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US 2012/0235538 A1Published application
Capillary Force Actuator Device and Related Method of Applications
AssigneeUniversity of Virginia Patent Foundation
InventorCarl R. Knospe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An actuator capable of generates force by leveraging the changes in capillary pressure and surface tension that result from the application of an electrical potential. The device, which will be referred to as a Capillary Force Actuator (CFA), and related methods, employs a conducting liquid bridge between two (or more) surfaces, at least one of which contains dielectric-covered electrodes, and operates according to the principles of electrowetting on dielectric.
Claims107
A capillary force-actuator, comprising:
- a first substrate;
- an electrode layer disposed on said first substrate;
- a dielectric layer disposed on said electrode layer on the side farthest from said first substrate;
- and
- a conducting liquid in communication with said dielectric layer, whereby the capillary pressure within said liquid is reduced by the application of an electric potential and is below ambient pressure with the application of sufficient electrical potential thereby exerting a pulling force on said first substrate when the actuator is in communication with a surface of a system.
2 more elements
A capillary force-actuator, comprising:
- a first substrate;
- an electrode layer disposed on said first substrate;
- a dielectric layer disposed on said electrode layer on the side farthest from said first substrate;
- a second substrate;
- and
- a conducting liquid in communication with said dielectric layer of said first substrate and said second substrate, whereby the capillary pressure within said liquid is reduced by the application of an electric potential and is below ambient pressure with the application of sufficient electrical potential thereby exerting a pulling force on said first and second substrates.
3 more elements
A method of force actuating, said method comprising:
- providing a said first substrate;
- providing an electrode layer disposed on said first substrate;
- providing a dielectric layer disposed on said electrode layer on the side farthest from said first substrate;
- providing a conducting liquid in communication with said dielectric layer of said first substrate;
- integrating said first substrate and said conducting liquid into a system, wherein said conducting liquid is in communication with the surface of said system;
- and
- applying an electric potential to reduce the capillary pressure within said conducting liquid with the application of sufficient electrical potential that exerts a pulling force on said first substrate thereby reducing the distance between said first substrate and said surface of said system.
4 more elements
A method of force actuating, said method comprising:
- providing a said first substrate;
- providing an electrode layer disposed on said first substrate;
- providing a dielectric layer disposed on said electrode layer on the side farthest from said first substrate;
- providing a said second substrate;
- providing a conducting liquid in communication with said dielectric layer of said first substrate and said second substrate;
- and
- applying an electric potential to reduce the capillary pressure within said conducting liquid with the application of sufficient electrical potential that exerts a pulling force on said first and second substrates thereby reducing the distance between said first substrate and said second substrate to provide actuation.
4 more elements
A method of capillary actuating, said method comprising:
- providing a said first substrate;
- providing an electrode layer disposed on said first substrate;
- providing a dielectric layer disposed on said electrode layer on the side farthest from said first substrate;
- providing a said second substrate;
- providing an electrode layer disposed on said second substrate;
- providing a dielectric layer disposed on said electrode layer on the side farthest from said second substrate;
- providing a conducting liquid in communication with said dielectric layer of said first substrate and said dielectric layer of said second substrate;
- and
- applying an electric potential to reduce the capillary pressure within said conducting liquid with the application of sufficient electrical potential that exerts a pulling force on said first and second substrates thereby reducing the distance between said first substrate and said second substrate to provide actuation.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.