Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080204909 | POLYMER ACTUATOR AND OPTICAL UNIT - An object of the present invention is to provide a polymer actuator that does not need a special member for determining the output direction of the drive force or a support member, and which is simply configured with a small number of parts and is compact and low-cost. The present invention provides a polymer actuator that includes electrodes which are inelastic in a planar direction and sandwich a stretching portion of a dielectric polymer with a gradient in thickness, and also provides an optical system including the polymer actuator. | 08-28-2008 |
20080256946 | DRIVING DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACURING THE SAME - A driving device and driving device manufacturing method that ensure stable fixing of an SMA, without causing difficulties in downsizing the device, and without adversely affecting the performance of the SMA. A driving device equipped with a string-shaped shape memory alloy as a drive source includes a base member constituting a basis of the driving device, and a rod-like member which penetrates the base member and is made of the metal fixed onto this base member. The rod-like member is caulked on one end of this rod-like member so that the aforementioned shape memory alloy is pinch-held in-between, whereas power-feeding members to apply current to the shape memory alloy are arranged on the other end of the rod-like member. | 10-23-2008 |
20080282696 | DRIVE APPARATUS AND LENS DRIVE APPARATUS - A drive apparatus having: a shape memory alloy having a property such that a temperature transformation sensitivity in a temperature range from a starting point of austenite transformation (As) at a predetermined stress to an end point of austenite (Af) is higher than a temperature transformation sensitivity in other temperature range, and a temperature transformation sensitivity in a temperature range from a starting point of martensite transformation (Ms) at a predetermined stress to an end point of martensite transformation (Mf) is higher than a temperature transformation sensitivity in other temperature range; and a driven member which is moved by a transformation of the shape memory alloy; wherein the driven member is moved in a temperature range of higher temperature transformation sensitivity. | 11-20-2008 |
20100293940 | DRIVE MECHANISM AND DRIVE DEVICE - A drive mechanism and a drive device each comprise a driven body ( | 11-25-2010 |
20110016860 | ACTUATOR DRIVING DEVICE - An actuator driving device includes: an actuator made of a shape metal alloy having a property that a predetermined shape is memorized in advance, and that the predetermined memorized shape is recovered when the actuator is heated to a predetermined temperature; an applier for applying, to the actuator, a pulse current or a pulse voltage at least having a predetermined current value or a predetermined voltage, and a predetermined duty ratio to heat the actuator; and a determiner for determining the current value or the voltage value, and the duty ratio of the pulse current or the pulse voltage to be applied to the actuator by the applier, wherein the determiner is operative to determine the pulse current or the pulse voltage having: the current value larger than a current value of a constant current required for displacing the actuator by a predetermined targeted displacement amount, or the voltage value corresponding thereto; and the duty ratio of making an applied current amount smaller than an applied current amount corresponding to an integrated value of the constant current in applying the constant current to the actuator. | 01-27-2011 |
20110176047 | DRIVING DEVICE AND IMAGING DEVICE - Provided is a driving device having a rod-like terminal capable of stably fixing an SMA and connecting a conductive member without preventing the size of the driving device from being reduced and affecting the performance of the SMA. Also provided is an imaging device. The driving device is equipped with a string-shaped shape-memory alloy as a driving source and includes: a base member serving as the base of the driving device; and the rod-like terminal made of a metal penetrating the base member and secured to the base member. One end side of the rod-like terminal is caulked to interpose and hold the shape-memory alloy, and the other end side of the rod-like terminal has a crimp portion where the conductive member for supplying current to the shape-memory alloy is crimped and fixed. | 07-21-2011 |
20130003201 | Driving Mechanism, Driving Device, and Method of Manufacturing Driving Device - Disclosed are a driving mechanism and a driving device to which durable shape memory alloy (SMA) is applied and that can operate normally even in a high temperature environment. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing such a driving device. In the driving mechanism, the driving device, and the method of manufacturing the driving device, building tension of the SMA is adjusted in advance so as to balance with bias force during supplying of a predetermined amount of electricity to the SMA after all members are integrated together. | 01-03-2013 |
20130065141 | Fuel Cell Device - The fuel cell device is provided with: an electricity-generating unit having a fuel electrode ( | 03-14-2013 |
20130175457 | SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS DEVICE AND SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS METHOD - In the present invention, a specimen is made to flow on a metal film on a prism, and excitation light (α) is emitted in a predetermined direction. By changing the position of a reflective member that reflects the excitation light (α), and adjusting the orientation of a reflective surface of the reflective member, the incident angle (θ) is changed while maintaining a state in which the excitation light (α) that enters the prism is reflected at a specific position on the metal film. The intensity of light to be generated on the metal film is measured, and the reflective member is positioned to match the position of the reflective member and the orientation of the reflective surface when a maximum amount of light is measured. | 07-11-2013 |
20130312546 | TEST CHIP AND TEST CHIP UNIT INCORPORATED WITH TEST CHIP - The present invention is characterized in being provided with a chip main body, which is provided with a flow channel having the end portion thereof opened in the surface, and a sheet-like sealing member, which brings the inside of the flow channel into a hermetically closed state by covering at least the opening in the surface of the chip main body. The present invention is also characterized in that in the sealing member, a plurality of sheets are laminated, said sheets including a first sheet, which has ductility and elasticity such that the first sheet can be penetrated by means of a nozzle member, and a second sheet having ductility lower than that of the first sheet, the sheets adjacent to each other are bonded with an adhesive agent or a cohesive agent, and that the second sheet is positioned further toward the chip main body side than the first sheet. | 11-28-2013 |