Resonant actuator assembly
AssigneeCambridge Mechatronics Limited
InventorsJoshua Carr, Andrew Benjamin Simpson Brown, James Howarth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A resonant actuator assembly (1) comprising: a support structure (3); a movable part (5) that is capable of relative motion with respect to the support structure; and an actuator arrangement (7) arranged to drive relative motion of the movable part, the resonant actuator assembly being arranged to provide a restoring force to the movable part on displacement from an equilibrium position with respect to the support structure, and the actuator arrangement being arranged to drive the relative motion of the movable part at a resonance of the resonant actuator assembly, the restoring force being non-linear with the displacement.
Claims18
A resonant actuator assembly comprising:
- a support structure;
- a movable part that is capable of relative motion with respect to the support structure;
- and
- an actuator arrangement arranged to drive relative motion of the movable part at a resonance of the resonant actuator assembly,
- the resonant actuator assembly being arranged to provide a restoring force to the movable part with a stiffness that increases when a magnitude of displacement of the movable part from an equilibrium position with respect to the support structure increases, so as to flatten a histogram of position against time over the resonance period compared to an equivalent system where the restoring force has a constant stiffness, and the actuator arrangement being arranged to drive the relative motion of the movable part at a resonance of the resonant actuator assembly, the restoring force being non-linear with the displacement.
A resonant actuator assembly comprising:
- a support structure;
- a movable part that is capable of relative motion with respect to the support structure;
- and
- an actuator arrangement comprising at least one SMA wire arranged to drive the relative motion of the movable part, wherein the at least one SMA wire is inclined at an acute angle with respect to a movement axis of the relative motion of the movable part,
- the resonant actuator assembly being arranged to provide a restoring force to the movable part on displacement from an equilibrium position with respect to the support structure, and the actuator arrangement being arranged to drive the relative motion of the movable part at a resonance of the resonant actuator assembly.
A system comprising:
- a sensor for sensing light, the sensor being configured to provide data dependent on the sensed light;
- and
- a resonant actuator assembly comprising:
- a support structure;
- a movable part that is capable of relative motion with respect to the support structure;
- and
- an actuator arrangement arranged to drive the relative motion of the movable part over a movement range,
- the resonant actuator assembly being arranged to provide a restoring force to the movable part on displacement from an equilibrium position with respect to the support structure, and the actuator arrangement being arranged to drive the relative motion of the movable part at a resonance of the resonant actuator assembly, the restoring force being substantially linear or non-linear with the displacement;
- and
- wherein the sensor is configured to cease providing data when the movable part has moved within less than 10% of the movement range towards each end of the said movement range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.