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US 8,146,357 B2Granted
Self assembling/quick assembly structure using shape memory alloy materials
AssigneeThe Invention Science Fund I, LLC
InventorsEdward K. Y. Jung, Clarence T. Tegreene
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Abstract
A shape memory alloy material may be incorporated in an assembly structure.
Claims38
An apparatus comprising:
- a first piece, an assembly, and a stop;
- said first piece having a segment and being configured to rotate between a first orientation and a second orientation with respect to the assembly;
- said assembly being configured to pass the first piece when the first piece is in the first orientation and to block passage of the first piece and to engage the segment when the first piece is in the second orientation, said assembly including a first shape memory alloy responsive to an energy transfer to apply a force to the segment along the transverse direction, the segment being shaped to translate the first piece along a selected path responsive to the transverse force, the selected path being non-parallel to the direction of the transverse force;
- and
- said stop being positioned to limit movement of the segment along the selected path.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a first piece, said first piece having an engagement surface and being configured to rotate between a first orientation and a second orientation with respect to an assembly;
- and
- the assembly being configured to pass the first piece when the first piece is in the first orientation and to block passage of the first piece when the first piece is in the second orientation, the assembly being further configured to interact with the engagement surface in a manner that applies a force to the engagement surface when the first piece is in the second orientation, the assembly and first piece being arranged such that the applied force translates the first piece along a selected path, the selected path being non-parallel to the direction of the applied force, the assembly including a first shape memory alloy responsive to an energy transfer to provide the force to be applied.
An apparatus comprising:
- a first piece, said first piece having a segment and being configured to rotate between a first orientation and a second orientation with respect to a stop, the stop being configured to pass the first piece when the first piece is in the first orientation and to block passage of the first piece when the first piece is in the second orientation;
- and
- an assembly configured to engage the segment, said assembly including a first shape memory alloy responsive to an energy transfer to apply a force to the segment along a transverse direction relative to the selected path, the segment being shaped to translate the first piece along the selected path responsive to the transverse force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.