System for temporarily blocking the relative displacement of two bodies, following at least a preset direction
US6287039A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 15, 1999 |
| Grant date | Sep 11, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 15, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T403/21
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The blocking system comprises a first interface element adapted to cooperate with a first of two bodies; a second interface element adapted to cooperate with the second of the two bodies; blocking element adapted to cooperate with the interface elements to ensure temporary blocking and comprising a frangible zone; a rupture device consisting of a shape memory alloy adapted to be deformed by elongation through heating to break the frangible zone, by which the second body becomes free to move relative to the first body; and heating element adapted to heat the rupture device beyond the critical temperature to cause the shape memory alloy to be deformed. A redundancy of heating element may be provided, as well as a retraction of at least part of the blocking element in a housing defined by one of the interface elements. The invention is useful for blocking the displacement of a tilting platform with respect to a fixed platform in the field of space applications.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.