ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER TRANSDUCERS FOR TACTILE FEEDBACK DEVICES
Electroactive polymer transducers for sensory feedback applications in user interface devices are disclosed.
1 . A user interface device for displaying information to a user, the user interface comprising:
a screen having a user interface surface configured for tactile contact by a user and a sensor plate, the screen being configured to display the information;
a frame about at least a portion of the screen; and
an electroactive polymer material coupled between the screen and the frame, wherein an input signal generated by the user causes an electrical field to be applied to the electroactive polymer material causing the electroactive polymer material to displace at least one of the screen and sensor panel in a manner that produces a force sufficient for tactile observation by the user.
2 . The user interface device of claim 1 , where the screen is configured for tactile contact by a user, and where tactile contact by the user results in generation of the input signal.
3 . The user interface device of claim 1 , where a data entry surface is configured for accepting user input and for generation of the input signal.
4 . The user interface device of claim 1 , further comprising a control system for controlling the amount of displacement of the electroactive polymer transducer in response to a triggering force against the screen.
5 . The user interface device of claim 1 , wherein the movement of the screen is in a lateral direction relative to the frame.
6 . The user interface device of claim 1 , wherein the output member is mechanically coupled to the user contact surface.
7 . The user interface device of claim 1 , where the electroactive polymer material is encapsulated to form a gasket and where the gasket is mechanically coupled between the frame and the screen.
8 . The user interface device of claim 1 , where the electroactive polymer material is directly coupled between the frame and the screen.
9 . The user interface device of claim 8 , further comprising at least one spring member located between the frame and the screen.
10 . The user interface device of claim 1 , further comprising a flexible layer that covers at least a portion of the screen.
11 . The user interface device of claim 1 , where the electroactive polymer material comprises at least an electro active transducer having at least one spring member.
12 . The user interface device of claim 11 , where the electro active transducer comprises at least a pair of opposing electroactive polymer films.
13 . The user interface device of claim 11 , wherein the electroactive transducer further comprises a negative spring rate bias.
14 . The user interface device of claim 1 , where the electroactive polymer material is coupled to the display screen at a plurality of locations.
15 . The user interface device of 14 , where the electroactive polymer material comprises a plurality of corrugations or folds.
16 . The user interface device of claim 1 , where the electroactive polymer material comprises an array of electro active polymer materials adjacent to at least a portion of the screen that is spaced from the frame.
17 . The user interface device of claim 1 , where the screen comprises a touchpad.
18 . A user interface device for displaying information to a user, the user interface comprising:
a screen having a sensor surface configured for tactile contact by a user and a sensor plate, the screen being configured to display the information;
a frame about at least a portion of the screen; and
an electroactive polymer material coupled between the sensor surface and the frame, wherein an input signal generated by the user causes an electrical field to be applied to the electroactive polymer material causing the electroactive polymer material to displace at least one of the screen and sensor surface in a manner that produces a force sufficient for tactile observation by the user.
19 . The user interface device of claim 18 , where the sensor surface is configured for tactile contact by a user, and where tactile contact by the user results in generation of the input signal.
20 . The user interface device of claim 18 , where a data entry surface is configured for accepting user input and for generation of the input signal.
21 . The user interface device of claim 18 , further comprising a control system for controlling the amount of displacement of the electroactive polymer transducer in response to a triggering force against the sensor plate.
22 . The user interface device of claim 18 , wherein the movement of e sensor plate is in a lateral direction relative to the frame.
23 . The user interface device of claim 18 , wherein the output member is mechanically coupled to the user contact surface.
24 . The user interface device of claim 18 , where the electroactive polymer material is encapsulated to form a gasket and where the gasket is mechanically coupled between the frame and the sensor surface.
25 . The user interface device of claim 18 , where the electroactive polymer material is directly coupled between the frame and the sensor surface.
26 . The user interface device of claim 25 , further comprising at least one spring member located between the frame and the sensor surface.
27 . The user interface device of claim 18 , further comprising a flexible layer that covers at least a portion of the screen.
28 . The user interface device of claim 18 , where the electroactive polymer material comprises at least an electro active transducer having at least one spring member.
29 . The user interface device of claim 28 , where the electro active transducer comprises at least a pair of opposing electroactive polymer films.
30 . The user interface device of claim 28 , wherein the electroactive transducer further comprises a negative spring rate bias.
31 . The user interface device of claim 18 , where the electroactive polymer material is coupled to the display screen at a plurality of locations.
32 . The user interface device of 31 , where the electroactive polymer material comprises a plurality of corrugations or folds.
33 . The user interface device of claim 18 , wherein the sealing material forms a gasket between the user contact surface and the transducer.
34 . The user interface device of claim 18 , wherein the sealing material encases the transducer.
35 . The user interface device of claim 18 , wherein the electroactive polymer material is activatable in two phases.
36 . The user interface device of claim 18 , where the electroactive polymer material comprises an array of electro active polymer materials adjacent to at least a portion of the sensor surface that is spaced from the frame.
37 . The user interface device of claim 18 , where the screen comprises a touchpad.