Undulatory structures
AssigneeTechtonic Pty Ltd
InventorsZachariah Benjamin, Colin Robert Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An undulatory structure and methods for the fabrication and use thereof. The undulatory structure includes a buckled sheet and one or more work input elements for deforming the buckled sheet in an undulating manner wherein each point in a series of points on a sinuously-shaped profile of the buckled sheet travels at least partially along a figure eight-shaped path. The undulatory structure can be adapted for use as a solid-state transducer wherein the buckled sheet provides mechanical advantage without appreciable opposition from elastic restoring forces, thereby achieving improved force, displacement and efficiency characteristics.
Claims21
-20. (canceled)
A structure comprising:
- a buckled sheet having a sinuously-shaped profile;
- and
- one or more work input elements in communication with the buckled sheet for deforming the buckled sheet in an undulating manner wherein each point in a series of points on the sinuously-shaped profile travels at least partially along a figure eight-shaped path relative to a common frame of reference.
A structure, comprising:
- a buckled sheet having a saddle point wherein a section of the buckled sheet adjacent to the saddle point has a saddle shape;
- and one or more work input elements connected to the section of the buckled sheet having a saddle shape for acting to rotatably reorientate the saddle shape of the section in relation to the saddle point by deforming the buckled sheet.
A method for performing work on one or more bodies in communication with a buckled sheet having a sinuously-shaped profile, the method including deforming the buckled sheet wherein each point in a series of points on the sinuously-shaped profile of the buckled sheet travels at least partially along a figure eight-shaped path relative to a common frame of reference whereby the buckled sheet exerts a motion-producing force on the one or more bodies as a result of the deformation.
A method of fabricating a structure comprising the steps of:
- forming a sinuously-shaped profile in a compliant sheet by inducing buckling stresses therein;
- and
- providing at least one work input element in communication with the compliant sheet for causing each point in a series of points on the sinuously-shaped profile to travel a figure eight-shaped path relative to a common frame of reference.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.