JPH06141570A - Actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow precise control while enhancing response by providing a soft and highly elastic polymeric porous member having continuous small holes internally diffused with particles being polarized under function of electric field, and a pair of electrode plates being fixed to sandwich the polymeric porous member. CONSTITUTION:Upon application of voltage of 1500V to an actuator, an electric field E is established between an electrode plate 5, i.e., a positive pole plate 5a, and an electrode plate 6, i.e., a negative pole plate 6b. Consequently, positive and negative charges 31a, 31b in lead titanate zirconate particles 3 are shifted relatively and instantaneously toward the negative and positive pole plate sides 6a, 5a, respectively. In other words, polarization takes place and electrostatic attraction functions between the lead titanate zirconate particles 3 along the electric field E. Consequently, the air is pushed out from small continuous holes 4 thus contracting a polymeric porous member 1 composed of soft polynorbornene rubber 2. When voltage is removed, polarization disappears and the polymeric porous body 1 is recovered to the initial shape.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an actuator using a polymer porous body as a base material, which realizes a contraction-return linear motion by the action of an electric field.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An actuator plays a role of converting non-mechanical energy into mechanical energy. Conventionally, an actuator uses an electric motor that uses electric energy, a hydraulic motor that uses hydraulic energy, a hydraulic cylinder, and pneumatic energy. A rotary motion or a linear motion is realized by the pneumatic motor, pneumatic cylinder, etc. used.

However, among the conventional actuators shown above, the electric motor utilizing electric energy can be precisely controlled, but lacks quick response, and the hydraulic motor and hydraulic cylinder utilizing hydraulic energy are not suitable. Although it is powerful, it lacks quick response and precision.Furthermore, pneumatic motors and pneumatic cylinders that use pneumatic energy have both advantages and disadvantages, such as quick response but difficult fine adjustment. It is necessary to use them properly. Further, the hydraulic and pneumatic actuators have a problem of noise during operation, and the hydraulic type has problems such as waste oil treatment and fire risk. Furthermore, all of these conventional actuators are rigid machines, lack flexibility, have complicated internal structures, and are generally large and heavy except for some electric motors. Moreover, peripheral equipment other than the actuator body, such as an electric motor for driving a hydraulic pump for compressing oil in a hydraulic actuator, is required, and its initial investment cost and running cost are high.

Therefore, in recent years, in contrast to the conventional actuator as a rigid machine, attention has been paid to an actuator made of a polymer material having excellent flexibility such as muscle, and a polymer gel is used as a matrix. Made of wood
An actuator that contracts, expands, or bends depending on changes in pH, voltage, temperature, solvent, etc. has been developed. However, there are various problems to be solved, such as slow response, small volume change or small momentum, and operation only in a predetermined solvent, which has not been put to practical use.

The present invention has been made in order to solve these various problems, and uses a polymer porous body sandwiched by a pair of electrode plates, in which particles which are polarized by the action of an electric field are dispersed. It realizes highly precise contraction-return movement with excellent responsiveness by electric control, and has an extremely simple structure, lightweight and compact size, easy to use and safe,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an actuator that does not require noise, requires no peripheral equipment, and has flexibility and is expected to have an effective application.

[0006]

An actuator according to the present invention is a flexible and highly elastic polymer porous body having continuous pores in which particles that are polarized by the action of an electric field are dispersed, and , A pair of electrically connected electrode plates mounted so as to sandwich the porous polymer body.

The particles whose polarization is caused by the action of the electric field are specifically made of the following substances. (A) High dielectric constant substance (b) Ion exchange resin (c) Polymer material containing metal salt in ionic state inside (d) Solid electrolyte Particle size of several μm to 1 mm is suitable.

The polymer porous body is a flexible elastic body formed by forming continuous pores, and the polarizable particles are dispersed in the interior at minute intervals. In the method for producing the polymeric porous body, first, a thermoplastic elastomer or rubber having flexibility and excellent elasticity is used as a matrix material, the polarizable particles and salt are uniformly dispersed therein, and molding or crosslinking is performed. Then, it is boiled with water to dissolve and remove the salt contained in the polymer to form fine continuous pores. However,
As a method for forming continuous pores, in addition to the use of salt / water as described above, other particles / good solvent thereof may be used as long as they do not affect the polymer, and firing of baking soda or the like is also possible. A conventional method, such as the use of agents, shall be applied. The porosity of the polymer porous body is appropriately about 30 to 80 vol% and is adjusted according to the amount of added salt. An appropriate amount of the polarizable particles to be blended is about 30 to 200 parts by volume per 100 parts by volume of the base polymer. The type of the base polymer is preferably selected to have a relatively low dielectric constant for the purpose of effectively polarizing the polarizable particles.

[0009]

In the actuator according to the present invention, when no voltage is applied, the polarizable particles dispersed inside the polymer porous body constituting the present actuator do not generate polarization, that is, when the electric intermediate The actuator body does not move.

However, when a voltage is applied to the present actuator, in the polarizable particles, a negative charge instantly appears on the positive electrode plate side and a positive charge appears on the negative electrode plate side, that is, polarization occurs, and as a result, An electrostatic attraction along the direction of the electric field works between the polarizable particles. The electrostatic attraction changes according to the magnitude of voltage. The rubber or thermoplastic elastomer that serves as the matrix material is a porous material that has excellent flexibility and is composed of continuous pores. Therefore, when an electrostatic attractive force in the direction of the electric field is generated between the polarizable particles, the air inside the pores is exposed to the outside. It is pushed out and easily deforms by compression. The critical compression deformation amount is extremely larger than that of an elastic body having no pores or a porous body having independent pores having no escape place for air in the pores.

Next, when the voltage applied to this actuator is removed, the polarization of the polarizable particles disappears instantly,
That is, since the electrostatic attraction between the polarizable particles disappears, the polymer porous body having excellent shape restoring property returns to the initial shape again.

The polarization of polarizable particles, which is a factor that causes such movement, is a reversible phenomenon to the action of an electric field, and its response is very fast. In addition, the electrostatic attraction between particles caused by polarization changes according to the magnitude of the voltage, and therefore the present actuator realizes highly accurate contraction-return motion with excellent responsiveness, In addition, it is possible to control the amount of exercise according to the magnitude of the applied voltage and change the exercise speed.

[0013]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below.
It is not limited by this.

1 to 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, a polymeric porous body 1 having fine continuous pores 4 has a polynorbornene rubber 2 as a matrix and has lead zirconate titanate particles 3 as a high dielectric constant substance dispersed therein. A pair of electrode plates 5 and 6 electrically connected to each other are attached so as to sandwich the porous polymer body 1.

The method for producing the polymeric porous body 1 is as follows. Nosolex (manufactured by Zeon Corporation) is used as the polynorbornene rubber 2, and the rubber raw material mixed with a crosslinking agent and a softening agent is dissolved in toluene to obtain 20 vol.
% Solution. Next, lead zirconate titanate particles 3 having a particle size of several μm and salt having a particle size of about 30 μm are added to and mixed with the solution. The compounding ratio is 20% by volume of polynorbornene rubber 2, 20% by volume of lead zirconate titanate particles 3, and 60% by volume of salt. While maintaining the state where the lead zirconate titanate particles 3 and the sodium chloride particles which are not dissolved in toluene are uniformly dispersed in the solution of the polynorbornene rubber 2, they are poured onto a flat plate and extended to a thickness of 1 mm, and then, It is dried at room temperature for a whole day and night, and toluene is volatilized to form a 0.5 mm thick sheet. Then
200 sheets of 10 cm × 10 cm rubber sheets are overlaid, 1
Heat at 60 ° C for 10 minutes to crosslink the rubber and
Adhere the sheets to each other sufficiently. 10c made in this way
When the m-square polymer was boiled in water at 70 ° C. for 4 hours to sufficiently dissolve the salt contained therein, the salt-containing portion was formed as fine continuous pores 4 having a porosity of 60 vol%. The polymer porous body 1 is obtained.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, when no voltage is applied to this actuator, the lead zirconate titanate particles 3 dispersed inside the polymer porous body 1 are polarized, that is, , It keeps electrical neutrality and no movement occurs in the actuator body.

However, when a voltage of 1500 V is applied to this actuator and the electrode plate 5 becomes the positive electrode plate 5a and the electrode plate 6 becomes the negative electrode plate 6b, an electric field E is generated from the former to the latter, as shown in FIG. Instantly, the position of the negative charge 31b in the lead zirconate titanate particles 3 is changed to the positive electrode plate 5a.
On the side, the position of the positive charge 31a is relatively displaced to the side of the negative electrode plate 6a, that is, polarization occurs, and electrostatic attraction along the electric field E acts between the polarized lead zirconate titanate particles 3. Then, due to the electrostatic attraction, the air in the continuous pores 4 is pushed out, and the polymer porous body 1 made of the flexible polynorbornene rubber 2 is compressed and deformed with a shrinkage ratio of about 15%.

Next, when the voltage applied to the present actuator is removed, the polarization of the lead zirconate titanate particles 3 disappears, that is, the electrostatic attraction between the lead zirconate titanate particles 3 disappears, so that an excellent shape is obtained. The polymer porous body 1 having the restoring property returns to the initial shape again.

3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, fine continuous pores 10
The polymer porous body 7 having the above has a pair of electrically connected electrode plates 11 and 12 in which anion exchange resin particles 9 are dispersed in a silicone rubber 8 as a matrix.
Are attached so as to sandwich the polymer porous body 7.

The method for producing the porous polymer body 7 is as follows. Two-component liquid silicone rubber SE-6744 / A liquid B (manufactured by Toray Dow Corning Silicone Co., Ltd.) is used as the silicone rubber 8, and the anion exchange resin particles 9 are diamond ion SA having a particle size of about 500 μm.
10A (manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei Co., Ltd.) is used. The anion exchange resin particles 9 are formed by binding an ion exchange group to a styrene-based polymer substrate, and the anion exchange group 9 has a fixed immobile ion 91a that cannot move and a negative counterion 91b that has a dissociative property. Consists of. The anion exchange resin particles 9 dissociate the counterions 91b in the presence of water to form an electric double layer. First, an anion exchange resin particle 9 adjusted to have a water content of 1% and salt having a particle diameter of about 30 μm are added to a rubber raw material obtained by mixing the liquid silicone rubbers A and B.
Mix. The compounding ratio is 20 vo of silicone rubber 8.
1%, anion exchange resin particles 9 are 20 vol%, and salt is 60 vol%. While keeping the anion-exchange resin particles 9 and salt particles uniformly dispersed in the liquid silicone rubber 8, pour on a flat plate to extend the thickness to 1 mm, and then heat at 75 ° C. for 10 minutes. To semi-crosslink.
Next, 100 sheets of 10 cm × 10 cm rubber sheets are overlaid and heated at 120 ° C. for 5 minutes to completely crosslink the rubber and to bring the sheets into close contact with each other. The 10 cm square polymer thus formed was boiled in water at 70 ° C. for 4 hours to sufficiently dissolve the salt contained therein, and the salt-containing portion was formed as fine continuous pores 10. Porosity 6
The polymer porous body 7 of 0 ovl% is obtained.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, when no voltage is applied to this actuator, the anion-exchange resin particles 9 dispersed inside the porous polymer body 7 are not polarized, that is, It maintains electrical neutrality, and no movement occurs in the actuator body.

However, a voltage of 1500 V is applied to the present actuator, and the electrode plate 11 becomes the positive electrode plate 11a and the electrode plate 1
When 2 becomes the negative electrode plate 12b and an electric field E is generated from the former to the latter, as shown in FIG. 4, the negative counterions 91b in the anion exchange resin particles 9 are instantly changed to the positive electrode plate 11a.
That is, polarization is generated by moving to the side, and electrostatic attraction along the electric field E acts between the polarized anion exchange resin particles 9. Then, due to the electrostatic attraction, the continuous pores 10
The air inside is pushed out and the flexible silicone rubber 8
The polymer porous body 1 made of is subjected to compressive deformation with a shrinkage ratio of about 20%.

5 and 6 show a third embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, fine continuous pores 18
The polymer porous body 13 having a structure in which polarizable urethane rubber particles 15 are dispersed in a thermoplastic SEPS elastomer 14 as a matrix has a pair of electrode plates 19 and 20 electrically connected to each other. It is attached so as to sandwich the molecular porous body 13. The polarizable urethane rubber particles 15 are composed of urethane rubber 16 containing potassium thiocyanate, which is an alkali metal salt, in an ionic state, that is, positive potassium ions 17a and negative thiocyanate ions 17b.

For the polarizable urethane rubber particles 15, Takenate L-2705 (manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) is used as the urethane rubber 16, potassium thiocyanate is dissolved in propylene carbonate and added to this rubber raw material, and mixed uniformly. After that, a curing agent is added to cure the mixture, and the mixture is pulverized to obtain particles having a particle size of about 300 μm.
The compounding ratio of urethane rubber 22 is 32 vol%, potassium thiocyanate is 3 vol%, and propylene carbonate is 60 vol.
vol%. Since propylene carbonate has a high dielectric constant,
Potassium thiocyanate is easily dissolved, that is, in an ionic state, and because it is compatible with the urethane rubber 16, it easily penetrates into the rubber. Further, since it has a high boiling point and is hard to volatilize, the permeated state is maintained.

The method for producing the polymer porous body 13 having the polarizable urethane rubber particles 15 dispersed therein is as follows. Septon 2003 (manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.) is used as the SEPS elastomer 14. The raw material polymer in the form of pellets was dissolved in toluene to obtain a 20 vol% solution, and then the polarizable urethane rubber particles 1 were added to the solution.
5 and salt having a particle size of about 30 μm are added and mixed. The compounding ratio is 20 ovl% of SEPS elastomer 14, 20 ovl% of polarizable urethane rubber particles 15, and 60% of salt.
vol%. While maintaining the state where the polarizable urethane rubber particles 15 and salt particles that do not dissolve in toluene are uniformly dispersed in the solution of the SEPS elastomer 14, they are poured onto a flat plate and extended to a thickness of 1 mm, and then at room temperature for a whole day and night. After drying, the toluene is volatilized and solidified into a sheet having a thickness of 0.5 mm. Then, 200 sheets of 10 cm × 10 cm are piled up and heated at 200 ° C. for 5 minutes to bring the sheets into close contact with each other. The 10 cm square polymer thus prepared was boiled in water at 70 ° C. for 4 hours to sufficiently dissolve the salt contained therein, and the salt-containing part was formed as fine continuous pores 18 with a porosity of 60 vol. % Of the polymer porous body 13 is obtained.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, when no voltage is applied to the actuator, the porous polymer body 13 is used.
The polarizable urethane rubber particles 15 dispersed inside have no polarization, that is, maintain electrical neutrality,
No movement occurs in the actuator body.

However, a voltage of 500 V is applied to this actuator, and the electrode plate 19 becomes the positive electrode plate 19a and the electrode plate 20.
When the electric field E is generated from the former to the latter as the negative electrode plate 20b, as shown in FIG. 6, the negative thiocyanate ions 17b in the polarizable urethane rubber particles 15 are instantly moved to the positive electrode plate 19a side, as shown in FIG. The positive potassium ion 17a is the negative electrode plate 20.
It moves to the side b, that is, polarization occurs, and an electrostatic attractive force along the electric field E acts between the polarizable urethane rubber particles 15. Then, due to the electrostatic attraction, the air in the continuous pores 18 is extruded to the outside, and the polymeric porous body 13 made of the flexible SEPS elastomer 14 is compressed and deformed with a shrinkage rate of about 25%.

In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the polarizable urethane rubber particles 15 of the third embodiment are replaced with Rb ₄ Cu ₁₆ Cl ₁₅ I ₇ particles having a particle size of several μm, which are solid electrolytes. Except for this, the configuration is similar to that of the third embodiment. The manufacturing method is also the same.

When a voltage of 1500 V is applied to the actuator of this embodiment, the Rb ₄ Cu _{1 6} Cl ₁₅ I ₇ particles are polarized by ionic conduction and the Rb ₄ Cu ₁₆ Cl is generated.
_The electrostatic attraction along the electric field E acts between the ₁₅ I ₇ particles. Due to the electrostatic attraction, the polymer porous body of the present actuator is compressed and deformed with a contraction rate of about 25%.

Although specific examples of the present invention have been described above, the types of polarizable particles, the components of the porous polymer and the manufacturing method are not limited to those described in each example. In addition, the types of polarizable particles, the components of the porous polymer and the manufacturing method,
The motion output for the same voltage varies depending on the size of each component, and should be selected according to the purpose of use.

As described above, the actuator according to the present invention realizes the linear movement of contraction-return by electric control, and (a) is excellent in quick response and can be precisely controlled. (B) The structure is simple, lightweight and can be downsized, and
Easy to use, safe, reliable, and noise-free. (C) Peripheral equipment is not required. (D) An actuator that uses rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer as a matrix material, and has flexibility unlike conventional products, so that it can be expected to be effectively used by taking advantage of this. And so on.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle explanatory diagram of a first embodiment according to the present invention in a state where no electric field is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the first embodiment in a state where an electric field is applied.

FIG. 3 is a principle explanatory diagram of a second embodiment according to the present invention in a state where no electric field is applied.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of a state in which an electric field is applied in the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the principle of the third embodiment according to the present invention when no electric field is applied.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the principle of a state in which an electric field is applied in the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 E Electric field 1 Polymeric porous body 2 Polynorbornene rubber 3 Lead zirconate titanate particles 31a Positive charge 31b Negative charge 4 Continuous pores 5 Electrode plate 5a Positive electrode plate 6 Electrode plate 6b Negative electrode plate 7 Polymeric porous body 8 Silicone rubber 9 Anion exchange resin particles 91a Positive fixed ions 91b Negative counter ions 10 Continuous pores 11 Electrode plate 11a Positive electrode plate 12 Electrode plate 12b Negative electrode plate 13 Polymeric porous body 14 SEPS elastomer 15 Polar polar urethane rubber particles 16 Urethane rubber 17a Positive Ions of potassium 17b Negative thiocyanate ions 18 Continuous pores 19 Electrode plate 19a Positive electrode plate 20 Electrode plate 20b Negative electrode plate

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A flexible and highly elastic polymer porous body having continuous pores in which particles that are polarized by the action of an electric field are dispersed, and a porous polymer body for sandwiching the polymer porous body. An actuator having a pair of electrically connected electrode plates attached to the. 2. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the particles that generate polarization by the action of the electric field are made of a high dielectric constant material. 3. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the particles that generate polarization by the action of the electric field are made of an ion exchange resin. 4. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the particles that generate polarization by the action of the electric field are made of a polymer material containing a metal salt in an ionic state. 5. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the particles that generate polarization by the action of the electric field are made of a solid electrolyte.