Electro-mechanical actuator device and apparatus incorporating such device

Abstract

A microgripper (2) comprises a pair of opposed actuator devices (4, 6) connected to an electronic control unit (8). Each actuator (4, 6) includes an actuator body 10 of transparent flexible epoxy based photoresist material forming a “hot” arm (12) and a “cold” arm (14) joined together at their ends, and an electrical heating element wire (18) is embedded in the “hot” arm (12). A gripper arm (32) extends from the substrate and has a gripping portion (34) such that the gripper portions of the two gripper arms (32) face each other. When electrical current is supplied to the heating element (18), electrical heating of the “hot” arm (12) occurs, as a result of which thermal expansion of the “hot” arm (12) causes its length to become greater than that of the “cold” arm (14). Because the “hot” and “cold” arms (12, 14) are joined together at their ends, the increased length of the “hot” arm (12) as a result of its thermal expansion causes the actuator bodies (10) to flex, as a result of which the gripper portions (34) of the gripper arms (32) move closer together.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.