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US 6,048,622 AGranted
Composites for structural control
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsNesbitt W. Hagood, IV, Aaron A. Bent
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Composites for actuating or sensing deformation. In embodiments, the composites have a series of flexible, elongated piezoelectric fibers arranged in a parallel array with adjacent fibers separated by relatively soft polymer. The piezoelectric fibers have a common poling direction transverse to their axial extension. The composite further includes flexible conductive material along the axial extension of the fibers for imposing or detecting an electric field.
Claims17
Apparatus for actuating directional deformation of a structural component comprising:
- an array of elongated electro-ceramic fibers embedded in a polymer matrix and disposed on a face of the structural component, each fiber having an axis substantially aligned with a common fiber array axis that has an orientation, in a plane parallel with the face of the structural component, that is selected to produce a corresponding selected anisotropic actuation and a deformation of the component in a direction of the common fiber array axis when the fiber array is actuated;
- and
- at least one electrode disposed on the fiber array to impose an actuation field on the fiber array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.