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US 10,480,671 B2Granted
Control element with buckled member
AssigneeGenesis Advanced Technology Inc.
InventorJames Brent Klassen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A control element having a beam member divided into an actuation section and a valve section positioned on opposing sides of a pivot member, in which active control of the actuation section causes buckling of the valve section to bring the valve section from a closed state to an open state or causes relaxing of the valve section to bring the valve section from an open state to a closed state.
Claims12
A control element that is configured to act as a valve or switch and that allows for control of the valve or switch opening and closing, the control element comprising:
- a buckled beam member loaded in compression to cause the buckled beam member to buckle between a first constrained end and a second constrained end of the buckled beam member;
- and
- a motion limiting member disposed between the first constrained end and the second constrained end of the buckled beam member and arranged to limit buckling of the buckled beam member and separate the buckled beam member into a first section at the first constrained end and a second section at the second constrained end while allowing longitudinal motion of the buckled beam member relative to the motion limiting member, in which buckling of the buckled beam member at the first constrained end causes the second section to straighten from the motion limiting member to the second constrained end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.