Flow control device
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsEduard Gerard Marie Pelssers, Herbert Lifka, Roland Alexander Van De Molengraaf, Daan Anton Van Den Ende, Franciscus Johannes Gerardus Hakkens, Mark Thomas Johnson, Cornelis Petrus Hendriks, Anja Van De Stolpe
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Abstract
A flow control device comprises a laminate structure of an electroactive material layer and a non-actuatable layer. An array of orifices is formed in one of the layers wherein the orifices are open in one of the rest state and actuated state and the orifices are closed in the other of the rest state and actuated state. Actuation of the electroactive material layer causes orifices to open and close so that flow control function may be implemented.
Claims16
A flow control device comprising:
- a laminate structure, the laminate structure comprising an electroactive material layer and a non-actuatable layer,
- wherein the electroactive material layer has a rest state and an actuated state wherein the electroactive material layer comprises comprising a planar layer when in one of the actuated state and rest state with opposing parallel surfaces wherein the non-actuatable layer is disposed being provided on one of the opposing parallel surfaces;
- wherein the electroactive material layer comprises an array of orifices wherein the orifices are open in one of the rest state and actuated state and the orifices are closed in the other of the rest state and actuated state;
- an electrode arrangement, wherein the electrode arrangement comprises two solid state electrodes in contact with the electroactive material layer,
- wherein each of the two solid state electrodes are disposed on each of the opposing parallel surfaces,
- wherein the two solid state electrodes are arranged to drive the electroactive material layer between the rest state and the actuated state a controller circuit arranged to control actuation of the electroactive material layer,
- wherein the non-actuatable layer comprises an array of stiffening elements, and wherein the array of stiffening elements is disposed over the electroactive material layer at locations between the orifices.
A flow control device comprising:
- a laminate structure, the laminate structure comprising an electroactive material layer and a non-actuatable layer, wherein the electroactive material layer has a rest state and an actuated state,
- wherein the electroactive material layer comprises a planar layer when in one of the actuated state and rest state with opposing parallel surfaces,
- wherein the non-actuatable layer is disposed on one of the opposing parallel surfaces;
- wherein the non-actuatable layer comprises an array of orifices,
- wherein the orifices are open in one of the rest state and actuated state and the orifices are closed in the other of the rest state and actuated state;
- an electrode arrangement, wherein the electrode arrangement comprises two solid state electrodes in contact with the electroactive material layer,
- wherein each of the two solid state electrodes are disposed on each of the opposing parallel surfaces,
- wherein the two solid state electrodes are arranged to drive the electroactive material layer between the rest state and the actuated state;
- and
- a controller circuit arranged to control actuation of the electroactive material layer,
- wherein the non-actuatable layer comprises an array of stiffening elements, and
- wherein the array of stiffening elements is disposed over the electroactive material layer at locations between the orifices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.