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US 8,981,621 B2Granted
Electroactive polymer manufacturing
OwnerRonald E. Pelrine, Roy D. Kornbluth +3inventors
InventorsRonald E. Pelrine, Roy D. Kornbluth, Qibing Pei, Seajin Oh, Jose P. Joseph
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Abstract
Described herein are transducers and their fabrication. The transducers convert between mechanical and electrical energy. Some transducers of the present invention include a pre-strained polymer. The pre-strain improves the conversion between electrical and mechanical energy. The present invention provides methods for fabricating electromechanical devices including one or more electroactive polymers.
Claims18
A transducer for converting between mechanical and electrical energy, the transducer comprising:
- an electroactive polymer arranged in a manner which causes a portion of the polymer to deflect in response to a change in electric field and/or arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to deflection of the polymer;
- and
- an electrode having a non-uniform surface;
- and
- wherein the polymer has a non-uniform surface;
- and
- wherein the non-uniform surface of the electrode mates with the non-uniform surface of the polymer such that deformation of the polymer provides directional compliance of the transducer in a first direction wherein the electroactive polymer is a pre-strained electroactive polymer and the pre-strained electroactive polymer comprises a high pre-strain direction and a low pre-strain direction, and wherein the polymer is less compliant in the high pre-strain direction and wherein the polymer is more compliant in the low pre-strain direction.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.