Separable physical coupler using piezoelectric forces for decoupling
US10816026B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 9, 2017 |
| Grant date | Oct 27, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 27, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16B2031/002
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A coupler for separable physically coupling together a pair of objects includes two parts, on opposite sides of a boundary, that have different piezoelectric characteristics. When an electric field is applied to the coupler parts the piezoelectric forces induce a mechanical stress that separates the parts. The parts may be made of the same or a similar material, such as a suitable ceramic material, with the different piezoelectric characteristics produced by templating the parts with different domain orientations, from different seeds, for example using a three-dimensional manufacturing processes. The coupler may be used to allow shock-free (or reduced shock) separation of parts, such as separation of stages of vehicles such as flight vehicles.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.