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US 2003/0206356 A1Published application
Silicon mirrors having reduced hinge stress from temperature variations
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorJohn W. Orcutt
Life of this patent
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AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorJohn W. Orcutt
Estimating the term…
A device such as a mirror assembly comprises a movable structure (41) having a first movable portion (45) hinged to a frame portion (43) by a first pair of torsional hinges (47A and 47B) spaced apart along a first axis (49). The device may also have a second movable portion (51) and a second pivot axis provided by set of torsional hinge (53A and 53B). The movable structure or mirror assembly (41) having a first coefficient of expansion is attached to a support structure (42) having a different coefficient of expansion at a single attaching or anchor point (63) such as by epoxy or a clamp (101). The single attaching point (63) allows expansion and/or contraction along two dimensions and thereby prevents compression and/or tension forces resulting from different coefficients of expansion between the mirror assembly 41 and the support structure 42 from being applied to the torsional hinges 47A, 47B, 53A and 53B. One embodiment of the invention also includes a biasing member or finger (105) which bears against the frame portion 43 of mirror assembly 41 to prevent vibrations in the third dimension.
A torsional hinge apparatus having minimal hinge stress due to temperature variations comprising:
A method of manufacturing a torsional hinge apparatus for rotation about a pair of hinges having minimal hinge stress due to temperature variations comprising the steps of:
A mirror apparatus for rotation about a pair of hinges having minimal hinge stress of the mirror due to temperature variations comprising:
A method of manufacturing a mirror for rotation about a pair of hinges having minimal hinge stress due to temperature variations comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.