US 11,713,240 B2
Cellular array electrostatic actuator
Siavash Pourkamali, Richardson, TX (US); Amin Abbasalipour, Dallas, TX (US); and Prithviraj Palit, Dallas, TX (US)
Assigned to Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US)
Filed by Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Dec. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/116,677.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/945,561, filed on Dec. 9, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0171339 A1, Jun. 10, 2021
Int. Cl. B81C 1/00 (2006.01); H02N 1/00 (2006.01); B81B 3/00 (2006.01); H02N 2/00 (2006.01)
CPC B81C 1/00166 (2013.01) [B81B 3/0021 (2013.01); B81C 1/00214 (2013.01); H02N 1/008 (2013.01); H02N 2/0075 (2013.01); B81B 2201/033 (2013.01); B81B 2203/0136 (2013.01); B81B 2203/053 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
2. An electrostatic actuator, comprising:
a framework comprising walls defining a plurality of cells forming an array of cells;
a plurality of electrodes comprising an electrode in each cell in the plurality of cells;
a gap separating the electrode in each cell from the walls of the cell;
a plurality of flexible electrical interconnects electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes and electrically isolated and mechanically anchored to the framework at a plurality of nodes of the framework;
wherein the framework is configured to contract in response to an electrical signal applied between the framework and the plurality of electrodes; and
wherein the plurality of nodes deform less than other portions of the framework when the electrical signal is applied between the framework and the plurality of electrodes,
wherein the plurality of flexible electrical interconnects are configured such that the electrical signal can be applied independently to the framework and the plurality of electrodes in a plurality of different sub-regions of the electrostatic actuator.