JP4063300B2 - Electrostrictive polymer actuator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an actuator using an electrostrictive polymer.

  As actuators used in microminiature devices, those using piezoelectric elements and those using electrostrictive polymers are known. In the former, electrodes made of a conductive stretch material are arranged on both sides of a sheet-like piezoelectric material that has been polarized in the thickness direction, and stretched by the piezoelectric reverse effect. By applying a voltage having the same polarity as the polarization direction, It has the property of extending in the polarization direction and contracting in the orthogonal direction. In the latter, electrodes made of conductive stretch material are placed on both sides of a stretchable portion made of a sheet-like insulating stretch material such as silicon rubber or acrylic, and stretched by dielectric polarization. And has a property of extending in the direction orthogonal to each other.

Actuators using piezoelectric elements have been put to practical use for driving diaphragms of diaphragm pumps, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-200801. In addition to being difficult, the amount of expansion and contraction when applying a voltage is small and the generated force is small.
JP 59-200801 A

  The present invention has been invented in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrostrictive polymer actuator capable of performing a practical movement.

  In order to solve the above problems, an electrostrictive polymer according to the present invention is an electrostrictive polymer actuator in which electrodes made of a conductive stretchable material are arranged on both sides of a stretchable portion made of an insulating stretchable material. It is characterized in that a flexible metal thin plate is bonded to one side surface of this.

  Since the metal thin plate does not expand and contract, a unimorph type actuator capable of obtaining a bending operation can be obtained.

  Actuators may be bonded to both surfaces of the thin metal plate, and in this case, a bimorph type actuator can be used, and the movable range of the bending operation can be expanded.

  What laminated | stacked the some expansion-contraction part through the electrode in the direction between electrodes may be used, and a high output can be obtained with a low applied voltage by laminating | stacking.

  Moreover, you may use what has arrange | positioned the expansion-contraction part via the electrode in the radial direction while arrange | positioning the electrode on the outer peripheral side and inner peripheral side of a ring-shaped expansion-contraction part. In addition to being able to obtain a high output with a low applied voltage, it can be suitably used as a self-driven diaphragm.

  Furthermore, even if a plurality of layers stacked in a triangular shape are arranged in a substantially circular shape, and the electrodes and the expansion and contraction portions are spiral, a high output can be obtained with a low applied voltage, and it can be suitably used as a self-driven diaphragm. Can do.

The present invention
An actuator that can obtain a bending action with a unimorph type can be obtained, and since an effect of enlarging a minute displacement can be obtained in the presence of a thin metal plate, a practical actuator can be obtained.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes an elastic part made of an insulating elastic material such as silicon rubber or acrylic, and 3 denotes an electrode made of a conductive elastic material. Yes, the side surface of the stretchable part 2 provided with a pair of electrodes 3 and 3 at both ends is bonded to the metal thin plate 4.

  In this case, when a voltage is applied between the electrodes 3 and 3, the stretchable portion 2 tends to shrink in the direction between the electrodes 3 and 3, whereas the metal thin plate 4 does not shrink. The actuator 1 has a unimorph structure that bends (bends) the thin metal plate 4. Further, the bending displacement amount can be changed according to the applied voltage value.

  As shown in FIG. 2, if the actuators 1 and 1 are bonded to both surfaces of the thin metal plate 4 to form a bimorph structure, the bending direction can be changed depending on which actuator 1 the voltage is applied to. As a result, the movable range of the bending motion can be increased.

  FIG. 3 shows another example. In the actuator 1 shown here, a large number of ring-shaped stretchable parts 2 having different diameters are formed concentrically, and ring-shaped electrodes 3 are interposed between the stretchable parts 2 and the outermost circumferential surface and the outermost surface. A ring-shaped electrode 3 is also arranged on the inner peripheral surface, and the electrodes 3 are positioned on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side of each of the stretchable parts 2, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, every other electrode 3 is connected to the positive side of the DC power source, and the remaining electrodes 3 are connected to the negative side of the DC power source.

  When a voltage is applied between the electrodes 3 and 3, the actuator 1 formed in this way contracts in the radial direction X, which is the direction between the electrodes 3 and 3, as shown in FIGS. 4 (b) and 5 (b). , Extending in the axial direction Y, which is an orthogonal direction. When the metal thin plate 4 is bonded to one side of the actuator 1 as described above, a high output can be obtained with a low applied voltage. Further, in the case of such a structure, the actuator 1 including the metal thin plate 4 can be used as a self-driven diaphragm.

  In the case of such a stacked type in which a large number of ring-shaped electrodes 3 are arranged concentrically, an insulating flexible material 7 is provided on the edge of every other electrode 3 on one surface of the actuator 1 as shown in FIG. In addition, the insulating flexible material 7 is applied to the edge of the other electrode on the other surface of the actuator 1, and then the conductive stretchable material 8 is applied to both sides in the axial direction of the actuator 1 as shown in FIG. It may be an electrode.

  In the case of a stacked type, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of triangular actuators 1 may be arranged to form a substantially circular shape. Also in this case, a high output can be obtained with a low applied voltage, and the actuator 1 including the thin metal plate 4 can be used as a self-driven diaphragm.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, you may use what made the expansion-contraction part 2 and the electrode 3 spiral. It should be noted that the portion where the electrode 3 overlaps is insulated by interposing an insulating flexible material 7 as shown in FIG.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 9, the strip-shaped actuator 1 which alternately arranged the expansion-contraction part 2 and the electrode part 3 may be bonded together to the metal thin plate 4, and this case is also shown by the arrow in the figure. Such a bending operation can be performed, and a power source can be connected to each electrode 3 by the insulating flexible material 7 and the conductive flexible material 8 as shown in FIG.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the laminated actuator 1 as described above forms a laminated body 1 ′ in which cylindrical or sheet-like stretchable parts 2 and electrodes 3 are alternately laminated, and then the laminated body 1 ′ is laminated. By slicing the body 1 ′ in a direction parallel to the stacking direction, a large number of actuators 1 having the same characteristics can be efficiently manufactured.

  FIG. 12 shows an example of a diaphragm pump in which a concentrically stacked actuator 1 bonded to one side of a thin metal plate 4 is used as a diaphragm. The diaphragm pump includes an intake port 51 and an exhaust port 52. A pump chamber 56 surrounded by the diaphragm and the base 5 is formed by fixing the peripheral edge of the diaphragm to the base 5 in which the check valves 53 and 54 are assembled to the exhaust port 52 by the adhering means 55. If the voltage is applied to 1, the internal volume of the pump chamber 56 is reduced and fluid is discharged from the discharge port 52. If the voltage to the actuator 1 is interrupted, the return of the actuator 1 and the metal thin plate 4 causes the intake port. Inhalation from 51 to the pump chamber 56 is performed.

An example of embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) (b) is sectional drawing. (a) (b) is sectional drawing of the other example same as the above. It is a perspective view of another example same as the above. (a) (b) is a cross-sectional view of the above. (a) (b) is a perspective view same as the above. It is a perspective view of another example same as the above. It is a perspective view of another example same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of an external electrode same as the above. It is a perspective view of the other example same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of an external electrode same as the above. (a) (b) is a perspective view which shows the manufacturing method of an actuator same as the above. (a) (b) is sectional drawing of the diaphragm pump using the actuator same as the above. The procedure for forming an external electrode in a laminated type is shown, (a) is a perspective view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view. FIG. 2 shows a procedure for forming an external electrode, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a cross-sectional view.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Actuator 2 Telescopic part 3 Electrode 4 Metal thin plate

Claims (6)

  An electrostrictive polymer actuator in which electrodes made of a conductive elastic material are arranged on both sides of an elastic material made of an insulating elastic material, and a flexible metal thin plate is attached to one side in a direction parallel to the interelectrode direction. An electrostrictive polymer actuator characterized by being combined.   2. The electrostrictive polymer actuator according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is bonded to both surfaces of the metal thin plate.   The electrostrictive polymer actuator according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of stretchable parts are laminated via electrodes in the inter-electrode direction.   3. The electrostrictive polymer according to claim 1, wherein electrodes are arranged on an outer peripheral side and an inner peripheral side of the ring-shaped expansion / contraction part, and the expansion / contraction part is laminated via the electrode in the radial direction. Actuator.   5. The electrostrictive polymer actuator according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of triangular layers are arranged in a substantially circular shape.   The electrostrictive polymer actuator according to claim 1, wherein the electrode and the expansion / contraction part are spiral.

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