ELECTROSTATIC CLUTCH FOR ACTIVE CONTROL OF FREE HINGE

• Main Authors: REMALEY, Jacquelin Leah, HOLBERY, James David
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 07.01.2021
• Subjects: BLASTING; BRAKES; CALCULATING; CLUTCHES; COMPUTING; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; COUNTING; COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; GENERATION; HEATING; HINGES OR OTHER SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS; KEYS; LIGHTING; LOCKS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PHYSICS; SAFES; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS

A hinge mechanism includes an electrostatic clutch for providing active control of a relative angle between two planar components. The hinge mechanism includes two conductive components on opposite sides of a dielectric layer; a relative angle detection mechanism usable to determine a relative angle between the two planar components; and a voltage controller that selectively applies voltage to at least one of the two conductive components when the detected angle between the two planar components satisfies a locking condition, the applied voltage creating an electrostatic force that restricts movement of the two conductive components and fixedly support the two planar components at the detected angle of separation.