Displacement increasing mechanism and shutter device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10831017-B2
Application number	US-201716081912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 23, 2016
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A displacement increasing mechanism has a fixing portion, first and second actuators coupled to the fixing portion, a first beam having first and second end portions and coupled to the first actuator at the first end portion, a second beam having third and fourth end portions and coupled to the second actuator at the third end portion, and a drive target member coupled to a parallel arrangement portion at which the first and second beams are arranged in parallel with each other. The first actuator is driven to pull the first beam from a second end portion side in the direction of extending the first beam, and the second actuator is driven to push the second beam form a fourth end portion side in the direction of extending the second beam.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A displacement increasing mechanism comprising:
a fixing portion;
a first actuator and a second actuator coupled to the fixing portion;
a first beam having a first end portion and a second end portion and coupled to the first actuator at the first end portion;
a second beam having a third end portion and a fourth end portion and coupled to the second actuator at the third end portion; and
a drive target member coupled to the second end portion of the first beam and the fourth end portion of the second beam,
wherein the first beam and the second beam have a parallel arrangement portion at which the first beam and the second beam are arranged in parallel with each other, and the drive target member is coupled on a tip end side of the parallel arrangement portion,
the first actuator is driven to pull the first beam from a second end portion side in a direction of extending the first beam, and
the second actuator is driven to push the second beam from a fourth end portion side in a direction of extending the second beam.

2. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
the first beam and the second beam are coupled to the drive target member from an same direction.

3. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
the first actuator and the second actuator are arranged facing each other.

4. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein
the drive target member is arranged between the first actuator and the second actuator, and
the first beam or the second beam has a folded-back structure.

5. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
the first beam and the second beam are coupled to each other through a coupling member.

6. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
a lightening structure is formed at part of the first beam or the second beam.

7. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
a thickness of the drive target member is less than that of the first beam or the second beam.

8. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 7 , wherein
a radiation portion is, at at least one of the first beam or the second beam, formed using a difference in a thickness from the drive target member.

9. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first beam and the second beam is formed in a shape slightly curved in a direction of driving the drive target member.

10. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
the parallel arrangement portion at at least either one of the first beam or the second beam partially has a portion with a higher elastic modulus than those of other portions of the parallel arrangement portion.

11. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
a buffer member is provided at the fixing portion within a drive area of at least either one of the first actuator or the second actuator.

12. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
a flexible member extending from the fixing portion is provided within a drive area of at least either one of the first actuator or the second actuator.

13. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 12 , wherein
at at least either one of an intermediate portion of the first actuator or an intermediate portion of the second actuator,
a contact portion whose tip end is a flat surface is provided at a portion facing the fixing portion, and
another contact portion whose tip end is a flat surface is provided at a portion of the fixing portion facing the intermediate portion.

14. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
both end sides of the parallel arrangement portion of the first beam and the second beam have a lower elastic modulus than those of other portions of the parallel arrangement portion.

15. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
hinges are provided on both end sides of the parallel arrangement portion of the first beam and the second beam.

16. A displacement increasing mechanism comprising:
a substrate;
a fixing portion provided at the substrate;
a first actuator coupled to the fixing portion;
a first beam coupled to the first actuator on a base end side and extending in parallel with an upper surface of the substrate;
a second actuator provided at the fixing portion;
a second beam coupled to the second actuator on a base end side and extending in parallel with the upper surface of the substrate; and
a drive target member coupled to tip end sides of the first beam and the second beam,
wherein the tip end side of the first beam is folded back and coupled to the tip end side of the second beam,
the first beam and the second beam have a parallel arrangement portion at which the first beam and the second beam are arranged in parallel with each other, and
the first actuator pushes or pulls the drive target member through the first beam, and the second actuator causes force to act on the drive target member through the second beam in an opposite direction of the first actuator.

17. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 16 , wherein
the second beam is further folded back and coupled to the second actuator on the base end side.

18. A displacement increasing mechanism comprising:
a substrate;
a fixing portion provided at the substrate;
an actuator coupled to the fixing portion;
a drive target member provided at the substrate;
a first beam coupled to the drive target member on a tip end side; and
a second beam extending in parallel with the first beam on a tip end side and coupled to the drive target member,
wherein a base end side of the second beam is folded back, and
one of a base end side of the first beam or the base end side of the second beam is coupled to the actuator, and the other one of the base end side of the first beam or the base end side of the second beam is coupled to the fixing portion.

19. The displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 18 , wherein
the actuator includes a first actuator and a second actuator, and
the first beam is coupled to the first actuator, and the second beam is coupled to the second actuator.

20. A shutter device comprising:
the displacement increasing mechanism according to claim 1 ;
a first electrode arranged on the fixing portion of the displacement increasing mechanism and electrically connected to the first end portion of the first actuator and the first end portion of the second actuator of the displacement increasing mechanism; and
a second electrode arranged on the fixing portion of the displacement increasing mechanism and electrically connected to the second end portion of the first actuator and the second end portion of the second actuator of the displacement increasing mechanism,
wherein a light path is closed or opened by the drive target member of the displacement increasing mechanism.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Precision Prod Co

Inventors

• Kiuchi Mario
• Uchino Ryohei
• Mori Tomonori

Classifications

• B81B3/0043 Primary

  Increasing angular deflection · CPC title

• G03B9/08

  Shutters · CPC title

• B81B2201/032

  Bimorph and unimorph actuators, e.g. piezo and thermo · CPC title

• B81B3/0072

  For controlling internal stress or strain in moving or flexible elements, e.g. stress compensating layers · CPC title

• G02B26/02

  for controlling the intensity of light {(G02B26/004 takes precedence)} · CPC title