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US 10,371,939 B2Granted
Apparatus providing over-travel protection for actuators
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsWilliam Craig McDonald, James Norman Hall, Adam Joseph Fruehling
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One or more apparatus providing over-travel protection for actuators are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a mirror; a first plate coupled to the mirror; and a support post coupled the first plate, the support post structured to prevent the mirror from moving within a threshold distance to a second plate.
Claims19
An apparatus in a pixel of a spatial light modulator, the apparatus comprising:
- a mirror;
- a first plate coupled to the mirror;
- a flexural beam coupled to the first plate;
- a second plate;
- and
- a support post coupled to the first plate via the flexural beam, the support post structured to prevent the mirror against moving within a threshold distance from the second plate,
- the flexural beam, the support post, and the first plate integrally formed of a same conductive material.
4 more elements
An apparatus in a pixel of a spatial light modulator, the apparatus comprising:
- a mirror attached to a first plate;
- a support post coupled to the first plate, the support post including a ledge that extends outward from a top of the support post that is between a second plate and the mirror, the mirror partially overlapping the ledge;
- and
- a processor configured to apply an overdrive voltage to the second plate to pull the first plate from a first position to a second position lower than the top of the support post, wherein the pulling of the first plate to the second position causes the ledge of the support post to flex toward the second plate, the ledge to prevent the first plate from touching the second plate.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.