Importance

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Abstract

The object is to provide a polymer actuator capable of securing high sealability in spite of a simple interior structure, controlling opening and closing of the fluid passage or flow rate while increasing the amount of displacement at a small amount of applied voltage, and controlling the flow rate from small flow rate to large flow rate through variation in the applied voltage, thereby enhancing response performance and to provide a valve using the polymer actuator. The polymer actuator includes a power driver 2 deformed upon receiving external electro stimuli and fixed electrodes 3 and 4 disposed on upper and lower surface sides of the power driver 2 in an opposite manner for applying positive and negative external electro stimuli to the power driver 2 in a planar fashion, wherein at least one of the fixed electrodes 3 and 4 extends to a side, on which the power driver is bent and deformed, and has an abutment surface 5 displaced by means of the Coulomb force when the power driver 2 has been deformed, thereby enabling the abutment surface to come into contact with the power driver and, at the time of application of no external electro stimuli, the abutment surface 5 of one of the fixed electrodes forms a spaced-apart region T between itself and the power driver 2.

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First Claim