Apparatus that changes physical state and a method
AssigneeNokia Technologies Oy
InventorsMarkku Antti Kyosti Rouvala, Johan Kildal
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Abstract
An apparatus including polymer configured to have a first state or a second state, wherein the volume of the polymer in the first state is different to a volume of the polymer in the second state; an actuator configured to be controlled by an input signal to cause the polymer to change between the first state and the second state; and a constraint configured to constrain the polymer in at least a first direction when the polymer changes between the first state and the second state.
Claims18
An apparatus comprising:
- polymer configured to have a first state or a second state, wherein the volume of the polymer in the first state is different from a volume of the polymer in the second state;
- an actuator configured to be controlled by an input signal to cause the polymer to change between the first state and the second state;
- and
- a constraint configured to constrain the polymer in at least a first direction when the polymer changes between the first state and the second state;
- wherein the constraint comprises a closed-cell expandable structure comprising at least two laterally interconnected expandable cells;
- and
- wherein the input signal is a temporary first input signal that causes the polymer to change from the first state to the second state, wherein the polymer remains in the second state, in the absence of the temporary first input signal, for a duration longer than a duration of the temporary first input signal.
A method comprising:
- causing an actuator to change a polymer between a first state and a second state, wherein the volume of the polymer in the first state is different from the volume of the polymer in the second state;
- and
- constraining the polymer in at least a first direction when the polymer changes between the first state and the second state;
- wherein the constraint comprises a closed-cell expandable structure comprising at least two laterally interconnected expandable cells;
- and
- wherein the actuator is configured to be controlled by a temporary first input signal that causes the polymer to change from the first state to the second state, wherein the polymer remains in the second state, in the absence of the temporary first input signal, for a duration longer than a duration of the temporary first input signal.
An apparatus comprising a pre-stressed polymer configured to have a first state and a second state, wherein the volume of the polymer in the first state is different from the volume of the polymer in the second state;
- and
- an actuator configured to be controlled by an input signal to cause the polymer to change between the first state and the second state;
- wherein pre-stressing of the polymer causes the polymer to change volume asymmetrically and preferably in at least a particular direction;
- wherein the asymmetric change in volume is constrained by a closed-cell expandable structure comprising at least two laterally interconnected expandable cells that resist strain in a first direction and do not significantly resist strain in a second direction;
- and
- wherein the actuator configured to be controlled by the input signal causes the polymer to change from the first state to the second state, wherein the polymer remains in the second state, in the absence of the input signal, for a duration longer than a duration of the input signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.