Granted Patent B2

US 8,127,437 · App. 12/766,771 · Granted Mar 6, 2012

Abstract

Claims (65)

1. A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:

providing an electroactive polymer film;

forming an array of electrodes on the film;

applying at least one array of frame components to the electrode array to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;

applying a sealing material to hermetically seal the electroactive polymer transducers;

singulating the array of electroactive polymer transducers; and

coupling the singulated electroactive polymer transducers to individual user interface devices.

2. A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:

providing an electroactive polymer film;

forming an array of electrodes on the film;

applying at least one array of frame components to the electrode array to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;

applying a sealing material to hermetically seal the electroactive polymer transducer; and

applying an array of negative spring rate biasing mechanisms onto the array of electroactive polymer transducers.

3. A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:

providing an electroactive polymer film;

forming an array of electrodes on the film;

applying at least one array of frame components to the electrode array to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;

applying a sealing material to hermetically seal the electroactive polymer transducer; and

incorporating the transducer array into an array of user interface devices.

4. The method of claim 3 , where the electroactive polymer transducers further comprises an output member and where the negative spring rate bias mechanism is associated with the output member.

5. A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:

providing an electroactive polymer film;

forming an array of electrodes on the film;

applying at least one array of frame components to the electrode array to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;

applying a sealing material to hermetically seal the electroactive polymer transducer;

wherein each of the steps thereof are performed with web-based manufacturing techniques.

6. A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:

providing an electroactive polymer film;

forming an array of electrodes on the film;

applying at least one array of frame components to the electrode array to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;

applying a sealing material to hermetically seal the electroactive polymer transducer;

coupling each electroactive polymer transducer to an output member; and

mechanically coupling each output member to a user contact surface.

7. A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:

providing an electroactive polymer film;

forming an array of electrodes on the film;

applying at least one array of frame components to the electrode array to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;

applying a sealing material to hermetically seal the electroactive polymer transducer;

coupling each electroactive polymer transducer to an output member; and

magnetically coupling each output member to a user contact surface.

8. A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:

providing an electroactive polymer film;

forming an array of electrodes on the film;

applying at least one array of frame components to the electrode array to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;

applying a sealing material to hermetically seal the electroactive polymer transducer;

coupling each electroactive polymer transducer to an output member; and

coupling the output member to a keypad or keyboard.

9. A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:

providing an electroactive polymer film;

forming an array of electrodes on the film;

applying at least one array of frame components to the electrode array to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;

applying a sealing material to hermetically seal the electroactive polymer transducer,

wherein the electroactive polymer transducer is activatable in two phases.

10. A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:

providing an electroactive polymer film;

forming an array of electrodes on the film;

applying at least one array of frame components to the electrode array to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;

applying a sealing material to hermetically seal the electroactive polymer transducer; and

adding an additional component layer to the array of electroactive polymer transducer.

11. A method for fabricating electroactive polymer transducers, the method comprising:

providing an electroactive polymer film;

forming an array of electrodes on the film;

applying at least one array of frame components to the electrode array to form an array of electroactive polymer transducers;

applying a sealing material to hermetically seal the electroactive polymer transducer,

where applying at least one array of frame components to the electrode array comprises sandwiching the electrode array between a top and bottom array to form the array of electroactive polymer transducers.

Assignments (11)