Thermal mechanical drive actuator, thermal probe and method of thermally driving a probe
US7748260B2 · kind B2 · utility
8Cited by
9References
30Claims
0Family size
Assignee
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Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 12, 2006 |
| Grant date | Jul 6, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 14, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01Q10/045
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A drive actuator for a measurement instrument having a probe, the drive actuator including a heating element in a thermally conductive relationship with the probe such that application of electric current to the heating element modifies a characteristic of the probe. The probe device includes a probe including a cantilever having a lever made of a material having a selected thermal expansivity and a drive actuator in operable cooperation with the cantilever lever made of a material having a thermal expansivity different than the thermal expansivity of the material of which the cantilever lever is made.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.