Back to results
US 11,231,022 B2Granted
Electrical connections for SMA actuators
AssigneeCambridge Mechatronics Limited
InventorsJames Howarth, Andrew Benjamin Simpson Brown, Stephen Matthew Bunting, Robert Langhorne, Martin McBrien
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Broadly speaking, embodiments of the present techniques provide mechanisms for electrically connecting shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator wires of an actuation device to a power or current source via at least one connection element.
Claims26
An actuation apparatus comprising:
- a static component;
- a moveable component that is moveable relative to the static component;
- a plurality of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator wires, each SMA actuator wire comprising a first portion coupled to the static component and a second portion coupled to the moveable component;
- a plurality of wire connectors, each wire connector for connecting the first portion of one of the plurality of SMA actuator wires to the static component;
- and
- at least one connection element arranged to individually connect the plurality of wire connectors to corresponding electrical terminals, wherein the electrical terminals are coupleable to a control circuit that enables selective driving of the SMA actuator wires,
- wherein the electrical terminals are grouped into a first group and a second group, where the first group is provided on a first side of the static component, and the second group is provided on a second side of the static component.
4 more elements
An actuation apparatus comprising:
- a static component;
- a moveable component that is moveable relative to the static component;
- a plurality of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator wires, each SMA actuator wire comprising a first portion coupled to the static component and a second portion coupled to the moveable component;
- and
- at least one connection element comprising at least one crimp for gripping SMA actuator wire, where the at least one connection element electrically couples together the second portion of each SMA actuator wire and is coupleable to a control circuit that enables selective driving of the SMA actuator wires,
- wherein the at least one connection element is a conductive ring comprising four crimp tabs, each crimp tab having two crimps each, wherein the second portion of each SMA actuator wire is coupled to one of crimps, and the crimps are coupled to the moveable component.
3 more elements
An actuation apparatus comprising:
- a static component;
- a moveable component that is moveable relative to the static component;
- a plurality of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator wires, each SMA actuator wire comprising a first portion coupled to the static component and a second portion coupled to the moveable component;
- and
- at least one connection element comprising at least one crimp for gripping SMA actuator wire, where the at least one connection element electrically couples together the second portion of each SMA actuator wire and is coupleable to a control circuit that enables selective driving of the SMA actuator wires,
- wherein the at least one connection element comprises a plurality of crimp components, wherein each crimp component comprises:
- a body portion coupleable to the moveable component,
- a connecting arm extending from the body portion, and
- at least one crimp tab extending from the body portion, each crimp tab having at least one crimp for coupling to the second portion of one of the plurality of SMA actuator wires,
- wherein the plurality of crimp components are arranged such that their connecting arms connect together.
7 more elements
An actuation apparatus comprising:
- a static component;
- a moveable component that is moveable relative to the static component;
- a plurality of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator wires, each SMA actuator wire comprising a first portion coupled to the static component and a second portion coupled to the moveable component;
- a plurality of wire connectors, each wire connector for connecting the first portion of one of the plurality of SMA actuator wires to the static component;
- and
- at least one connection element arranged to individually connect the plurality of wire connectors to corresponding electrical terminals, wherein the electrical terminals are coupleable to a control circuit that enables selective driving of the SMA actuator wires,
- wherein the plurality of SMA actuator wires comprises eight SMA actuator wires, wherein the electrical terminals are grouped into a first group, a second group, a third group, and a fourth group, provided on a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side of the static component respectively, and wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth group comprises at least two electrical terminals.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.