Mountable arm smart material actuator and energy harvesting apparatus
US8669689B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 12, 2010 |
| Grant date | Mar 11, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 22, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/4973
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A smart material actuator comprising a mechanical amplifier with a fixed supporting member, at least one mountable actuating arm, and mechanical web having at least one compliant member attached to the mountable arm and a movable supporting member. A piezoelectric stack is affixed between a first mounting surface on the fixed supporting member and a second mounting surface on the movable supporting member. With the fixed supporting member being substantially rigid, and the piezoelectric stack being affixed between the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface, which are substantially parallel, applying an appropriate electric potential to the piezoelectric stack will cause it to expand substantially without angular movement. The expansion urges the second mounting surface away from the first, thereby causing the compliant members of the mechanical web to flex, thereby moving the mountable actuating arm. The configuration of the web and the length of the mountable arm cause the actuating end of the arm to move across a distance greater than the expansion of the piezoelectric stack. In this way, the expansion of the stack is effectively amplified by the mechanical amplif…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.