Active material actuated flow trips

US7845709B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC · US

Inventors

• Alan L. Browne · Grosse Pointe, US
• Nancy L. Johnson · Northville, US
• Guillermo A. Herrera · Calabasas, US
• Geoffrey P. Mc Knight · Los Angeles, US
• Christopher P. Henry · Thousand Oaks, US
• Andrew C. Keefe · Calabasas, US
• Bahram Khalighi · Birmingham, US
• Douglas M. Smick · Warner Robins, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 7, 2007
• Grant date: Dec 7, 2010
• Expiry date: May 15, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T292/702
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A vehicle flow trip, includes a moveable body portion in physical communication with a vehicle body, and an actuator comprising an active material in operative communication with the vehicle body and the moveable body portion; wherein the active material undergoes a change in a property upon receipt of an activation signal, wherein the change in a property is effective to displace the moveable body portion from either an original position or a deployed position in an airflow stream to the other of the original or the deployed position through motion of the actuator.