ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER ACTUATOR LENTICULAR SYSTEM

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to optical systems and more specifically to lenticular lens systems which enable the viewer to see two or more images in a display, such as an artwork, sequentially by changing the angle of the lenticular lens with respect to the viewer or by changing the position of the lens with respect to the display.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The kineograph, or flip book, was patented in 1897 by Linnet in GB189715668 as a means of advertising using animation of a linear sequence of images. These objects are oftentimes used as prizes, such as are found in breakfast cereal and CRACKER JACK boxes and as novelty or promotional items.

U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2010/0164329 relates the use of an electroactive polymer actuator to move a light source with respect to one or more reflectors to change the angle of the reflector (and the angle/intensity/focus of the output beam of light). A reflector can be between the light source and the user as well as behind the light source. The electroactive polymer actuator may be moved at different frequencies for different light effects. The frequency may be high enough that the user may not perceive the change in focus. Multiple actuators or phases of actuators may be used to direct the light in different directions.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,352,339, issued to Morgan et al., discloses sources of diffuse illumination for providing substantially uniform illumination to a surface. The diffuse illumination arises from varying the diffusion angle of light generated by a light emitting diode (LED) system. To vary the diffusion angle, a translucent member is placed between the LED system and the surface. Light emitted from the LED system across the translucent member can subsequently uniformly cover the surface. The translucent member can include a plurality of individual lenticular lenses. An electromagnetic actuator can be coupled to the LED-based light source and the translucent material and adapted to move the translucent material relative to the radiation generated by the LED-based light source.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other advantages and benefits of the present invention will be apparent from the Detailed Description of the Invention herein below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will now be described for purposes of illustration and not limitation in conjunction with the figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cutaway view of an electroactive polymer actuator system, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of an electroactive polymer actuator system to illustrate the principle of operation;

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate three possible configurations, one/three/six bar actuator arrays, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 4 provides an exploded view of one embodiment of the electroactive polymer actuator lenticular device of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates the prior art method of stacking a lenticular system;

FIG. 6 shows the inventive method of stacking a lenticular system with a clearance between the display and the lens;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the embodiment of the electroactive polymer actuator lenticular device of the present invention shown in FIG. 4;

FIGS. 8A and 8B provide a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a lighting system useful in the present invention;

FIGS. 9A and 9B provide a schematic illustration of another embodiment of a lighting system useful in the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a graph showing the steady, constant rate motion of a display with respect to a lens;

FIG. 11 is a graph showing variable rate motion for rapid return to a starting position of a display with respect to a lens element;

FIG. 12 shows the sequence of steps for assembly of an embodiment of optical system which comprises artwork as the display.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TILE INVENTION

Before explaining the disclosed embodiments in detail, it should be noted that the disclosed embodiments are not limited in application or use to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and description. The disclosed embodiments may be implemented or incorporated in other embodiments, variations and modifications, and may be practiced or carried out in various ways. Further, unless otherwise indicated, the terms and expressions employed herein have been chosen for the purpose of describing the illustrative embodiments for the convenience of the reader and are not for the purpose of limitation thereof. Further, it should be understood that any one or more of the disclosed embodiments, expressions of embodiments, and examples can be combined with any one or more of the other disclosed embodiments, expressions of embodiments, and examples, without limitation. Thus, the combination of an element disclosed in one embodiment and an element disclosed in another embodiment is considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure and appended claims.

The present invention provides an optical system comprising a lens element, a display unit displaced transversely from the lens element, at least one actuator coupled to at least one of the lens element or the display unit and capable of changing position of the lens element relative to the display unit in a lateral direction, and an electronic control system capable of driving the at least one actuator to move in a programmed manner to control positioning of the lens element relative to the display unit. The optical system may further comprise one or more reflectors in some embodiments. The lens clement may comprise one or more lenticular lenses or an array of lenses. The display may comprise two images or multiple images. The optical system may also be a lens stack which is illuminated by an array of LED light sources (or other light sources) as the display. Optionally, a second actuator capable of changing the transverse displacement between the lens element and the display unit may be included in some embodiments.

Lenticular lens systems enable the viewer to see sequentially two or more images printed in a display such as an artwork by changing the angle of the lenticular lens with respect to the viewer or by changing the position of the lens with respect to the display. In some embodiments, the display may comprise multiple images integrated to exhibit separately when viewed through different positions of the lenticular lens. With high quality artwork, multiple images may be arranged to enable the user to see the equivalent of a stop-action movie clip, similar to the effect seen in a kineograph or flip book. Electroactive polymer actuators may be used to change the position of the lens with respect to the artwork with high precision and speed. The motion of the actuator may be controlled with constant or variable rates to create different visual effects.

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 Published Application 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 disclosure provides various embodiments of electroactive polymer actuator lenticular devices. Before launching into a description of various lenticular devices comprising an electroactive polymer actuator, the present disclosure briefly turns to FIG. 1, which provides a cutaway view of an electroactive polymer actuator that may be integrally incorporated in the optical system of the present invention. Accordingly, one embodiment of an electroactive polymer actuator is now described with reference to the module 10.

An electroactive polymer actuator slides an output plate 12 (e.g., sliding surface) relative to a fixed plate 14 (e.g., fixed surface) when energized by a high voltage. The plates 12, 14 are separated by steel balls, and have features that constrain movement to the desired direction, limit travel, and withstand drop tests. For integration into an optical system, the top plate 12 may be attached to an inertial mass such the display unit of the optical system. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the top plate 12 of the module 10 comprises a sliding surface that mounts to an inertial mass or back of the optical system that can move bi-directionally as indicated by arrow 16. Between the output plate 12 and the fixed plate 14, the module 10 comprises at least one electrode 18, optionally, at least one divider 11, and at least one portion or bar 13 that attaches to the sliding surface, e.g., the top plate 12. Frame and divider segments 15 attach to a fixed surface, e.g., the bottom plate 14. The module 10 may comprise any number of bars 13 configured into arrays to amplify the motion of the sliding surface. The module 10 may be coupled to the drive electronics of an actuator controller circuit via a flex cable 19.

Advantages of the electroactive polymer module 10 include providing smooth motion, consuming significantly less battery life, and suitability for customizable design and performance options. A flat, small, and lightweight form factor is particularly suitable for point-of-purchase displays and low profile lighting systems. The module 10 is representative of actuator modules developed by Artificial Muscle, Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif. In the present invention, an electronic control system is used to afford the smooth motion of the lens element. Such a control system is capable of driving the actuator to move in a programmed manner to control positioning of the lens element relative to the display unit. Suitable electronic control systems are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Published Patent Application Nos. 2009/0147340 and 2010/0033835, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Still with reference to FIG. 1, many of the design variables of the module 10, (e.g., thickness, footprint) may be fixed by the needs of module integrators while other variables (e.g., number of dielectric layers, operating voltage) may be constrained by cost. Since actuator geometry—the allocation of footprint to rigid supporting structure versus active dielectric—does not impact cost much, it is a reasonable way to tailor performance of the module 10 to an application where the module 10 is integrated with an optical device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of an actuator system 20 to illustrate the principle of operation. The actuator system 20 comprises a power source 22, shown as a low voltage direct current (DC) battery, electrically coupled to an actuator module 21. The actuator module 21 comprises a thin elastomeric dielectric 26 disposed (e.g., sandwiched) between two conductive electrodes 24A, 24B. In one embodiment, the conductive electrodes 24A, 24B are stretchable (e.g., conformable or compliant) and may be printed on the top and bottom portions of the elastomeric dielectric 26 using any suitable techniques, such as, for example screen printing. The actuator module 21 is activated by coupling the battery 22 to an actuator circuit 29 by closing a switch 28. The actuator circuit 29 converts the low DC voltage V_Battinto a high DC voltage V_insuitable for driving the module 21. The actuator circuit 29 may also comprise electronics components including microprocessors, memory, and signal generators, capable of generating specific patterns or waveforms or voltage drive signals to drive the motion of the actuator module 21. When the high voltage V_inis applied to the conductive electrodes 24A, 24B the elastomeric dielectric 26 contracts in the vertical direction (V) and expands in the horizontal direction (H) under electrostatic pressure. The contraction and expansion of the elastomeric dielectric 26 can be harnessed as motion. The amount of motion or displacement is proportional to the input voltage V_in. The motion or displacement may be amplified by a suitable configuration of actuators as described below in connection with FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3B illustrate three possible configurations, among others, of actuator arrays 30, 34, 36, according to various embodiments. Various embodiments of actuator arrays may comprise any suitable number of bars depending on the application and physical spacing restrictions of the application. Additional bars provide additional displacement and therefore enhance the motion of the display that the user can appreciate substantially immediately. The actuator arrays 30, 34, 36 may be coupled to the drive electronics of an actuator controller circuit via, a flex cable 38.

FIG. 3A illustrates one embodiment of a one bar actuator array 30. The single bar actuator array 30 comprises a fixed plate 31, an electrode 32, and an elastomeric dielectric 33 coupled to the fixed plate 31.

FIG. 3B illustrates one embodiment of a three bar actuator array 34 comprising three bars 34A, 34B, 34C coupled to a fixed frame 31, where each bar is separated by a divider 37. Each of the bars 34A-C comprises an electrode 32 and an elastomeric dielectric 33. The three bar array 34 amplifies the motion of the sliding surface in comparison to the single bar actuator array 30 of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C illustrates one embodiment of a six bar actuator array 36 comprising six bars 36A, 36B, 36C, 36D, 36E, 36F coupled to a fixed frame 31, where each bar is separated by a divider 37. Each of the bars 34A-F comprises an electrode 32 and an elastomeric dielectric 33. The six bar actuator array 36 amplifies the motion of the sliding surface in comparison to the single bar actuator array 30 of FIG. 3A and the three bar actuator array 34 of FIG. 3B.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of the optical system of the present invention 400. The system depicted in FIG. 4 comprises a top cover 402, which is fixed. A fixed lens element 404 and a movable display unit 406 are arranged below the top cover 402 and rest on actuators 408 which along with fixed battery and electronics 410 are located in main housing 412. The lens element may be a lenticular lens and may comprise multiple lenses.

FIG. 5 illustrates a prior art method of arranging the elements of an optical system 500. Lens 502 is in contact with artwork 504 which contacts actuator 506 which contacts housing 508. One problem encountered with the prior art method was friction between the lens and artwork along with the friction by-products such as jittery or jumpy motion and hysteresis. Because there was no need to move the artwork relative to the lens, the lens was always designed to be focused on the artwork when in full contact with each other.

As mentioned herein, moving displays cause friction problems; therefore, the present inventors positioned a clearance (gap) between the display unit and the lens to eliminate the friction. This embodiment of the optical system of the present invention 600 is illustrated in FIG. 6, where lens element 602 is not in contact with display unit 604, but is separated by a gap 610. Electroactive polymer actuator 606 lies beneath display unit 604 and is in contact with housing 608. In principle, the gap between the lens and the display unit may be any distance; however, it should be remembered that the gap will require a change in focal length of the lens element to ensure that it focuses on the display correctly. The gap may be created, for example, by stand-offs between the lens element 602 and the housing 608. These standoffs may be separate piece parts as is known in the art. They may also be molded into either the lens element 602 or the housing 608. Alternatively, the standoffs may comprise springs or telescoping sections which enable the adjustment of the gap.

FIG. 7 provides a side view of the embodiment of the optical system of the present invention shown in FIG. 4. The system depicted in FIG. 7 comprises a top cover 702, which is fixed. A fixed lens element 704 and a movable display unit 706 are arranged below the top cover 702 and rest on actuators 708 which along with fixed battery and electronics 710 are located in main housing 712.

Electroactive polymer actuators have application in the lighting industry, in the context of both wall socket (120V/60 Hz power) driven/stationary lighting systems and battery-operated/mobile lighting systems. FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a schematic representation of an exemplary arrangement of such a lighting system 800. Here, a single-phase, single frustum-type electroactive polymer actuator 802 is employed which includes a diaphragm 808 affixed to a frame 810. The diaphragm may be weighted with a cap 842 having a selected mass to achieve the desired resonance frequency of the diaphragm. The diaphragm may also be pre-biased upwards by any suitable biasing means (not shown), e.g., a spring, to enhance performance of the actuator. Actuator 802 is in positional contact with or otherwise mechanically coupled by way of a stem or rod 822 to a light source 806, which is any suitable light source depending on the application at hand. Upon application of a voltage to the actuator via lead lines 820 coupled to a power supply (not shown), diaphragm 808 relaxes and is moved in the z-axis along with rod 822 and light source 806 are also displaced in the same direction, as illustrated in FIG. 8B.

Positioned about the light source is a reflector assembly which includes one or more reflectors, e.g., mirrors, or lenses. Although any number of reflectors may be used, here, two reflectors are used—a primary reflector 812 positioned between actuator 802 and light source 806 and about the z-axis to create the primary reflecting surface, and a secondary reflector 814 positioned on the opposite side of the light source. This arrangement provides a reflector “ring”, however, any other suitable arrangement of reflectors and the resulting construct may be employed with the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, secondary reflector 814, unlike primary reflector 812, is mechanically coupled to light source 806, and therefore exhibits no movement relative to light source 806 (i.e., secondary reflector is displaced together with the light source). In other embodiments, the light source and the secondary reflector may be stationary and the primary reflector movable relative thereto. The latter configuration is advantageous where the light source/secondary reflector combination is heavier than the primary reflector or where type of light source used is particularly sensitive to vibrational movement such as a filament type incandescent bulb.

In any case, primary reflector 812 is designed to do the bulk of the variable direction ray reflection. For example, at least half of the light emitted from light source 806 is designed to hit primary reflector 812 first and be reflected in the desired direction without the necessity of being diverted by secondary reflectors. Secondary reflector 814 is responsible for diverting rays emitted from light source 806 in the upper hemisphere back down to primary reflector 812 in a concentrated ray. Depending on the application, a tertiary reflector or reflectors (not shown), which are also stationary relative to the primary reflector, may be employed to assist in redirecting stray rays from the light source. In any case, the resulting reflected light ray is made up of substantially all available light provided by light source 806.

By operating electroactive polymer actuator 802 between the high and low positions, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, respectively, (or between any number of positions there between) at a frequency which is greater than that perceptible by the human eye, i.e., >25 Hz, light source 806 is moved relative to the primary reflector 812. The variable focal length to the reflector ring creates the ability to change the overall focus of the emitted light. As illustrated, broader band light rays 816 are provided when the light source is in the “low” position and narrower band light rays 818 are provided when the light source is in the “high” position.

Any arrangement of actuators, light sources and reflectors/lenses may be employed, in the subject systems where the relative motion between the light source(s) and reflector(s)/lens(es) is adjusted at a high rate of speed. As such, an alternative arrangement to the one illustrated. in FIGS. 8A and 8B is one that couples the reflector assembly, or one or more reflectors/lenses thereof, to the electroactive polymer actuator to adjust its position relative to the light source(s). Alternatively, both the light source as well as the reflector assembly may be driven each by its own actuator to provide more control over the direction and diffusion of the light vector. Individual reflectors/lenses or groups of reflectors/lens may be driven or moved independently of each other to provide multi-faceted directionality to the light rays. Furthermore, any number of electroactive polymer diaphragms may be used to construct the subject actuators. For example, actuators having a stacked diaphragm configuration may be used to increase maximum displacement of a light source and/or reflector assembly.

Still further, a multi-phase electroactive polymer actuator may be employed to provide a unique lighting pattern, e.g., a strobe effect, flashing, etc. For example, a single, variable-phase actuator, may be used to displace the light source and/or the reflector/lens assembly to change directionality of the light rays where the directionality depends on the “phase” in which the actuator is operated. Such a lighting system 930 is illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, where selected portions of the multi-phase diaphragm 936 of actuator 932 having frame 934 may be activated to change the direction of the reflected rays. The diaphragm may have any number of phases to provide the desired effect. For example, FIGS. 9A and 9B show actuator 932 acting in a bi-lateral manner to provide left-directed rays 938 and right-directed rays 940. A greater number of phases may be employed to produce a rotating light effect, such as those used on emergency vehicles, or a “wobble” pattern.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate than any number of lighting system architectures of the present invention may be employed. An aspect of the systems is achieve an efficient input voltage-to-diaphragm displacement ratio by providing or tuning the electroactive polymer actuators to operate at their natural frequency. Suitable power supplies for such applications are configured to generate high oscillating voltages from a direct current (DC) power source, such as a. high voltage transistor array. Any increase in space requirements of the power supply are offset by the reduced requirement for bulky chemical energy storage, i.e., batteries, as the power supply is lighter than most batteries, making the overall system lighter and more efficient.

As for light sources, any type may be employed with the subject systems, depending on the desired lighting elect. For example, for directed light, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may be employed, whereas conventional incandescent lights may be used to produce diffuse light. Short arc high intensity discharge light sources are the closest to point light sources and are therefore easily usable in the high efficiency light systems of the present invention.

The present invention provides in some embodiments, a lighting or illumination system using the lens stack with an array of LED light sources (or other light sources) as the display. The light sources may emit the same or different colors. In some embodiments, the display may include a layer of phosphors placed between the LED light sources and the lens stack. The phosphor layer may be excited by light from the LEDs and emit light of a different color. The phosphor layer may comprise a single chemical composition or may have regions of different chemical compositions which may emit different colors. By moving the lens array either laterally or transversely with respect to the LED light source array, the light perceived by the user can change in intensity, focus, and beam direction.

Where the array of LEDs contains multiple colors of LED light sources or excites an array of multiple compositions of phosphors, the relative intensities of the different colors of light emitted may be varied by moving the lens array laterally with respect to the LED array so the user will perceive different mixtures of colored light. The actuator(s) may be moved at different frequencies or with variable rates to provide complex patterns of colors, intensity, focus, and other lighting effects such as a stroboscopic effect. The actuator(s) may also be moved to a specific position for a constant color, intensity, and focus. A reflector or array of reflectors may be included in the stack for more capability in changing intensity, focus, and beam direction, particularly where the optical system includes an additional actuator which can change the displacement between any combination of the lens array, the reflector, and the LED array. In some embodiments, individual reflectors may be interspersed between and among the LEDs in an LED array. In other embodiments, reflectors may be situated above the LEDs beneath the lens element.

As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, electroactive polymer actuators permit the system to have different motion regimens. FIG. 10 shows an example of a motion with the constant rate in both directions of movement. FIG. 11 shows an example of a motion with a variable rate, here a snap back action. The motion regimen depicted in FIG. 11 is particularly advantageous for lenticular systems where the forward motion of the actuator enables the viewer to see a series of images similar to a video clip. The snap-back motion of the actuator enables a rapid return to the first image to reset the series of images without the viewer having to see the series of images in reverse. Those skilled in the art will appreciate there are many other potential motion regimens that could be given based on application requirements including a regimen where the actuator is moved and held at a set position to hold a fixed position of the lens element relative to the display. The motion regimen should preferably be matched with the artwork to create the proper intended visual effect.

FIGS. 12A, 12B and 12C illustrate the steps of assembling an optical system which has an artwork as the display in this embodiment. FIG. 12A depicts the artwork laminated to the moving plate (shown as 406 in FIG. 4). FIG. 12B shows the lens element placed over the artwork while leaving a gap to prevent friction and jittery motion. FIG. 12C shows attachment of the top cover Which may be secured by fasteners, such as screws.

The foregoing examples of the present invention are offered for the purpose of illustration and not limitation. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be modified or revised in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is to be measured by the appended claims.

ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER ACTUATOR LENTICULAR SYSTEM

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