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US 6,249,076 B1Granted
Conducting polymer actuator
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsJohn D. Madden, Tanya S. Kanigan, Serge Lafontaine, Ian W. Hunter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of actuators having an active member including a polymer having a surface, an electrolyte coupled to the surface, and an electrolyte are provided. Actuators which, when an electrical potential is applied across the electrolyte between the active member and the counter electrode, exert force per unit area of at least 10 MPa are described. Particular designs utilizing stretch aligned conducting polymers as active members are discussed.
Claims43
An actuator comprising:
- an electrolyte;
- a counter electrode coupled to the electrolyte;
- and
- an active member comprising a polymer, the active member having an axis, a length defined along the axis, and having a surface coupled to the electrolyte, the active member capable of exerting, essentially along the axis, a force per unit area of at least 10 MPa concurrent with application of an electrical potential between the active member and the counter electrode.
1 more element
An actuator comprising:
- an electrically deformable, conducting polymer active member having a surface, a member volume, a length and an axis;
- an electrolyte, having an electrolyte volume, coupled to the surface of the active member;
- a counter electrode coupled to the electrolyte;
- and
- a housing, including side walls, having an interior surface;
- so that the active member, the electrolyte and the counter electrode are located substantially within the housing, the active member spatially displaced from the interior surface, and so that application of an electrical potential between the active member and the counter electrode causes the active member to deform essentially along the axis without exerting force on the walls.
3 more elements
An actuator comprising:
- an active member having a surface, a member volume, a length, and an axis, the active member including a polymer and including a plurality of electrically conductive attachment areas, the areas spaced at locations along the length;
- an electrolyte, having an electrolyte volume, coupled to the surface of the active member;
- and a counter electrode coupled to the electrolyte;
- so that application of an electrical potential between the counter electrode and an area causes the active member to deform essentially along the axis.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.