JP4386767B2 - Electrical elements using polymer actuators - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric element using a polymer actuator, and more particularly to an electric element using a polymer actuator as a driver that pushes a contact or the like.

  Some polymer materials are deformed by applying a voltage or applying a current to the polymer material, so that attempts have been made to use them as actuators. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a polymer actuator that deforms when a voltage is applied to a non-conductive polymer containing an ionic substance. This polymer actuator can be formed into a strip or the like after a non-conductive polymer is immersed in an electrolyte solution and swollen to contain an ionic substance, and then dried to form a strip or the like. When electrodes are provided on both sides of a material and a voltage is applied, charges are injected from the electrode to the polymer material, the polymer material expands due to electrostatic repulsion between the injected charges, and the diffusion of the injected charge is slow Therefore, charges are distributed nonuniformly or asymmetrically in the polymer material, and the polymer material exhibits bending deformation.

  If a driving principle that causes a bending deformation of the polymer material by applying a voltage to the polymer material is used, the polymer material can be used as an actuator. Since the polymer material is a non-conductive polymer, there is an advantage that a current flowing when a voltage is applied is small and energy loss due to Joule heat is small. Further, this polymer material has an advantage that it can be used in the air, and can be effectively used in that it causes bending deformation alone without attaching a polymer film.

In addition, as a polymer material capable of causing bending deformation by applying a voltage, various kinds of non-polymer materials such as polyurethane, polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride, nylon 6, polyvinyl alcohol, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyacrylonitrile, etc. Conductive materials have been reported.
JP 2001-258275 A

The polymer actuator described above can be made small and thin, and an actuator that can be bent and deformed by forming electrodes on both surfaces by vapor deposition or the like. The deformation is possible only by applying a voltage to the electrode, and the bending direction can be reversed by changing the voltage application direction (positive or negative direction).
Although this polymer actuator is not suitable for generating a large driving force, it has excellent responsiveness to voltage ON-OFF, so that this responsiveness can be used effectively and is extremely Since it can be formed in a small size, it can be used for various electric elements.

As described above, the polymer actuator has a characteristic function as a driving body that pushes the contact and the like, and by using the feature, a new electric element that does not exist in the conventional product can be configured. Is possible.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel electric element that effectively utilizes the characteristics of the polymer actuator described above.

The present invention has the following configuration in order to achieve the above object.
That is, a movable processing film layer on which a polymer actuator is formed, an elastic contact film layer on which an electrical contact is formed, and a circuit pattern layer on which a circuit pattern is formed facing the contact, A substrate built-in type electric element provided by laminating the polymer actuator and the contact film layer, the contact and the circuit pattern in this order, and laminating the substrate in this order. The tip side is formed in a tongue-like shape that becomes a movable end, and when the DC voltage is applied, the contact film layer is pushed, and when the DC voltage is cut off, the original shape is restored, and the circuit pattern and The contact point is electrically connected and separated .

In addition, a tongue piece is provided on the contact film layer, the contact is provided on a tip side of the tongue piece, and the tongue portion is pushed by the polymer actuator to electrically connect the circuit pattern and the contact. It is made to contact and separate .

The contact film layer may be provided with a circuit pattern that is electrically contacted and separated when the circuit pattern and the contact are electrically contacted and separated .

In addition, a conductor constituting a parallel plate type capacitor and a movable conductor are provided in the substrate so as to be spaced apart from each other in the thickness direction of the substrate, and the movable conductor is pushed in a direction in which the conductor is in contact with and separated from the conductor. A substrate-embedded electric element having a variable capacitance, wherein the movable conductor is formed on a contact film layer having elasticity in opposition to the conductor, and the surface of the contact film layer facing the conductor A movable processing film layer on which a polymer actuator is formed is provided on the side opposite to the surface, and the polymer actuator is provided in a tongue-like shape with the tip side serving as a movable end, and when a DC voltage is applied, When the contact film layer is pushed and the DC voltage is cut off, the contact film layer returns to its original shape, and the movable conductor is pushed toward and away from the conductor .

It is also effective to provide a high dielectric layer or a conductor layer for increasing the capacitance between the conductor and the movable conductor.

Electric element using a polymer actuator according to the present invention can be incorporated into very small products and to group the plate using a polymer actuator as a drive member, the substrate as an electrical element of the relay parts and the like It can be installed and mounted.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings .
FIG. 1 shows an example in which an electric element using a polymer actuator is configured as a contact part (relay part) for controlling ON / OFF of an electric contact. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a support made of an electrical insulator, 12 is a fixed contact that is erected on the support 10, and 14 is a movable contact that is arranged in parallel with the support 10 so as to face the fixed contact 12. is there. The movable contact 14 is supported by the support 10 so that the tip end side of the movable contact 14 can be brought into and out of contact with the fixed contact 12, and the contact 14 a formed on the top is always formed so as to be separated from the contact 12 a of the fixed contact 12. Is provided.

A polymer actuator 16 is attached to the support 10 in parallel with the movable contact 14 on the side of the movable contact 14. The polymer actuator 16 is formed in a thin film shape using a resin material, and is processed so that bending deformation occurs by applying a voltage between both surfaces of the film body. In the polymer actuator 16 of this example , the polyurethane film formed by the prepolymer method is immersed in a methanol / acetone = 40/60 mixed solvent containing sodium acetate at a 0.1 weight molar concentration for 15 hours and dried to obtain a film thickness of 0. .2mm, 1mm wide and 5mm long film body is used.
Electrodes 17 are formed on both surfaces of the base of the polymer actuator 16, and the base of the polymer actuator 16 is supported on the support 10. An appropriate conductor material such as gold can be used for the electrode 17 and can be formed by an appropriate method such as plating or vapor deposition. Reference numeral 18 denotes an electrode terminal extending from the electrode 17.

In the electric element of this example , the film body is deformed by applying a voltage to the electrode terminal 18 of the polymer actuator 16, and the movable contact 14 is made to be a polymer actuator as shown in FIG. 16, the contact 14 a is pressed against the contact 12 a, and the fixed contact 12 and the movable contact 14 are electrically connected. When the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16 is turned off, the movable contact 14 returns to the original position due to the elasticity of the movable contact 14, and the contact 12a and the contact 14a are opened.
In this example , the portion of the movable contact 14 with which the polymer actuator 16 abuts is curved so as to bulge toward the polymer actuator 16, and the movable end of the polymer actuator 16 is formed on the curved portion 14b. The movable contact 14 is pushed efficiently by abutting.

The amount of bending of the polymer actuator 16 varies depending on the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16. In the polymer actuator 16 of this example , by applying a voltage of about 300 volts between the electrode terminals 18, 18, The tip portion could be bent and moved by about 0.5 mm or more.
As described above, the electrical element of this example can control the electrical continuity between the movable contact 14 and the fixed contact 12 by ON / OFF by controlling the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16. Thus, it can be used as a relay component.

The polymer actuator 16 can be formed very finely, and the electric element of this example can be formed extremely small. In addition, the polymer actuator 16 is excellent in electrical responsiveness, and although it is necessary to apply a relatively high voltage to the polymer actuator 16, the current consumption is small, so that the power consumption as an electric element is small. .
In this example , the polymer actuator 16 is used that has not been subjected to movable treatment at its tip. By preventing the distal end portion of the polymer actuator 16 made of a resin material from moving, the distal end portion of the polymer actuator 16 is prevented from being deformed such as bending when a voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16. Accordingly, the driving action by the polymer actuator 16 can be effectively performed. Also in the following examples , as in this example , as the polymer actuator 16, the tip of the polymer actuator 16 is not subjected to a movable process.

In this example , the stationary contact 12 and the movable contact 14 are always separated from each other, and when the voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16, the movable contact 14 is pressed against the stationary contact 12. On the contrary, a polymer actuator 16 is disposed between the fixed contact 12 and the movable contact 14 so that the fixed contact 12 and the movable contact 14 are always in contact with each other. Can be configured such that when the voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16, the movable contact 14 is separated from the fixed contact 12 (b contact).

Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an electrical device using the high molecular actuator. As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the electric element of this example is provided with two fixed contacts 12 and two movable contacts 14, with the fixed contact 12 and the movable contact 14 facing each other. The two movable contacts 14 and 14 are collectively pushed by one polymer actuator 16 to simultaneously turn on and off the electrical continuity between the two fixed contacts 12 and the two movable contacts 14. It is the example comprised so that it might control. As in this example , a single polymer actuator 16 can be used to turn on and off the electrical continuity of a plurality of contacts.

Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an electrical device using the high molecular actuator. In the electric element of this example , a movable contact 14 is arranged between a pair of fixed contacts 12 and 13 arranged to face each other, and a contact 14a of the movable contact 14 is always connected to one of the fixed contacts 13. This is an example in which the contact point 13a is elastically pressed. Similar to the above-described example , the polymer actuator 16 is provided at a position where the movable contactor 14 is pushed from one direction to the other direction. The child 14 is pushed to turn off the electrical continuity between the terminals of the one fixed contact 13 and the movable contact 14 and to turn on the electrical continuity between the other fixed contact 12 and the terminals of the movable contact 14. It can be.

This electric element is electrically connected to the fixed contact 12 and the movable contact 14 only when a voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16, and when the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16 is turned off, the movable contact The movable contact 14 is returned to the original position where it contacts the one fixed contact 13 by the elastic force of 14. Thus, the polymer actuator 16 can also be used for an electric element (relay component) that switches contacts. Note that a pair of fixed contacts 12 and 13 may be arranged, or a plurality of pairs may be arranged. In this example , a plurality of pairs of fixed contacts 12 and 13 are arranged, and the movable contact 14 is collectively pushed by one polymer actuator 16.

Figure 4 shows another example of an electrical device using the high molecular actuator. In the electric element of this example, the stationary contacts 12 and 13 are arranged to face each other and separated from each other by a predetermined distance, and the polymer actuator 16 is arranged between them. A characteristic configuration in this example is that the polymer actuator 16 itself has the same action as the movable contact 14 in the above-described example .
As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the polymer actuator 16 is arranged between the stationary contacts 12 and 13 arranged opposite to each other so as to always contact one stationary contact 13, and the electrode 17 When the voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16, the polymer actuator 16 is bent so that the movable end contacts the other stationary contact 12.

The polymer actuator 16 is provided with a conductor coating 16a on both surfaces of the movable end. The conductor coating 16a can be formed by depositing, for example, gold or aluminum on the surface of the film body of the polymer actuator. The conductor coating 16a is provided so as to be electrically connected between the adjacent terminals 13a and 13b and between the terminals 13c and 13d by contacting the contact of one fixed contact 13, and similarly, the other fixed contact 12 is provided. By contacting the contact points, the adjacent terminals are electrically connected.
FIG. 4A shows a state in which the conductor coating 16 a provided on one surface of the polymer actuator 16 is in contact with the contact of the fixed contact 13 in a state where no voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16. Show.

FIG. 4C shows a state in which the polymer actuator 16 is viewed from the side surface direction. It shows that the slit 16b is provided in the film body so that adjacent terminals are electrically connected to each other. Instead of providing the slit 16b, the pattern of the conductor coating 16a may be divided and provided in a shape in which only two adjacent fixed contacts 12 or only the fixed contacts 13 are electrically connected. .
In addition, the conductor coating 16a provided on the surface of the film body can be formed as a required circuit pattern instead of a simple conduction pattern. A semiconductor element or a circuit component is electrically connected to the circuit pattern on the surface of the film body. It can be connected and installed. By preventing the film body from being deformed by not performing the movable process on the movable end of the polymer actuator 16, it becomes easy to form a circuit pattern or mount a circuit component on the film body.

In this example , four fixed contacts 12 and 13 are arranged to face each other, but it is also possible to form a larger number of fixed contacts. Further, in this example , the polymer actuator 16 is brought into and out of contact with all of the fixed contacts 12 and 13 at a time, but two adjacent adjacent contacts of the fixed contacts 12 and 13 are taken as a set. It is also possible to arrange the polymer actuators 16 individually and control these polymer actuators 16 individually so that the electrical continuity is controlled on and off for each of the two fixed contacts.

Above I mentioned the electrical elements, but are used as the ON-OFF controlling the electrical contacts of the polymer actuator, an example of using in FIGS polymer actuator as a component of the variable capacitor.
The electric element of this example is provided with a conductor plate 30 as a moving body between the electrode plates 32 and 33 of the parallel plate capacitor, and as a driver that changes the capacitance by inserting and removing the conductor plate 30 between the electrode plates 32 and 33. A polymer actuator 16 is used.

5 (b) is a front view of an electrical device of the present embodiment. The polymer actuator 16 formed in a strip-shaped film body is provided with electrodes 17 on both sides of the base portion, the base portion is fixed to the support 10, and an electrode plate is normally applied when no voltage is applied to the electrode terminal 18. The conductive plate 30 is set between 32 and 33.
The conductor plate 30 is attached to the movable end side of the polymer actuator 16, and is attached to the film body of the polymer actuator 16 so as not to be detached, as shown in the plan view of FIG.

The electrode plates 32 and 33 are supported so that the plate surfaces are parallel to the support plates 34 and 34 extending from the support side plate 10 a formed integrally with the support body 10 with an interval for inserting and removing the conductor plate 30. ing. Reference numerals 32 a and 33 a are connection terminals that are electrically connected to the electrode plates 32 and 33 and drawn out to the outside of the support plate 34.
5 (c) is a left side view of the electric element, and shows that the conductor plate 30 is disposed between the electrode plates 32 and 33. FIG. 5 (d) is a right side view of the electric element. This indicates that the polymer actuator 16 is formed in a strip shape.

  When a voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16 in the state shown in FIG. 5B, the polymer actuator 16 bends in the direction of extracting the conductor plate 30 from between the electrode plates 32 and 33 as shown in FIG. Deforms to (curved position). When the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16 is turned off, the polymer actuator 16 returns to the original state shown in FIG. 5B (return position). Since the capacitance between the electrode plates 32 and 33 varies depending on the amount of movement (area) of the conductor plate 30 that inserts and removes between the electrode plates 32 and 33, by controlling the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16, The amount of movement can be controlled, and the capacitance between the electrode plates 32 and 33 can be changed accordingly.

In this way, by connecting the conductor of the electric circuit to the connection terminals 32a and 33a of this example and adjusting the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16, it can be used as a variable capacitor of the electric circuit.
Note that the method of using the polymer actuator 16 as a driving component constituting a variable capacitor is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. For example, in this example , the conductor plate 30 is inserted and removed between the electrode plates 32 and 33, but a high dielectric plate can be inserted and removed instead of the conductor plate 30. As another form, a polymer actuator is arranged between two electrode plates, and a voltage is applied to the polymer actuator to change the polymer actuator from a flat plate shape to a curved shape between the two electrode plates. It can also be deformed, thereby making a variable capacitor.

In each example described above, a voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16, so as to exhibit the various functions of the polymer actuator 16 as a drive member. In this case, the DC voltage is applied to or cut off from the polymer actuator 16 to apply the voltage intermittently, but the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16 is applied by a method of continuously increasing or decreasing the voltage. It is also possible to control. The voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16 can be similarly controlled in the following embodiments.

(Embodiment 1 )
FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of an electric element in which a polymer actuator is incorporated in a thin substrate. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the substrate 40. FIG. 7 (a) shows a state where no voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16, and FIG. 7 (b) shows a state where a voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16. Show.
The substrate 40 includes casing layers 42 and 44 having a predetermined strength constituting the outermost layer of the substrate, an insulating film layer 46, a contact film layer 48 provided with a contact 50 on one surface, and a movable processing film. It consists of five layers with the layer 52. A predetermined circuit pattern 54 is formed on the inner surface of the casing layer 42 facing the contact 50.

In FIG. 7, for the sake of explanation, the layers are drawn with a slight gap between them, but these layers are bonded to each other with an adhesive layer having electrical insulation. As described above, as a method of laminating the casing layers 42, 44, the insulating film layer 46, the contact film layer 48, and the movable processing film layer 52 to form a multilayer, for example, an adhesive film is formed between the respective layers. or laminated by applying heat and pressure by interposing, after an adhesive is applied to one side of the opposing layers to form an adhesive layer, aligning the layers to each other, and integrated heating and pressurizing or Then, a method of forming a substrate can be used.

FIG. 8B shows a plan view of the movable processing film layer 52 (viewed along the arrow YY ′ in FIG. 7A). The polymer actuator 16 is formed so as to project in a tongue-like shape in a window 52a obtained by opening a movable processing film layer 52 in a U-shape, and is subjected to a movable process.
The configuration in which the electrodes 17 are provided on both surfaces of the base portion of the polymer actuator 16 is the same as the configuration in each embodiment described above. A wiring pattern 17a electrically connected to the electrode 17 is provided on both surfaces of the movable processing film layer 52, and the electrode terminal 18 is connected to the wiring pattern 17a. By applying a voltage to the electrode terminal 18, the polymer actuator 16 is bent so that the movable end pushes the contact film layer 48.

  FIG. 8D shows another example of the polymer actuator 16 provided on the movable processing film layer 52. The polymer actuator 16 shown in FIG. 8 (d) has a movable end side formed into a tapered shape in a planar shape. By gradually forming the movable end side of the polymer actuator 16 to be narrow, the weight of the movable end side of the polymer actuator 16 is reduced, the deflection due to the weight of the polymer actuator 16 is reduced, and the operation speed is improved. It becomes possible.

Reference numeral 53 denotes a slit provided in the movable processing film layer 52. A large number of polymer actuators 16 can be formed adjacent to the movable processing film layer 52. The slit 53 is provided for the purpose of preventing stress from spreading to the adjacent polymer actuator 16 (driving body) via the movable processing film layer 52 when the polymer actuator 16 is operated. In the case where a large number of electrical elements are formed on a plane, it is important to provide a configuration that prevents stress from affecting each other between adjacent electrical elements.
Further, by dividing into a plurality of electric elements at the position of the slit 53, the electric elements can be easily mass-produced.

The movable processing film layer 52 is made of a resin film such as a polyurethane film, and can be processed to be partially movable by applying a voltage. As a method of forming the polymer actuator 16 in the movable processing film layer 52, it is possible to form only the part that functions as the polymer actuator 16 in the movable processing film layer 52, or for the movable processing. The entire film layer 52 can be movably processed so that a voltage is applied only to a portion that functions as the polymer actuator 16.
When actually forming an electric element as shown in FIG. 7, after using a large-sized work as the movable processing film layer 52 and the casing layers 42 and 44, and simultaneously forming a large number of electric elements having the same shape. The method of cutting into individual electrical elements to make a product is efficient. It is possible to easily perform window cutting processing in a predetermined pattern on a large-sized movable processing film or to form the electrode 17 by vapor deposition.

  The contact film layer 48 is a layer provided with a contact 50 that is pressed against the circuit pattern 54, and acts to contact and separate the contact 50 from the circuit pattern 54 using the pressing force of the polymer actuator 16. That is, the contact film layer 48 presses the contact 50 against the circuit pattern 54 when the polymer actuator 16 presses the back surface (the surface opposite to the surface on which the contact 50 is provided) (the state of FIG. 7B). ) When the polymer actuator 16 returns to the original position, the contact 50 is separated from the circuit pattern 54 (state shown in FIG. 7A). In order to achieve such an action, the contact film layer 48 can be easily elastically deformed and is preferably formed of a material having excellent stretchability, for example, an elastomer.

When the contact film layer 48 is made of a material that can be easily deformed, or when the pressing force by the polymer actuator 16 is sufficient, the contact film layer 48 may be formed so as to cover the polymer actuator 16 in a surface. However, when the pressing force by the polymer actuator 16 is weak, as shown in FIG. 8 (a) (the ZZ ′ arrow view of FIG. 7 (a)), the support portion 48a for supporting the contact 50 is provided. It is preferable that a through hole is provided around and the support portion 48 a is supported by a narrow suspension piece 49. By supporting the support portion 48 a (contact point 50) via the hanging piece 49, the contact point 50 can be easily pushed by the pressing force of the polymer actuator 16, and the contact point 50 is pushed against the circuit pattern 54. Is easily possible.
The contact 50 can be formed of any material as long as it is a material that can be electrically connected to the circuit pattern 54 when it contacts the circuit pattern 54, and can be formed by an appropriate method such as gold plating or gold deposition.

The insulating film layer 46 is provided as a spacer that electrically insulates the circuit pattern 54 and the contact 50 and separates the contact 50 and the circuit pattern 54 so that the contact 50 does not contact the circuit pattern 54 in a normal state. ing. About the site | part which opposes the contact 50 in the insulating film layer 46, the through-hole of a predetermined magnitude | size is provided, the contact 50 is arrange | positioned in a through-hole, and the contact 50 opposes the circuit pattern 54 (casing layer 42). Provided.
FIG. 8C (an XX ′ arrow view in FIG. 7A) shows an example of a circuit pattern 54 provided in the casing layer 42. The circuit pattern 54 of the present embodiment is composed of a pair of patterns whose tip portions are arranged slightly apart. The contact 50 provided on the contact film layer 48 is provided so as to cross the pair of tip portions of the circuit pattern 54 and to conduct both circuit patterns 54 when pressed against the circuit pattern 54. . In the present embodiment, the reason why the contacts 50 are formed in an elongated shape in a planar shape is to intersect with the tip portions of the circuit patterns 54 that are spaced apart.

The circuit pattern 54 in the illustrated example is shown as an example in which electrical connection is obtained when the contact 50 is pressed against the circuit pattern 54, and the circuit pattern 54 can be formed in an arbitrary shape. . Further, the connection between the contact 50 and the circuit pattern 54 is not limited to one point, and it is also possible to connect the circuit pattern 54 at a plurality of points.
In FIG. 8 (c), the circuit pattern 54 is formed so as to be electrically connected to the terminal 55. However, a method of forming the circuit pattern 54 on the casing layer 42 is a wiring board made of a copper-clad resin substrate or the like. In the conventional manufacturing process, it is possible to use a conventional method of forming a predetermined wiring pattern by etching or the like on a copper foil applied to the surface of a resin substrate. It is easy to form or to form a fine pattern.

FIG. 7B shows a state in which a voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16, the polymer actuator 16 is curved and deformed to push the contact film layer 48, and the contact 50 is pressed against the circuit pattern 54. When the contact point 50 is pressed against the circuit pattern 54, the circuit pattern 54 is in an electrically conductive state as shown in FIG. When the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16 is turned off, the polymer actuator 16 returns to the original position, and the contact 50 is separated from the circuit pattern 54.
Thus, by controlling the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16, it is possible to ON / OFF control the electrical continuity of the circuit pattern.

  The electric element of this embodiment can be formed as a small component in which the polymer actuator 16 is incorporated in a thin substrate because the polymer actuator 16 is extremely thin and can be formed in a small size. Since the polymer actuator 16 is incorporated in the substrate and is in a hermetically sealed state, the polymer actuator 16 can be prevented from aging due to outside air. In addition, there is an advantage that it can be easily mass-produced using a conventional method of manufacturing a wiring board, and can easily cope with various variations of products.

(Embodiment 2 )
FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of an electrical element incorporating a polymer actuator in the substrate.
Also in this embodiment, the substrate 40 has a five-layer structure of the casing layers 42 and 44, the insulating film layer 46, the contact film layer 48, and the movable processing film layer 52, and the height provided in the movable processing film layer 52 is high. The point that the contact film layer 48 is pushed by the molecular actuator 16 and the contact 50 is pressed against the circuit pattern 54 provided on the inner surface of the casing layer 42 is the same as the electric element of the sixth embodiment described above. is there.
As shown in FIG. 11, the configuration different from the above embodiment is that a tongue piece 48b is formed in the contact film layer 48, a contact 50 is provided at the tip of the tongue piece 48b, and the tongue piece 48b. Is configured to be pushed by the polymer actuator 16. FIG. 11A shows an example in which the tongue piece 48b is formed in a rectangular shape in a planar shape, and FIG. 11B shows an example in which the tongue piece 48b is formed in a tapered shape in a planar shape. As shown in FIG. 11B, the tongue piece 48b is easily bent by forming the tongue piece 48b in a tapered shape. Reference numeral 51 denotes a slit hole provided at the base of the tongue piece 48b. By providing the slit hole 51, the tongue piece portion 48b is more easily bent, and its own weight can be reduced.

10A shows a state where no voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16, and the polymer actuator 16 does not push the tongue piece 48b. FIG. 10B shows a state where the voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16. Is applied, the polymer actuator 16 is bent and deformed, and the movable end pushes the tongue piece portion 48 b to push the contact 50 against the circuit pattern 54. Thus, also in this embodiment, by controlling the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16, it is possible to control the ON / OFF of the electrical continuity in the circuit pattern 54.
9 and 10, the movable end of the polymer actuator 16 is disposed so as to face the movable end of the tongue piece portion 48b. However, the movable end of the polymer actuator 16 and the movable end of the tongue piece portion 48b are arranged. The polymer actuator 16 and the tongue piece 48b are arranged so as to extend in the same direction, and the polymer actuator 16 is deformed so as to bend from the back surface (lower side) of the tongue piece 48b. It is also possible to press the contact 50 against the circuit pattern 54 by pushing the tongue piece 48b so as to curve the tongue piece 48b in the same direction.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the polymer actuator 16 is curved to one side where the contact film layer 48 is disposed, but the direction of the DC voltage applied to the electrode 17 is reversed. Thus, the polymer actuator 16 can be bent in the opposite direction. Therefore, the contact film layer 48 and the insulating film layer 46 are arranged symmetrically with the polymer actuator 16 in between, the circuit pattern 54 is provided on the inner surface of the other casing layer 44, and the polymer actuator 16 is curved to the other side. By driving in such a manner, the electrical continuity of the circuit pattern 54 provided on both the casing layers 42 and 44 can be controlled by the polymer actuator 16.

In the first and second embodiments, when a circuit pattern is provided on one or both surfaces of the contact film layer 48 and the contact 50 is pressed against the circuit pattern of the casing layers 42 and 44, the contact film layer 48 is One or both of the provided electric circuit and the electric circuits provided in the casing layers 42 and 44 may be electrically connected.

Figure 12 shows an electrical element incorporating the polymer actuator in the substrate.
In this example , the contact film layer 48 is omitted, the contact 50 is provided on the polymer actuator 16 itself, and the polymer actuator 16 is formed to be bendable on one side and the other side.
The contacts 50 are formed on both surfaces near the movable end of the polymer actuator 16. In this example , the movable process is not performed in the vicinity of the movable end of the polymer actuator 16. Reference numeral 162 denotes a portion not subjected to the movable treatment, and the contact 50 is provided in a portion not subjected to the movable treatment. When the entire polymer actuator 16 is subjected to a movable process, when a voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16, the polymer actuator 16 including the part supporting the contact 50 is bent and deformed, and the contact 50 This is because the circuit pattern 54 may not be pressed correctly.

  Further, the portion 162 that has not been subjected to the movable treatment has the electrical insulation of the resin material itself that constitutes the movable treatment film layer 52, so that the contact 50 is surely electrically insulated. Is possible. In addition, even when a circuit pattern is formed on the surface of the polymer actuator 16, it is possible to form the circuit pattern in an electrically insulated state by forming the circuit pattern on the portion 162 where the movable process is not performed. It becomes.

  FIG. 13 shows a state in which a voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16 to deform the polymer actuator 16 so as to bend to one side and the other side, and the contact 50 is pressed against the circuit pattern 54. FIG. 13A shows a state in which no voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16 and the contacts 50 provided on both surfaces of the polymer actuator 16 are separated from both of the circuit patterns 54. FIG. 13B shows a state where the contact 50 is pressed against the circuit pattern 54 provided on the inner surface of the casing layer 42 by applying a voltage to the polymer actuator 16, and FIG. 13C shows the state shown in FIG. A state in which the contact 50 is pressed against the circuit pattern 54 provided on the inner surface of the casing layer 44 by applying a voltage in the opposite direction to the polymer actuator 16 is shown.

FIG. 14 is an example in which the contact 50 is provided only on one surface of the polymer actuator 16, and the polymer actuator 16 is controlled to be deformed only on one side. In this case, the circuit pattern 54 is provided only on the inner surface of the casing layer 42, and the substrate 40 has a four-layer structure.
Both cases of 12 and 14, the contacts 50 and circuit pattern 54, as shown in FIG. 8 (c), when the contact 50 is pressed against the circuit pattern 54, the contacts 50 and the circuit pattern 54 Can be provided so that the electrical continuity of the circuit pattern 54 is turned on and off. The polymer actuator 16 itself is provided with a circuit pattern that is electrically connected to the contact 50 by way of an electrical insulating layer, and the circuit pattern 54 provided on the casing layers 42 and 44 and the circuit provided on the polymer actuator 16. It is also possible to configure so that the electrical continuity with the pattern is ON-OFF controlled.

FIG. 15 shows an example in which circuit patterns are provided on both the casing layers 42 and 44 and the polymer actuator 16. FIG. 15B is a plan view of the circuit pattern 54 provided on the casing layer 42, and the contact 50 a is provided at the end of the circuit pattern 54 at a position where the contact 50 is pressed. The other casing layer 44 is also provided with a circuit pattern and contacts similar to those in FIG.
FIG. 15A shows a plan view of the circuit pattern provided on the movable actuator film layer 52 provided with the polymer actuator 16 and the polymer actuator 16. Sites 162 that are not subjected to the movable process are provided on the movable end side and both side edges of the polymer actuator 16, and the parts that are not subjected to the movable process at the contact point 50 provided at the tip of the polymer actuator 16. A circuit pattern 56 is connected via 162. A circuit pattern 56 a is also provided for the contact 50 provided on the back surface of the polymer actuator 16 so as to be connected to the contact 50 on the back surface side via a portion 162 that is not subjected to a movable process. Reference numerals 57 and 57a denote terminals provided in connection with the circuit patterns 56 and 56a provided on the movable processing film layer 52. FIG. 15 (c) shows another example of the polymer actuator 16, in which the movable end side is formed into a flat and tapered shape so as to reduce the weight of the polymer actuator 16 and improve the operation characteristics. An example formed is shown below.

  Thus, by forming the circuit pattern 54 on the casing layers 42 and 44 and providing the circuit patterns 56 and 56a on the movable processing film layer 52, a voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16 so that the contact 50 becomes the casing layer. 42 or the contact 50a provided on the casing layer 44, the terminal 55 provided on the casing layer 42 or the casing layer 44 and the terminal 57 or terminal 57a provided on the movable processing film layer 52 are electrically connected. When the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16 is cut off, the terminal 55 provided on the casing layer 42 or the casing layer 44 and the terminals 57 and 57a provided on the movable processing film layer 52 are electrically connected. Released. In this way, by controlling the voltage applied to the polymer actuator 16, the electrical continuity between the terminals of the casing layers 42 and 44 and the movable processing film layer 52 is ON / OFF controlled.

(Embodiment 3 )
FIG. 16 shows yet another embodiment of an electrical element incorporating a polymer actuator in the substrate. The electric element of this embodiment is an example in which a polymer actuator is incorporated in a substrate and a variable capacitor is configured using the polymer actuator.
The parallel plate type capacitor can change the capacitance by changing the distance between the plates. In the present embodiment, parallel plates are formed in the substrate 40, and the interval between the parallel plates is controlled by a polymer actuator.
In FIG. 16, 60 is a conductor formed on the insulating film layer 46, and 62 is a movable conductor formed on the contact film layer 48. In this embodiment, the contact film layer 48 is formed with a movable conductor 62 instead of a contact. However, the contact film layer 48 is referred to as a contact film layer in the meaning of the same movement as the contact film layer 48 in the above-described embodiment. To.
The insulating film layer 46 is preferably formed of a high dielectric material in order to increase the capacitance of the variable capacitor. The conductor 60 may be formed on the casing layer 42 side. Reference numeral 47 denotes a spacer layer for supporting the movable conductor 62 apart from the insulating film layer 46.

FIG. 17A shows a plan view (as viewed in the direction of the arrow X) of the conductor 60 provided on the insulating film layer 46. In this embodiment, the conductor 60 is formed in a circular shape. Reference numeral 64 is a connection terminal provided in electrical connection with the conductor 60 via a wiring pattern.
FIG. 17B shows a plan view (as viewed from the arrow Z) of the movable conductor 62 provided on the contact film layer 48. The movable conductor 62 is also formed in a circular shape like the conductor 60. The movable conductor 62 is provided with a concentric arc-shaped slit portion so that when the contact film layer 48 is pressed by the polymer actuator 16, the movable conductor 62 is bent and easily deformed. is there. Of course, the movable conductor 62 may be formed in a solid pattern. The movable conductor 62 is electrically connected to the connection terminal 65 through a wiring pattern.

  FIG. 17B shows the arrangement of the electrodes 17 of the polymer actuator 16 arranged on the lower layer side of the contact film layer 48 and the electrode terminals 18 electrically connected to the electrodes 17. FIG. 17B shows an example in which the movable conductor 62 and the like are arranged in parallel when a plurality of capacitors are incorporated in the substrate 40. Reference numeral 63 denotes a slit provided at the boundary between adjacent movable conductors 62. The slit 63 is provided to prevent stress from being propagated to the adjacent movable portion (capacitor) when the movable conductor 62 is pressed and curved by the polymer actuator 16.

FIG. 16A shows a state where no voltage is applied to the polymer actuator 16 and the contact film layer 48 is not pressed, that is, a state where the movable conductor 62 is at a position farthest from the conductor 60. . FIG. 16B shows a state in which a voltage is applied to both polymer actuators 16 and 16 and the contact film layer 48 is pressed toward the insulating film layer 46 by the polymer actuators 16 and 16. When the contact film layer 48 is pressed, the movable conductor 62 moves to a position closest to the fixed-side conductor 60. In this embodiment, a pair of polymer actuators 16 are provided symmetrically with respect to one movable conductor 62, and the movable conductor 62 is moved substantially parallel to the insulating film layer 46 by the polymer actuator 16. .
In the electric element of the present embodiment, the distance between the conductor 60 and the movable conductor 62 is changed by driving the polymer actuators 16 and 16 as described above, and the capacitance is changed accordingly. can do.

(Embodiment 4 )
FIG. 18 shows another embodiment of a variable capacitor using a polymer actuator. The electric element of the present embodiment is characterized in that the movable conductor 62 is provided so as to be pushed by one polymer actuator 16.
FIG. 19A shows a plan view (as viewed in the direction of arrow X) of the conductor 60 provided on the insulating film layer 46. In this embodiment, the conductor 60 and the movable conductor 62 are formed in a rectangular shape with a planar shape. As shown in FIG. 19B (Z arrow view), the contact film layer 48 is provided with a through hole adjacent to the movable conductor 62, and the movable conductor 62 is supported by a narrow suspension piece 49, The movable conductor 62 can be easily pushed by the polymer actuator 16. The action of changing the capacitance by pushing the contact film layer 48 with the polymer actuator 16 is the same as that of the ninth embodiment.

As described above, various embodiments of the electric element using the polymer actuator according to the present invention have been described. Among these, the first to fourth embodiments are configured as an electric element with a built-in substrate in which the substrate 40 has a multilayer structure and the polymer actuator 16 is incorporated in the substrate 40. The process of incorporating the polymer actuator 16 into the substrate 40 can be incorporated during the manufacturing process of a general wiring board. That is, by incorporating a polymer actuator in a wiring board used as an electric component, it is possible to mount a structure or variable capacitor for turning on and off an electrical contact or an electric circuit in the wiring board. As a result, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the substrate and provide it as a wiring substrate for new functions and applications. In particular, the method of incorporating the polymer actuator 16 into the substrate 40 described above is a method similar to the conventional method of manufacturing a multilayered wiring substrate, so that the conventional method of manufacturing a wiring substrate is easily applied for mass production. It is possible. It is also possible to easily form a plurality of electric elements and then divide them into individual electric elements.

FIG. 2 is a plan view (a) and a front view (b) showing a configuration example of an electric element using a polymer actuator. FIG. 2 is a plan view (a) and a front view (b) showing a configuration example of an electric element using a polymer actuator. It is a plan view showing a configuration example of an electric device using the polymer actuator (a) and a front view (b). FIG. 2 is a plan view (a), a front view (b), and a side view (c) showing a configuration example of an electric element using a polymer actuator. FIG. 2 is a plan view (a), a front view (b), a left side view (c), and a right side view (c) showing a configuration example of an electric element using a polymer actuator. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the structural example of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows 1st Embodiment of the electric element which integrated the polymer actuator in the board | substrate. It is explanatory drawing which shows the planar structure of a polymer actuator, a contact, and a circuit pattern. It is explanatory drawing which shows 2nd Embodiment of the electric element which integrated the polymer actuator in the board | substrate. It is explanatory drawing which shows the effect | action of a polymer actuator. It is a top view of the tongue piece part provided in the contact film layer. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the electric element which integrated the polymer actuator in the board | substrate. It is explanatory drawing which shows the effect | action of a polymer actuator. It is sectional drawing which shows the other structural example of the electric element which integrated the polymer actuator in the board | substrate. It is a top view of the circuit pattern provided in the polymer actuator and the contact film layer. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of 3rd Embodiment of the electric element using a polymer actuator. It is a top view of the conductor provided in the insulating film layer, and the movable conductor provided in the contact film layer. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of 4th Embodiment of the electric element using a polymer actuator. It is a top view of the conductor provided in the insulating film layer, and the movable conductor provided in the contact film layer.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Support body 10a Support side plate 12, 13 Fixed contact 12a, 13a, 14a Contact 13 Fixed contact 14 Movable contact 14b Bending part 16 Polymer actuator 16a Conductive coating 16b Slit 17 Electrode 18 Terminal 30 Conductor plate 32, 33 Electrode plate 40 substrate 42, 44 casing layer 46 insulating film layer 48 contact film layer 50 contact 52 movable processing film layer 53 slit 54, 56, 56a circuit pattern 55, 55a, 57, 57a terminal 60 conductor 62 movable conductor 63 slit 64, 65 Connecting terminal

Claims (5)

A movable processing film layer on which a polymer actuator is formed, a stretchable contact film layer on which an electrical contact is formed, and a circuit pattern layer on which a circuit pattern is formed facing the contact include a polymer Between the actuator and the contact film layer, the contact and the circuit pattern are separated from each other, and in this order, the board-embedded electric element provided by being laminated in the substrate,
The polymer actuator is formed in a tongue-like shape with the tip side serving as a movable end. When a DC voltage is applied, the contact film layer is pushed, and when the DC voltage is cut off, the polymer actuator returns to its original shape. An electric element characterized in that the circuit pattern and the contact point are electrically connected and separated. A tongue piece is provided on the contact film layer, the contact is provided on the tip side of the tongue piece, and the tongue piece is pushed by the polymer actuator to electrically connect and separate the circuit pattern and the contact. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The electrical element according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a circuit pattern that is electrically contacted and separated when the circuit pattern and the contact are electrically contacted and separated is provided on the contact film layer. Provided a conductor and a movable conductor constituting the internal capacitor of the parallel plate type of the substrate is separated in the thickness direction of the substrate, and pushing in the direction approaching and moving away from said movable conductor to the conductor by the polymer actuator, A board-embedded electrical element with variable capacitance,
The movable conductor is formed in a contact film layer having a stretchability facing the conductor ,
A movable processing film layer on which a polymer actuator is formed is provided on the side of the contact film layer opposite to the surface facing the conductor,
The polymer actuator is provided in a tongue-like shape with the tip side serving as a movable end. When a DC voltage is applied , the polymer actuator pushes the contact film layer and returns to its original shape when the DC voltage is interrupted. The electric element is configured to push the movable conductor in a direction in contact with or away from the conductor. 5. The electric element according to claim 4, wherein a high dielectric layer or a conductor layer for increasing capacitance is provided between the conductor and the movable conductor.

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