DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF A COMPLIANT LINEAR-TO-ROTARY MOTION TRANSDUCTION MECHANISM BY AN ELECTROTHERMAL ACTUATOR

Abstract

A mechanism to convert linear motion to rotary motion is developed. The means to achieve the linear-to-rotary motion transduction is attributed to an asymmetric arrangement of two linear motion inputs. The linear motion is provided by chevron-type thermal actuators. With a break-through in the high tech technology, this rotary motion can be applied for various optical applications like, attenuation, switching and diffraction, etc. Finite element analyses were carried out to predict behaviors of the transduction mechanism. A transduction ratio of nearly 1.1 degree/µm is achieved. The simulation results also reveal that a more uniform temperature distribution along the thermal actuator allowing for a larger overall thermal expansion and therefore also a larger linear motion, which adds to the rotary motion output.