Electroactive polymer actuator including elements with different elastic moduli
US9368709B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 31, 2011 |
| Grant date | Jun 14, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 9, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N30/857
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An actuator comprises an electroactive polymer layer (402) and a stretchable electrode structure (403) disposed at a first side of the electroactive polymer layer and further a counter electrode layer (401) disposed on a second side of the electroactive polymer layer, wherein the ratio YC/YEAP of the elastic modulus YC of the counter electrode layer and the elastic modulus YEAP of the electroactive polymer layer is at least 10. When compressed transversally by the electrodes, the electroactive polymer will expand tangentially and the actuator will relax into a shape wherein the interior of the electroded region is substantially recessed parallel to the plane of the device, while a substantial portion of the area increase is absorbed by out-of-plane bends arising at the electrode boundary (duck mode). The invention can be embodied as optically reflective or refractive devices with variable geometry.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.