Micro electrostatic actuated pneumatic driven motor

A pneumatic driven motor comprises:

• a body having first and second surfaces and having a chamber that is defined by an interior wall, with the body further having first and second displacement cavities and first and second passages that couple the first and second displacement cavities to the chamber, and having a pair of bleeder ports and a pair of bleeder port passages that fluidly couple the pair of bleeder ports to the first and second displacement cavities;
• first and second valves disposed in the passages between the first and second displacement cavities and the chamber;
• an annular pushrod coupled to the first and second valves, the annular pushrod having a pair of pawls that protrude from an inner surface of the annular pushrod;
• an axle disposed in the chamber;
• a motor gear disposed about the axle, the motor gear having a plurality of teeth that engage with the pawls on the pushrod;
• and
• first and second membranes disposed over first and second surfaces of the body, the first and second membranes covering the chamber, the first and second displacement cavities, the pair of bleeder ports and the pair of bleeder port passages, and with the first and second membranes each supporting a first set of electrodes over the first displacement cavity and a second set of electrodes over the second displacement cavity.

A method of producing a pneumatic driven motor comprises:

• patterning a sheet of material to provide from the sheet a frame having walls that define a chamber, a displacement cavity, a passage coupling the displacement cavity to the chamber, a bleeder port and a bleeder port passage coupling the bleeder port to the chamber, a valve in the passage between the displacement cavity and the chamber, and further defining within the chamber an annular pushrod having a pair of pawls, which is coupled to the valve, an axle, and a motor gear;
• adhering a first membrane over a first surface of the patterned sheet, with the first membrane carrying a first electrode on a portion of the first membrane that is disposed over the displacement cavity;
• and
• adhering a second membrane over a second, opposing surface of the patterned sheet, with the second membrane carrying a second electrode on a portion of the second membrane that is disposed over the displacement cavity.