Patent ID: 7948693

Claim:
An aperture apparatus, comprising: a transparent substrate; a plurality of elongated electro-active polymer (EAP) members supported by the substrate and spaced apart from each other, each of the EAP members comprising a first surface facing the transparent substrate and an opposite second surface, each of the EAP members further comprising a fixed first end and an opposite second end movable relative to the substrate; a first electrode and a second electrode respectively contacting the second surface and the first surface at the first end of each of the EAP members; and an aperture sheet made of black rubber and positioned on the EAP members, the aperture sheet comprising an aperture defined therein and a peripheral portion surrounding the aperture, the EAP members being under the peripheral portion and arranged around the aperture, the first ends of the EAP members being substantially aligned with outer wall portions of the peripheral portion, the second ends of the EAP members being fixed to inner wall portions of the peripheral portion adjacent to the aperture, the EAP members being deformable in response to a voltage applied between the first and second electrodes so as to vary the size of the aperture.