1. A power supply connector for electric automobiles, which comprises:
a connector body;
a case for accommodating the connector body;
a grasping member that is attached to the case;
a locking member, which is provided in the case, and locks the case and a locking part of a power reception connector that is the object of connection;
a defect detection means for detecting defect of the locking part to which the locking member locks; and
a case lock mechanism that limits the movement of the case with respect to the grasping member; wherein
when a defect of the locking part is detected by the defect detection means, the sliding motion of the connector body and the grasping member with respect to the case is locked by the case lock mechanism, and
when a defect of the locking part is not detected by the defect detection means, the case lock mechanism is released and the connector body and the grasping member become slidable in a direction of nearly the same axis line with respect to the case, and
the defect detection means comprises at least one pair of sliders, which are slidable in the insertion-removal direction of the case, formed in the vicinity of both sides of the locking member; and
when the connector body is connected to the power reception connector, if both sliders in the pair of sliders comes in contact with the locking part and is pushed toward the inside of the case, the case lock mechanism is released and the connector body and the grasping member become slidable in a direction of nearly the same axis line with respect to the case, and
when the connector body is connected to the power reception connector, if at least one slider in the pair of sliders does not come in contact with the locking part and is not pushed toward the inside of the case, the case lock mechanism is not released, and
in a state where the case lock mechanism is released, when the grasping member is moved toward the front with respect to the case, the connector body becomes movable toward the front with respect to the case, along with the movement of the grasping member.
2. The power supply connector according to claim 1, wherein
force is added to the pair of sliders in a direction so that they protrude from the case; and
the ends of the pair of sliders are each rotatably connected to both ends of a first link member; and
a second link member is rotatably connected to approximately the center of the first link member; and
the second link member is rotatably connected to the case, while a cam member is connected thereto; and
the case lock mechanism regulates the sliding of the grasping member with respect to the case by the interference between the cam member and the grasping member; and
when both sliders in the pair of sliders are pushed into the case, the first link member is pushed toward the back, and the second link member rotates along with the movement of the first link member, and the cam member moves in an approximately vertical direction to the sliding direction of the slider, whereby the grasping member becomes slidable; and
when at least one slider in the pair of sliders is not pushed into the case, the state of interference between the cam member and the grasping member is maintained and the case lock mechanism is not released.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A thermal bend actuator comprising:
an active beam for connection to drive circuitry; and
a passive beam mechanically cooperating with the active beam, such that when a current is passed through the active beam, the active beam expands relative to the passive beam, resulting in bending of the actuator,
wherein the passive beam comprises first and second layers, the second layer is sandwiched between the first layer and the active beam, and the first layer is thicker than the second layer.
2. The thermal bend actuator of claim 1, wherein said first layer is at least four times thicker than the second layer.
3. The thermal bend actuator of claim 1, wherein said first layer is comprised of silicon nitride.
4. The thermal actuator of claim 1, wherein the second layer has a thickness in the range of 0.05 and 0.2 microns.
5. The thermal actuator of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a thickness in the range of 1.0 and 2.0 microns.
6. The thermal actuator of claim 1, wherein the active beam has a thickness in the range of 1.5 and 2.0 microns.
7. The thermal bend actuator of claim 1, wherein said active beam is connected to said drive circuitry via a pair of electrical contacts positioned at one end of said actuator.
8. The thermal bend actuator of claim 1, wherein the active beam is fused to the passive beam by a deposition process.
9. The thermal bend actuator of claim 1, wherein the active beam is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of: titanium nitride, titanium aluminium nitride and an aluminium alloy.
10. The thermal bend actuator of claim 1, wherein the active beam is comprised of a vanadium-aluminium alloy.
11. An inkjet nozzle assembly comprising:
a nozzle chamber having a nozzle opening and an ink inlet; and
a thermal bend actuator for ejecting ink through the nozzle opening, said actuator comprising:
an active beam for connection to drive circuitry; and
a passive beam mechanically cooperating with the active beam, such that when a current is passed through the active beam, the active beam expands relative to the passive beam, resulting in bending of the actuator,
wherein the passive beam comprises first and second layers, the second layer is sandwiched between the first layer and the active beam, and the first layer is thicker than the second layer.
12. The inkjet nozzle assembly of claim 11, wherein the nozzle chamber comprises a floor and a roof having a moving portion, whereby actuation of said actuator moves said moving portion towards said floor.
13. The inkjet nozzle assembly of claim 12, wherein the moving portion comprises the actuator.
14. The inkjet nozzle assembly of claim 12, wherein the active beam is disposed on an upper surface of said passive beam relative to the floor of the nozzle chamber.
15. The inkjet nozzle assembly of claim 12, wherein the nozzle opening is defined in the moving portion, such that the nozzle opening is moveable relative to the floor.
16. The inkjet nozzle assembly of claim 12, wherein the actuator is moveable relative to the nozzle opening.
17. The inkjet nozzle assembly of claim 12, wherein said roof is coated with a polymeric material.
18. An inkjet printhead comprising a plurality of nozzle assemblies, each nozzle assembly comprising:
a nozzle chamber having a nozzle opening and an ink inlet; and
a thermal bend actuator for ejecting ink through the nozzle opening, said actuator comprising:
an active beam connected to drive circuitry; and
a passive beam mechanically cooperating with the active beam, such that when a current is passed through the active beam, the active beam expands relative to the passive beam, resulting in bending of the actuator,
wherein the passive beam comprises first and second layers, the second layer is sandwiched between the first layer and the active beam, and the first layer is thicker than the second layer.
19. The printhead of 18, wherein each nozzle chamber comprises a floor and a roof having a moving portion comprising the actuator, whereby actuation of said actuator moves said moving portion towards said floor.
20. A MEMS device comprising one or more thermal bend actuators, each thermal bend actuator comprising:
an active beam connected to drive circuitry; and
a passive beam mechanically cooperating with the active beam, such that when a current is passed through the active beam, the active beam expands relative to the passive beam, resulting in bending of the actuator,
wherein the passive beam comprises first and second layers, the second layer is sandwiched between the first layer and the active beam, and the first layer is thicker than the second layer.