Patent ID: 8866363

Claim:
An electrostatic actuator, comprising: a substrate; an electrode unit provided on the substrate; a film body unit provided to oppose the electrode unit, the film body unit being conductive and having a rectangular configuration; and an urging unit including a connection unit and an elastic unit, the connection unit being connected to the substrate, the elastic unit being provided between the connection unit and the film body unit, the urging unit being configured to support the film body unit, a contacting state and a separated state being possible for the electrode unit and the film body unit according to a voltage applied to the electrode unit, the elastic unit having a plurality of branch portions connected in series between one end of the elastic unit connected to the connection unit and a plurality of one other ends of the elastic unit connected to the film body unit, wherein the branch portions are configured such that the one other ends of the elastic unit are mutually disposed along the direction of the greater length of the rectangular configuration of the film body unit, and wherein the one other ends of the elastic unit have lengths extending perpendicular to the direction of the greater length of the rectangular configuration.