Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Adel Jilani

Kenneth James Faase

Tony S Cruz-Uribe

James McKinnell

James Z Guo

James Richard Przybyla

Eric Lee Nikkel

Arthur Piehl

Jun Zeng

David Pidwerbecki

Jennifer Wu

Bao Yeh

Peter Mardilovich

Michael G Monroe

Melinda M Valencia

Haggai Karlinski

Hui Liu

Bao-Sung Bruce Yeh

Steve P Hanson

Charles Gustav Schmidt

Kurt M Ulmer

Martha A Truninger

Jeffrey Scott Obert

Kenneth Michael Kramer

Murali Chaparala

Brian D Homeijer

Kurl Ulmer

Eric L Nikkei

Jeff Obert

James Mckinnell

Arthur R Piehl

Illustrative acoustic transducers are provided. A monolithic semiconductor layer defines a plate, two or more flexible extensions and at least a portion of a support structure. Acoustic pressure transferred to the plate results in tensile strain of the flexible extensions. The flexible extensions exhibit varying electrical characteristics responsive to the tensile strain. An electric signal corresponding to the acoustic pressure can be derived from the varying electrical characteristics and processed for further use.

Acoustic energy transducer

Acoustic transducer means are provided. A monolithic semiconductor layer defines a plate, a pair of oppositely disposed torsional hinges, a flexible extension and at least a portion of a support structure. Acoustic pressure communicated to the plate results in tensile strain of the flexible extension. The flexible extension provides a varying electrical characteristic responsive to the tensile strain. An electric signal corresponding to the acoustic pressure can be derived from the varying electrical characteristic of the flexible extension.

Acoustic pressure transducer

In one embodiment, a fluid ejector structure includes: a chamber for containing a fluid; a flexible membrane forming one wall of the chamber; a plurality of piezoelectric elements; a backing operatively connected to the piezoelectric elements such that an expansion and/or contraction of a piezoelectric element causes the piezoelectric element to bend; a rigid plate overlaying a center portion of the membrane; a post coupling the piezoelectric elements to the plate through the backing such that a movement of each piezoelectric element toward the chamber is transmitted to the plate through the post. The plate is configured to transmit movement of the post to the membrane in a rigid, or substantially rigid, piston-like manner.

Fluid ejector structure

An electrostatic liquid-ejection actuation mechanism includes a membrane, a frame, and one or more deformable beams. The frame has two sides and a number of cross members that are non-parallel to the two sides. The two sides and the cross members define one or more areas individually corresponding to one or more liquid chambers. The deformable beams are disposed between the membrane and the frame. The deformable beams individually correspond to the liquid chambers, and define a number of slits. Each slit is adjacent to one of the two sides of the frame. The deformable beams have a width that is less than a width of the liquid chambers, due at least to the slits.

Electrostatic liquid-ejection actuation mechanism

A piezoelectric printhead and related methods provide a first metallic electrode and a second metallic electrode deposited over a top surface and a bottom surface, respectively, of a piezoceramic plate. The second electrode is segmented into a plurality of electrode segments. A diaphragm is positioned over a plurality of pressure chambers, where the diaphragm includes a conductor positioned over each chamber. The piezoceramic plate is attached to the diaphragm such that each conductor on the diaphragm faces multiple electrode segments.

Piezoelectric printhead and related methods

A print head () includes a diaphragm () opposite a fluid chamber () having a side opening, a first end and a second end. The print head () further includes a support () extending from a floor () of the fluid chamber () to the diaphragm ().

Print head diaphragm support

Embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed.

Piezoelectric actuation mechanism

A fluid ejection device includes a fluid chamber having a first sidewall and a second sidewall, a flexible membrane extended over the fluid chamber and supported at an end of the first sidewall and an end of the second sidewall, an actuator provided on the flexible membrane, a first gap provided between the flexible membrane and the end of the first sidewall, and a second gap provided between the flexible membrane and the end of the second sidewall, and compliant material provided within the first gap and within the second gap. As such, the actuator is adapted to deflect the flexible membrane relative to the fluid chamber.

Fluid ejection device

Systems, methodologies, and other embodiments associated with a micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) Fabry-Perot interferometric device (FPID) are described. Fabricating a MEMS FPID may include fabricating a pixel plate and a reflector plate so a Fabry-Perot cavity is defined therebetween. Fabrication may include producing a capacitor plate that facilitates electrostatically moving the pixel plate. Fabrication may include producing electrical connections between plates and producing circuitry to control plate voltages to facilitate creating an electrostatic force between plates. The MEMS FPID may include stops fabricated from a conductive material and circuitry for maintaining the stops and plates at an electrical potential that will yield a zero electric field contact event.

Fabry-perot interferometric MEMS electromagnetic wave modulator with zero-electric field

A micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) device includes bottom and top capacitive plates, such that a capacitor is definable therebetween. A mechanism is electrostatically movably disposed between the bottom and top capacitive plates. One or more flexures are movably disposed between the bottom capacitive plate and the mechanism, and having distance stops between the bottom capacitive plate and the mechanism corresponding to maximum downward movement. The MEMS device includes one or more electrodes of the bottom capacitive plate corresponding to the flexures. Energizing different of the electrodes causes the flexures to move to different of the distance stops, causing the mechanism to move to different positions between the bottom and top capacitive plates.

MEMS device having distance stops

An electronic light modulator device for at least partially displaying a pixel of an image, the device comprising first and second reflectors defining an optical cavity therebetween, the optical cavity being selective of an electromagnetic wavelength at an intensity by optical interference, the device having at least first and second optical states, at least one of the optical states being tunable and the other not tunable.

Light modulator with tunable optical state

In one embodiment an electrostatic actuator includes: a first conductor associated with each chamber; a second conductor having a plurality of flexible first parts supported by a plurality of second parts, each flexible first part forming at least part of a wall of each chamber and each flexible first part located opposite a corresponding one of the first conductors across a gap; and a voltage source operatively connected to each of the first conductors for selectively applying a voltage between each of the first conductors and the second conductor In another embodiment, an electrostatic actuator includes: a plurality of rigid conductors arranged adjacent to one another along a chamber; and a flexible conductor disposed opposite to and spanning the plurality of first conductors across a gap, the flexible conductor forming at least part of one wall of the chamber such that flexing the flexible conductor flexes the wall to change the volume of the chamber.

Actuator

An apparatus includes a first member, a second member and a flexure. The flexure has a central portion connected to the first member, outer portions connected to the second member and an intermediate portion spaced from the first member and the second member.

Flexure

A light modulator device includes a bottom charge plate, a top charge plate, and a pixel plate supported by at least one flexure, wherein the flexure is a piece-wise linear flexure.

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Corvallis, OR, United States of America

Adel Jilani