Seal assembly with actuation members constructed of shape memory material
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsTyler Emerson Berkey, Nicholas Page
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A seal assembly configured to seal against a surface of a seal depressor is disclosed. The seal assembly includes a body member configured to elastically expand from an original state into an expanded state. The body member exerts a sealing pressure against the surface of the seal depressor when in the expanded state. The seal assembly also includes one or more actuation members constructed from a shape memory material having a high energy state and a low energy state. The one or more actuation members are configured to urge the body member of the seal assembly from the original state into the expanded state when the shape memory material transitions from the low energy state to the high energy state.
Claims20
A seal assembly configured to seal against a sealing surface of a seal depressor, the seal assembly comprising:
- a body member configured to elastically expand from an original state into an expanded state, wherein the body member exerts a sealing pressure against the sealing surface of the seal depressor when in the expanded state;
- and
- one or more actuation members constructed from a shape memory material having a high energy state and a low energy state, the one or more actuation members configured to urge the body member of the seal assembly from the original state into the expanded state when the shape memory material transitions from the low energy state to the high energy state, wherein the one or more actuation members are at least partially embedded within the body member of the seal assembly.
A device, comprising:
- a seal depressor defining a sealing surface;
- and
- a seal assembly including an unsecured surface configured to seal against the sealing surface of the seal depressor, the seal assembly comprising:
- a body member configured to elastically expand from an original state into an expanded state, wherein the body member exerts a sealing pressure against the sealing surface of the seal depressor when in the expanded state;
- and
- one or more actuation members constructed from a shape memory material having a high energy state and a low energy state, the one or more actuation members configured to urge the body member of the seal assembly from the original state into the expanded state when the shape memory material transitions from the low energy state to the high energy state, wherein the one or more actuation members are at least partially embedded within the body member of the seal assembly.
A method, comprising:
- heating one or more actuation members of a seal assembly to an activation temperature of a shape memory material, wherein the one or more actuation members are constructed from the shape memory material, and wherein the seal assembly comprises a body member configured to elastically expand from an original state into an expanded state;
- in response to heating the seal assembly to the activation temperature, transitioning, by the actuation members, from a low energy state to a high energy state, wherein the one or more actuation members are at least partially embedded within the body member of the seal assembly;
- urging the body member of the seal assembly from an original state to an expanded state as the shape memory material transitions from the low energy state to the high energy state;
- and
- exerting a sealing pressure by the body member of the seal assembly against a sealing surface of a seal depressor once the body member is in the expanded state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.