US5616980A — Ceramic motor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 83 words

A micromotor for moving a body comprising: a piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; long and short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; and mounting holes formed in said piezoelectric plate, spaced along an axis which is parallel to said long edges and is situated in the space between adjacent electrodes attached to said first face.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 83 words

A micromotor for moving a body comprising: a piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; long and short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; and mounting holes formed in said piezoelectric plate, spaced along an axis which is parallel to said long edges and is situated in the space between adjacent electrodes attached to said first face.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 19 words

A micromotor according to claim 1 wherein said piezoelectric plate is supported by pins extending through said mounting holes.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 27 words

A micromotor according to claim 1 comprising at least one lever having two ends thereof, a first end being rotatably mounted in one of said mounting holes.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 20 words

A micromotor according to claim 3 wherein the second end of said lever is rotatably mounted onto a fixed plate.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 37 words

A micromotor according to claim 3 wherein the second end of the lever is rotatably mounted onto a plate which is constrained to move only in a direction parallel to said long edges of said piezoelectric plate.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 17 words

A micromotor according to claim 1 comprising a spacer attached to the center a first short edge.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 23 words

A micromotor according to claim 6 comprising a source of resilient force which engages the second short edge opposite the first short edge.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 101 words

A micromotor for moving a body comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; a spacer attached to a first short edge; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein a first pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrified with an AC voltage and a second pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrically grounded.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 101 words

A micromotor for moving a body comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; a spacer attached to a first short edge; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein a first pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrified with an AC voltage and a second pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrically grounded.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 89 words

A micromotor comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein a first pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrified with a unipolar voltage and a second pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrically grounded.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 89 words

A micromotor comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein a first pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrified with a unipolar voltage and a second pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrically grounded.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 89 words

A micromotor comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein a first pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrified with a unipolar voltage and a second pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrically floating.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 89 words

A micromotor comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein a first pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrified with a unipolar voltage and a second pair of diagonally situated electrodes are electrically floating.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 81 words

A micromotor comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein electrodes along a first long edge are electrified with a unipolar voltage of a first polarity.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 81 words

A micromotor comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein electrodes along a first long edge are electrified with a unipolar voltage of a first polarity.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 32 words

A micromotor according to claim 11 wherein electrodes along a second long edge opposite the first long edge are electrified with a unipolar voltage of a second polarity opposite the first polarity.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 78 words

A micromotor comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein electrodes lying a long edge are electrified with unipolar voltages of opposite polarities.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 78 words

A micromotor comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein electrodes lying a long edge are electrified with unipolar voltages of opposite polarities.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 77 words

A micromotor comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein at least one of said electrodes is electrified with a unipolar voltage.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 77 words

A micromotor comprising: a rectangular piezoelectric plate having: first and second faces, wherein at least a portion of said first face is divided into four quadrants; two long and two short edges; four electrodes attached to said first face, one electrode attached to each quadrant of said first face; an electrical power supply which electrifies at least two electrodes on said first face; and wherein at least one of said electrodes is electrified with a unipolar voltage.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 139 words

A micromotor for moving a body comprising: a first rectangular piezoelectric plate and a second rectangular piezoelectric plate, each plate having: long and short edges and first and second faces, wherein said first face of said first plate is parallel to said first face of said second plate; electrodes attached to the first and second faces; and a spacer attached to the center of a first one of the edges; means for applying resilient force to the center of a second edge opposite the first edge, whereby the spacer is pressed against the body; and means for electrifying at least some of the electrodes so that the spacer on the first plate and the spacer on the second plate move out of phase with each other, whereby more continuous motive force is applied to the body by the micromotor.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 139 words

A micromotor for moving a body comprising: a first rectangular piezoelectric plate and a second rectangular piezoelectric plate, each plate having: long and short edges and first and second faces, wherein said first face of said first plate is parallel to said first face of said second plate; electrodes attached to the first and second faces; and a spacer attached to the center of a first one of the edges; means for applying resilient force to the center of a second edge opposite the first edge, whereby the spacer is pressed against the body; and means for electrifying at least some of the electrodes so that the spacer on the first plate and the spacer on the second plate move out of phase with each other, whereby more continuous motive force is applied to the body by the micromotor.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 18 words

A micromotor according to claim 15, wherein said first plate has a different hardness from said second plate.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-03-31	2000-09-30	2001-04-01	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-03-31	2004-09-30	2005-04-01	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-03-31	2008-09-30	2009-04-01	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Ceramic motor

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