The invention relates to an actuator device comprising at least one solid-state actuator and a hydraulic unit connected mechanically to the solid-state actuator in series, wherein said hydraulic unit comprises a hydraulic volume which is filled with a hydraulic fluid. In the method of clamping a clamping body, an actuator device of this type is used and the solid-state actuator of the actuator device is controlled, in particular, depending on a movement variable of the clamping body.

An energy harvester comprises: converter capable of converting a variation of energy to be harvested into a potential difference between two electric terminals by accumulating charges; the converter including a stack of layers with at least one first layer made of a piezoelectric material; a collection circuit connected to the terminals and comprising a switch, the collection circuit being configured to harvest the charges when the switch is in a closed state; the converter being able to emit acoustic vibrations in an audible frequency band when the collection circuit harvests the charges; the energy harvester further comprises a control circuit configured to control a plurality of closing-opening sequences (S.sub.FO) of the switch, when the potential difference reaches a defined threshold, so as to harvest the charges through a plurality of partial discharges of the converter and to limit the stress deviation experienced by the first layer during each discharge.

An input device includes an operation member, an actuator configured to impart a tactile effect to the operation member, and a controller configured to apply, to the actuator, a control signal for starting to apply a first vibration to the operation member at a first timing and for starting to apply a second vibration to the operation member at a second timing after the first timing, such that a combined vibration of the first vibration and the second vibration is applied to the operation member. The controller is configured to change a duration of a first period of the combined vibration to two or more different durations of the first period by changing a control period of time that extends from the first timing to the second timing to two or more different control periods of time.

An actuator that controls flow through a fluid path during filling of beverages includes an actuator element that exerts an actuating force. In response to control signals, the actuator element transitions between an elongated state and a resting state.

An actuator for adjusting an element to be moved in a beam path of an optical arrangement contains the element to be moved, a carrier and at least one SM element, the SM element being connected to the element to be moved and designed such that it is supported on the carrier, so that when the dimension of the SM element changes, a directed force effect is produced between the element to be moved and the carrier.

A matching control method for mechanical impedance of a magnetostrictive precision transducer includes developing a three-layer neural network model corresponding to a Young's modulus of a Terfenol-D material; acquiring sample data to form a training sample set and a testing sample set; training the model using a Bayesian regularization training algorithm, and optimizing connection weights and thresholds among layers of the tested model, so as to obtain a final three-layer neural network model; based on the final model, building an inverse model of mechanical impedance of the magnetostrictive precision transducer; using a current level of impedance of a load as an input of the inverse model to obtain a bias magnetic field, and changing a level of the bias magnetic field by changing a bias current in an excitation coil of the transducer, thereby achieving adaptive matching between the mechanical impedance of the transducer and the impedance of the load.

A micro-displacement amplifying apparatus comprises two sets of asymmetrical amplifying structures; each set of asymmetrical amplifying structure comprises a plurality of asymmetrical amplifying units connected in series by flexible hinges; the asymmetrical amplifying unit is used for amplifying a micro-displacement; the two sets of asymmetrical amplifying structures are in opposite positions and overlap with each other; the input end and output end are coupled to the asymmetrical amplifying unit by a flexible hinge, respectively; the input end is used for inputting the micro-displacement to the asymmetrical amplifying unit, and the output end is used for outputting the amplified displacement; the two contacting input ends are fixed and coupled to each other, and the two contacting output ends are fixed and coupled to each other. The present disclosure further discloses an amplification method of the micro-displacement amplifying apparatus.

An apparatus is provided which comprises: a ferromagnetic (FM) region with magnetostrictive (MS) property; a piezo-electric (PZe) region adjacent to the FM region; and a magnetoelectric region adjacent to the FM region. An apparatus is provided which comprises: a FM region with MS property; a PZe region adjacent to the FM region; and a magnetoelectric region, wherein the FM region is at least partially adjacent to the magnetoelectric region. An apparatus is provided which comprises: a FM region with MS property; a PZe region adjacent to the FM region; a magnetoelectric region being adjacent to the FM and PZe regions; a first electrode adjacent to the FM and PZe regions; a second electrode adjacent to the magnetoelectric region; a spin orbit coupling (SOC) region adjacent to the magnetoelectric region; and a third electrode adjacent to the SOC region.

A magnetostrictive material includes a FeGaBa alloy that is represented by Expression (1),
Fe.sub.(100-x-y)Ga.sub.xBa.sub.y  (1) (in Expression (1), x and y are respectively a content rate (at. %) of Ga and a content rate (at. %) of Ba, and satisfy that y≤0.012x−0.168, y≤−0.05x+1.01, and y≥−0.04/7x+0.87/7).

Exemplary practice of the present invention provides a magnetostrictive actuator characterized by linear force output and uniform magnetic biasing. A center bias magnet drives flux through series magnetostrictive bars in opposite directions while surrounding drive coils apply flux in the same direction through the bars. The net response is substantially linear with respect to the drive coil current. A second parallel set of magnetostrictive bars completes the flux path and adds to the actuator output force. Flux leakage between the parallel bars is compensated by a ferromagnetic shunt or by a tapered magnet providing uniform flux density down the length of the magnetostrictive bars. The closed flux path allows magnetic shielding of the entire actuator, if desired.