Patent ID: 8278797

Claim:
An electrostatic motor comprising: a rotating shaft having a center; a vacuum container having a main body; a disc-shaped stator; and a disc-shaped rotor, said disc-shaped stator and said disc-shaped rotor being disposed opposite to each other in said vacuum container such that said stator is fixed to said main body of said vacuum container and said rotor is pivotally supported on said main body of said vacuum container so as to freely rotate via said rotating shaft; wherein said stator has a first electrode support having a ring shape and a second electrode support having a ring shape, electrically insulated by a first insulator, said first and second electrode supports have a plurality of radial projections, respectively, and each of first electrodes and each of second electrodes are attached to said radial projections so as to alternate along circumferences of said first and second electrodes supports, said rotor has a first electrode support having a ring shape and a second electrode support having a ring shape, electrically insulated by a second insulator, said first and second electrode supports have a plurality of radial projections, respectively, and each of first electrodes and each of second electrodes are attached to said radial projections so as to alternate along circumferences of said first and second electrodes supports, said first and second electrode supports of said first and second electrodes on said stator and said first and second electrode supports of said first and second electrodes on said rotor are insulatively supported by said first and second insulators, respectively, so as to allow sufficient distance for creepage, said first and second electrodes on said stator are each arranged at a spacing of two or more rows at a predetermined distance from said center of said rotating shaft; said first and second electrodes on said rotor are each arranged at a predetermined distance from said center of said rotating shaft, and intermediate between said rows of said first and second electrodes of said stator, voltages of different polarities are capable of being fixedly applied to said first and second electrodes on said stator, when a first voltage is applied to said first electrodes of said rotor, a second voltage is applied to said second electrodes of said rotor, and said first and second electrodes of said rotor being different polarities, and when a second voltage is applied to said first electrode of said rotor, a first voltage is applied to said second electrodes of said rotor, and said first and second electrodes of said rotor being different polarities, predetermined electric fields are capable of being generated between neighboring first and second electrodes of said stator, respectively, and voltages of different polarities are capable of being applied to said first and second electrodes of said rotor so as to be switched at a predetermined timing, thereby providing a rotational driving force to said rotor.