Rotational actuators

US9951758B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-9951758-B2
Application numberUS-201715419100-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateJan 30, 2017
Priority dateJun 20, 2013
Publication dateApr 24, 2018
Grant dateApr 24, 2018

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  3. Assignees and inventors

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

An actuator includes a drum defining a longitudinal axis and having axially opposed first and second end portions that are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis. A shape memory element is wrapped around the drum and extends from the first end portion of the drum to the second end portion of the drum to actuate relative rotation of the first and second end portions of the drum about the longitudinal axis by activation of the shape memory element.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. An actuator comprising: a drum defining a longitudinal axis and having axially opposed first and second end portions that are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis; and a shape memory element wrapped around the drum and around the longitudinal axis and extending from the first end portion of the drum to the second end portion of the drum to actuate relative rotation of the first and second end portions of the drum about the longitudinal axis by activation of the shape memory element; wherein the drum includes a plurality of discs including at least three discs axially stacked along the longitudinal axis, the at least three discs being free to rotate independently from one another around the longitudinal axis. 2. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discs and the shape memory element are coaxial about the longitudinal axis. 3. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of discs is operatively connected to a shaft for independent rotation. 4. The actuator of claim 3 , wherein each disc is connected to the shaft by one of a bearing and a bushing. 5. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the shape memory element wraps around the drum and longitudinal axis along a helix, wherein the helix, the drum, and the at least three discs of the drum are all coaxial with one another about the longitudinal axis.

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Frequently asked questions

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What does patent US9951758B2 cover?
An actuator includes a drum defining a longitudinal axis and having axially opposed first and second end portions that are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis. A shape memory element is wrapped around the drum and extends from the first end portion of the drum to the second end portion of the drum to actuate relative rotation of the first and second end portions of the…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Simmonds Precision Products
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification F03G7/06143. Mapped technology areas include Mechanical Engineering.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Apr 24 2018 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).