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US 9,984,841 B1Granted
Wire release mechanism
AssigneeSimmonds Precision Products, Inc.
InventorMartin Edwy Buttolph
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wire release mechanism includes two components with adjacent longitudinal fingers and a wire that is wound about the fingers. The wire restrains one of the components in one position and includes a higher resistance fuse that causes the wire to be loosened about the fingers to allow that component to move to another position due to the flow of electrical current through the fuse.
Claims20
A wire release mechanism, comprising:
- a first component with a first base and a first finger longitudinally extending from the base;
- a second component with a second base and a second finger longitudinally extending from the base, the second component being positioned adjacent to the first component such that the first finger is longitudinally alongside the second finger, and wherein relative longitudinal movement is permitted between the first finger and the second finger such that the second component is movable longitudinally relative to the first component between a first position and a second position;
- and
- a wire that begins at the first base, is wound about the first and second fingers, and ends at the second base;
- wherein the wire restrains the second component in the first position and includes a higher resistance fuse portion that selectively causes the wire to be loosened about the first and second fingers to allow the second component to move to the second position due to the flow of electrical current through the fuse portion of the wire.
2 more elements
A method of using a wire release mechanism, the method comprising:
- positioning a first component with a longitudinally extending first finger adjacent to a second component with a longitudinally extending second finger such that the first finger is longitudinally alongside the second finger and such that the first component can move longitudinally relative to the second component between a first position and an actuation position;
- winding a wire about the first and second fingers to restrain the second component in the first position, the wire including a fuse portion, to form the wire release mechanism;
- and
- screwing the wire release mechanism into a housing such that a first thread on an exterior of the first component engages a second thread on an interior of the housing and electrically connects the wire with the housing.
1 more element
An actuation system, comprising:
- a combination of a first component with a longitudinally extending first finger and a second component with a longitudinally extending second finger such that the first finger is longitudinally alongside the second finger, and wherein relative longitudinal movement is permitted between the first finger and the second finger such that the second component is movable longitudinally with respect to the first component between a first position and a second position;
- a wire wound about the first fingers and the second fingers that selectively restrains the second component in the first position, the wire including a fuse portion that selectively causes the wire to be loosened about the first and second fingers to allow the second component to move to the second position by way of flow of electrical current;
- and
- a third component connected to the second component that moves with the second component from the first position to the second position.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.