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US 5,769,389 AGranted
Movement actuator/sensor systems
AssigneeSarcos Group
InventorsStephen C. Jacobsen, David L. Wells
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for selectively controlling a flow of fluid includes a valve body, preferable comprised of a flexible tube having an inlet and an outlet. An actuable element, such as a shape memory alloy, is associated with the valve body. The shape memory alloy is responsive to actuation signals, heat or electrical signals, for changing its shape. When its shape changes, it causes a corresponding change in shape of the valve body thereby change a flow of fluid through the valve body.
Claims10
A valve comprising
- a flexible tube closed at one end and open at the other for receiving a fluid, said tube having a slit in a sidewall extending from the interior to the exterior, and being closed when the tube is untwisted and open when the tube is twisted,
- an actuable strip disposed to extend helically about the tube, said actuable strip being responsive to an actuation signal for changing its shape to thereby cause the tube to twist and open the slit, and being responsive to removal of the actuation signal for returning to its original shape to untwist the tube and close the slit, and
- means for selectively applying an actuation signal to and removing the actuation signal from the actuable strip.
An apparatus for selectively controlling a flow of a fluid, comprising:
- a valve body comprising at least one flexible tube defining a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
- and
- an actuable element associated with said valve body, said actuable element being responsive to an actuation signal by changing shape when the actuation signal is applied, thereby changing the shape of at least one flexible tube and changing the flow of the fluid through said fluid outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.