Active material based suction cups
US8096537B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 28, 2006 |
| Grant date | Jan 17, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 18, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16B2200/77
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Remotely engageable and releasable suction cups include a pliable body and an active material in operative communication with the pliable body and configured to create and/or eliminate a partial vacuum through the activation of stiffness or geometry changes in the active material. Suitable active materials include shape memory materials such as shape memory alloys, ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, and shape memory polymers (SMP). A second class of active materials include materials that exhibit a change in at least one attribute when subjected to an applied field but revert back to their original state upon removal of the applied field. Active materials in this category include piezoelectric materials, electroactive polymers (EAP), magnetorheological polymers, and the like.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.