Rotary electrothermal actuator
US5263324A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 25, 1992 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 25, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05B3/14
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An electrothermal actuator for converting electrical energy to rotational mechanical motion includes a housing, a flexible diaphragm disposed in the housing and defining a boiler chamber within the housing, a working fluid disposed within the boiler chamber and changing phase in response to heating, thereby displacing the diaphragm, a heater disposed within the boiler chamber for heating the working fluid in response to an electrical current flowing through the heater, and a rotatable shaft assembly partially disposed within the housing and including a rotating shaft extending outside the housing, rotating between a return position and a rotated position, and a driver for rotating the shaft from the return position toward a rotated position in response to heating of the working fluid, displacing the diaphragm.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.