The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 15, 2005
Filed:
Jan. 22, 2003
Hiroshi Kawai, Yokohama, JP;
Hiroshi Kawai, Yokohama, JP;
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Kyoto, JP;
Abstract
An electrostatic actuator includes a movable member that is connected to a movable member securing section through a movable connection beam so that the movable member can be displaced in the x-axis direction. Drive electrode supporting sections are connected to drive electrode securing sections through driving connection beams so that they can move towards and away from each other. Gap sizes a, b, and c between first movable electrodes to third movable electrodes and respective first drive electrodes to third drive electrodes are successively larger. When the actuator operates, the movable member is displaced in a plurality of stages by electrostatic forces successively produced between the first movable electrode and the first drive electrode, the second movable electrode and the second drive electrode, and the third movable electrode and the third drive electrode. As a result, it is possible for the movable member to have high rigidity (resonant frequency) and to move stably, so that its amount of displacement is very large. By successively displacing the movable member via the plurality of drive electrodes, the movable member has very high rigidity and is greatly displaced, so that the performance of the actuator is greatly improved.