Method of manufacturing electroactive polymer transducers for sensory feedback applications
AssigneeParker-Hannifin Corporation
InventorsMichael G. Lipton, Ilya Polyakov, Alireza Zarrabi, Otto Hui, Silmon James Biggs, Thomas A. Kridl, Gordon Russell, Jonathan R. Heim, Roger Hitchcock, Chris A. Weaber
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Abstract
A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the includes providing an electroactive polymer film comprising an elastomeric dielectric polymer, forming an array of electrodes on the film, and sandwiching the electrode array between a top and bottom array of frame components to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers.
Claims19
A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:
- providing an electroactive polymer film comprising an elastomeric dielectric polymer having an elastic modulus of less than about 100 MPa;
- forming an array of electrodes on the electroactive polymer film;
- sandwiching the electrode array between a top and bottom array of frame components to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;
- and
- applying an array of negative spring rate biasing mechanisms onto the array of electroactive polymer transducers,
- wherein the array of negative spring rate biasing mechanisms are configured to impose a negative spring rate bias on the electroactive polymer film, and
- wherein the negative spring rate biasing mechanisms comprise a central hub mechanically coupled to an output disc and two opposing leaf spring flexures extending between the central hub and a frame side of an electroactive polymer transducer.
A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:
- providing an electroactive polymer film comprising an elastomeric dielectric polymer having an elastic modulus of less than about 100 MPa, wherein the electroactive polymer film is a first electroactive polymer film;
- forming an array of electrodes on the electroactive polymer film;
- sandwiching the electrode array between a top and bottom array of frame components to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;
- applying at least one first magnetic unit to the first electroactive polymer film;
- providing a second electroactive polymer film;
- and applying at least one second magnetic unit to the second electroactive polymer film, and wherein the at least one first magnetic unit and the at least one second magnetic unit are oppositely polarized or similarly polarized.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.