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:
Dec. 23, 2008
Filed:
Aug. 25, 2004
Hiroshi Harada, Hirakata, JP;
Naomasa Oka, Osaka, JP;
Yuji Suzuki, Osaka, JP;
Hiroshi Fukshima, Kadoma, JP;
Hiroshi Noge, Kyoto, JP;
Jun Ogihara, Tondabayashi, JP;
Kiyohiko Kawano, Kadoma, JP;
Hiroshi Harada, Hirakata, JP;
Naomasa Oka, Osaka, JP;
Yuji Suzuki, Osaka, JP;
Hiroshi Fukshima, Kadoma, JP;
Hiroshi Noge, Kyoto, JP;
Jun Ogihara, Tondabayashi, JP;
Kiyohiko Kawano, Kadoma, JP;
Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd., Kadoma-shi, JP;
Abstract
An electrostatically driven latchable actuator system has an actuator and a pair of side effectors on opposite ends of the actuator. The actuator is resiliently supported to a substrate and is movable along a linear axis between two operative positions as being electrically attracted to one of the side effectors. A latch mechanism is provided to mechanically latch the actuator at either of the operative positions. The side effectors are movably towards and away from the actuator along the linear axis between a normal position and a shifted position close to the actuator. Both of the side effectors are also resiliently supported to the substrate to be movable towards the actuator by being electrostatically attracted thereto and away from the actuator by resiliency. The moving side effector is interlocked to the latch mechanism through a mechanical link so as to unlatch the actuator in response to one of the side effectors being attracted to the actuator, and allow the actuator to move from one operative position to the other operative position to be again latched thereat.