Voltage and mechanically variable trimmer capacitor
OwnerMartin J. Blicksteininventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A variable capacitor which is both mechanically and electrically tunable includes a mechanically operable rotor/stator capacitor combination; and either the rotor or stator portion of the capacitor comprises a piezoelectric assembly which becomes dished in response to a voltage applied thereto, resulting in an air gap being created between the rotor and stator elements, thus effecting a variable capacitance as a result of the voltage application.
Claims12
A capacitor which is both voltage and mechanically variable, said capacitor comprising:
- a first electrode defining a first plane;
- a second electrode defining a second plane arranged generally parallel to said first plane;
- said first electrode and said second electrode being movable relative to one another by mechanical means from a high capacity position wherein said first electrode and said second electrode completely overlaps progressively through intermediate positions to a low capacity position wherein said first electrode and said second electrode have minimal overlapping;
- mechanical adjustment means for accepting mechanical stimulus for moving said first electrode and second electrode relative to one another;
- a dielectric between said first electrode and said second electrode;
- voltage variable piezoelectric means associated with said first electrode for bending said first electrode in response to a voltage applied to said piezoelectric means to deflect said first electrode out of said first plane;
- and
- voltage accepting means for accepting voltage applied to said piezoelectric means,
- whereby mechanical adjustment of the relative positions of said first electrode and said second electrode varies the capacity of the capacitor and application of a voltage to the piezoelectric means further varies the capacity of the capacitor.
A capacitor which is both voltage and mechanically variable, said capacitor comprising:
- a monolithic rotor assembly including at least two layers of piezoelectric material and conductive elements associated with each of said layers for delivering a voltage across each said layer in alternate polarities, whereby adjacent ones of said layers are poled oppositely upon application of a voltage, one of said conductive elements defining at least a portion of a flat surface of said rotor assembly;
- a dielectric element adjacent said flat surface of said rotor;
- a stator electrode plate adjacent said dielectric element and opposite said rotor assembly;
- said rotor being movable by mechanical means progressively into and out of complete overlapping alignment with said stator electrode plate,
- whereby mechanical adjustment of the rotor assembly relative to the stator electrode plate varies the capacity of the capacitor and application of a voltage to the piezo layers of the rotor assembly further varies the capacity of the capacitor.
In a mechanically tunable capacitor including a first electrode, a second electrode and a dielectric therebetween, a piezo electric means associated with said first electrode for changing the dimensions of the interface between said first electrode and said dielectric in response to an electrical stimulus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.