Method and apparatus of operating devices using actuators having expandable or contractable elements
US6478090B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 28, 2001 |
| Grant date | Nov 12, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 28, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T137/1797
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
An apparatus and method of operating devices (such as devices in a wellbore or other types of devices) utilizes actuators having expandable or contractable elements. Such expandable or contractable elements may include piezoelectric elements, magnetostrictive elements, and heat-expandable elements. Piezoelectric elements are expandable by application of an electrical voltage; magnetostrictive elements are expandable by application of a magnetic field (which may be generated by a solenoid in response to an electrical current); and heat-expandable elements are expandable by heat energy (e.g., infrared energy or microwave energy). Expandable elements are abutted to an operator member such that when the expandable element expands, the operator member is moved in a first direction, and when the expandable element contracts, the operator member moves in an opposite direction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.