The present invention is directed in general to manufacturing and more specifically, to high volume manufacturing processes for producing electroactive polymer films and devices.
A tremendous variety of devices used today rely on actuators of one sort or another to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy. Conversely, many power generation applications operate by converting mechanical action into electrical energy. Employed to harvest mechanical energy in this fashion, the same type of device may be referred to as a generator. Likewise, when the structure is employed to convert physical stimulus such as vibration or pressure into an electrical signal for measurement purposes, it may be characterized as a sensor. Yet, the term “transducer” may be used to generically refer to any of the devices.
A number of design considerations favor the selection and use of advanced dielectric elastomer materials, also referred to as “electroactive polymers”, for the fabrication of transducers. These considerations include potential force, power density, power conversion/consumption, size, weight, cost, response time, duty cycle, service requirements, environmental impact, etc. As such, in many applications, electroactive polymer technology offers an ideal replacement for piezoelectric, shape-memory alloy and electromagnetic devices such as motors and solenoids.
An electroactive polymer transducer comprises two electrodes having deformable characteristics and separated by a thin elastomeric dielectric material. When a voltage difference is applied to the electrodes, the oppositely charged electrodes attract each other thereby compressing the polymer dielectric layer therebetween. As the electrodes are pulled closer together, the dielectric polymer film becomes thinner (the Z-axis component contracts) as it expands in the planar directions (along the X- and Y-axes), i.e., the displacement of the film is in-plane. The electroactive polymer film may also be configured to produce movement in a direction orthogonal to the film structure (along the Z-axis), i.e., the displacement of the film is out-of-plane. U.S. Pat. No. 7,567,681 discloses electroactive polymer film constructs which provide such out-of-plane displacement—also referred to as surface deformation or as thickness mode deflection.
The material and physical properties of the electroactive polymer film may be varied and controlled to customize the deformation undergone by the transducer. More specifically, factors such as the relative elasticity between the polymer film and the electrode material, the relative thickness between the polymer film and electrode material and/or the varying thickness of the polymer film and/or electrode material, the physical pattern of the polymer film and/or electrode material (to provide localized active and inactive areas), the tension or pre-strain placed on the electroactive polymer film as a whole, and the amount of voltage applied to or capacitance induced upon the film may be controlled and varied to customize the features of the film when in an active mode.
Numerous applications exist that benefit from the advantages provided by such electroactive polymer films whether using the film alone or using it in an electroactive polymer actuator. One of the many applications involves the use of electroactive polymer transducers as actuators to produce haptic feedback (the communication of information to a user through forces applied to the user's body) in user interface devices. There are many known user interface devices which employ haptic feedback, typically in response to a force initiated by the user. Examples of user interface devices that may employ haptic feedback include keyboards, keypads, game controller, remote control, touch screens, computer mice, trackballs, stylus sticks, joysticks, etc. The user interface surface can comprise any surface that a user manipulates, engages, and/or observes regarding feedback or information from the device. Examples of such interface surfaces include, but are not limited to, a key (e.g., keys on a keyboard), a game pad or buttons, a display screen, etc.
The haptic feedback provided by these types of interface devices is in the form of physical sensations, such as vibrations, pulses, spring forces, etc., which a user senses either directly (e.g., via touching of the screen), indirectly (e.g., via a vibrational effect such a when a cell phone vibrates in a purse or bag) or otherwise sensed (e.g., via an action of a moving body that creates a pressure disturbance sensed by the user). The proliferation of consumer electronic media devices such as smart phones, personal media players, portable computing devices, portable gaming systems, electronic readers, etc., can create a situation where a sub-segment of customers would benefit or desire an improved haptic effect in the electronic media device. However, increasing haptic capabilities in every model of an electronic media device may not be justified due to increased cost or increased profile of the device. Moreover, customers of certain electronic media devices may desire to temporarily improve the haptic capabilities of the electronic media device for certain activities.
Use of electroactive polymer materials in consumer electronic media devices as well as the numerous other commercial and consumer applications highlights the need to increase production volume while maintaining precision and consistency of the films.
Electroactive polymer devices that can be used with these designs include, but are not limited to planar, diaphragm, thickness mode, roll, and passive coupled devices (hybrids) as well as any type of electroactive polymer device described in the commonly assigned patents and applications cited herein.
In some variations, the electroactive polymer actuator comprises at least one electroactive polymer cartridge, where the electroactive polymer cartridge includes an electroactive polymer film comprising a dielectric elastomer layer, wherein a portion of the dielectric elastomer layer is between a first and a second electrodes wherein the overlapping portions of the electrodes define an active area comprising the active portion, whereupon application of a triggering signal to the electrodes causes movement of the active area to produce the haptic effect.
The electroactive polymer actuator can include a plurality of discrete electroactive polymer cartridges coupled together, where the electroactive polymer actuator includes an increased active portion comprising each active area of each electroactive polymer cartridge.
As noted above, there remains a need to mass produce such electroactive polymer devices while maintaining the performance characteristics obtained through batch production or lower volume manufacturing processes.
The present disclosure includes a process for high volume fabrication of a deformable polymeric film device. In one variation, the process comprises continuously advancing a film of an elastomeric material from a supply of elastomeric material, optionally mechanically straining the film to create a first pre-strained film section that remains continuous with the supply of elastomeric material, supporting the film section such that the first film section comprises a supported portion and an unsupported portion, depositing an ink to create at least a first electrode on a first side of the unsupported portion of the first film section, and depositing the ink to create at least a second electrode on a second side of the unsupported portion of the first film section opposing the first electrode and forming at least one opposing electrode pair to complete at least a first section of electroactive polymeric film and collecting the first section of electroactive polymeric film.
Optionally, the process can further include mechanically straining the film to create a second pre-strained film section that remains continuous with the film, supporting the second pre-strained film section such that the second pre-strained film section comprises a supported portion and an unsupported portion, depositing an ink to create at least a first electrode on a first side of the unsupported portion of the second pre-strained film section, printing at least a second electrode on a second side of the unsupported portion of the second pre-strained film section opposing the first electrode to form at least one opposing electrode pair to complete at least a second section of electroactive polymeric film and collecting the second section of electroactive polymeric film.
In some variations of the inventive process, the film section may be supported by increasing the rigidity of a portion of the film section.
The process can further include stacking or laminating at least the first and second sections to create a multi-layer film.
In some variations of the inventive manufacturing process, layers of structural or adhesive material can be applied to the electroactive polymer film either before or during the stacking or lamination process step.
The processes described herein may include advancing the film of an elastomeric material from the supply of elastomeric material by unwinding a supply roll of the elastomeric material. The film may be advanced at a constant rate or in a stepwise fashion where each section of the film stops at each of a series of process stations for a given dwell time.
In some variations of the manufacturing process, supporting the first pre-strained film section comprises applying a supporting layer to the first pre-strained film section and/or applying UV or thermal treatment the first pre-strained film section.
As part of the inventive manufacturing process, the film can optionally be reinforced with a tape or other material applied to the edges to prevent tearing or tear propagation. The tape or the applied material can be stretchable or patterned in such a way as to enable the film to stretch.
Applying pre-strain to the film can include the use of a first and second belt member on respective near and far edges of the film, where the first and second belt members each comprise a top surface and a bottom surface sandwiching the film, and where the belt member comprises a material having a Young's Modulus greater than a Young's Modulus of the film. Optionally, the belt members can comprise perforated belt members and where perforation rollers are used to mechanically strain the film.
One method of creating the perforated belts is to laminate or cast the polymer film onto a release liner that has fine perforated lines parallel to the web direction similar to the perforated lines along the edges of pin-fed printer paper. During the inventive transducer manufacturing process, the center region of the release liner can be separated from the unsupported regions of the film and from strips of release liner along the edges of the film by tearing along the perforated lines. The remaining strips of release liner serve as perforated belts and may have additional perforations defining holes which are punched out by pins or sprockets on the perforation rollers. Alternatively, these holes may be punched, drilled, or cut as part of the transducer manufacturing process.
The strain of the film may be bi-directional or uni-directional to produce an isotropic pre-strained film section or an anisotropic pre-strained film section.
The use of the tooling and processes described herein also allow for using a screen printing process where the first pre-strained film section is advanced against a process tooling as the ink is applied to the pre-strained film.
In certain variations, the inventive process may include the use of“soft tooling”. For example, the printing process can further comprise positioning a removable liner between the first pre-strained film section and the process tooling to assist in release of the first pre-strained film section from the process tooling. Alternatively, or in combination, the printing process can include positioning an engineered surface and/or a compliant layer between the first pre-strained film section and the process tooling to assist in release of the first pre-strained film section from the process tooling. In yet another variation, the process can include positioning a deformable layer between the first pre-strained film section and a process tooling, where the deformable layer allows release of the first pre-strained film section without the use of a liner affixed to the first pre-strained film section. The deformable layer may comprise a foam layer.
Soft tooling permits varying pressures on the same surface of the film. For example, the processes described herein can further include a deformable layer that comprises at least one cavity in a surface of the deformable layer such that application of the deformable layer against the first pre-strained film section allows for a first pressure at the cavity and a second pressure at the surface to permit printing of varying ink depths on the first pre-strained film section.
The inventive manufacturing process may also include applying at least a frame and/or an output bar to the first section of electroactive polymer films to assemble an electroactive polymer actuator device. Alternatively, the process to collect the first section of electroactive polymer film comprises winding a plurality of electroactive polymer films to form a roll of electroactive polymer films.
Another variation of the process described below includes producing an electroactive polymer film for use in an electroactive polymer device. In one variation, the process includes pre-straining a section of elastomeric film to produce a pre-strained elastomeric film, supporting the pre-strained elastomeric film; positioning an intermediary layer between the pre-strained elastomeric film and a process tooling and screen printing at least one electrode on the pre-strained elastomeric film by depositing an ink to form the electrode on a first surface of the pre-strained elastomeric film, where the intermediary layer permits release of the second surface from the process tooling subsequent to the screen printing process.
The intermediary layer can include a removable liner. Alternatively, or in combination, the intermediary layer may include an engineered surface and/or a compliant layer, where the engineered surface comprises a surface selected from the group consisting of a parchment paper, a screen mesh, a textured surface, a non-stick surface and a polymer sheet.
In another variation, the intermediary layer comprises a deformable layer. For example, the deformable layer can comprise an ethylene vinyl acetate foam material. The deformable layer can comprise similarly soft materials such as silicones and polyurethane gels or foams with the appropriate surface release properties for the film. Use of a deformable layer also allows for a plurality of cavities in the deformable layer. The cavities permit regions of varying pressure during screen printing, the process further comprising depositing ink at varying levels on the first surface of the pre-strained elastomeric film.
Another variation disclosed herein the present invention includes an electroactive polymer film for use in an electroactive polymer device prepared by a process comprising the steps of pre-straining a section of elastomeric film, screen printing at least one electrode on a surface of the section of elastomeric film using a deformable layer between the elastomeric film and a process tooling, where the deformable layer comprises one or more cavities permitting varying pressures during deposition of ink to deposit ink sections having varying depths on the elastomeric film; and affixing one or more frames, output bars, or flexures to the film surface.
In addition to screen printing, other printing processes such as flexography, pad printing, gravure printing, ink jet printing, and aerosol jet printing may prove useful in the present manufacturing process.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those persons skilled in the art upon reading the details of the invention as more fully described below. In addition, variations of the processes and devices described herein include combinations of the embodiments or of aspects of the embodiments where possible are within the scope of this disclosure even if those combinations are not explicitly shown or discussed.
The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding, the same reference numerals have been used (where practical) to designate similar elements are common to the drawings. Included in the drawings are the following:
Variation of the invention from that shown in the figures is contemplated.
Examples of electroactive polymer devices and their applications are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,394,282; 7,378,783; 7,368,862; 7,362,032; 7,320,457; 7,259,503; 7,233,097; 7,224,106; 7,211,937; 7,199,501; 7,166,953; 7,064,472; 7,062,055; 7,052,594; 7,049,732; 7,034,432; 6,940,221; 6,911,764; 6,891,317; 6,882,086; 6,876,135; 6,812,624; 6,809,462; 6,806,621; 6,781,284; 6,768,246; 6,707,236; 6,664,718; 6,628,040; 6,586,859; 6,583,533; 6,545,384; 6,543,110; 6,376,971; 6,343,129; 7,952,261; 7,911,761; 7,492,076; 7,761,981; 7,521,847; 7,608,989; 7,626,319; 7,915,789; 7,750,532; 7,436,099; 7,199,501; 7,521,840; 7,595,580; and 7,567,681, and in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0154053; 2008/0116764; 2007/0230222; 2007/0200457; 2010/0109486; and 2011/128239, and PCT Publication No. WO2010/054014, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention provides a process for producing a patterned deformable polymer film for use in a deformable polymer device, the process including positioning an intermediary layer between a deformable film and a process tooling and printing at least one electrode on the deformable film by depositing an ink to form the at least one electrode on a first surface of the deformable film, wherein the intermediary layer permits release of the deformable film from the process tooling subsequent to the printing process.
Films useful in the present invention include, but are not limited to those made from polymers such as silicone, polyurethane, acrylate, hydrocarbon rubber, olefin copolymer, polyvinylidene fluoride copolymer, fluoroelastomer styrenic copolymer, and adhesive elastomer.
It is noted that the figures discussed herein schematically illustrate exemplary configurations of devices that employ electroactive polymer films or transducers having such electroactive polymer films. Many variations are within the scope of this disclosure, for example, in variations of the device, the electroactive polymer transducers can be implemented to move a mass to produce an inertial haptic sensation. Alternatively, the electroactive polymer transducer can produce movement in the electronic media device when coupled to the assembly described herein. Electroactive transducers manufactured with the processes disclosed here can be used as actuators, generators, or sensors in many other applications including, without limitation, fluid handling systems, motion control, adaptive optical devices, vibration control systems, and energy harvesting systems.
In any application, the displacement created by the electroactive polymer transducer can be exclusively in-plane which is sensed as lateral movement, or can be out-of-plane (which is sensed as vertical displacement). Alternatively, the electroactive polymer transducer material may be segmented to provide independently addressable/movable sections so as to provide angular displacement of the housing or electronic media device or combinations of other types of displacement. In addition, any number of electroactive polymer transducers or films (as disclosed in the applications and patent listed herein) can be incorporated in the user interface devices described herein.
The electroactive polymer transducer may be configured to displace to an applied voltage, which facilitates programming of a control system used with the subject tactile feedback devices. Electroactive polymer transducers are ideal for such applications for a number of reasons. For example, because of their light weight and minimal components, electroactive polymer transducers offer a very low profile and, as such, are ideal for use in sensory/haptic feedback applications.
As seen in
With a voltage applied, the transducer film 10 continues to deflect until mechanical forces balance the electrostatic forces driving the deflection. The mechanical forces include elastic restoring forces of the dielectric layer 12, the compliance or stretching of the electrodes 14, 16 and any external resistance provided by a device and/or load coupled to transducer 10. The resultant deflection of the transducer 10 as a result of the applied voltage may also depend on a number of other factors such as the dielectric constant of the elastomeric material and its size and stiffness. Removal of the voltage difference and the induced charge causes the reverse effects.
In some cases, the electrodes 14 and 16 may cover a limited portion of dielectric film 12 relative to the total area of the film. This may be done to prevent electrical breakdown around the edge of the dielectric or achieve customized deflections in certain portions thereof. Dielectric material outside an active area (the latter being a portion of the dielectric material having sufficient electrostatic force to enable deflection of that portion) may be caused to act as an external spring force on the active area during deflection. More specifically, material outside the active area may resist or enhance active area deflection by its contraction or expansion.
The dielectric film 12 may be pre-strained. The pre-strain improves conversion between electrical and mechanical energy, i.e., the pre-strain allows the dielectric film 12 to deflect more and provide greater mechanical work. Pre-strain of a film may be described as the change in dimension in a direction after pre-straining relative to the dimension in that direction before pre-straining. The pre-strain may include elastic deformation of the dielectric film and be formed, for example, by stretching the film in tension and fixing one or more of the edges while stretched. The pre-strain may be imposed at the boundaries of the film or for only a portion of the film and may be implemented by using a rigid frame or by stiffening a portion of the film.
The transducer structure of
In fabricating a transducer, an elastic film 26 can be stretched and held in a pre-strained condition usually by a rigid frame 8. In those variations employing a four-sided frame, the film can be stretched bi-axially. It has been observed that pre-strain improves the dielectric strength of the polymer layer 26, thereby enabling the use of higher electric fields and improving conversion between electrical and mechanical energy, i.e., the pre-strain allows the film to deflect more and provide greater mechanical work. Preferably, the electrode material is applied after pre-straining the polymer layer, but may be applied beforehand. The two electrodes provided on the same side of layer 26, referred to herein as same-side electrode pairs, i.e., electrodes on the top side of dielectric layer 26 and electrodes on a bottom side of dielectric layer 26, can be electrically isolated from each other. The opposed electrodes on the opposite sides of the polymer layer form two sets of working electrode pairs, i.e., electrodes spaced by the electroactive polymer film 26 form one working electrode pair and electrodes surrounding the adjacent exposed electroactive polymer film 26 form another working electrode pair. Each same-side electrode pair can have the same polarity, whereas the polarity of the electrodes of each working electrode pair is opposite each other. Each electrode has an electrical contact portion configured for electrical connection to a voltage source.
In this variation, the electrodes 32 are connected to a voltage source via a flex connector 30 having leads 22, 24 that can be connected to the opposing poles of the voltage source. The cartridge 12 also includes conductive vias 18, 20. The conductive vias 18, 20 can provide a means to electrically couple the electrodes 8 with a respective lead 22 or 24 depending upon the polarity of the electrodes.
The cartridge 12 illustrated in
An electroactive polymer actuator for use in the processes and devices described herein can then be formed in a number of different ways. For example, the electroactive polymer can be formed by stacking a number of cartridges 12 together, having a single cartridge with multiple layers, or having multiple cartridges with multiple layers. Manufacturing and yield considerations may favor stacking single cartridges together to form the electroactive polymer actuator. In doing so, electrical connectivity between cartridges can be maintained by electrically coupling the vias 18, 20 together so that adjacent cartridges are coupled to the same voltage source or power supply.
The cartridge 12 shown in
Additional examples of electroactive polymer films can be found in the commonly assigned patents and patent applications disclosed and incorporated by reference herein. Roll-to-roll manufacturing is a desirable way to produce high volumes of electroactive polymer devices. Roll-to-roll manufacturing comprises providing the unprocessed stock film material in a roll form, processing the material as the stock material unrolls and ultimately singulating the finished electroactive polymer devices at the conclusion of the assembly process. One can also have a roll-to-sheet process where the film is advanced by sections in a step-and-repeat fashion. The line is organized as a series of processing stations, and a film section is advanced from station to station along the web.
The final configuration of the electroactive polymer films presents challenges when trying to produce these films in high volume. For example, the materials are preferably pre-strained to a specific, well-controlled degree prior to assembly. Maintenance of a consistent web speed and tension and registration of multiple printing or patterning steps are especially difficult on a deformable substrate. Also, elastomeric materials are often prone to damage during the manufacturing process and this damage can limit performance and reliability of the finished film.
To address these concerns and limitations, a novel process for producing electroactive polymer devices addresses the issues discussed above. In one variation the process includes separating the stock film material 300, typically a silicone from a release liner (i.e., a liner of material that prevents the film from sticking together). Although, the stock film material 300 may comprise any material used for fabrication of electroactive polymer devices, such as disclosed in the references incorporated by reference herein. The roll-to-roll process can include rollers treated to release the stock film material 300 as it passes through the various manufacturing processes. For example, such treatment can include TEFLON coatings or other release (or non-stick) coatings that prevents the film from adhering to the roller. The rollers may also be covered with an intermediary layer such as an engineered surface, a removable liner, a compliant layer, or a deformable layer. Examples of engineered surfaces include, but are not limited to, parchment paper, texture surfaces, screen mesh, non-stick surfaces, and polymer sheets. Examples of deformable layers include, but are not limited to, foams and soft network materials such those made from ethylene vinyl acetate, silicone and polyurethanes. In an alternate variation, the process can include replacing the roll of the stock film material 300 with a feed direct from an extrusion or other manufacturing process that directly produces the film material 96.
As the film material 96 unwinds from the stock roll 300, a release liner 330 that separates layers of the film material 96 can be rewound 302. As noted herein, the film material 96 may be pre-strained. In the illustrated variation the film material 96 is stretched in a machine direction (direction parallel to the travel of the material 96) using, for example rollers 302 travelling at different speeds. The material 96 is then stretched in a transverse direction using a separate mechanism 304. Variations include simultaneously stretching the material 96 in a machine and transverse direction (i.e., bi-axial stretchers). The desired stretch will depend upon the application as well as the desired performance of the electroactive polymer device. For example, the material can be stretched 30% in either or both the machine and transverse direction.
In some cases, it may be desirable to provide a layer of support to the film 96 after stretching. If so, a lamination layer 308 can be added to the film 96 to provide additional support for processing of the film. As discussed below, the lamination 308 also serves to reduce the occurrence of breaks in the film 96 as well as limit the breakage areas to non-critical sections of the film 96. This lamination layer 308 is sometimes referred to as a “rip-stop” layer or film. The rip-stop lamination layer may also include any number of openings that allow for further processing of the film 96. Though not shown, any number of cutouts can be included in the rip-stop layer 308 as long as the ability to provide support is not lost and the film 96 does not buckle during processing. The rip-stop layer 308 may comprise any number of polymeric materials, including polyethylene terephthalate, polyester and polycarbonate. The rip-stop layer 308 may have a surface treatment to optimize its interaction with the film 96. To provide sufficient support and tear resistance, the rip-stop layer 308 should have good surface blocking or bond to the film 96. Accordingly, the rip-stop layer 308 can be laminated to the film 96 using an adhesive layer, coatings, or tape. Preferably, the rip-stop layer 308 may include openings that allow for further processing of the film 96 into the electroactive polymer device. These openings may be created by any conventional process such as stamping, cutting, etching, etc. Although the laminated film 96 with rip-stop 308 can proceed through the manufacturing process, as illustrated in
A printed layer can be used as an alternative to a laminated rip-stop layer. The printed material can be any material that can be applied to the film and cured or dried in place that is tougher and more tear resistant than the film. Examples of suitable materials include, but are not limited to, polyurethanes, silicones, acrylates, and epoxy systems.
Next, the film 96 with rip-stop 308 is fed through one or more electrode printing assemblies 310. The electrode printing assembly 310 may also optionally print the bus bar connection for the electrodes on both sides of the film 96. Any number of web-printing processes can produce the electrodes necessary for the electroactive polymer device, including flexographic printing, gravure (also called rotogravure or roto printing), screen printing, rotary screen printing, ink jet printing, aerosol jet printing, etc. The printing process may be adjusted for the offset caused by the openings in the rip-stop layer (for example, the print rollers can have raised bosses that are timed to print on the unlaminated portion of the film 96). Furthermore, registration of the film 96 web positions may be necessary to ensure electrodes are printed within the openings of the rip-stop lamination as well as on the web of film 96. Any such registration commonly used in printing or similar applications may be applied to the process disclosed herein.
Once the electrodes are placed on the film 96, the film 96 can be re-wound 312 with an interleaf or separation layer 314 positioned between layers of the film 96. Alternatively, the film 96 can continue for additional processing to assemble the electroactive polymer frame and support structures as described herein.
In an alternate variation, a process for fabricating an electroactive polymer device may include UV, thermal, or surface treatment of the elastomeric polymer. The present inventors have found that UV treatment of the film prior to depositing electrodes on the film results in improved stroke performance of the finished actuator. While not wishing to be bound to any particular theory, the present inventors believe UV exposure, silicone, polyurethane, acrylate, hydrocarbon rubber, olefin copolymer, polyvinylidene fluoride copolymer, fluoroelastomer, styrenic copolymer, and adhesive elastomer may change the surface energy of the film to improve uniformity of the electrode deposition. Further, the inventors speculate that UV curing may change the bulk modulus or other properties of the elastomer making it more compliant and UV treatment may modify residual functional groups in the polymer film that cross-link during thermal loading in the manufacturing process.
Regardless of the actual mechanism, the present inventors have found UV curing is an effective treatment to improve the stroke performance of actuators. In one example, UV curing improved a pulse response of an actuator by 20% and characterized the actuators with lower resonant frequency as compared to a non-UV cured elastomer. The parameters for UV curing will vary depending on a number of factors and the desired application of the end electroactive polymer device. In one example, it was found that UV curing of 6.5-7.0 J/cm2 was an optimum point of UV treatment that improved stroke performance for actuators. Another unexpected benefit of UV curing (prior to deposition of electrodes) is that the queue time between UV curing and electrode printing was not a sensitive factor. In the study conducted by the present inventors, the queue time could last as long as 25 days. This finding may potentially allow for UV curing during or immediately after pre-straining the film. In some cases, it may be possible to treat the elastomer during film manufacture so that the benefits are retained from when the elastomeric film is made to when the film is processed as described herein.
One of the problems with attempting to use roll-to-roll manufacturing for elastomeric films (such as silicone) is that the film is relatively thin (e.g., 23 μm) while having a very low modulus. The compliant film cannot remain flat without applying pre-strain but at the same time, the film can tear or break easily. Furthermore, to ensure that the device is manufactured to meet high actuator performance, the film requires a high level of applied strain during printing and lamination. Without a frame to hold and maintain the pre-strain, the electrode pattern printed on the film has a high chance of deforming and registration of the printed patterns is likely to be poor. If the film deforms during the printing operations, the film may be rendered non-functional for use in the electroactive polymer actuators.
To address this issue, a variation of the inventive manufacturing process includes applying a uni-axial pre-strain to the electroactive polymer film. Experiments have shown that uni-axial strain can match the stroke performance of regular bi-axial pre-strained films under certain conditions.
Uni-axial pre-strain magnitude can be defined by an index of thickness, the same as biaxial pre-strain after stretching. For example, uni-axial strain (67% thickness direction and 0% strain in XY direction) and biaxial strain (30% in two directions) can have similar film thickness ranges. The longer output bar direction is parallel to the uni-axial pre-strain direction.
To achieve uni-axial pre-strain in a roll-to-roll system, perforated belts 360, as shown in
The lateral and longitude position of the belts 360 can be controlled precisely through the perforation rollers so the local strain will be consistent and stable. This allows for multiple printing and curing steps as described herein. The major strain is defined by the distance between two belts 360 on the two long edges of elastomeric film 96.
The belts 360 may be constructed from a material that is much stiffer than the elastomeric film. For example, the belts 360 can comprise polyethylene terephthalate, which has a Young's Modulus between 2800-3100 MPa and tensile strength is 55-75 MPa. In contrast, silicone (a common material for the elastomeric film) has Young's Modulus of 1-5 MPa and tensile strength is 5-8 MPa. Accordingly, polyethylene terephthalate is about 1000 times stiffer than silicone film.
When applying tension through the rollers 362, the majority of force will be applied to the polyethylene terephthalate belt 360 rather than the film 96. For example, assuming 5% elongation on the web, 400 out of 401 parts of force is applied on the polyethylene terephthalate belt while 1 part is applied on silicone film (assuming polyethylene terephthalate is 50 μm thick and 25 mm wide; while silicone film is 25 m thick and 500 mm wide). This avoids the need to use tension rollers directly on the silicone film to control the strain of the film. If tension rollers were used, any small change in tension applied to the silicone film would lead to a great change in film elongation which would be difficult to control.
Biaxial stretching may be accomplished with perforated belts if the belts are constructed of stretchable material or are segmented, e.g. with perforated lines, so sections of the belt can separate upon stretching along the web direction while remaining engaged with the perforated rollers or guide chains along the edge of the web.
The soft tooling described in
Apart from improving efficiency, the ability to produce areas of varying thickness also results in improved device performance. For example, in one example, printing of a thicker bus bar with modified soft tooling resulted in a bus bar resistivity that was four times lower than resistivity of the bus bar produced with unmodified soft tooling. Generally, the depth of the pattern is calculated based on the initial print pressure, tooling hardness and ink viscosity. In one example, the depth of the patterns ranged between 150-200 μm for electrode ink given a 1.7 mm ethylene vinyl acetate foam.
Any of the tooling configurations discussed above may optionally include additional materials that enhance maintenance, serviceability, or improve performance. Examples of such materials include, but are not limited to, coatings, adhesives, release agents, etc. These tooling configurations may also be used to print inks other than conductive electrode inks and print onto deformable substrates other than those used for electroactive polymer transducers.
In another embodiment of the present invention a fibrillated (net) microstructure that demonstrates extra stability in sheet resistance under large strain cycles is provided. An electroactive polymer structure comprises a dielectric polymer film and two compliant electrodes. When a voltage is applied across the electrodes, the film contracts and expands in area. Flexographic printing, rather than screen printing, can produce a fibrillated (or net) microstructure as shown in
The preferred flexographic layers are: rip-stop/electrode/bus bar/adhesive/pressure sensitive adhesive. To build up such a robust structure, the conductivity of electrodes should be kept consistent under cycling strain. Sheet resistance can vary from 25 k to 125 k as with screen printing; with a production flexographic tool, the consistency can be well controlled.
Alternatively, similar net structures may be made through control of ink surface tension, creation of proper mechanical pre-tension of the dielectric film, or taking advantage of some other printing processes, such as ink jet/aerosol jet/curtain/slot/wire coating. The pattern on the roller is also a design factor with possibilities of cell pattern or line (curve) patterns with different angles. Controlling the density of the fibrillated structure may allow one conductive material to be used for charge distribution, with or without an additional coating of lower conductivity ink as electrodes.
The inventive fibrillated microstructure may be built up for use as electrodes or bus lines by certain printing processes or wetting/dewetting patterns from controlling the surface tension of the materials. A complicated mask or template may not be necessary to produce such a net pattern.
As shown in
After adhesive printing 94, there is a laminating station 196 that may be arranged in a perpendicular direction as well. A rotary die cutting station (not shown) may be used to make patterns of frame layers on a roll. The pre-cut frame pattern may have pressure sensitive adhesive on one or both sides so it is ready for lamination.
An example process flow for the lamination process for a four-layer electroactive polymer transducer is as follows:
The frame layers may be precut on a rotary die cutter. The lamination station may have a thermal heating function to pre-cure adhesive in-between layers such that each new layer adheres to previous layers tightly. After lamination, the entire sheet of cartridge stack may be sent to the curing station for final full cure and singulation with a die cutter.
The layers may have different patterns of electrode and bus bar. This may be done without introducing extra printing steps. One way to do this, for example, is to make the electrode/bus left on the left half of screen and electrode/bus right on right half of the layer. Many other combinations may be envisioned to produce this on one single continuous web.
As shown in
The web movement on the sandwiched frame-film-frame may be more complex than as illustrated. For example, a means to flip the web may be included so both sides of film may be printed with screen printing or flexographic printing. If non-contact printing is applied, such as aerosol jetting, both sides may be printed simultaneously to simplify the web design.
As for other details of the present invention, materials and alternate related configurations may be employed as within the level of those with skill in the relevant art. The same may hold true with respect to process-based aspects of the invention in terms of additional acts as commonly or logically employed. In addition, though the invention has been described in reference to several examples, optionally incorporating various features, the invention is not to be limited to that which is described or indicated as contemplated with respect to each variation of the invention. Various changes may be made to the invention described and equivalents (whether recited herein or not included for the sake of some brevity) may be substituted without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Any number of the individual parts or subassemblies shown may be integrated in their design. Such changes or others may be undertaken or guided by the principles of design for assembly.
Also, it is contemplated that any optional feature of the inventive variations described may be set forth and claimed independently, or in combination with any one or more of the features described herein. Reference to a singular item, includes the possibility that there are plural of the same items present. More specifically, as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “said,” and “the” include plural referents unless the specifically stated otherwise. In other words, use of the articles allow for “at least one” of the subject item in the description above as well as the claims below. It is further noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any optional element. As such, this statement is intended to serve as antecedent basis for use of such exclusive terminology as “solely,” “only” and the like in connection with the recitation of claim elements, or use of a “negative” limitation. Without the use of such exclusive terminology, the term “comprising” in the claims shall allow for the inclusion of any additional element—irrespective of whether a given number of elements are enumerated in the claim, or the addition of a feature could be regarded as transforming the nature of an element set forth in the claims. Stated otherwise, unless specifically defined herein, all technical and scientific terms used herein are to be given as broad a commonly understood meaning as possible while maintaining claim validity.
This application is a U.S. national stage application, filed under 35 U.S.C. §371, of PCT/US2012/027188, which was filed on Mar. 1, 2012 entitled “AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING DEFORMABLE POLYMER DEVICES AND FILMS,” and claims the benefit, under 35 USC §119(e), of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/477,675 filed Apr. 21, 2011 entitled “AUTOMATED EPAM MANUFACTURING PROCESSES”; 61/477,709 filed Apr. 21, 2011 entitled “LINER-LESS PRINTING”; 61/482,751 filed May 5, 2011 entitled “LINER-LESS PRINTING II”; 61/447,832 filed Mar. 1, 2011 entitled, “FIBRILLATED STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRODE”; 61/546,683 filed Oct. 13, 2011 “MODIFIED SOFT TOOLING AND EFFECT OF TROUGHS IN PRINT THICKNESS”; 61/549,799 filed Oct. 21, 2011 entitled, “USE CONTINUOUS WEB FRAME BELT FOR ROLL-TO-ROLL CARTRIDGE PRINTING/PROCESS”, and 61/556,408 filed Nov. 7, 2011 the entirety of each of which are incorporated by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2012/027188 | 3/1/2012 | WO | 00 | 2/3/2014 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2012/118916 | 9/7/2012 | WO | A |
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61447832 | Mar 2011 | US | |
61477709 | Apr 2011 | US | |
61477675 | Apr 2011 | US | |
61482751 | May 2011 | US | |
61546683 | Oct 2011 | US | |
61549799 | Oct 2011 | US | |
61556408 | Nov 2011 | US |