Micromechanical devices with mechanical actuators

A planar micromechanical actuator suspended on opposing suspension zones comprising:

• a first, second and third electrode, wherein the second electrode is sandwiched between the first and third electrodes,
• wherein the planar micromechanical actuator is segmented between the opposing suspension zones into a sequence of segments, wherein for each segment the first electrode and third electrode are isolatedly affixed to the second electrode at opposite ends of the respective segment along a direction between the opposing suspension zones,
• wherein the sequence of segments is subdivided into a first to fourth subsequence of segments, each subsequence comprising one or more segments,
• wherein in each segment of the first and fourth subsequences, the first, second and third electrodes are shaped to bulge towards a first direction and bend upon application of a voltage between the first and third electrodes on the one hand and the second electrode on the other hand into a second direction opposite to the first direction, and
• wherein in each segment of the second and third subsequences, the first, second and third electrodes are shaped to bulge towards the second direction and bend upon application of the voltage between the first and third electrodes on the one hand and the second electrode on the other hand into the first direction,
• wherein the first subsequence of segments, second subsequence of segments, third subsequence of segments and fourth subsequence of segments each cover a fourth of a distance between the opposing suspension zones.

A micromechanical pump comprising

• a first planar actuator suspended on opposite ends and composed of one or more first deflective portions,
• a second planar actuator suspended on opposite ends and composed of one or more second deflective portions,
• a third planar actuator suspended on opposite ends and composed of one or more third deflective portions,
• wherein the second planar actuator is arranged in between the first and the third planar actuator and the first and the second planar actuator are arranged along each other so as to form a first fluid passage therebetween, and the third and the second planar actuator are arranged along each other so as to form a second fluid passage therebetween,
• wherein the one or more second deflective portions are shifted relative to the one or more first and third deflective portions along a direction between the opposite ends of the first to third planar actuators such that a center of the one or more second deflective portions is aligned with a suspension zone of the one or more first and third deflective portions, and
• wherein the first, second and third planar actuator are configured to change the first and second fluid passages' volumes oppositely by deflection of the first to third deflective portions.

A micromechanical actuator arrangement comprising a stack of planar micromechanical actuators comprising

• a first planar micromechanical actuator comprising a first planar micromechanical actuator segment with a surface comprising a first curvature, and
• a second planar micromechanical actuator comprising a second planar micromechanical actuator segment with a surface comprising a second curvature,
• wherein the first curvature forms a recess in the first planar micromechanical actuator segment and the second curvature forms a protrusion of the second planar micromechanical actuator segment, and
• wherein the surface of the first micromechanical planar actuator segment comprising the first curvature faces the surface of the second micromechanical planar actuator segment comprising the second curvature, and
• wherein the first curvature comprises a greater radius than the second curvature, so that a distance between the surface of the first micromechanical planar actuator segment and the surface of the second micromechanical planar actuator segment is substantially laterally constant and is retained when deflecting the first planar micromechanical actuator segment and the second planar micromechanical actuator segment.

A micromechanical pump comprising

• a first planar actuator suspended on opposite ends and composed of one or more first deflective portions,
• a second planar actuator suspended on opposite ends and composed of one or more second deflective portions,
• wherein the first planar actuator and the second planar actuator are arranged along each other with forming a fluid passage therebetween, wherein the first planar actuator and the second planar actuator are configured so that the one or more first deflective portions and second deflective portions deflect away from each other upon actuation of the first planar actuator and the second planar actuator,
• wherein
• a center of the first deflective portions is not aligned with a center of the second deflective portions along a direction between the opposite ends, and/or wherein the fluid passage between the first planar actuator and the second planar actuator is fluidicaly connected via valves with fluid volumes adjacent to sides of the first planar actuator and second planar actuator facing away from the fluid passage.