JP4063301B2 - Method for manufacturing electrostrictive polymer actuator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing 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.
JP 59-200801 A

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing an electrostrictive polymer actuator capable of easily producing the electrostrictive polymer actuator.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the electrostrictive polymer actuator manufacturing method according to the present invention forms a cylindrical or prismatic laminate by laminating cylindrical or sheet-like stretchable parts via electrodes, It is characterized by slicing the laminate in a direction parallel to the lamination direction. Thereby, a several actuator can be obtained from a single laminated body.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of actuators can be obtained from a single laminated body, the manufacturing efficiency is improved, and a large number of actuators having the same characteristics can be easily obtained.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. First, the electrostrictive polymer actuator to be manufactured according to the present invention will be described. In FIGS. 2 and 3, reference numeral 2 denotes a stretchable portion made of an insulating stretchable material such as silicon rubber or acrylic, and 3 denotes a conductive stretchable material. It is an electrode, and the expansion / contraction part 2 is formed in a ring shape, and a large number of ring-shaped expansion / contraction parts 2 having different diameters are formed concentrically, and each ring-shaped electrode 3 is interposed between the expansion / contraction parts 2. In addition, ring-shaped electrodes 3 are arranged on the outermost peripheral surface and the innermost peripheral surface so that 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. 2, 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.

  In the actuator 1 formed as described above, when a voltage is applied between the electrodes 3 and 3, the actuator 1 contracts in the radial direction X, which is the direction between the electrodes 3 and 3, as shown in FIGS. At the same time, it extends in the axial direction Y, which is an orthogonal direction.

  Compared with the case where the electrodes 3 are arranged on both surfaces of the sheet-like stretchable part 2, the stretching operation can be used with certainty, and the force generated due to the concentric lamination is also large. Moreover, since the displacement amount changes according to the voltage value to be applied, the displacement amount can be easily adjusted.

  FIG. 4 shows another example. In this case, the layers are stacked so that the center is located in an eccentric position. In this case, when the voltage is applied, the amount of contraction in the circumferential direction differs, so that the actuator 1 bends. become.

  FIG. 5 shows that the distance between the electrodes 3 and 3 increases as the distance from the center axis increases, and the voltage applied to each electrode is the same. The amount of expansion and contraction of the portion 2 can be made substantially equal, and a uniform stretching function in the axial direction can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 6, although the distance between the electrodes 3 and 3 is the same, even if the voltage applied to the electrodes 3 and 3 is lower as it is closer to the central axis, it is uniformly stretched in the axial direction. Function can be obtained.

  In addition, when applying the same voltage between each electrode 3 and 3, as shown in FIG. 7, while applying the insulating flexible material 7 to the edge of every other electrode 3 in one surface of the actuator 1, the actuator 1 It is preferable to apply the insulating flexible material 7 to the edge of the other electrode on the other surface, and then apply the conductive stretchable material 8 to both axial surfaces of the actuator 1 as shown in FIG. When different voltages are applied between the electrodes 3 and 3, after performing the processing shown in FIG. 7, as shown in FIG. 9, on one surface of the actuator 1, the ring-shaped portion between the insulating flexible material 7 previously applied The conductive stretchable material 8 may be applied to the external electrode, and the other surface may be coated with the conductive stretchable material 8 to form the grounding external electrode. If a Schenkel booster circuit is used, a plurality of voltages can be obtained from a single power source.

  FIG. 10 shows another example. Here, the stretchable portion 2 is not laminated via the electrode 3, but the side surface of the stretchable portion 2 provided with a pair of electrodes 3 and 3 at both ends is bonded to the metal thin plate 4 to form a unimorph structure. 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 bends (bends) the thin metal plate 4 and can change the amount of bending displacement according to the applied voltage value.

  As shown in FIG. 11, 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.

  Of course, the actuator 1 may have a concentric laminated structure as described above and may have the form shown in FIG. 12, and in this case, 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 a stacked type, as shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of triangular actuators 1 may be arranged in 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. 14, the stretchable part 2 and the electrode 3 in a spiral shape may be used. 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. 16, 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.

  FIG. 18 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.

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

An example of embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) (b) is a perspective view which shows a manufacturing method. (a) (b) is a perspective view same as the above. (a) (b) is sectional drawing. (a) (b) is a perspective view of the other example same as the above. Furthermore, it is a perspective view of another example. It is a perspective view of another example. The procedure for forming the external electrode is shown, in which (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a cross-sectional view. The procedure for forming the external electrode is shown, in which (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a cross-sectional view. The other external electrode formation procedure is shown, in which (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a cross-sectional view. Another example is shown, and (a) and (b) are sectional views. (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. 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 sectional drawing of the diaphragm pump using the actuator same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Actuator 1 'Laminated body 2 Elastic part 3 Electrode

Claims (1)

  A method of manufacturing an electrostrictive polymer actuator in which electrodes made of a conductive stretch material are arranged on both sides of a stretchable portion made of an insulating stretchable material, wherein a cylindrical or sheet-like stretchable portion is laminated via electrodes to form a columnar shape Alternatively, a method for producing an electrostrictive polymer actuator, wherein a prismatic laminate is formed and then the laminate is sliced in a direction parallel to the lamination direction.

Images