Mounting structure for polymer actuator

A mounting structure for mounting a plurality of polymer actuators onto an apparatus that includes the plurality of polymer actuators as a drive source,

• each polymer actuator is made of a polymer material and is formed into an elongated shape,
• each polymer actuator deforms elastically in accordance with voltage application and returns to its original shape in accordance with stoppage of the voltage application, thereby extending and contracting in an axial direction of the polymer actuator, and
• the apparatus operates using the extension and contraction of each polymer actuator, the mounting structure for each polymer actuator comprising:
• a fixed side mounting portion, which is made of a conductive material, connected to a power supply, and arranged immovably;
• a movable side mounting portion, which is made of a conductive material, connected to the power supply, arranged to be reciprocal, and transmits extension and contraction of the polymer actuator to the apparatus;
• a fixed end, which is one of two ends of the polymer actuator;
• a movable end, which is the other of the two ends of the polymer actuator;
• a first fastening member, which electrically connects one of a pair of electrodes of the polymer actuator to the fixed side mounting portion and fastens the fixed end to the fixed side mounting portion;
• and
• a second fastening member, which electrically connects the other of the pair of electrodes of the polymer actuator to the movable side mounting portion and fastens the movable end to the movable side mounting portion, wherein
• the first and second fastening members are formed by a bolt, by fastening the first fastening member to the fixed end, the fixed side mounting portion is sandwiched by a head portion of the bolt and the fixed end, and by fastening the second fastening member to the movable end, the movable side mounting portion is sandwiched by a head portion of the bolt and the movable end, and wherein
• each polymer actuator is arranged such that the extension and contraction directions of each polymer actuator are matched, the fixed ends of each polymer actuator are fastened by the first fastening members to a common fixed side mounting portion, and the movable ends of each polymer actuator are fastened by the second fastening members to a common movable side mounting portion.