive rate biasing to achieve the desired ends.