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US 11,777,422 B2Granted
Multilayered microhydraulic actuators
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorJakub T. Kedzierski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An actuator with a stack of thin layers operates by electrowetting droplets between the layers. The actuator includes a first layer structure and a second layer structure positioned adjacent to the first layer structure. One or more liquid droplets are pinned to one of the layers and are positioned between the layers. The other layer includes electrodes. When the electrodes are energized, they electrostatically attract the liquid droplets to create relative motion between the two layers.
Claims28
An actuator comprising:
- a plurality of stacked layer structures including:
- one or more first layer structures having one or more wells, wherein disposed in the one or more wells are liquid droplets pinned to at least one side of the one or more first layer structures;
- one or more second layer structures having electrodes coupled to at least one side of the one or more second layer structures;
- wherein the plurality of layer structures is stacked so that the sides of the layer structures having liquid droplets are facing the sides of the layer structures having electrodes;
- a control circuit electrically coupled to selectively energize at least one electrode of the one or more second layer structures to induce an electrostatic charge in at least one of the liquid droplets;
- and
- a base layer structure configured to immobilize at least one layer structure of the plurality of layer structures.
4 more elements
An actuator comprising:
- a plurality of stacked layer structures including:
- one or more first layer structures having one or more wells, wherein disposed in the one or more wells are liquid droplets pinned to at least one side of the one or more first layer structures;
- one or more second layer structures having electrodes coupled to at least one side of the one or more second layer structures;
- wherein the plurality of layer structures is stacked so that the sides of the layer structures having liquid droplets are facing the sides of the layer structures having electrodes;
- a control circuit electrically coupled to selectively energize at least one electrode of the one or more second layer structures to induce an electrostatic charge in at least one of the liquid droplets;
- and
- the control circuit is configured to cause at least some of the layers to move in opposite directions relative to each other to increase a torque output of the actuator.
4 more elements
An actuator comprising:
- a plurality of stacked layer structures including:
- one or more first layer structures having one or more wells, wherein disposed in the one or more wells are liquid droplets pinned to at least one side of the one or more first layer structures;
- one or more second layer structures having electrodes coupled to at least one side of the one or more second layer structures;
- wherein the plurality of layer structures is stacked so that the sides of the layer structures having liquid droplets are facing the sides of the layer structures having electrodes;
- a control circuit electrically coupled to selectively energize at least one electrode of the one or more second layer structures to induce an electrostatic charge in at least one of the liquid droplets;
- and
- a base layer structure configured to immobilize at least one layer structure of the plurality of layer structures, wherein base layer structure is a stator layer.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.