US 11,078,071 B2 · Haptic actuators fabricated by roll-to-roll processing

Abstract

Described is a micro-haptic actuator device that can be fabricated with roll-to-roll MEMS processing techniques. The device includes a first body having a first surface and a second, opposing surface, the body has a chamber defined by at least one interior wall, a piston member disposed in the chamber, physically spaced from the at least one interior wall of the chamber, the piston member having a first surface and a second opposing surface. A membrane layer is disposed over and attached to the first surface of the body, with a portion of the membrane attached to the first surface of the piston member. The device also includes a first electrode supported on a second surface the membrane, and a second body that supports a second electrode, with the second body attached to the second surface of the first body.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of fabricating a micro haptic actuator, the method comprises:

providing an adhesive layer on a major surface of a first sheet of a flexible material;
patterning the adhesive to clear the adhesive from all regions that will correspond to a chamber;
patterning a region of the first sheet that was cleared of the adhesive layer to provide the chamber having interior walls and a piston member disposed in the chamber, with the piston member having tether elements that tethered the piston member to at least one of the interior walls of the sheet;
affixing the patterned adhesive layer to a membrane sheet having a first electrode with the membrane sheet affixed to a top portion of the piston member and remaining portions of the sheet affixed to the patterned adhesive layer;
and
adhering a second sheet that supports a second electrode to a surface of the first sheet, which opposes the membrane sheet layer.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Haptic actuators fabricated by roll-to-roll processing

Life of this patent

Haptic actuators fabricated by roll-to-roll processing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20