JP2008148518A - Polymer electrostatic actuator and manufacturing method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a polymer electrostatic actuator and its manufacturing method for easily and surely connecting conductive layers in a body and connection terminals, without an increase in the number of manufacturing processes. <P>SOLUTION: Connector units 30, 40 are connected to side faces of the body 20 in which the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and insulating layers 22, 24, 26 are laminated. As a result, the body 20 can be formed as a simple film, having end faces flat on the periphery of the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the insulating layers 22, 24, 26. Thus, when the body 20 is to be formed, complex processes for patterning or bonding the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 are unnecessary. Accordingly, the body 20 is formed by continuously applying the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the insulating layers 22, 24, 26, and the number of the manufacturing processes can be reduced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a polymer electrostatic actuator and a method for manufacturing the same.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a polymer electrostatic actuator that converts electrical energy into kinetic energy by forming wiring portions on both surfaces of an insulating film and applying a voltage between the wiring portions. In such a polymer electrostatic actuator, kinetic energy is increased by taking out a plurality of layers composed of a wiring portion and an insulating film (see, for example, paragraph “0130” of Patent Document 1). When a plurality of wiring portions and an insulating film are stacked, a metal pin serving as an electrode terminal is connected to each wiring portion. At this time, the metal pin needs to be provided so as to be in contact with a wiring portion on a certain electrode side but not in contact with a wiring portion on another electrode side. As a result, it is necessary to pattern the wiring part formed in the insulating layer and to appropriately connect the metal pin and the wiring part of each electrode.

  In the case of the polymer electrostatic actuator disclosed in Patent Document 1, a flat insulating film is formed, and a patterned electrode is formed on the flat insulating film (for example, FIG. 7B of Patent Document 1). To FIG. 7F). By forming the insulating film flat, the thickness of the insulating film is uniform even in the vicinity of the electrode, and the dielectric breakdown caused by the non-uniform thickness of the insulating film can be avoided.

  However, in the manufacturing method of the electrostatic polymer actuator disclosed in Patent Document 1 as described above, it is necessary to repeat the process of pattern transfer and adhesion while laminating the conductive layer and the insulating film. In particular, when the number of stacking steps is increased, it is necessary to increase the pattern transfer process and the bonding step according to the number of stacking steps. As a result, there is a problem that the manufacturing process is increased and the yield is reduced.

Special table 2003-506858

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a polymer electrostatic actuator in which each conductive layer of the main body and each connection terminal are easily and reliably connected without increasing the number of manufacturing steps, and a method for manufacturing the same. is there.

(1) The invention described in claim 1 is provided on a main body in which conductive layers and insulating layers are alternately stacked, and connected to a side surface of the main body, and is provided on one surface of the plate-like substrate. A wiring unit, and a connector unit having a connection terminal protruding from the wiring unit toward the main body and connected to the conductive layer.
The connector unit is connected to the side surface of the main body. For this reason, the main body in which the conductive layers and the insulating layers are alternately stacked does not require any processing on the conductive layer for connection to the connector unit. Thereby, the main body only needs to laminate the conductive layer and the insulating layer. As a result, the main body can be easily formed even when a plurality of conductive layers and insulating layers are formed. Moreover, the connection terminal of the connector unit protrudes from the plate-like substrate. Therefore, when connecting the connector unit from the side surface of the main body, the conductive layer and the connection terminal are electrically connected by pressing the connection terminal of the connector unit against the predetermined conductive layer. Therefore, each conductive layer of the main body and each connection terminal of the connector unit can be easily and reliably connected without increasing the number of manufacturing steps.

(2) In the invention according to claim 2, the connector unit can visually recognize the main body from a surface opposite to the main body.
Accordingly, when the connector unit is connected to the side surface of the main body, the conductive layer of the main body can be recognized through the connector unit. Therefore, each conductive layer of the main body and each connection terminal of the connector unit can be easily and reliably connected.

(3) In the invention described in claim 3, the substrate is formed of a transparent or translucent material.
Thereby, the conductive layer of the main body is visible through the transparent or translucent substrate. Therefore, each conductive layer of the main body and each connection terminal of the connector unit can be easily and reliably connected.

(4) In the invention according to claim 4, at least a part of the wiring portion is formed of a transparent material.
Thereby, the conductive layer of the main body is visible through a part of the wiring part. Therefore, each conductive layer of the main body and each connection terminal of the connector unit can be easily and reliably connected.

(5) In the invention according to claim 5, the connection terminal has a sharpened portion that becomes thinner toward the end portion on the main body side.
Thereby, the connection terminal of the connector unit pierces the conductive layer of the main body by pressing the connector unit against the side surface of the main body. Therefore, each conductive layer of the main body and each connection terminal of the connector unit can be easily and reliably connected.

(6) The invention described in claim 6 further includes an insulating portion provided at a peripheral portion of the main body excluding a portion where the conductive layer and the connection terminal are connected, and insulating the conductive layer.
As a result, when a plurality of conductive layers and insulating layers are stacked, the discharge between the conductive layers facing each other with the insulating layer passing through the peripheral edge of the main body is reduced. Therefore, the conversion efficiency of the kinetic energy with respect to the supplied electric energy can be improved.

(7) In the invention according to claim 7, the conductive body and the insulating layer form a substantially uniform surface at the periphery of the main body.
Since the connector unit is connected from the side surface of the main body as described above, there is no need to provide a step for connecting a terminal such as a conventional metal pin. Therefore, the peripheral part of the main body forms a uniform surface of the insulating layer and the conductive layer. Therefore, the conductive layer and the insulating layer of the main body can be easily formed.

(8) The invention according to claim 8 is provided with a holding jig that supports the main body when connecting the main body and the connector unit, and the holding jig is a support member that supports a peripheral portion of the main body. .
When driving the main body, it is necessary for the main body to support the peripheral portion in advance and apply tension to the main body. Therefore, the holding jig that supports the main body when connecting the main body and the connector unit is a support member that supports the peripheral edge of the main body. Accordingly, when the connector unit is connected while holding the main body with the holding jig, the main body is supported as it is by the holding jig which is a support member, and a predetermined tension is applied to the main body. Therefore, the number of processing steps and the number of parts can be reduced.

(9) The invention according to claim 9 forms a connector unit having a step of forming a main body in which conductive layers and insulating layers are alternately laminated, and a wiring portion and a connection terminal protruding from the wiring portion on the substrate. And a step of pressing the connector unit against the main body from a side surface of the main body and connecting the connection terminal to the conductive layer.
The connector unit is connected to the side surface of the main body. Therefore, when connecting the connector unit to the main body, the conductive layer of the main body and the connection terminal of the connector unit are electrically connected by pressing the connection terminal of the connector unit against the main body. Therefore, each conductive layer of the main body and each connection terminal of the connector unit can be easily and reliably connected without increasing the number of manufacturing steps.

(10) In the invention according to claim 10, in the step of forming the main body, the conductive layer and the insulating layer are laminated by being applied successively.
Thereby, when forming a main body, processes, such as patterning, pattern transfer, or adhesion | attachment, are not required, for example. Therefore, the main body can be easily formed.

(11) In the invention according to claim 11, the connector unit is formed by utilizing a photolithography technique.
By using the photolithography technique, a connector unit having a substrate, a wiring portion, and a connection terminal protruding from the wiring portion can be easily formed. Further, even when the number of stacked layers of the conductive layer and the insulating layer of the main body is increased and the distance between the connection terminals is very small, the connector unit can be formed with high accuracy. Therefore, the connector unit can be formed by a simple process without increasing the number of manufacturing steps.

(12) The invention according to claim 12 further includes the step of forming an insulating portion at a peripheral edge portion of the main body after connecting the main body and the connector unit.
As a result, when a plurality of conductive layers and insulating layers are stacked, the discharge between the conductive layers facing each other with the insulating layer passing through the peripheral edge of the main body is reduced. Therefore, the conversion efficiency of the kinetic energy with respect to the supplied electric energy can be improved.

Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments of a polymer electrostatic actuator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, in a plurality of embodiments, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows a polymer electrostatic actuator (hereinafter, polymer electrostatic actuator is abbreviated as “actuator”) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the actuator according to the first embodiment.

  The actuator 10 includes a main body 20, connector units 30 and 40, and an insulating portion 11. The actuator 10 is connected to the power source 12 via the connector units 30 and 40. In the main body 20, conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 and insulating layers 22, 24, and 26 are alternately stacked. The conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 are made of, for example, a resin in which carbon particles are dispersed in a silicon elastomer. The insulating layers 22, 24, and 26 are made of a flexible and high dielectric constant material such as silicon elastomer or polyurethane. In the main body 20, the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the insulating layers 22, 24, 26 form a substantially uniform surface on the side surface of the peripheral edge where the connector units 30, 40 are connected. That is, no step is formed between the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the insulating layers 22, 24, 26 at the peripheral edge of the main body 20.

  The main body 20 is set to have a thickness of about several μm to several mm. The thicknesses of the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the insulating layers 22, 24, 26 are set to about several μm to several tens of μm. The thickness and shape of the main body 20 can be arbitrarily set. Although FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which four conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 and three insulating layers 22, 24, and 26 are stacked, this is an example, and the number of stacked main bodies 20 is as follows. It can be changed arbitrarily. The conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 and the insulating layers 22, 24, and 26 are not limited to those exemplified above, and can be formed of any material such as a commercially available material.

  By alternately laminating the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the insulating layers 22, 24, 26, the insulating layer 22 is sandwiched between the conductive layers 21, 23, and the insulating layer 24 is sandwiched between the conductive layers 23, 25. The insulating layer 26 is sandwiched between the conductive layers 25 and 27. The insulating layers 22, 24, and 26 are made of a material having a high dielectric constant. Therefore, when a voltage is applied between the two conductive layers sandwiching the insulating layers 22, 24, and 26, an electrostatic force is generated, and the insulating layers 22, 24, and 26 are distorted. By taking out this strain as a displacement, the electric energy applied to the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 can be converted into kinetic energy. When the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the insulating layers 22, 24, 26 are alternately stacked, the poles between the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 facing each other across the insulating layers 22, 24, 26 are Vice versa. That is, in the case of the main body 20 shown in FIG. 1, if the conductive layer 21 is a positive electrode, the conductive layer 25 is a positive electrode, and the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 27 are negative electrodes. Hereinafter, an example in which the conductive layer 21 and the conductive layer 25 are positive electrodes and the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 27 are negative electrodes will be described. Of course, the positive electrode and the negative electrode can be interchanged.

  The connector units 30 and 40 are provided on the side surface of the main body 20. In the case of the first embodiment, the actuator 10 includes a connector unit 30 connected to the positive conductive layer 21 and the conductive layer 25, and a connector unit 40 connected to the negative conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 27. ing. The connector unit 30 and the connector unit 40 may be provided at both ends of the main body 20 or may be provided adjacent to each other. The arrangement of the connector unit 30 and the connector unit 40 can be arbitrarily set according to the shape of the main body 20. For example, in the case of a rectangular main body 20, connector units 30 and 40 may be disposed on opposite sides of the main body 20 as shown in FIG. 2 (A), and the main body as shown in FIG. 2 (B). Two connector units 30 and 40 may be arranged on the same side of 20, and connector units 30 and 40 may be arranged on adjacent sides of the main body 20 as shown in FIG. The main body 20 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be, for example, a polygonal shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or any other shape. Further, the arrangement of the connector units 30 and 40 can be arbitrarily set according to the shape of the main body 20.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3A, the connector unit 30 includes a substrate 31, a wiring portion 32, and connection terminals 33 and 34. Similarly, the connector unit 40 includes a substrate 41, a wiring portion 42, and a connection terminal 43 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3B. 3A and 3B are schematic views of the connector unit 30 and the connector unit 40 viewed from the main body 20 side, respectively. The connector unit 40 has the same configuration as the connector unit 30 except for the positions of the connection terminals 43 and 44. In the case of the first embodiment, the substrates 31 and 41 are made of an insulating material such as glass, ceramic or resin, or silicon. As the ceramic forming the substrates 31 and 41, for example, alumina, zirconia, or the like can be applied. Further, as the resin forming the substrates 31 and 41, for example, epoxy or polyimide can be applied.

  Wiring portions 32 and 42 are formed on one surface of the substrates 31 and 41, that is, the surface on the main body 20 side. The wiring portions 32 and 42 are formed in a thin film shape from a conductive material such as aluminum, copper, nickel, gold, or an alloy thereof. In the case of the connector unit 30, the connection terminals 33 and 34 protrude substantially vertically from the plate surface of the substrate 31. Similarly, in the case of the connector unit 40, the connection terminals 43 and 44 protrude substantially vertically from the plate surface of the substrate 41. In the case of the connector unit 30, the connection terminals 33 and 34 are electrically connected to the wiring portion 32. In the case of the connector unit 40, the connection terminals 43 and 44 are electrically connected to the wiring part 42. The connection terminals 33 and 34 and the connection terminals 43 and 44 are made of, for example, the same or different conductive material as the wiring portions 32 and 42.

  When the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 of the main body 20 and the insulating layers 22, 24, 26 are alternately stacked, the conductive layer 21 and the conductive layer 25, and the conductive layer 23 and the conductive layer 27 are as described above. It becomes the same pole. Therefore, in the case of the connector unit 30, the connection terminal 33 is connected to the conductive layer 21, and the connection terminal 34 is connected to the conductive layer 25. In the case of the connector unit 40, the connection terminal 43 is connected to the conductive layer 23, and the connection terminal 44 is connected to the conductive layer 27.

  The connector units 30 and 40 are both pressed against the side surface of the main body 20. Therefore, the connection terminals 33 and 34 of the connector unit 30 and the connection terminals 43 and 44 of the connector unit 40 are in contact with the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 of the main body 20. Accordingly, the connection terminals 33 and 34 of the connector unit 30 and the connection terminals 43 and 44 of the connector unit 40 are electrically connected to the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 of the main body 20.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the insulating portion 11 is provided on the peripheral portion of the main body 20. The insulating part 11 covers the peripheral part of the main body 20. The insulating portion 11 is provided on the peripheral portion of the main body 20 including the connector units 30 and 40. The insulating part 11 covers the peripheral part of the main body 20, thereby preventing discharge and current leakage between the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 via the peripheral part of the main body 20. By preventing discharge and current leakage between the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 by the insulating portion 11, energy conversion efficiency can be increased.

  The insulating part 11 may be made of the same material as that of the insulating layers 22, 24, and 26 of the main body 20, and may be made of a self-adhesive insulating material such as a silicone adhesive. Further, the main body 20 and the connector units 30 and 40 may be fixed by the insulating portion 11 by applying an adhesive material to the insulating portion 11.

Next, a method for manufacturing the actuator 10 having the above configuration will be described.
(Formation of the main body 20)
As shown in FIG. 4, a laminated film 50 is formed by alternately laminating conductive layers 51 and insulating layers 52. The laminated film 50 is formed, for example, by alternately laminating conductive layers 51 made of silicone resin in which carbon particles are dispersed and insulating layers 52 made of silicone resin. The ratio of the carbon particles mixed with the silicone resin forming the conductive layer 51 is arbitrarily set according to, for example, the resistance value required for the conductive layer 51 and the flexibility of the conductive layer 51.

  In the case of the first embodiment, for example, the conductive layer 51 of the laminated film 50 is not required to be processed in order to connect to the electrode. Therefore, the conductive layer 51 and the insulating layer 52 can be laminated by a simple method such as a die coater, a gravure coater, a calender roll, a spin coater, a spray coater, or a dip coater. That is, the laminated film 50 in which a plurality of the conductive layers 51 and the insulating layers 52 are laminated is obtained by alternately applying the conductive layers 51 and the insulating layers 52 alternately. Here, the obtained laminated film 50 may be heat-treated as necessary. By heat-treating the laminated film 50, the laminated film 50 is cured. Then, the obtained laminated film 50 is cut into a predetermined shape, for example, at a position indicated by a “cut” line in FIG. The main body 20 is obtained by cutting the laminated film 50 into a predetermined shape. The conductive layer 51 of the laminated film 50 becomes the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 of the main body 20. In addition, the insulating layer 52 of the laminated film 50 becomes the insulating layers 22, 24, and 26 of the main body 20. In the formed laminated film 50 and the laminated film 50 cut into a predetermined shape, the conductive layer 51 and the insulating layer 52 form the same surface at the end face, that is, the side face of the peripheral edge. Therefore, no step is formed between the conductive layer 51 and the insulating layer 52 at the end face of the laminated film 50.

(Formation of connector unit 30)
An example of the formation of the connector unit 30 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The connector unit 30 is formed using a photolithography process.
As shown in FIG. 5A, a base film 61 is formed on one surface of the substrate 60. The base film 61 is formed, for example, by sputtering or evaporating metal. The base film 61 may not be formed. When the base film 61 is formed on the substrate 60, a patterned resist 62 is formed as shown in FIG. At this time, the patterned resist 62 is patterned into the shape of the wiring portion 32. When the resist 62 is patterned, a wiring portion 63 is formed along the pattern of the resist 62 as shown in FIG. The wiring part 63 is made of, for example, copper, nickel, gold, or an alloy thereof. The wiring part 63 is formed by plating these metals or alloys. The base film 61 formed in the step shown in FIG. 5A improves the bonding property between the substrate 60 and the wiring portion 63.

  When the wiring portion 63 is formed, the resist 62 is removed as shown in FIG. When the resist 62 is removed, a patterned resist 64 is formed as shown in FIG. At this time, the patterned resist 64 is patterned into the shape of the connection terminals 33 and 34. When the resist 64 is patterned, connection terminals 65 are formed along the pattern of the resist 64 as shown in FIG. The connection terminal 65 is formed of a metal or an alloy that is the same as or different from the wiring part 63. The connection terminal 65 is formed by plating a metal or an alloy.

When the connection terminal 65 is formed, the resist 64 is removed as shown in FIG. When the resist 64 is removed, the base film 61 is etched in accordance with the wiring portion 63 as shown in FIG. Note that the base film 61 may not be etched. In the case where the base film 61 is not formed in the step shown in FIG. 5A, the step shown in FIG. 6H can be omitted. When the processing of the base film 61 is completed, the connector unit 30 is formed by cutting the substrate 60 into a predetermined shape as necessary. As a result, the wiring part 63 becomes the wiring part 32, and the connection terminal 65 becomes the connection terminals 33 and 34. Further, the wiring part 63 may be formed by patterning, sputtering and lift-off using aluminum instead of copper.
The connector unit 40 is also formed by the same process as above.

(Formation of actuator 10)
The main body 20 formed in the process shown in FIG. 4 is held by the holding jig 13 as shown in FIG. The holding jig 13 holds the peripheral portion of the main body 20 and fixes the main body 20. The connector unit 30 formed in the steps shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is connected to the fixed main body 20. The connector unit 30 is connected to the side surface of the main body 20. The connector unit 30 is pressed against the side surface of the main body 20 while being aligned so that the connection terminals 33 and 34 overlap the conductive layers 21 and 25 of the main body 20. By pressing the connection terminals 33 and 34 of the connector unit 30 against the conductive layers 21 and 25 of the main body 20, the connection terminals 33 and 34 and the conductive layers 21 and 25 are electrically connected. Similarly, the connection terminals 43 and 44 of the connector unit 40 are also connected to the conductive layers 23 and 27 of the main body 20.

  After the connector units 30, 40 are pressed against the main body 20, the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 of the main body 20 and the connection terminals 33, 34, 43, 44 of the connector units 30, 40 are fixed. The conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the connection terminals 33, 34, 43, 44 are fixed by bonding with, for example, a conductive adhesive. As the conductive adhesive, for example, a conductive adhesive such as a silicone-based adhesive is applied. In addition, the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the connection terminals 33, 34, 43, 44 are temporarily connected with the conductive paste or conductive film interposed therebetween, and the conductive paste or the conductive film is cured, whereby the conductive layer 21, 23, 25, 27 and the connection terminals 33, 34, 43, 44 may be fixed. Further, the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the connection terminals 33, 34, 43, 44 may be fixed by a method such as NCP (Non Conductive Paste) or NCF (Non Conductive Film). Furthermore, by providing the connector units 30 and 40 with a portion to be connected to the holding jig 13 and mechanically connecting the connector units 30 and 40 and the holding jig 13, the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and The connection terminals 33, 34, 43, and 44 may be fixed. In this case, the holding jig 13 serves as a support member that supports the peripheral edge of the main body 20. The holding jig 13 serving as a support member supports the main body 20 with tension applied. By holding the main body 20 in a state where tension is applied in this way, a post-process for applying tension to the main body 20 is not required.

  When the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 and the connection terminals 33, 34, 43, and 44 are fixed, the insulating portion 11 is formed as shown in FIG. The insulating portion 11 is formed by applying an insulating material to the peripheral portion of the main body 20. As a material for forming the insulating portion 11, for example, an insulating silicone adhesive is applied. When applying an insulating material to be the insulating portion 11, for example, vacuum defoaming may be performed in order to avoid mixing bubbles into the insulating portion 11.

  When the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 and the connection terminals 33, 34, 43, and 44 are fixed and the insulating portion 11 is formed, the holding jig 13 is removed. On the other hand, the holding jig 13 may be used as a support member that supports the peripheral edge of the main body 20. In this case, it is not necessary to remove the holding jig 13. The holding jig 13 serves as a support member that supports the peripheral edge of the main body 20 as shown in FIG. 2, for example. The holding jig 13 serving as a support member supports the main body 20 with tension applied. By holding the main body 20 in a state where tension is applied in this way, a post-process for applying tension to the main body 20 is not required.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the connector units 30 and 40 are connected to the side surface of the main body 20. As a result, the main body 20 is formed by laminating the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the insulating layers 22, 24, 26. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 and the insulating layers 22, It becomes a simple film shape in which the end faces at the peripheral edge portions of 24 and 26 are flat. Therefore, when forming the main body 20, a complicated process such as patterning or bonding of the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 is not required. Therefore, for example, a general-purpose device such as a die coater can be used, and the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced. The main body 20 has a structure in which conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 having uniform thickness and insulating layers 22, 24, and 26 are laminated. Therefore, portions having locally different thicknesses are not formed in the insulating layers 22, 24, and 26. Thereby, the film loss of the insulating layers 22, 24, and 26 is reduced. Therefore, discharge through the insulating layers 22, 24, and 26 with reduced film thickness is prevented, and the dielectric breakdown of the main body 20 can be prevented.

  In the first embodiment, the connector units 30 and 40 are connected to the side surface of the main body 20. Thereby, the connection terminals 33 and 34 of the connector unit 30 and the connection terminals 43 and 44 of the connector unit 40 are simply connected to the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 of the main body 20. For example, by using a photolithography process, the connector units 30 and 40 are formed with a plurality of connection terminals at narrow intervals. Therefore, even when the main body 20 is thin and multilayered, the connection terminals of the connector units 30 and 40 and the respective conductive layers of the main body 20 can be easily and reliably connected.

(Second and third embodiments)
The actuators according to the second and third embodiments of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, respectively.
In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9A, in the connector unit 70, the substrate 71 and the wiring part 72 are translucent. That is, the substrate 71 is formed of a transparent material such as glass, and the wiring portion 72 is formed of a transparent conductive material such as ITO (indium tin oxide) or IZO (indium zinc oxide). On the other hand, the connection terminals 73 and 74 are formed of a metal or an alloy as in the first embodiment. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9B, the board 71 and the wiring part 72 of the connector unit 70 become transparent or translucent, and the connection terminals 73 and 74 and the conductive layer 21 of the main body 20 through the board 71 and the wiring part 72, 23, 25 and 27 are visible.

  In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10A, in the connector unit 80, the substrate 81 has translucency. That is, the substrate 81 is formed of a transparent material such as glass. On the other hand, the wiring part 82 and the connection terminals 83 and 84 are formed of an opaque metal or alloy as in the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, the connection terminals 83 and 84 are set to have a width larger than that of the wiring part 82 as shown in FIG. As a result, when the connector unit 80 is viewed from the transparent substrate 81 side, the connection terminals 83 and 84 protrude from the wiring portion 82 in the width direction and are visually recognized.

  As described above, in the second embodiment and the third embodiment, the connection terminals 73, 74, 83, 84 and the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 of the main body 20 are connected through the boards 71, 81 of the connector units 70, 80. Visible. Thus, when connecting the connector units 70 and 80 to the main body 20, the connection terminals 73 and 74 of the connector unit 70 or the connection terminals 83 and 84 of the connector unit 80 and the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, 27 of the main body 20 are different from each other. Easily aligned. Therefore, the connection terminals 73 and 74 of the connector unit 70 or the connection terminals 83 and 84 of the connector unit 80 and the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 of the main body 20 can be easily and reliably connected.

(Fourth embodiment)
An actuator according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 11, the connector unit 90 has connection terminals 93 and 94 that protrude from the wiring portion 92 in parallel with the plate surface of the substrate 91. That is, the connection terminals 93 and 94 of the connector unit 90 may protrude in parallel with the plate surface of the substrate 91.

  As in the fourth embodiment, the positional relationship between the board 91 of the connector unit 90 and the connection terminals 93 and 94 can be arbitrarily changed. Therefore, for example, according to the shape of the periphery of the actuator 10, the shape of the connector units 30 and 40 of the first embodiment and the shape of the connector unit 90 of the fourth embodiment can be properly used. Further, since the tips of the connection terminals 93 and 94 are sharp, when the connector unit 90 is pressed against the main body 20, the connection terminals 93 and 94 pierce the conductive layers 21 and 25, and the connector unit 90 and the main body 20 are easy. Can be connected to.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 12 shows an actuator according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
In the fifth embodiment, the connector unit 100 includes a substrate 101, a wiring portion 102, and connection terminals 103 and 104 as shown in FIG. The substrate 101 is formed in a plate shape with an insulating material and has holes 105 and 106 penetrating in the plate thickness direction. The wiring part 102 is provided on the surface of the substrate 101 opposite to the main body 20. Conductive connection terminals 103 and 104 are embedded in the holes 105 and 106. As a result, the connection terminals 103 and 104 have the main body 20 side exposed on the surface of the substrate 101 on the main body 20 side, and the opposite side is connected to the wiring portion 102.

  When the connector unit 100 according to the fifth embodiment is pressed against the main body 20, the connection terminals 103 and 104 embedded in the holes are connected to the conductive layers 21, 23, 25 and 27 of the main body 20. At this time, in the connector unit 100, the board 101 formed of an insulating material is in contact with the main body 20 at portions other than the connection terminals 103 and 104. That is, the peripheral portion of the main body 20 is covered with the substrate 101 of the connector unit 100 at portions other than the connection terminals 103 and 104. Thereby, the discharge between the conductive layers 21, 23, 25, and 27 at the peripheral edge of the main body 20 is prevented by the substrate 101 of the connector unit 100. Therefore, it is not necessary to apply an insulating material to the peripheral edge of the main body 20, and the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced.

(Sixth embodiment)
FIG. 13 shows an actuator according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
The connector unit according to the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 13 is a modification of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the connection terminals 33 and 34 of the connector unit 30 have a sharp portion 35 at the tip on the main body 20 side. The sharpened portion 35 becomes narrower as it goes from the substrate 31 side to the end portion on the main body 20 side of the connection terminals 33 and 34. That is, the connection terminals 33 and 34 have sharp ends on the main body 20 side. Therefore, when the connector unit 30 is pressed against the main body 20, the connection terminals 33 and 34 are pierced into the conductive layers 21 and 25 of the main body 20, and the connector unit 30 and the main body 20 are easily connected. Therefore, the connection between the connector unit 30 and the main body 20 can be made easier.

  In addition to the sixth embodiment, a sharp portion may be provided at the tip of the connection terminal in the plurality of embodiments described above.

The schematic diagram which shows the actuator by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the planar shape of the actuator by 1st Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: The figure which shows arrangement | positioning with a main body and a connector unit. The schematic diagram which looked at the connector unit of the actuator by 1st Embodiment of this invention from the main body side. Schematic which shows the manufacturing process of a main body in the actuator by 1st Embodiment of this invention. Schematic which shows the manufacturing process of a connector unit in the actuator by 1st Embodiment of this invention. Schematic which shows the manufacturing process of a connector unit in the actuator by 1st Embodiment of this invention. Schematic which shows the connection process of the main body and connector unit of the actuator by 1st Embodiment of this invention. Schematic which shows the formation process of the insulation part in the actuator by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the actuator by 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (A) is a schematic diagram which shows a connector unit, (B) is the arrow which looked at the connector unit attached to the main body from the arrow B direction of (A). Visual view. It is a figure which shows the actuator by 3rd Embodiment of this invention, (A) is a schematic diagram which shows a connector unit, (B) is the arrow line view seen from the arrow B direction of (A). The schematic diagram which shows the actuator by 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the actuator by 5th Embodiment of this invention, (A) is the schematic diagram which looked at the connector unit from the main body side, (B) shows the connector unit attached to the main body at BB of (A). Sectional drawing cut | disconnected by the line. The schematic diagram which shows the connector and main body of an actuator by 6th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  10: Actuator, 11: Insulating part, 13: Holding jig (support member), 20: Main body, 21, 23, 25, 27, 51: Conductive layer, 22, 24, 26, 52: Insulating layer, 30, 40 70, 80, 90, 100: Connector unit 31, 41, 71, 81, 91, 101: Board, 32, 42, 72, 82, 92, 102: Wiring section 33, 34, 43, 44, 73 74, 83, 84, 93, 94, 103, 104: connection terminal, 35: sharp part

Claims (12)

A main body in which conductive layers and insulating layers are alternately laminated;
A connector unit having a plate-like substrate connected to a side surface of the main body, a wiring portion provided on one surface of the substrate, and a connection terminal protruding from the wiring portion toward the main body and connected to the conductive layer When,
A polymer electrostatic actuator comprising:   The polymer electrostatic actuator according to claim 1, wherein the connector unit can visually recognize the main body from a surface opposite to the main body.   The polymer electrostatic actuator according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is made of a transparent or translucent material.   4. The polymer electrostatic actuator according to claim 2, wherein at least a part of the wiring portion is made of a transparent material.   5. The polymer electrostatic actuator according to claim 1, wherein the connection terminal has a sharpened portion that becomes thinner toward an end portion on the main body side.   The polymer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an insulating portion provided on a peripheral portion of the main body excluding a portion where the conductive layer and the connection terminal are connected, and insulating the conductive layer. Electrostatic actuator.   The polymer electrostatic actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the main body forms a substantially uniform surface of the conductive layer and the insulating layer at a peripheral portion.   The holding jig that supports the main body when the main body and the connector unit are connected is provided, and the holding jig is a support member that supports a peripheral portion of the main body. Polymer electrostatic actuator. Forming a main body in which conductive layers and insulating layers are alternately laminated;
Forming a connector unit having a wiring portion and a connection terminal protruding from the wiring portion on the substrate;
Pressing the connector unit from the side of the main body to the main body, and connecting the connection terminal to the conductive layer;
A method for producing a polymer electrostatic actuator comprising: In the step of forming the main body,
The method for producing a polymer electrostatic actuator according to claim 9, wherein the conductive layer and the insulating layer are laminated by being continuously applied.   The method of manufacturing a polymer electrostatic actuator according to claim 9, wherein the connector unit is formed using a photolithography technique.   The method of manufacturing a polymer electrostatic actuator according to any one of claims 9 to 11, further comprising a step of forming an insulating portion at a peripheral edge portion of the main body after connecting the main body and the connector unit.

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