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:
Apr. 11, 2017
Filed:
Sep. 02, 2011
Dirk Brokken, Eindhoven, NL;
Floris Maria Hermansz Crompvoets, Eindhoven, NL;
Hendrik DE Koning, Eindhoven, NL;
Wendy Mireille Martam, Eindhoven, NL;
Franciscus Jacobus Vossen, Eindhoven, NL;
Coen Theodorus Hubertus Fransiscus Liedenbaum, Eindhoven, NL;
Dirk Brokken, Eindhoven, NL;
Floris Maria Hermansz Crompvoets, Eindhoven, NL;
Hendrik De Koning, Eindhoven, NL;
Wendy Mireille Martam, Eindhoven, NL;
Franciscus Jacobus Vossen, Eindhoven, NL;
Coen Theodorus Hubertus Fransiscus Liedenbaum, Eindhoven, NL;
PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V., Eindhoven, NL;
Abstract
An actuator comprises an electroactive polymer layer () and stretchable electrode structures () that are disposed on each side of the electroactive polymer layer (). A softer passive layer () is secured to one of the stretchable electrode structures (). When compressed transversally by the stretchable electrode structures (), the electroactive polymer layer () will expand tangentially and the actuator will relax into a shape wherein the interior of the electroded region is substantially parallel to the plane of the device, while a substantial portion of the area increase is absorbed by out-of-plane bends arising at the electrode boundary (duck mode). The invention can be embodied as optically reflective or refractive devices with variable geometry.