Surface wave distributed actuator systems
US5953773A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 5, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 21, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 5, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61G2200/34
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus for positioning a human subject on a surface and for transferring a subject from one surface to another. The subject is situated on the top surface of a fluid enclosure and an actuator mechanism causes local deformations of the top surface in such a manner as to create traveling waves whereby a force tangential to the top surface is exerted on the subject for moving the subject with respect to the surface. The actuator mechanism may be a motor driver and may be a plurality of linear actuators configured so as to cause local deformations of the top surface in a direction having a vertical and/or horizontal component. The linear actuators may be shape memory fibers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.