A variety of brake and/or clutch mechanisms, and improvements thereof, are provided having improved braking power, reduced size and weight, and other benefits. The braking mechanisms include a wrap spring clutch that is operable to mechanically couple a rotating member to a brake rotor that is in consistent contact with a brake pad. Actuation of the wrap spring clutch allows the wrap spring to engage with the rotating member, coupling the rotating member to the brake rotor thus braking the rotating member. The combination of the wrap spring clutch with the brake rotor and pad provides an overall braking mechanism that exhibits the decreased power cost, weight, size, and engagement time of the wrap spring clutch while having a braking power that can be moderated by specifying the area, engagement force, coefficient of friction, or other properties of the brake rotor and pad.

A variety of brake and/or clutch mechanisms, and improvements thereof, are provided having improved braking power, reduced size and weight, and other benefits. The braking mechanisms include a wrap spring clutch that is operable to mechanically couple a rotating member to a brake rotor that is in consistent contact with a brake pad. Actuation of the wrap spring clutch allows the wrap spring to engage with the rotating member, coupling the rotating member to the brake rotor thus braking the rotating member. The combination of the wrap spring clutch with the brake rotor and pad provides an overall braking mechanism that exhibits the decreased power cost, weight, size, and engagement time of the wrap spring clutch while having a braking power that can be moderated by specifying the area, engagement force, coefficient of friction, or other properties of the brake rotor and pad.

An electrostatic chuck device (1) including: an electrostatic chuck part (2) which includes a base material (11) having a mounting surface (11a) on which a plate-like sample W is mounted, and an internal electrostatic attraction electrode (13) which electrostatically attracts the plate-like sample (W) to the mounting surface (11a); a cooling base part (3) which is configured to cool the electrostatic chuck part (2); and an adhesive layer (4) which is interposed therebetween, in which a shape of the mounting surface of the base material (11) includes a concave surface (23) or a convex surface, which is a curved surface that gradually curves from a center (11b) of the mounting surface (11a) toward an outer periphery (11c) of the mounting surface (11a) and includes no inflection point, and an absolute value of a difference between a height of a center of the concave surface (23) or the convex surface from a position of a main surface (3a) of the cooling base part (3) as a reference and a height of an outer periphery of the concave surface (23) or the convex surface from the position of the main surface (3a) of the cooling base part (3) as a reference is 1 μm or higher and 30 μm or lower.

An electrostatic chuck device (1) including: an electrostatic chuck part (2) which includes a base material (11) having a mounting surface (11a) on which a plate-like sample W is mounted, and an internal electrostatic attraction electrode (13) which electrostatically attracts the plate-like sample (W) to the mounting surface (11a); a cooling base part (3) which is configured to cool the electrostatic chuck part (2); and an adhesive layer (4) which is interposed therebetween, in which a shape of the mounting surface of the base material (11) includes a concave surface (23) or a convex surface, which is a curved surface that gradually curves from a center (11b) of the mounting surface (11a) toward an outer periphery (11c) of the mounting surface (11a) and includes no inflection point, and an absolute value of a difference between a height of a center of the concave surface (23) or the convex surface from a position of a main surface (3a) of the cooling base part (3) as a reference and a height of an outer periphery of the concave surface (23) or the convex surface from the position of the main surface (3a) of the cooling base part (3) as a reference is 1 μm or higher and 30 μm or lower.

A variable stiffening device that include a first electrode structure and a second electrode structure. The first electrode structure includes an electrode extension that extends into a cavity defined between an electrode of the first electrode structure and an opposing electrode of the second electrode structure. The first and second electrode structures may be arranged in a load-bearing state by applying a voltage thereto to electrostatically attract the electrode to the opposing electrode to press the electrode extension within the cavity. Friction between the electrode extension and engaging surfaces defining the cavity prevent the electrode extension from slipping within the cavity, thereby maintaining a structural relationship among the components of the first and second electrode structures in response to an application of a load to the variable stiffening device.

An inflatable structure includes an inflatable membrane with an outer surface, and a skin with a textured space-filling Turing pattern disposed on the outer surface of the inflatable membrane. A variable stiffness filament is coupled to the inflatable structure and the variable stiffness filament has a first stiffness at a first temperature and a second stiffness different than the first stiffness at a second temperature different than the first temperature. An electrical energy source is included and in electrical communication with the variable stiffness filament, and the electrical energy source is configured to apply Joule heating to and increase a temperature of the variable stiffness filament from the first temperature to the second temperature such variable stiffness actively controls a stiffness of the inflatable structure.

An inflatable structure includes an inflatable membrane with an outer surface, and a skin with a textured space-filling Turing pattern disposed on the outer surface of the inflatable membrane. A variable stiffness filament is coupled to the inflatable structure and the variable stiffness filament has a first stiffness at a first temperature and a second stiffness different than the first stiffness at a second temperature different than the first temperature. An electrical energy source is included and in electrical communication with the variable stiffness filament, and the electrical energy source is configured to apply Joule heating to and increase a temperature of the variable stiffness filament from the first temperature to the second temperature such variable stiffness actively controls a stiffness of the inflatable structure.

An electrostatic chuck device (1) including: an electrostatic chuck member (2) formed of ceramics; a temperature control base member (3) formed of metal; and a power supply terminal (16) which is inserted in the temperature control base member (3) and applies a voltage to an electrode for electrostatic attraction (13) which is provided on the electrostatic chuck member (2), the electrode for electrostatic attraction (13) and the power supply terminal (16) are connected with each other via a conductive adhesive layer (17), the conductive adhesive layer (17) contains a carbon fiber and a resin, and the carbon fiber has an aspect ratio of 100 or higher.

Disclosed is an object table for holding an object, comprising: an electrostatic clamp arranged to clamp the object on the object table; a neutralizer arranged to neutralize a residual charge of the electrostatic clamp; a control unit arranged to control the neutralizer, wherein the residual charge is an electrostatic charge present on the electrostatic clamp when no voltage is applied to the electrostatic clamp.

Disclosed is an object table for holding an object, comprising: an electrostatic clamp arranged to clamp the object on the object table; a neutralizer arranged to neutralize a residual charge of the electrostatic clamp; a control unit arranged to control the neutralizer, wherein the residual charge is an electrostatic charge present on the electrostatic clamp when no voltage is applied to the electrostatic clamp.