Locking device for preventing a rotation and/or an axial movement of a pin, including shape memory releasing means
AssigneeC.R.F. Societa Consortile per Azioni
InventorsMarco Biasiotto, Stefano Alacqua, Gianluca Capretti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A locking device for preventing the rotation and/or the axial movement of a pin includes a coil spring wound around at least a portion of the pin and having one end rigidly connected to a support structure. In its undeformed condition, the spring has an internal diameter smaller than the diameter of the pin, whereby in its resting condition the spring is tightened around the pin to prevent a rotation thereof at least in a direction or an axial movement in any direction. The device includes shape memory means for causing the unwinding of the turns of the spring for the purpose of temporarily releasing the pin.
Claims10
A locking device for preventing the rotation and/or the axial movement of a pin, including at least a coil spring wound around a portion of said pin and having one end rigidly connected to a support structure, said spring having, in its undeformed condition, an internal diameter smaller than the diameter of said pin, whereby in a resting condition the spring is tightened around said pin to prevent a rotation thereof at least in one direction and/or an axial movement in any direction, wherein means are provided for causing an unwinding of the turns of the spring for enabling a rotation and/or an axial movement of the pin;
- wherein said means for causing the unwinding of the turns of the spring are shape memory actuating means:
- and
- wherein said shape memory means comprises a shape memory wire arranged through an axial cavity of the pin and having one end connected to the pin and the opposite end connected to a slidable actuating element for causing a loosening of the turns of said coil spring as a result of a reduction in length of said shape memory wire caused by the overcoming of the transition temperature of the shape memory material forming the wire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.