JP5237704B2 - Electrical telescopic mechanism, manufacturing method thereof, and actuator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical expansion / contraction mechanism used for manufacturing an actuator and the like, a manufacturing method thereof, and an actuator manufactured using the electrical expansion / contraction mechanism.

Actuators convert input energy into physical momentum, and various actuators have been developed and used. For example, the actuator described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a stretchable part in which three or more stretchable layers made of a thin elastic material having insulation properties are stacked in the thickness direction and the stretchable layers provided on both sides in the thickness direction of each stretchable layer. A plurality of electrodes that can be deformed to allow expansion and contraction of the layers, and a power supply control unit that selects a voltage polarity connected to each electrode are formed. The actuator formed in this way can expand the stretchable layer relative to the original position where no voltage is applied, and can contract the stretchable layer relative to the original position.
Japanese Patent No. 3809802

  However, the conventional actuator as described above has a problem that although it can be manufactured individually, it is difficult to manufacture a large amount at a time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric telescopic mechanism capable of mass production, a manufacturing method thereof, and an actuator.

Electrical telescopic mechanism according to claim 1 of the present invention, the electrode 2 on the insulating substrate 7 is provided, the stretchable possess, are formed in the porous body 3, a dielectric is filled in the porous body 3 in the bore on both surfaces of the insulating layer 1, the electrode 2 through the insulating layer 1 is characterized in that said are integrally laminated on top of the insulating substrate 7 to face.
The electrical expansion / contraction mechanism according to claim 2 of the present invention is provided with the electrode 2 on the insulating substrate 7, has elasticity, is formed of the porous body 3, and the electrolyte is filled in the holes of the porous body 3. The insulating substrate 7 is placed on both surfaces of the insulating layer 1 so that the electrodes 2 face each other through the insulating layer 1 and an insulating film 8 is provided between at least one of the electrodes 2b and the insulating layer 1. It is characterized by being laminated and integrated.

The invention according to claim 3, in claim 1 or 2, through hole 5 which is electrically connected to the electrode 2 is characterized in that it is formed in the insulating layer 1.

The invention according to claim 4, in claim 3, a through hole 16 in the insulating layer 1 is provided, by filling a conductive paste into the through hole 16, or applying a metal plating on the inner surface of the through hole 16 The conductive hole 5 is formed by forming a metal thin film on the inner surface of the through hole 16 by sputtering.

Invention, in any one of claims 1 to 4, and wherein a plurality of the insulating layer 1, the electrode 2 is laminated through the insulating substrate 7 provided according to claim 5 To do.

Invention, in any one of claims 1 to 5, which is characterized in that the gap portion 9 partially lacking the insulating layer 1 is formed between the insulating substrate 7 according to claim 6 It is.

Method of manufacturing an electrical telescopic mechanism according to claim 7 of the present invention, the electrode 2 provided on the insulating substrate 7, the elastic possess, on both sides of the porous body 3 insulating layer 1 formed in this insulating layer 1 the electrode 2 is overlapped the insulating substrate 7 so as to face each other with a, which integrated heat and pressure molded to lamination, then after forming the through hole 5 in the insulating layer 1, the porous body 3 The hole is filled with a dielectric .
In the method of manufacturing an electrical expansion / contraction mechanism according to claim 8 of the present invention, the insulating layer 7 is provided with the electrode 2, has elasticity, and the insulating layer 1 is formed on both surfaces of the insulating layer 1 formed of the porous body 3. The insulating substrate 7 is stacked so that the electrode 2 faces through the insulating layer 8 and the insulating film 8 is provided between at least one of the electrodes 2b and the insulating layer 1, and this is laminated by heating and pressing. Then, after the conduction hole 5 is formed in the insulating layer 1, the hole of the porous body 3 is filled with an electrolytic solution.

An actuator according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is an electrical telescopic mechanism manufactured using the electrical telescopic mechanism A according to any one of the first to sixth aspects or the method according to the seventh or eighth aspect. and a, it is characterized in being formed and a power control unit 6 for applying a voltage between the electrodes 2.

  According to the electric expansion and contraction mechanism according to claim 1 of the present invention, a metal-clad laminate such as a copper-clad laminate (CCL) can be used as a raw material, and mass production becomes possible.

Moreover , according to the invention which concerns on Claim 1 , stretchability can be improved rather than before because the insulating layer is formed with the porous body.

According to the invention of claim 1, by using a variety of dielectrics, it is capable of adjusting the dielectric constant of the insulating layer.

According to the electric expansion and contraction mechanism according to claim 2 of the present invention, a metal-clad laminate such as a copper-clad laminate (CCL) can be used as a raw material, and mass production becomes possible.
Moreover, according to the invention which concerns on Claim 2, stretchability can be improved rather than before because the insulating layer is formed with the porous body.
According to the invention of claim 2, in which can be better when using the electrolytic solution as compared with the case of using a conventional dielectric obtain a larger output.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the conduction hole formed in the insulating layer can reduce the size with a simpler wiring than the conventional one, and can improve the connection reliability.

According to the invention which concerns on Claim 4 , a conduction | electrical_connection hole can be formed easily.

According to the invention which concerns on Claim 5 , stretchability can be improved by laminating | stacking several insulating layers.

According to the invention of claim 6 , since the void portion does not become a resistance when the insulating layer contracts, the insulating layer can be contracted more greatly than when the insulating layer between the insulating substrates is not missing at all. It can be done.

According to the method for manufacturing an electrical expansion / contraction mechanism according to claim 7 of the present invention, a metal-clad laminate such as a copper-clad laminate (CCL) can be used as a raw material, and mass production becomes possible. .
Moreover, according to the invention which concerns on Claim 7, stretchability can be improved rather than before because the insulating layer is formed with the porous body.
According to the invention of claim 7, the dielectric constant of the insulating layer can be adjusted by using various dielectrics.
According to the method for manufacturing an electrical expansion / contraction mechanism according to claim 8 of the present invention, a metal-clad laminate such as a copper-clad laminate (CCL) can be used as a raw material, and mass production becomes possible. .
Moreover, according to the invention which concerns on Claim 8, stretchability can be improved rather than before because the insulating layer is formed with the porous body.
According to the eighth aspect of the invention, a larger output can be obtained when the electrolytic solution is used than when a normal dielectric is used.

According to the actuator of claim 9 of the present invention, a metal-clad laminate such as a copper-clad laminate (CCL) can be used as a raw material, and mass production becomes possible. Can be suitably used as an artificial muscle.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 (a) shows an example of an electric expansion / contraction mechanism A. The electric expansion / contraction mechanism A is provided with an electrode 2 on an insulating substrate 7, and the insulating layer 1 is provided on both sides of the insulating layer 1 having elasticity. The insulating substrates 7 are stacked and integrated so that the electrodes 2 face each other through 1. A detailed manufacturing method of the electric telescopic mechanism A will be described in the second embodiment.

  The insulating layer 1 can be formed of a non-porous body or a porous body 3. An elastic body such as rubber can be used as the non-porous body. Moreover, as the porous body 3, for example, a continuous porous body in which holes are continuously provided, such as PVA sponge or urethane sponge, or a material in which holes are independently provided can be used. The porosity of the porous body 3 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30 to 90%. Since it is preferable that the insulating layer 1 is formed of the porous body 3 because the stretchability can be improved as compared with the conventional case, the case where the insulating layer 1 is the porous body 3 will be described below.

  On the other hand, the electrode 2 can be formed by processing a metal-clad laminate 17 such as a copper-clad laminate (CCL). That is, an insulating substrate 7 provided with the electrodes 2 is produced by pattern formation using a metal-clad laminate 17, and this insulating substrate 7 is bonded to the surface of the insulating layer 1 via a bonding sheet (not shown). Thus, the electrodes 2 arranged to face each other through the insulating layer 1 can be formed.

  The insulating layer 1 is formed with a conduction hole 5a (or 5b) electrically connected to the electrode 2a (or 2b). The conduction hole 5 is formed to be deformable following the expansion and contraction of the insulating layer 1. Specifically, in the case where the insulating layer 1 is formed of the porous body 3, when the through holes 16 are provided in the porous body 3, the inner surface thereof is formed in a mesh shape, and copper plating or the like is formed along the mesh of the inner surface. By conducting the metal plating, the conduction hole 5 can be easily formed. Alternatively, the conductive hole 5 can be easily formed by providing a metal thin film by sputtering along the mesh on the inner surface of the through hole 16. As described above, since the metal plating or the metal thin film is applied along the mesh on the inner surface of the through-hole 16, when the porous body 3 as the insulating layer 1 expands and contracts, it can be deformed following the expansion and contraction. It is possible to prevent disconnection. The conduction hole 5 a (or 5 b) is connected to the electrode 2 a (or 2 b) and is connected to the connection electrode 15 provided on the outer surface of one insulating substrate 7. The connection electrode 15 is connected to a power supply control unit 6 described later. The electrode 2b (or 2a) is provided with a clearance hole 24, and the conduction hole 5a (or 5b) passes through the clearance hole 24, whereby the electrode 2b (or 2a) and the conduction hole 5a (or 5b) are provided. ) And are insulated.

  By the way, when the insulating layer 1 is formed of a non-porous body, a conductive threaded through hole 16 is provided in the insulating layer 1 and the inner surface of the through hole 16 is subjected to metal plating such as copper plating. Holes 5 can be formed. In this way, by forming the inner surface of the through-hole 16 in the form of a female screw in advance, it is possible to prevent the metal plating from peeling when the insulating layer 1 expands and contracts, thereby preventing disconnection. Further, regardless of whether the insulating layer 1 is formed of a non-porous body or a porous body 3, the conduction hole 5 can be formed as follows. That is, by providing the through hole 16 in the insulating layer 1 and filling the through hole 16 with a conductive paste, the conduction hole 5 can be easily formed. This conductive paste can be obtained by adding metal powder such as silver and copper to silicone rubber, and can be deformed following the expansion and contraction of the insulating layer 1.

  The pores of the porous body 3 are filled with a dielectric. As this dielectric, for example, a liquid dielectric such as a fluorine-based inert liquid or a gaseous dielectric such as nitrogen, helium, neon, or argon can be used. At this time, a fine powder material having a high dielectric constant such as barium titanate may be used in combination. However, since such a dielectric material leaks from the porous material 3, the porous material 3 impregnated with a liquid or gaseous dielectric material is sealed in the bag body 14. The bag 14 is not particularly limited as long as it has flexibility, but for example, a bag formed of rubber or plastic can be used. As described above, the dielectric constant of the insulating layer 1 can be adjusted by filling the pores of the porous body 3 with various dielectrics. As shown in FIG. 2, the electrode 2 may be provided on both surfaces of the insulating layer 1 via the bag body 14. That is, the insulating substrate 7 provided with the electrode 2 may be disposed outside the bag body 14. However, in this case, since the conduction hole 5 penetrates the bag body 14, it is necessary to provide a seal for preventing leakage of the dielectric.

  FIG. 1B shows an example of the actuator B. The actuator B is formed by including the electrical expansion / contraction mechanism A and the power control unit 6 that applies a voltage between the electrodes 2. . The power supply control unit 6 includes a DC power supply 11 and a switch 12 and is connected to the connection electrode 15 by a lead wire 13. As described above, the conductive hole 5 formed in the insulating layer 1 allows the connection portion between the lead wire 13 and the connection electrode 15 to be integrated on one side of the electrical expansion / contraction mechanism A, and is smaller with simpler wiring than before. Can be realized. When the switch 12 is on, a voltage is applied between the electrodes 2, and dielectric polarization occurs in the insulating layer 1, so that a Coulomb force is generated inside the insulating layer 1, and so-called electrostriction causes the insulating layer 1. A compressive force is generated. Conversely, when the switch 12 is off, such a compression force does not occur. Therefore, the actuator B can be arbitrarily expanded and contracted in the thickness direction of the insulating layer 1 by controlling the on / off of the switch 12. Even if the insulating layer 1 repeatedly expands and contracts in this way, the connection portion between the lead wire 13 and the connection electrode 15 is gathered on one side of the electrical expansion and contraction mechanism A and does not move with the insulating layer 1. Reliability can be improved.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 3A shows another example of the electric expansion / contraction mechanism A. FIG. This electric expansion / contraction mechanism A is also provided with electrodes 2 on an insulating substrate 7, and the insulating substrate 7 is stacked on both surfaces of the insulating layer 1 having elasticity so that the electrodes 2 face each other with the insulating layer 1 therebetween. Although integrated, in this embodiment, a plurality of insulating layers 1 are stacked via an insulating substrate 7 provided with electrodes 2. And the electrode 2 which opposes through each insulating layer 1 is connected by the conduction | electrical_connection hole 5. FIG. Thus, the stretchability can be improved by laminating the plurality of insulating layers 1.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the electrical expansion / contraction mechanism A will be described in order based on FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6, the insulating substrate 7 provided with the electrode 2 is manufactured. That is, a metal-clad laminate 17 formed by providing a metal layer 18 such as a copper foil on the surface of the insulating substrate 7 was prepared (FIG. 6A), and a dry film 19 was laminated on the metal-clad laminate 17. After that (FIG. 6B), exposure and development are performed (FIG. 6C). Thereafter, by performing etching and resist peeling, an insulating substrate 7 provided with the electrodes 2 as shown in FIG. 6D can be obtained. At this time, a plurality of the same electrodes 2 are adjacently provided on the surface of the same insulating substrate 7 at the same time. Thereby, mass production of the electric expansion-contraction mechanism A is attained.

  The pattern of the electrode 2 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a central electrode 20 is provided as a rectangular pattern in the central portion of the insulating substrate 7 and a rectangular shape surrounding the pattern. The surrounding electrode 21 can be provided as a pattern. Thus, the central electrode 20 and the peripheral electrode 21 are provided in an insulated state on the same surface of the insulating substrate 7. The central electrode 20 and the peripheral electrode 21 can be provided on both surfaces or one surface of the insulating substrate 7. In FIG. 4, a broken line indicates a location where the conduction hole 5 is formed, and a clearance hole 24 is formed at a location where the central electrode 20 and the peripheral electrode 21 are insulated from the conduction hole 5.

  Although this embodiment demonstrates the example which provides the center electrode 20 and the surrounding electrode 21 as the electrode 2, you may provide the electrode 2 as 1 set of comb-shaped patterns, as shown in FIG. Also in this case, the electrode 2 having one comb-shaped pattern and the electrode 2 having the other comb-shaped pattern are provided in an insulated state on the same surface of the insulating substrate 7. Further, the electrodes 2 having a set of comb patterns can be provided on both surfaces or one surface of the insulating substrate 7. In FIG. 5, the broken line indicates a location where the conduction hole 5 is formed, and a clearance hole 24 is formed at a location insulated from the conduction hole 5 in the electrode 2 having a comb pattern.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7A, the insulating substrate 7 is overlaid on both surfaces of the insulating layer 1 having elasticity so that the electrodes 2 face each other through the insulating layer 1. Specifically, the insulating substrate 7 and the insulating layer 1 are alternately stacked so that the insulating substrate 7 is disposed on the outermost side. Further, a bonding sheet 22 is sandwiched between the insulating substrate 7 and the insulating layer 1 so that both can be bonded.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, a laminate in which the insulating substrates 7 and the insulating layers 1 are alternately stacked is heated and pressed to be integrated. At this time, the bonding sheet 22 has only to be melted and the insulating substrate 7 and the insulating layer 1 are bonded to each other. Therefore, the heat and pressure molding need not be performed at a high temperature and a high pressure. For example, it can be molded by setting the temperature to 50 to 200 ° C. and the pressure to about 1 to 10 MPa.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7C, the conduction hole 5 is formed in the insulating layer 1. At this time, the conduction hole 5 can be formed by the same method as in the first embodiment. Lands 23 are formed at both ends of the conduction hole 5, and one land 23 is used as the connection electrode 15.

  And as shown in FIG.7 (d), by carrying out a router process, every semi-finished product of the electric expansion-contraction mechanism A is cut-separated and separated into pieces. In this way, a plurality of semi-finished products can be obtained at a time. If the insulating layer 1 is formed of a non-porous body, or if the insulating layer 1 is formed of the porous body 3 and the porous body 3 does not need to be filled with a dielectric, this figure is used. A finished product of the electric expansion / contraction mechanism A can be obtained in the step 7 (d).

  When the porous body 3 is filled with a dielectric, the liquid 3 or the gaseous dielectric is soaked into the porous body 3 forming the insulating layer 1 in the semi-finished product obtained in the step of FIG. By enclosing the entirety in the bag body 14, an electric expansion / contraction mechanism A as shown in FIG. 3A can be obtained.

  FIG. 3B shows another example of the actuator B. The actuator B is formed by including the electric expansion / contraction mechanism A and the power control unit 6 that applies a voltage between the electrodes 2. ing. The power supply control unit 6 includes a DC power supply 11 and a switch 12. In the present embodiment, two power supply control units 6a and 6b are used.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, for the sake of convenience, the layers of the electrode 2 are denoted as L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7, and L8 in order from one side of the electrical expansion / contraction mechanism A to the other side. L1 is a layer provided with the connection electrode 15, L2 to L7 are all layers provided with the central electrode 20 and the peripheral electrode 21 as shown in FIG. 4, and L8 is provided with the land 23. Layer.

  The positive electrode of the DC power supply 11a of the first power supply control unit 6a is connected to the surrounding electrodes 21 of L3, L5, and L7 through the conduction hole 5, but L2, L4, and L4 are separated by the clearance hole 24 insulated from the conduction hole 5. It is not connected to the surrounding electrode 21 of L6. Further, the negative electrode of the DC power supply 11a of the first power supply control unit 6a is connected to the surrounding electrodes 21 of L2, L4, and L6 through the conduction hole 5, but L3 and L5 are provided by the clearance hole 24 insulated from the conduction hole 5. , L7 are not connected to the peripheral electrode 21.

  On the other hand, the positive electrode of the DC power supply 11b of the second power supply control unit 6b is connected to the central electrode 20 of L2, L3, L6, and L7 by the conduction hole 5, but by the clearance hole 24 insulated from the conduction hole 5. It is not connected to the center electrode 20 of L4 and L5. Further, the negative electrode of the DC power supply 11b of the second power supply controller 6b is connected to the central electrode 20 of L4 and L5 by the conduction hole 5, but L2, L3, L6 by the clearance hole 24 insulated from the conduction hole 5. , L7 are not connected to the central electrode 20.

  As described above, in the actuator B shown in FIG. 3B, the lead wire 13 and the connection electrode 15 are formed by the conduction hole 5 formed in the insulating layer 1 even if the plurality of insulating layers 1 are laminated. Can be gathered on one side of the electrical expansion / contraction mechanism A, and the size can be reduced with simpler wiring than in the past.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, when the switch 12a of the first power supply control unit 6a is on and the switch 12b of the second power supply control unit 6b is off, L3, L5, L7 Are connected to the positive electrode of the DC power supply 11a, and the peripheral electrodes 21 of L2, L4, and L6 are connected to the negative electrode of the DC power supply 11a. That is, there is a compressive force between the surrounding electrode 21 of L2 and the surrounding electrode 21 of L3, between the surrounding electrode 21 of L4 and the surrounding electrode 21 of L5, and between the surrounding electrode 21 of L6 and the surrounding electrode 21 of L7. The actuator B is compressed as a whole.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the switch 12a of the first power supply control unit 6a is off and the switch 12b of the second power supply control unit 6b is on, L2, L3, L6 , L7 center electrode 20 is connected to the positive electrode of DC power supply 11b, and L4, L5 center electrode 20 is connected to the negative electrode of DC power supply 11b. That is, there is an extension force between the center electrode 20 of L2 and the center electrode 20 of L3, between the center electrode 20 of L4 and the center electrode 20 of L5, and between the center electrode 20 of L6 and the center electrode 20 of L7. The actuator B extends as a whole.

  Therefore, the actuator B can be arbitrarily expanded and contracted in the thickness direction of the insulating layer 1 by controlling on / off of the switches 12a and 12b. Even if the insulating layer 1 repeatedly expands and contracts in this way, the connection portion between the lead wire 13 and the connection electrode 15 is gathered on one side of the electrical expansion and contraction mechanism A and does not move with the insulating layer 1. Reliability can be improved.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 9 (a) shows another example of the electric expansion / contraction mechanism A. The electric expansion / contraction mechanism A is provided with electrodes 2 on an insulating substrate 7, and on both surfaces of the insulating layer 1 having elasticity. The insulating substrates 7 are stacked and integrated so that the electrodes 2 face each other with the insulating layer 1 therebetween.

  The insulating layer 1 is formed of a porous body 3. As the porous body 3, for example, a continuous porous body in which holes are continuously provided, such as PVA sponge or urethane sponge, or a material in which holes are independently provided can be used. The porosity of the porous body 3 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30 to 90%. Thus, when the insulating layer 1 is formed of the porous body 3, the stretchability can be improved as compared with the prior art.

  On the other hand, the electrode 2 can be formed by processing a metal-clad laminate 17 such as a copper-clad laminate (CCL). That is, an insulating substrate 7 provided with the electrodes 2 is produced by pattern formation using a metal-clad laminate 17, and this insulating substrate 7 is bonded to the surface of the insulating layer 1 via a bonding sheet (not shown). Thus, the electrodes 2 arranged to face each other through the insulating layer 1 can be formed.

  The insulating layer 1 is formed with a conduction hole 5 electrically connected to the electrode 2a. The conduction hole 5 is formed to be deformable following the expansion and contraction of the insulating layer 1. Specifically, when the through hole 16 is provided in the porous body 3 forming the insulating layer 1, the inner surface thereof is formed in a mesh shape, but by performing metal plating such as copper plating along the mesh of the inner surface, The conduction hole 5 can be easily formed. Alternatively, the conductive hole 5 can be easily formed by providing a metal thin film by sputtering along the mesh on the inner surface of the through hole 16. As described above, since the metal plating or the metal thin film is applied along the mesh on the inner surface of the through-hole 16, when the porous body 3 as the insulating layer 1 expands and contracts, it can be deformed following the expansion and contraction. It is possible to prevent disconnection. The conduction hole 5 is connected to the electrode 2a and is connected to a connection electrode 15a provided on the outer surface of one insulating substrate 7b. A conductive hole 5 electrically connected to the electrode 2b is formed in the insulating substrate 7b, and is connected to a connection electrode 15b provided on the outer surface of the insulating substrate 7b. These connection electrodes 15a and 15b are connected to a power supply control unit 6 described later. Further, the electrode 2b is provided with a clearance hole 24, and the conduction hole 5 passes through the clearance hole 24, whereby the conduction hole 5 and the electrode 2b are insulated.

  By the way, the conduction hole 5 can also be formed as follows. That is, by providing the through hole 16 in the insulating layer 1 and filling the through hole 16 with a conductive paste, the conduction hole 5 can be easily formed. This conductive paste can be obtained by adding metal powder such as silver and copper to silicone rubber, and can be deformed following the expansion and contraction of the insulating layer 1.

  The pores of the porous body 3 are filled with an electrolytic solution. Here, the force generated in the thickness direction of the insulating layer 1 is proportional to the dielectric constant of the insulating layer 1, but the dielectric constant of the electrolyte is 20 to 20 while the dielectric constant of a normal dielectric is about 3 or less. Since it is about 30, a larger output can be obtained when the electrolytic solution is used than when a normal dielectric is used. As such an electrolytic solution, an electrolyte prepared by mixing an electrolyte salt that generates ions composed of an acid and a base and a solvent in which the salt is dissolved can be used. The acid component of the electrolyte salt can be a weak acid such as boric acid or carboxylic acid, the base component can be an organic base such as ammonia or amine, and the solvent is ethylene glycol or γ -Butyrolactone etc. can be used. Specifically, as the electrolytic solution, “SAN ELEC” manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd. can be used.

Since the electrolytic solution is a liquid that conducts electricity, an insulating film 8 is provided between at least one of the electrodes 2b and the insulating layer 1 in order to prevent a short circuit. The insulating film 8 is provided by covering the surface of the electrode 2b with an insulating resin or a bonding sheet so that the electrode 2b and the electrolytic solution do not come into contact with each other. In particular, when aluminum is used as the electrode 2b, an oxide film (aluminum oxide: Al ₂ O ₃ ) formed by oxidizing the surface of the electrode 2b can be used as the insulating film 8.

  By the way, as in the case of using a liquid or gaseous dielectric, the electrolytic solution leaks from the porous body 3, so that the porous body 3 impregnated with the electrolytic solution is a bag 14 as shown in FIG. Is enclosed. The bag 14 is not particularly limited as long as it has flexibility, but for example, a bag formed of rubber or plastic can be used. In addition to such non-conductive materials, as the bag body 14, a conductive material such as metal can be used. In particular, when a metal bag 14 is used, the side surface of the bag 14 is formed in a bellows shape as shown in FIG. At this time, the bag body 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape, the opening edge of one end thereof is bonded to the peripheral edge of one insulating substrate 7b, the opening edge of the other end is bonded to the peripheral edge of the other insulating substrate 7a, Insulation is ensured.

  FIG. 9B shows another example of the actuator B, and this actuator B is formed by including the above-described electrical expansion / contraction mechanism A and the power supply controller 6 that applies a voltage between the electrodes 2. ing. The power supply control unit 6 includes a DC power supply 11 and a switch 12 and is connected to the connection electrode 15 by a lead wire 13. As described above, the conductive hole 5 formed in the insulating layer 1 allows the connection portion between the lead wire 13 and the connection electrode 15 to be integrated on one side of the electrical expansion / contraction mechanism A, and is smaller with simpler wiring than before. Can be realized. When the switch 12 is on, a voltage is applied between the electrodes 2, and dielectric polarization occurs in the insulating layer 1, so that a Coulomb force is generated inside the insulating layer 1, and so-called electrostriction causes the insulating layer 1. A compressive force is generated. Conversely, when the switch 12 is off, such a compression force does not occur. Therefore, the actuator B can be arbitrarily expanded and contracted in the thickness direction of the insulating layer 1 by controlling the on / off of the switch 12. Even if the insulating layer 1 repeatedly expands and contracts in this way, the connection portion between the lead wire 13 and the connection electrode 15 is gathered on one side of the electrical expansion and contraction mechanism A and does not move with the insulating layer 1. Reliability can be improved.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 11 shows another example of the electric expansion / contraction mechanism A. In FIG. This electric expansion / contraction mechanism A is also provided with electrodes 2 on an insulating substrate 7, and the insulating substrate 7 is stacked on both surfaces of the insulating layer 1 having elasticity so that the electrodes 2 face each other with the insulating layer 1 therebetween. Although integrated, in this embodiment, a part of the insulating layer 1 between the insulating substrates 7 is cut off to form the gap 9.

  That is, in the structure shown in FIG. 11A, the gap portion 9 is formed from the central portion of the insulating layer 1 to the end portion on one side. When the insulating layer 1 is formed of the porous body 3, the voids 9 are formed larger than the individual holes of the porous body 3. In order to prevent the electrodes 2 from coming into contact with each other and contracting when the insulating layer 1 contracts, the insulating layer 1 is left in a layered manner on at least one of the electrodes 2 facing each other through the gap portion 9 so that the short-circuit preventing layer 10 is formed. Is formed. This short-circuit prevention layer 10 is also formed around the conduction hole 5.

  Moreover, what is shown in FIG. 11B is a case where a plurality of insulating layers 1 are laminated, and a gap portion 9 is formed from the central portion of each insulating layer 1 to one end portion. Further, a short-circuit prevention layer 10 is formed by leaving the insulating layer 1 in the form of a layer on the electrode 2 facing through the gap 9, and the short-circuit prevention layer 10 is also formed around the conduction hole 5. . And the space | gap part 9 of the insulating layer 1 adjacent via the insulating substrate 7 is located so that it may not overlap in the lamination direction. Thus, by arranging the gaps 9 alternately so as to form a bellows shape, even when a plurality of insulating layers 1 are stacked, the stretchability can be further improved. FIG. 11B shows a case where three layers of insulating layers 1 are stacked, but the same applies to a case where two or more layers of insulating layers 1 are stacked.

  Moreover, what is shown in FIGS. 11C and 11D is a case where an insulating film 8 is provided between one electrode 2b and the insulating layer 1, and also in this case from the central portion of the insulating layer 1 to one side. A gap 9 is formed over the end. In this case, since one electrode 2b is not exposed to the inside of the gap 9 by the insulating film 8, it is not necessary to further form the short-circuit preventing layer 10 on the insulating film 8.

  As described above, in the electrical expansion / contraction mechanism A as shown in FIG. 11, the gap portion 9 does not become a resistance when the insulation layer 1 contracts, so that the insulation layer 1 between the insulation substrates 7 is not missing at all. Compared to the case, the insulating layer 1 can be contracted more greatly.

  Although not shown, the actuator B can be formed by including the electric expansion / contraction mechanism A shown in FIG. 11 and the power supply control unit 6 that applies a voltage between the electrodes 2.

  As described above, any actuator B of Embodiments 1 to 4 can use the metal-clad laminate 17 such as a copper-clad laminate (CCL) as a raw material, and can be mass-produced. For example, it can be suitably used as an artificial muscle in the field of robot technology where demand is high. When the insulating layer 1 is formed of the porous body 3, the material of the porous body 3 is selected, the porosity of the porous body 3 is changed in advance, or the dielectric or electrolyte material filled in the porous body 3. The dielectric constant of the insulating layer 1 can be adjusted and the degree of expansion / contraction can be finely adjusted.

An example of embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is sectional drawing of an electric expansion-contraction mechanism, (b) is sectional drawing of an actuator. It shows other examples of embodiment of this invention and is sectional drawing of an electric expansion-contraction mechanism. It shows another example of the embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical expansion and contraction mechanism, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the actuator. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of an embodiment of the present invention, in which an insulating substrate provided with electrodes is extracted (broken lines indicate portions where conductive holes are formed). FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of an embodiment of the present invention, in which an insulating substrate provided with electrodes is extracted (broken lines indicate portions where conductive holes are formed). FIG. 3 shows another example of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 4A to 4D are cross-sectional views showing a manufacturing process of an insulating substrate provided with electrodes. The other example of embodiment of this invention is shown, (a)-(d) is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing process of an electric expansion-contraction mechanism. It shows another example of the embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a sectional view of the actuator during compression, (b) is a sectional view of the actuator during expansion. It shows another example of the embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical expansion and contraction mechanism, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the actuator. It shows other examples of embodiment of this invention and is sectional drawing of an electric expansion-contraction mechanism. The other example of embodiment of this invention is shown, (a)-(d) is sectional drawing of an electric expansion-contraction mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

A Electrical expansion / contraction mechanism B Actuator 1 Insulating layer 2 Electrode 3 Porous body 5 Conductive hole 6 Power supply control part 7 Insulating substrate 8 Insulating film 9 Void part 16 Through hole

Claims (9)

An electrode provided on the insulating substrate, have a stretch, are formed in the porous body, on both surfaces of an insulating layer dielectric-filled into the pores of the porous body, so that the electrode through the insulating layer faces An electrical expansion / contraction mechanism, wherein the insulating substrate is stacked and integrated.   An electrode is provided on an insulating substrate, has elasticity, is formed of a porous body, and the electrode faces the both surfaces of the insulating layer filled with an electrolyte in the pores of the porous body, with the insulating layer interposed therebetween, An electrical expansion / contraction mechanism, wherein the insulating substrate is laminated and integrated so that an insulating film is provided between at least one electrode and the insulating layer. Electrical extension mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that electrically connected to through hole in the electrode is formed on the insulating layer. The insulating layer provided with through holes, by filling a conductive paste into the through hole, or by applying a metal plating on the inner surface of the through hole, or by providing the metallic thin film by sputtering on the inner surface of the through hole The electrical expansion / contraction mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein a conduction hole is formed. A plurality of said insulating layers, electrical telescopic mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the electrode is laminated via the insulating substrate provided. Electrical telescopic mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the air gap lacks part of the insulating layer is formed between the insulating substrate. An electrode provided on the insulating substrate, the elastic possess, on both sides of the formed by porous insulating layer, overlapping the insulating substrate such that the electrode is opposed through the insulating layer, which hot pressing Then, after stacking and integrating, and then forming a conductive hole in the insulating layer , a dielectric is filled in the hole of the porous body, and the method of manufacturing the electrical expansion / contraction mechanism is characterized in that:   An electrode is provided on an insulating substrate, has elasticity, and the electrode is opposed to both surfaces of the insulating layer formed of a porous body through the insulating layer, and is insulated between at least one electrode and the insulating layer. The insulating substrate is stacked so that a film is provided, and this is heated and pressed to be laminated and integrated, and then a conductive hole is formed in the insulating layer, and then the electrolyte is filled in the hole of the porous body. A method of manufacturing an electrical expansion / contraction mechanism characterized by Electrical extension mechanism which is prepared using the method described in electrical telescopic mechanism or claim 7 or 8 according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the power control for applying a voltage between the electrode And an actuator.

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