Dielectric elastomer transducer including a dielectric elastomer layer and a pair of electrode layers sandwiching the dielectric elastomer layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12127481-B2
Application number	US-201917287380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2019
Priority date	Nov 6, 2018
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

A dielectric elastomer transducer includes a dielectric elastomer layer, a pair of electrode layers sandwiching the dielectric elastomer layer, and a support that supports the dielectric elastomer layer. The dielectric elastomer layer includes a movable region separated from the support and a fixed region supported by the support. A pair of conduction paths are established that are configured to conduct electricity to the electrode layers via power cables and power supply points at which core wires of the power cables are electrically connected, respectively. The power supply points are separated from the movable region of the dielectric elastomer layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dielectric elastomer transducer comprising:
a dielectric elastomer layer;
a pair of electrode layers sandwiching the dielectric elastomer layer;
a support that supports the dielectric elastomer layer, and
a pair of intermediate conductive members each having one end and an other end,
wherein the dielectric elastomer layer includes a movable region separated from the support and a fixed region supported by the support,
a pair of conduction paths are established each of which is configured to conduct electricity to a respective one of the pair of electrode layers via a power cable and a power supply point at which a core wire of the power cable is electrically connected,
power supply points are separated from the movable region of the dielectric elastomer layer,
the pair of intermediate conductive members are made of a material capable of deformation including bend, expansion and contraction and electrically connected to the pair of electrode layers in the movable region at the one end,
the power supply points are provided by electrically connecting the core wire of the power cable and the other end of each of the pair of intermediate conductive members that are separated from the movable region of the dielectric elastomer layer, and
the pair of intermediate conductive members are not supported by other members except at the one end and the other end of each of the pair of intermediate conductive members.

2. The dielectric elastomer transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of intermediate conductive members are supported by the support.

Assignees

• Chiba Seiki
• Waki Mikio
• Zeon Corp

Inventors

• Chiba Seiki
• Waki Mikio
• Kurita Syo

Classifications

• H10N30/877

  Conductive materials · CPC title

• H10N30/098

  Forming organic materials · CPC title

• B06B1/06

  operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction (piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices per se H10N30/00) · CPC title

• H10N30/308 Primary

  Membrane type · CPC title

• H02N1/006 Primary

  of the gap-closing type (H02N1/004 takes precedence) · CPC title