KR101748230B1 - Magnetic Driven Micro-Actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a micro-actuator driven by a magnetic force, and more particularly, to a micro-actuator which is provided between two surfaces of a micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) The present invention relates to a microactuator which is driven by a magnetic force and which has a micro-guide for preventing friction and wear between surfaces.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a MEMS structure (Micro-ElectroMechanical Structure) having a linear guide employing a bearing ball having a diameter of 100 mu m or less has a simple structure, The present invention provides an actuator that can be designed in a micro-size and can perform a long stroke operation by magnetic force driving.

Description

[0001] Magnetic Driven Micro-Actuator [0002]

The present invention relates to a micro-actuator driven by a magnetic force, and more particularly, to a micro-actuator which is provided between two surfaces of a micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) The present invention relates to a microactuator which is driven by a magnetic force and which has a micro-guide for preventing friction and wear between surfaces.

The contents described in this section merely provide background information on the embodiment of the present invention and do not constitute the prior art.

MEMS (Micro-electromechanical Systems) is a micro-technology device that integrates mechanical parts, sensors, actuators and electronic circuits on a single silicon substrate. It is mainly fabricated using semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing technology.

There are heads, pressure sensors, acceleration sensors, gyroscopes, projectors, and the like of inkjet printers that are commercially available as the current products. The market is expanding because the application fields are diverse.

On the other hand, in a MEMS (Micro-ElectroMechanical System) structure having a driving portion that performs relative motion while contacting two surfaces, there arises problems such as friction and abrasion between the two surfaces that are relatively moving, thus causing a problem in product reliability.

Lubricants and bearings have not been developed enough to be successfully commercialized by applying them to MEMS, and various researches and developments have been made on them.

Particularly, researches using a rolling phenomenon of a micro ball bearing having a diameter of several tens to several hundreds of micrometers have been actively conducted recently.

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing a state in which a micro ball bearing of a size of about 50 μm according to the prior art is randomly sprayed on a flat plate.

As shown in FIG. 1 (a), since the conventional micro ball bearing having a size of about 50 탆 is very difficult to be seated in a desired position, it is inevitable to perform a friction test by spraying the ball on a flat plate at random.

However, in the case where the micro-ball bearing is provided on the flat plate, the rolling motion occurs in all directions, and in particular, as shown in Fig. 1 (b) It can not be used as a Linear or Rotating Guide.

Since micro ball bearings of 100 μm or less are difficult to handle, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a method of using micro ball bearings of about 285 μm in size for actuators has been studied (Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A Vol.11 No.4 1993 pp 803-807).

2 and 3, in the micro ball bearing according to the related art, the micro ball 30a must be seated on the grooves 11a and 21a so as to roll only in a specific direction.

However, the micro-ball bearing shown in Fig. 2 is very difficult to place the micro-ball 30a on the grooves 11a and 21a, which causes a lot of problems in the manufacturing process.

3, when the microballs 30a are located on the flat surfaces 13a and 23a other than the grooves 11a and 21a, it is more preferable that the microballs 30a are put in position again It is not easy.

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention has been proposed in order to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a MEMS structure (Micro-ElectroMechanical Structure) which employs a bearing ball having a diameter of 100 μm or less And to provide an actuator which can be designed in a micro size by having a linear guide and which can be magnetically driven.

The technical object of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned technical objects and other technical objects which are not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a microactuator driven by a magnetic force according to an aspect of the present invention may include a first fixture and a second fixture.

The first and second magnets may include a first magnet and a second magnet provided on the first and second fixtures so as to face each other.

The first magnet and the second magnet may include a first plate and a second plate that are disposed on the first and second fixtures, respectively, and are disposed to face each other between the first magnet and the second magnet.

The first plate and the second plate may be slidably moved between the first plate and the second plate by a magnetic force generated from the first magnet and the second magnet. And a slider guiding the sliding movement of the slider.

The micro-guide may include a plurality of grooves formed on a corresponding one surface of the first plate and the slider, a second plate, and a corresponding one of the opposite surfaces of the slider, and a plurality of micro-bearing balls seated between the grooves have. According to an embodiment, the micro bearing ball may have a diameter of 10 to 100 [mu] m.

The plurality of grooves may be formed parallel to each other at an interval along one direction.

The first and second fixtures, the first magnet and the second magnet, and the first plate and the second plate may be aligned with respect to one direction.

The first and second fixtures, the first magnet and the second magnet, and the first plate and the second plate may be aligned with respect to one direction.

And a sensor electrically connected to the slider so as to measure a moving speed and / or a friction coefficient using an induced current generated when the slider is moved.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a microactuator driven by a magnetic force, the microactuator including a fixture.

The magnet may further include a magnet provided on the fixture to generate a magnetic force.

The stator may further include a stator provided on the magnet.

The slider may be slidably mounted on the stator by the magnetic force, and the slider may be guided by a micro-guide formed between the stator and the stator.

Here, the magnets are plural, and in order to form a uniform magnetic field, the plurality of magnets may be disposed facing each other with the slider therebetween.

The optical switch according to the present invention may include a microactuator that is driven by the magnetic force described above.

As described above, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a MEMS structure (Micro-ElectroMechanical Structure) has a linear guide employing a bearing ball having a diameter of 100 μm or less, The present invention provides an actuator that has a simple structure, can be designed in a micro-size, and can perform a long stroke operation by magnetic force driving.

In addition, the effects of the present invention have various effects such as excellent durability according to the embodiments, and such effects can be clearly confirmed in the description of the embodiments described later.

Figure 1 is a photograph of a microball according to the prior art.
2 is a side view of a conventional micro ball bearing.
3 is a plan view of a conventional micro ball bearing.
4 is a perspective view of a microguide which is an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a photograph of a groove of a micro-guide which is an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a photograph showing a state in which a bearing ball is scattered on a lower plate which is a constitution of the present invention.
7 is a side view of a microguide which is an embodiment of the present invention.
8 and 9 are side views of a groove of a microguide according to another embodiment.
10 is a flowchart of a method of manufacturing a micro-guide according to the present invention.
11 shows a microactuator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings.

It should be noted that, in adding reference numerals to the constituent elements of the drawings, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference symbols as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

In addition, the size and shape of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation. In addition, terms specifically defined in consideration of the constitution and operation of the present invention are only for explaining the embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a micro-guide which is one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the micro-guide according to the present embodiment includes a spherical bearing ball 100, an upper plate (not shown) having a plurality of grooves 210 formed in one direction adjacent to each other, 200 and a lower plate 300 having grooves 310 of the same size and shape as the grooves 210 of the upper plate 200 on the surface corresponding to the upper plate 200.

6 is a photograph showing a state in which a bearing ball is scattered on a bottom plate, which is a constitution of the present invention, and Fig. 7 is a view showing a micro guide Fig.

5 to 7, a plurality of grooves 210, 210, 210 and 210 are formed on one surface of the upper plate 200 and the lower plate 300 facing each other, 310 may be formed.

Specifically, the diameter D of the bearing ball 100 is not particularly limited as long as it is a diameter that can be applied to the MEMS structure, but may be preferably 10 to 100 占 퐉.

The bearing ball 100 is positioned between the groove 210 of the upper plate 200 and the groove 310 of the lower plate 300 and serves as a bearing for reducing the friction between the upper plate 200 and the lower plate 300 can do.

At this time, the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 may be silicon wafers made of a silicon material.

7, the depth d of the grooves 210 and 310 is set such that the bearing ball 100 is seated on the grooves 210 and 310 to perform stable rolling motion, Is not particularly limited as long as it does not affect the self-rigidity and workability of the lower plate 300, and may be 50 to 300% of the diameter, for example, of the diameter D of the bearing ball 100.

The angle a between the grooves 210 and 310 is not particularly limited as long as the bearing ball 100 is positioned at the grooves 210 and 310 and is capable of stable rolling motion, 20 to 110 degrees.

The pitch P between adjoining grooves of the grooves 210 and 310 may be 105 to 175% based on the diameter D of the bearing ball 100.

Meanwhile, the bearing ball 100 of the micro-guide according to the present invention can be easily mounted on the grooves 210 and 310 formed in the upper plate 200 and the lower plate 300. A method of this will be described later.

The bearing ball 100 of the microguide according to the present invention can be randomly scattered on the upper surface of the groove 310 of the lower plate 300. The bearing balls 100 scattered on the upper surface of the lower plate 300 may be placed on the flat ridges 311 of the ridges of the mountains that are seated in the grooves 310 or formed between the grooves 210 and 310 .

At this time, when the upper plate 200 is overlapped with the lower plate 300 and is pressed at a predetermined pressure, the upper plate 200 is reciprocated by a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the grooves 210 and 310 to be positioned on the flat ridge 311 The bearing ball 100 can be seated on the grooves 210 and 310. [

That is, the bearing balls 100 positioned on the flat ridges 311 may be moved inwardly in the grooves 210, 310 along the inclined surfaces of the grooves 210, 310.

In this case, the lengths of the flat ridges 211 and 311 may be limited to a predetermined interval so that the bearing ball 100 can naturally be seated by the grooves 210 and 310.

Specifically, the length L on the side of the ridge flat surfaces 211 and 311 of the mountain formed between the plurality of grooves 210 and 310 is set such that the bearing ball 100 is formed on the ridge flat surfaces 211 and 311 The diameter D of the bearing ball 100 may be set to be a length that can naturally be seated in the grooves 210 and 310 by the engagement operation of the upper plate 100 and the lower plate 200. [ It can be 25% or less as a standard.

8 and 9 are side views of a groove of a microguide according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to these drawings, the bottom surfaces 212a, 212b, 312a, and 312b of the micro guides 400a and 400b according to the present embodiment may have a flat shape or a round shape. This shape is formed in accordance with a method of forming the grooves 210a, 210b, 310a, and 310b on one surface of each of the upper plates 200a and 200b and the lower plates 300a and 300b, But is not limited to the shape.

10 is a flowchart of a method of manufacturing a micro-guide according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, in the micro-guide manufacturing method according to the present embodiment,

Preparing a top plate, a bottom plate, and a bearing ball (S110); Forming a V-groove pattern formed adjacent to each of the upper and lower plates (S120); Scattering the bearing balls on one side of the V groove pattern of the lower plate (S130); And

The bearing balls 100 positioned on the flat surface 311 of the ridgeline are moved to the grooves 210 and 310 by reciprocating a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the groove in a state where the upper plate is overlapped with the lower plate, (S140). ≪ / RTI >

According to the microreactor according to the present embodiment, by forming a bearing ball of 100 mu m or less and a V-groove pattern formed adjacent to each other on each corresponding surface of the upper plate and the lower plate, it is possible to easily place the bearing balls inside the grooves of the V groove pattern without the ball bearing align, and as a result, a linear guide or a rotating guide using the bearing balls of 100 μm or less can be easily manufactured.

Further, the present invention can be applied to a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Structure) having a driving part that performs relative motion while contacting two surfaces, so that it can serve as a linear guide or a rotating guide, It is possible to solve the problem of friction and abrasion occurring on the surface, and as a result, it is possible to have a technical advantage that the high safety and reliability of the MEMS structure can be ensured.

11 shows a microactuator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A micro-actuator driven by a magnetic force according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first fixture 10 and a second fixture 11; A first magnet 12 and a second magnet 13 installed on the first fixture 10 and the second fixture 11 so as to face each other;

The first plate 14 and the second plate 14 are disposed on the first and second fixing members 10 and 11 so as to face each other between the first and second magnets 12 and 13, A plate 15; And

Is installed to be able to slide between the first plate (14) and the second plate (15) by a magnetic force generated from the first magnet (12) and the second magnet (13) And a slider 16 guiding the sliding movement by a micro-guide formed between the first plate 15 and the second plate 15.

The first fixture 10 and the second fixture 11 may be disposed opposite to each other and may serve to fix the actuator to a predetermined position and to cover the cover from the outside. The first fastener 10 and the second fastener 11 may be coupled to each other, but not necessarily, but may be in a position that does not engage with the first fastener 10 and the second fastener 11,

A first magnet 12 may be installed inside the first fixture 10 and a second magnet 13 may be installed inside the second fixture 11. The first magnet 12 and the second magnet 13 may be arranged to face each other. Such a structure can form a uniform magnetic field with the slider 16 to be described later.

The first magnet 12 and the second magnet 13 can generate a magnetic force to move the slider 16 to be described later.

The first plate 14 and the second plate 15 may be fixed to the first fixture 10 and the second fixture 11, respectively. The slider 16 may be installed between the first plate 14 and the second plate 15 so as to be slidable. The first plate 14 and the second plate 15 can face each other with a predetermined gap so that the slider 16 can slide smoothly.

The slider 16 can be slid by the magnetic force generated from the first magnet 12 and the second magnet 13. In other words, the electric wire flowing in the magnetic field receives the force in the direction of the current and the direction perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field. If the voltage is applied to the wire in square wave form using this, it can be an actuator that can move forward or backward.

The slider 16 is disposed between the first magnet 12 and the second magnet 13 and is influenced by the magnetic field formed between the first magnet 12 and the second magnet 13 in this embodiment. When the electric wire 18 is connected to one side and the other side of the slider 16 and current flows, the slider 16 can slide by the magnetic force.

The sliding movement of the slider 16 may be guided by a micro-guide formed between the first plate 14 and the second plate 15, respectively.

Here, the microguide includes a plurality of grooves formed on the first plate 14 and one surface of the slider 16 corresponding to the first plate 14, and a plurality of grooves formed on the surfaces of the second plate 15 and the slider 16 And a plurality of micro-bearing balls (17) that are seated between the grooves and a plurality of grooves formed on the other surface corresponding to the second plate (15).

Here, the diameter of the micro bearing balls 17 may be 10 to 100 [mu] m. Since the micro-guide has already been described, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

The plurality of grooves may be formed parallel to each other at an interval along one direction. Therefore, the slider 16 is slidable along the direction perpendicular to the one direction.

The first fixture 10 and the second fixture 11, the first magnet 12 and the second magnet 13, and the first plate 14 and the second plate 15 all have the same direction As shown in FIG. That is, each of them may be arranged in pairs.

The microactuator according to the present embodiment includes a sensor 19 electrically connected to the slider 16 so as to measure a moving speed and / or a friction coefficient using an induced current generated when the slider 16 is moved . The position of the slider 16 can be controlled by measuring the moving speed and / or the friction coefficient of the slider 16 through the sensor 19. [

A micro-actuator driven by a magnetic force according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a fixture; A magnet provided on the fixture to generate a magnetic force; A stator provided on the magnet; And

And a slider (16) mounted on the stator so as to be slidable by the magnetic force and guiding the sliding movement by a micro-guide formed between the stator and the stator.

Here, the magnets are plural, and in order to form a uniform magnetic field, the plurality of magnets may be arranged to face each other with the slider 16 therebetween. In this structure, the stator does not necessarily have to be plural.

In the case of a conventional microactuator, since the force for sliding is insufficient, sliding motion is generally performed in such a manner that deflection is generated in the micro cantilever beam using magnetic force. It can be operated with low voltage and low current as compared with the electrostatic actuator, but has a drawback that the stroke is as short as 100 占 퐉 or less.

In addition, since the actuator can be obtained through various etching processes, the process time is long and manufacturing is difficult.

In the case of the micro-guide according to the embodiment of the present invention, the groove is patterned through an etching process so that the micro-bearing ball 17 can move on the sliding surface, so that the micro- To perform the function.

According to the present embodiment, an actuator can be easily manufactured only by etching the groove on the plate and attaching the wire (wire) 18, and the size of the actuator can be designed up to several hundred micrometers by adjusting the length of the wire and the length of the groove.

Also, it is possible to obtain the moving speed and the position value of the slider 16 by measuring the voltage value, and it is also possible to determine whether the actuator fails or not. For example, if the voltage is not detected, the failure of the actuator can be determined.

Meanwhile, the embodiment of the optical switch according to the present invention is an optical switch that can include a microactuator driven by the magnetic force of the above-described embodiment. Any optical switch to which the microactuator of the above-described embodiment can be applied may be used. For example, it is a MEMS optical switch for a multimode cable. Since such an optical switch itself is well known in the art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The above description is only illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention.

The embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

The scope of protection of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope of equivalents should be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention.

10: first fixing member 11: second fixing member
12: first magnet 13: second magnet
14: first plate 15: second plate
16: slider 17: bearing ball
18: wire 19: sensor
100: bearing ball 200, 200a, 200b: top plate
210, 210a, 210b: Groove 211: Ridge flat surface of groove
212a, 212b: bottom surface of the groove 300, 300a, 300b:
310, 310a, 310b: Groove 311: Ridge flat surface of groove
312a, 312b: bottom surface of the groove 400, 400a, 400b:

Claims (9)

A first fixture and a second fixture;
A first magnet and a second magnet provided on the first and second fixtures, respectively, and facing each other;
A first plate and a second plate provided on the first and second fixtures, respectively, the first plate and the second plate being opposed to each other between the first magnet and the second magnet; And
The first plate and the second plate are installed so as to be slidable between the first plate and the second plate by a magnetic force generated from the first magnet and the second magnet, And a slider to which the sliding movement is guided,
Wherein the first and second fixtures, the first magnet and the second magnet, and the first plate and the second plate are aligned with respect to one direction. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the micro-guide includes a plurality of grooves formed on a corresponding one surface of the first plate and the slider, and a plurality of grooves formed on the corresponding surfaces of the second plate and the slider, and a plurality of micro-bearing balls seated between the grooves A microactuator driven by a magnetic force characterized by. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the micro-bearing ball has a diameter of 10 to 100 占 퐉. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the plurality of grooves are formed parallel to each other at an interval along one direction. delete The method according to claim 1,
And a sensor electrically connected to the slider so as to measure a moving speed and / or a friction coefficient using an induced current generated when the slider is moved. delete delete An optical switch comprising a microactuator according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6.

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