A MEMS electrostatic piston-tube actuator that provides 4 degrees of freedom (4-DOF) motion is disclosed. The actuator comprises of an inner and an outer MEMS structure. The inner MEMS structure comprises of an inner moving stage (rotor) and an inner fixed frame (stator). The inner rotor comprises of a central load stage, a plurality of rotary comb drive electrodes surrounding the central rotor. The outer MEMS structure comprises of an outer moving stage (outer rotor) and outer stator frame. The outer rotor holds the entire inner MEMS structure and is rigidly attached to it through a fixed periphery of the inner MEMS structure. The outer rotor comprises of a plurality of through openings (tubes) and attached to a fixed outer periphery through a plurality of mechanical springs. A load set on the central stage can be controlled in 4-DOF comprising of translational and rotational motions of roll, yaw, pitch, and z-axis translation.

A mechanical component has: a mounting; a movable part which, with the aid of at least one first spring and one second spring, is connected to the mounting in such a way that the movable part is movable about a rotational axis extending through a first anchoring area of the first spring on the mounting and a second anchoring area of the second spring on the mounting; a first sensor device with at least one first resistor which is situated on and/or in the first spring; and a second sensor device with at least one second resistor situated on and/or in the second spring. The first sensor device includes a first Wheatstone half bridge and the second sensor device includes a second Wheatstone half bridge. The first and second Wheatstone half bridges are connected to form a Wheatstone full bridge.

Angular accelerometers are described, as are systems employing such accelerometers. The angular accelerometers may include a proof mass and rotational acceleration detection beams directed toward the center of the proof mass. The angular accelerometers may include sensing capabilities for angular acceleration about three orthogonal axes. The sensing regions for angular acceleration about one of the three axes may be positioned radially closer to the center of the proof mass than the sensing regions for angular acceleration about the other two axes. The proof mass may be connected to the substrate though one or more anchors.

The invention relates to a miniature kinetic energy harvester for generating electrical energy, comprising a support, a first element having walls surrounding at least one cavity, at least one spring mounted between the first element and the support, the spring being arranged so that the first element may be brought into oscillation relative to the support according to at least one direction of oscillation, a transducer arranged between the first element and the support for converting oscillation of the first element relative to the support into an electrical signal, at least one second element housed within the cavity and mounted to freely move within the cavity relative to the first element so as to impact the walls of the cavity when the harvester is subjected to vibrations.

A microelectromechanical element is provided that includes a first device part and a second device part, and a motion-limiting structure having a first stopper bump and a second stopper bump. The first and second stopper bumps extend from the first device part toward the second device part. When one of the device parts moves toward the other device part in the out-of-plane direction and crosses a displacement threshold, the first stopper bump comes into contact with the second device part before the second stopper bump contacts the second device part, and the second stopper bump comes into contact with the second device part before the first device part contacts with the second device part.

In a general aspect, a micromachined gyroscope can include a substrate and a static mass suspended in an x-y plane over the substrate by a plurality of anchors attached to the substrate. The static mass can be attached to the anchors by anchor suspension flexures. The micromachined gyroscope can include a dynamic mass surrounding the static mass and suspended from the static mass by one or more gyroscope suspension flexures.

Disclosed is a force transfer device that includes a first body that has a first body frame that defines a first chamber and at least one gear element. The gear element has a central gear element region. A first membrane is affixed to a surface of the first body frame, the membrane covering the chamber and having an annular aperture enclosing a central region of the membrane that is affixed to the central gear element region of the gear element. The disclosed force transfer device can be axle or shaft based. Also disclosed in a micro electrostatic motor that includes a motor body having a first and a second face, the motor body defining a chamber and a rotor having a central region. A membrane is disposed over the first face of the motor body, the membrane supporting a pair of spaced electrodes that are electrically isolated by a gap, the membrane having an annular aperture that defines a central region of the membrane that is coupled to the central region of the rotor. The force transfer device can be driven by the electrostatic motor.

Disclosed is a micro electrostatic motor that includes a body having a first and a second face and having a chamber. A first membrane is disposed over the first face of the body and a rotatable disk is disposed in the circular chamber about a member. The disk is disposed in the circular chamber and is free to rotate about the member. The disk has on a first surface thereof a set of three mutually electrically isolated electrodes, with each of the electrodes having a tab portion and being electrically isolated from the member. A second membrane is disposed over the second face of the body and a pair of spaced electrodes are provided on portions of the second membrane, with the pair of spaced electrodes being isolated by a gap between the pair of electrodes. A cylindrical shaped member is disposed in the chamber electrically isolated from the three mutually electrically isolated electrodes on the disc.

A micromechanical component having a mount, an adjustable element, which is connected via at least one spring to the mount, and an actuator device, a first oscillatory motion of the adjustable element about a first axis of rotation and simultaneously a second oscillatory motion of the adjustable element, which is set into the first oscillatory motion, being excitable about a second axis of rotation in response to the actuator device; and the adjustable element being configured by the at least one spring to be adjustable on the mount in such a way that the adjustable element is adjustable by a resulting angular momentum about a rotational axis, which is oriented orthogonally to the first axis of rotation and orthogonally to second axis of rotation. Also, a method for manufacturing a micromechanical component. Moreover, a method for exciting a motion of an adjustable element about a rotational axis.

A micromechanical component includes an adjustable part, a mounting, at least one bending actuator, and a permanent magnet. The part is positioned on the mounting so as to be adjustable relative to the mounting about a first rotation axis and about a second rotation axis inclined relative to the first axis. The actuator includes at least one movable subregion. Movement of the subregion results in a restoring force that moves the part about the first axis. The part is connected indirectly to the magnet to be adjustable about the second axis of rotation via a magnetic field built up by the magnet together with a yoke device of the component or an external yoke. A micromirror device includes the micromechanical component. A method for adjusting the part includes adjusting the part simultaneously about the first and the second axes.