# US 12,772,732 B2 · Actuator formed of thermally adaptive material and a thermoelectric junction

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,772,732 B2
- Document ID: US12772732B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/464,163
- Filed: 2023-09-08
- Published: 2025-03-13
- Granted: 2026-10-20
- Earliest claimed: 2023-09-08
- Assignees: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
- Applicants: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
- Inventors: Viktor Kilchyk; Brent J. Merritt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12772732B2

## CPC

- H10N 10/13: characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
- H10N 10/17: characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device
- H10N 10/80: Constructional details
- H10N 10/81: Structural details of the junction
- H10N 10/817: the junction being non-separable, e.g. being cemented, sintered or soldered
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

An actuator, having: an actuator body extending between an actuator top and an actuator bottom, a top actuator support located at the actuator top and a bottom actuator support located at the actuator bottom, wherein the actuator body includes: a wall defining an outer boundary and extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end and transversely from a first side to a second side, wherein: the wall is nonmetal; the wall defines: a first segment extending longitudinally between the first and second ends and transversely from the first side to a segment junction; and a second segment extending longitudinally between the first and second ends and transversely from the second side to the segment junction; and the first segment has a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and the second segment has a second CTE that differs from the first CTE, to define a transverse CTE gradient.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An actuator, comprising:
an actuator body extending between an actuator top and an actuator bottom, a top actuator support located at the actuator top and a bottom actuator support located at the actuator bottom,
wherein the actuator body includes:
a wall defining an outer boundary and extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end and transversely from a first side to a second side,
wherein:
the wall is nonmetal;
the wall defines:
a first segment extending longitudinally between the first and second ends and transversely from the first side to a segment junction; and
a second segment extending longitudinally between the first and second ends and transversely from the second side to the segment junction,
wherein the first and second segments are formed of thermoplastic;
a thermoelectric junction is disposed around the outer boundary or between the first and second segments; and
wherein:
the first segment is formed of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE);
the second segment is formed of a second material having a second CTE that differs from the first CTE;
first fibers having the second CTE are embedded in the first segment; and
second fibers, formed of a third material that differs from the first and second materials, and has a third CTE that differs from the first and second CTE, are embedded in the second segment,
whereby the wall defines a transverse CTE gradient.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The actuator of claim 1, wherein the second CTE is lower than the first CTE.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The actuator of claim 1, wherein the third CTE is greater than the second CTE.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The actuator of claim 1, wherein:
the first segment defines a first CTE gradient, corresponding to one segment of the transverse CTE gradient, and the second segment defines a second CTE gradient, corresponding to another segment of the transverse CTE gradient, such that a maximum difference between the first CTE gradient and the second CTE gradient is at the first and second sides and a minimum difference between the first CTE gradient and the second CTE gradient is at the segment junction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The actuator of claim 4, wherein:
at the segment junction, the first CTE gradient and the second CTE gradient are the same as each other.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The actuator of claim 1, wherein:
the wall extends linearly between the first and second ends.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The actuator of claim 1, wherein:
the wall defines one or more arcs between the first and second ends.

### Claim 8

An actuator, comprising:
an actuator body extending between an actuator top and an actuator bottom, a top actuator support located at the actuator top and a bottom actuator support located at the actuator bottom,
wherein the actuator body includes:
a base having an outer boundary extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end and transversely from a first side to a second side; and
beads within the outer boundary, wherein each of the beads is nonmetal, has a bead void, and defines:
first and second perimeter segments that are opposite each other and have a first CTE; and
third and fourth perimeter segments that are opposite each other and adjacent to the first and second perimeter segments and have a second CTE that differs from the first CTE, to define a bead CTE gradient.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The actuator of claim 8, wherein:
a thermoelectric junction is disposed around the outer boundary or in one or more of the bead voids.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The actuator of claim 9, wherein:
each of the beads defines:
an outer surface; and
an inner surface, wherein the inner surface defines the bead void,
wherein:
the outer surface of the first and second perimeter segments has the first CTE, and the inner surface of the first and second perimeter segments has the second CTE; and
the outer surface of the third and fourth perimeter segments has the second CTE, and the inner surface of the third and fourth perimeter segments has the first CTE.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The actuator of claim 9, wherein:
the base includes a top elastomer layer that is disposed against the first end along the outer boundary and a bottom elastomer layer that is disposed against the second end along the outer boundary.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The actuator of claim 9, wherein:
the base includes an elastomer segment that extends from each of the beads that are located along the outer boundary of the base, so that adjacent ones of the elastomer segments overlap each other to define a flexible outer boundary cover.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The actuator of claim 9, wherein:
the base is formed as a block having an outer surface that defines the outer boundary and base voids, wherein each of the base voids is lined with one of the beads.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The actuator of claim 13, wherein the block is nonmetal.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The actuator of claim 9, wherein each of the beads is oval shaped or diamond shaped.