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US 4,928,030 AGranted
Piezoelectric actuator
AssigneeRockwell International Corporation
InventorGordon W. Culp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A piezoelectric device or actuator (30) includes dimorph stack (32) attached to a support (34). Affixed to the apex of stack (32) is friction surface (36) which is held in contact with the external friction surface of a positionable object (38).
Claims23
A piezoelectric device configured to apply a force to an object, said device comprising:
- (1) a crown having a friction surface which surface is proximate an object;
- (2) a bottom having a surface supported by a support structure;
- (3) at least one piezoelectric shear body integrally located intermediate said crown and said bottom;
- (4) sensing means for determining the relative position of the crown in relation to the position of said supported surface;
- (5) means for adjusting the proximate position, of the crown and the object;
- (6) means for detecting and measuring a physical contact force between the crown and said object;
- and
- (7) means for effecting an electric potential within said piezoelectric device to activate same and apply velocity and acceleration forces to said object.
5 more elements
An electric motor comprising:
- (1) a rotatable and translatable shaft including a shaft surface;
- (2) piezoelectric actuators associated with said shaft, said actuators further comprising:
- (a) at least one piezoelectric body including a crown having a friction surface which surface is proximate said shaft friction surface, and a bottom having a surface supported by a support structure;
- (b) sensing means for determining the position of the crown surface relative to said support structure;
- (c) means for adjusting the position of the crown friction surface relative to said shaft, friction surface;
- (d) means for detecting and measuring a physical contact force between the crown friction surface and said shaft;
- and
- (e) means for activating said actuators,
- (3) linear amplifiers acting tangential to the shaft;
- (4) lifter amplifiers acting normal to the shaft surface;
- and
- (5) means for effecting an electric potential within said actuators to activate said shaft of said motor.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.