Electrical generator or motor structure – Non-dynamoelectric – Charge accumulating
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-12
2003-09-16
Tamai, Karl (Department: 2834)
Electrical generator or motor structure
Non-dynamoelectric
Charge accumulating
C029S886000, C417S410400, C251S129010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06621191
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a structure containing an organic molecular layer and its use. More particularly, this invention relates to a structure in which an organic molecular layer is formed on at least one of two closely mutually facing substrate surfaces, wherein the gap between the organic molecular layer surface, and the facing substrate surface or the organic molecular layer surface on the substrate surface is extremely small, usually less than 100 &mgr;m, preferably less than 1 &mgr;m, and to its use. The invention further relates to an intermolecular repulsive force motor and the like using such structures.
PRIOR ART
So far, there has been almost no study about a structure maintaining a tiny gap of usually less than 100 &mgr;m, preferably less than 1 &mgr;m by making a positive use of repulsive force which may occur n the case of approaching of two mutually facing surfaces, and in fact devices containing such structures have not been developed at all.
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
It is hence the first object of the invention to present a structure in which an organic molecular layer is formed by covalent bonds on at least one surface of two closely mutually facing substrate surfaces, wherein the gap between the organic molecular layer surface, and the facing other substrate surface or the other organic molecular layer surface formed by covalent bonds on the other substrate surface is extremely small, usually less than 100 &mgr;m, preferably less than 1 &mgr;m. Furthermore, it is the second object of the invention to present a motor, a vibration absorbing table, an artificial muscle, an actuator, and the like containing such structures.
MEANS OF SOLVING THE PROBLEMS
The present inventors have intensively studied on a method of maintaining a gap between two mutually facing surfaces having a tiny gap of usually less than 100 &mgr;m, preferably less than 1 &mgr;m, and preventing the two surfaces from contacting with each other, and discovered that the object can be achieved by effectively utilizing various repulsive forces acting between the organic molecular layer surface, and the other substrate surface or the other organic molecular layer surface formed on the other substrate surface, by forming the organic molecular layer(s) on the surface of at least one of the two surfaces. Further promoting the studies on the basis of such a discovery has completed the invention.
When one of the two surfaces facing each other across a tiny gap of usually less than 100 &mgr;m, preferably less than 1 &mgr;m is an organic uni-molecular layer formed on one substrate surface, while the other is a substrate surface or an organic uni-molecular layer surface formed on the other substrate surface, as the two surfaces further approach each other, various repulsive forces act to prevent further approaching of the two surfaces. However, no attempt has been made to maintain such tiny gaps by making positive use of various repulsive forces occurring between the two surfaces, to keep the lubrication between the two surfaces and decrease the friction caused by sliding between the two surfaces. Actually, such structures have a high potential of various applications.
For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, in the case of two mutually facing substrates across a tiny gap, if an organic molecular layer is formed at least on one surface, the tiny gap locally varies depending on the vibration of the structure, but a vibration absorbing table keeping the gap as an average value constant is presented.
In another embodiment of the invention, a precision small motor including the structure of the invention is provided. In this field, the annual production scale exceeds 2,000 million units, and, in particular, small finger-size motors may be expected to have future applications in audio and office information appliances. Above all, the fluid bearings are widely required in uses for various motors such as VTR motors, polygon mirror motors, MPU cooling fan motors, optical disk spindle motors, and drive motors for magneto-optical recording and hard disk drive. In these markets, further reduction of motor size is demanded, and, in 2010, the motor diameter will be reduced to about 2 millimeters, and the gap between the stator and slider will be extremely small. In the case of a motor having such a tiny gap, it is thought that the benefit of using the structure of the present invention in which an organic molecular layer is formed at least one of the two mutually facing surfaces wherein the gap between the organic molecular layer surface and the facing substrate surface or the organic molecular layer surface on the substrate surface is extremely small, usually less than 100 &mgr;m, preferably less than 1 &mgr;m is extremely high.
Furthermore, in another embodiment of the present invention, a cylindrical actuator (drive device) applied in artificial muscle and the like is provided. For example, a lightweight actuator expanding and contracting smoothly in a driving range of millimeter to meter like a living muscle is provided by using the structure of the present invention. To obtain an actuator like a muscle, an expanding and contracting actuator is essential. Manufacture of an actuator making expanding and contracting motions by using an electromagnetic motor requires converting gears and others for converting the circular motion of a motor into a flexible linear motion. As a result, the actuator using the electromagnetic motor is complicated in structure, and the weight is much heavier as compared with the muscle having similar dynamic characteristics. An actuator using a piezoelectric element has been also proposed, and it is suited to making slight motions, but it cannot make large motions. There are also many problems in uses of the actuator using conductive polymer or gel, or the actuator using a shape memory alloy. In this respect, the artificial muscle using an electrostatic motor on the basis of the structure of the present invention is wide in dynamic range and light in weight. In the artificial muscle of the present invention, multiple fine pores penetrate through a thick cylinder in which disk electrodes are buried at a constant intervals, and narrow tubes having electrically charged organic molecular layers disposed alternately in a band form on the surface are inserted in the fine pores, wherein the gap between the inner wall of fine pores and the organic molecular layers of narrow tubes is kept at extremely small, usually less than 100 &mgr;m, preferably less than 1 &mgr;m according to the structure of the invention, and by applying an alternating current to the disc electrodes of the cylinder, the narrow tubes in the fine pores are moved to make expanding and contracting motions.
A still another embodiment of the present invention provide for an actuator in a laminate layer form. In this structure, two kinds of films making mutually relative motions by applying a voltage are laminated. One set of comb electrodes are formed on one side of one layer, and rectangular regions of organic molecular layer having positive or negative charge are alternately arranged on one side of other layer, and the two layers are laminated so that the comb electrode surface and the charged patterned surface may face each other, and the gap of the two layers is filled with liquid, so that the spacing of one layer surface and the organic molecular layer surface of the other is maintained at usually less than 100 &mgr;m, preferably less than 1 &mgr;m, thereby composing an actuator.
In Summary, the Invention Relates to the Following:
(1) A structure in which organic molecular layers are formed entirely or partly on both mutually facing surfaces of two closely mutually facing substrates by covalent bonds wherein the distance between the organic molecular layers is maintained at less than 100 &mgr;m;
(2) A structure in which organic molecular layers are formed entirely or partly on both mutually facing surfaces of two closely mutually facing substrates by covalen
Mino Norihisa
Nakagawa Tohru
Nomura Noboru
Yamashita Ichiro
Gioeni Mary Louise
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Inc.
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