公开(公告)号：US08844281B2

公开(公告)日：2014-09-30

申请号：US13340964

申请日：2011-12-30

申请人： Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  John Andrew Shaw ,  Christopher Burton Churchill ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Paul W. Alexander ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  James Ryan Yates ,  Jeffrey W. Brown

发明人： Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  John Andrew Shaw ,  Christopher Burton Churchill ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Paul W. Alexander ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  James Ryan Yates ,  Jeffrey W. Brown

IPC分类号： F01B29/10 ,  F02G1/04 ,  C22F1/00 ,  C22C14/00 ,  C22C16/00 ,  C22C27/00 ,  F16G1/00 ,  F16G5/00 ,  F16G9/00 ,  F16G1/18 ,  F16G1/20 ,  F03G7/06

CPC分类号： F03G7/06 ,  F03G7/065 ,  Y10S420/902

摘要： A heat engine includes a first rotatable pulley and a second rotatable pulley spaced from the first rotatable pulley. A shape memory alloy (SMA) element is disposed about respective portions of the pulleys at an SMA pulley ratio. The SMA element includes a first wire, a second wire, and a matrix joining the first wire and the second wire. The first wire and the second wire are in contact with the pulleys, but the matrix is not in contact with the pulleys. A timing cable is disposed about respective portions of the pulleys at a timing pulley ratio, which is different than the SMA pulley ratio. The SMA element converts a thermal energy gradient between the hot region and the cold region into mechanical energy.

摘要翻译： 热引擎包括与第一可旋转滑轮间隔开的第一可旋转滑轮和第二可旋转滑轮。 形状记忆合金（SMA）元件以SMA滑轮比围绕滑轮的各个部分设置。 SMA元件包括第一线，第二线和连接第一线和第二线的矩阵。 第一线和第二线与滑轮接触，但是矩阵不与滑轮接触。 定时电缆以与SMA滑轮比不同的正时皮带轮比例布置在滑轮的各个部分周围。 SMA元件将热区域和冷区域之间的热能梯度转换为机械能。

公开(公告)号：US08766564B2

公开(公告)日：2014-07-01

申请号：US13251415

申请日：2011-10-03

申请人： Xiujie Gao ,  Lei Hao ,  Paul W. Alexander ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Alan L. Browne

发明人： Xiujie Gao ,  Lei Hao ,  Paul W. Alexander ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Alan L. Browne

IPC分类号： H02N10/00 ,  H02P3/00

CPC分类号： G05B19/404 ,  G05B2219/41032 ,  G05B2219/49206

摘要： A system for and method of reducing the effects of preheat period variation in shape memory alloy actuation, include sensing the removal of motion delay due to slack, backlash, and/or compliance in the actuator and drive-train of the system, and determining actuator activation, as a result thereof.

摘要翻译： 减小形状记忆合金致动中预热周期变化的影响的系统和方法包括感测由于系统的致动器和传动系中的松弛，间隙和/或顺应性而导致的运动延迟的消除，以及确定致动器 作为其结果的激活。

公开(公告)号：US08262133B2

公开(公告)日：2012-09-11

申请号：US12427868

申请日：2009-04-22

申请人： Patrick B. Usoro ,  Alan L. Browne ,  Steven G. Corrion ,  Xiujie Gao ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Nilesh D. Mankame ,  Lawrence C. Maugh ,  William B. Carter ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight

发明人： Patrick B. Usoro ,  Alan L. Browne ,  Steven G. Corrion ,  Xiujie Gao ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Nilesh D. Mankame ,  Lawrence C. Maugh ,  William B. Carter ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight

IPC分类号： B60R22/46

CPC分类号： B60R22/4676 ,  B60R2022/4685

摘要： A seat belt retractor utilizing active material actuation for selectively modifying the tension in a seat belt.

摘要翻译： 一种安全带卷收器，利用活性材料致动来选择性地改变安全带中的张力。

公开(公告)号：US20120216524A1

公开(公告)日：2012-08-30

申请号：US13340955

申请日：2011-12-30

申请人： Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Paul W. Alexander ,  Anderw C. Keefe ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Peter Maxwell Sarosi ,  James RYan Yates

发明人： Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Paul W. Alexander ,  Anderw C. Keefe ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Peter Maxwell Sarosi ,  James RYan Yates

IPC分类号： F03G7/06

CPC分类号： F03G7/06 ,  F03G7/065

摘要： A heat engine includes a first rotatable pulley and a second rotatable pulley spaced from the first rotatable pulley. A shape memory alloy (SMA) element is disposed about respective portions of the pulleys at an SMA pulley ratio. The SMA element includes first spring coil and a first fiber core within the first spring coil. A timing cable is disposed about disposed about respective portions of the pulleys at a timing pulley ratio, which is different than the SMA pulley ratio. The SMA element converts a thermal energy gradient between the hot region and the cold region into mechanical energy.

摘要翻译： 热引擎包括与第一可旋转滑轮间隔开的第一可旋转滑轮和第二可旋转滑轮。 形状记忆合金（SMA）元件以SMA滑轮比围绕滑轮的各个部分设置。 SMA元件包括第一弹簧线圈和第一弹簧线圈内的第一纤芯。 定时电缆以与SMA滑轮比不同的正时皮带轮比设置在绕滑轮的各个部分周围设置。 SMA元件将热区域和冷区域之间的热能梯度转换为机械能。

公开(公告)号：US20120216522A1

公开(公告)日：2012-08-30

申请号：US13340886

申请日：2011-12-30

申请人： Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Paul W. Alexander ,  John Andrew Shaw ,  Christopher Burton Churchill ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Nilesh D. Mankame ,  Richard J. Skurkis ,  Wayne Brown

发明人： Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Paul W. Alexander ,  John Andrew Shaw ,  Christopher Burton Churchill ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Nilesh D. Mankame ,  Richard J. Skurkis ,  Wayne Brown

IPC分类号： F03G7/06

CPC分类号： F03G7/065

摘要： An energy harvesting system for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy includes a heat engine that operates using a shape memory alloy active material. The shape memory alloy member may be in thermal communication with a hot region at a first temperature and a cold region at a second temperature lower than the first temperature. The shape memory alloy material may be configured to selectively change crystallographic phase between martensite to austenite and thereby one of contract and expand in response to the first and second temperatures. A thermal conduction element may be in direct contact with the SMA material, where the thermal conduction element is configured to receive thermal energy from the hot region and to transfer a portion of the received thermal energy to the SMA material through conduction.

摘要翻译： 用于将热能转换为机械能的能量收集系统包括使用形状记忆合金活性材料操作的热机。 形状记忆合金构件可以在第一温度的热区域和低于第一温度的第二温度的冷区域热连通。 形状记忆合金材料可以被配置为选择性地改变马氏体与奥氏体之间的结晶相，从而响应于第一和第二温度而收缩和膨胀。 导热元件可以与SMA材料直接接触，其中导热元件被配置为从热区域接收热能并且通过传导将接收的热能的一部分转移到SMA材料。

公开(公告)号：US08188757B2

公开(公告)日：2012-05-29

申请号：US12437722

申请日：2009-05-08

申请人： Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Xiujie Gao ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Nilesh D. Mankame ,  Alan L. Browne ,  Nicholas William Pinto

发明人： Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Xiujie Gao ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Nilesh D. Mankame ,  Alan L. Browne ,  Nicholas William Pinto

IPC分类号： G01R27/08

CPC分类号： F03G7/065

摘要： A method of controlling a shape memory alloy actuator utilizing the change in resistance exhibited by the actuator over an actuation cycle, or a derivative thereof, to identify at least one event, such as, for example, a peak, valley, change in slope without reaching a valley, or a jump in resistance within the signal plot that corresponds to the start of actuation, end of actuation, an overload case, and the introduction of a resistive element respectively, and generating a response based upon the event.

摘要翻译： 一种利用执行机构在致动周期或其衍生物上呈现的电阻变化来控制形状记忆合金致动器的方法，以识别至少一个事件，例如峰谷，坡度变化，而没有 到达一个谷或信号图中的对应于启动开始，致动结束，过载情况和分别引入电阻元件的电阻中的电阻跳跃，并且基于事件产生响应。

公开(公告)号：US20120109573A1

公开(公告)日：2012-05-03

申请号：US12938683

申请日：2010-11-03

申请人： Xiujie Gao ,  Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Lei Hao ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Christopher P. Henry

发明人： Xiujie Gao ,  Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Lei Hao ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Christopher P. Henry

IPC分类号： G06F15/00 ,  F24J3/00 ,  G01N25/00

CPC分类号： G01N25/18

摘要： A method of sensing an ambient heat transfer condition surrounding a shape memory alloy element includes heating the shape memory alloy element, sensing the resistance of the shape memory alloy element, and measuring the period of time taken to heat the shape memory alloy element to a pre-determined level of a resistance characteristic. The ambient heat transfer condition surrounding the shape memory alloy element is calculated by referencing a relationship between the period of time taken to heat the shape memory alloy to the pre-determined level of the resistance characteristic and the ambient heat transfer condition.

摘要翻译： 检测形状记忆合金元件周围的环境传热条件的方法包括加热形状记忆合金元件，感测形状记忆合金元件的电阻，以及测量将形状记忆合金元件加热到预先形成的时间 确定电阻特性的水平。 通过参照将形状记忆合金加热所需的时间与预定的电阻特性水平和环境传热条件之间的关系来计算围绕形状记忆合金元件的环境传热条件。

公开(公告)号：US07500704B2

公开(公告)日：2009-03-10

申请号：US11555288

申请日：2006-11-01

申请人： Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Paul W. Alexander ,  Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Robert E. Doty

发明人： Guillermo A. Herrera ,  Paul W. Alexander ,  Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Robert E. Doty

IPC分类号： B60R7/06 ,  B60K37/00

CPC分类号： E05B47/023 ,  B60R7/06 ,  C08L2201/12 ,  E05B17/0058 ,  E05B47/0009 ,  E05B47/0011 ,  E05B53/003 ,  E05B79/20 ,  E05B81/64 ,  E05B83/30 ,  E05F15/60 ,  E05Y2201/43 ,  E05Y2800/67 ,  E05Y2900/538 ,  G07C9/00912 ,  G07C9/00944

摘要： Accessing interior compartments for storage or other purposes is improved by the use of one or more active material components. Activating one or more active material components carries out one or more of the following functions: opening or closing the compartment (which may include cinching a closure) and/or latching or unlatching a closure from a frame. Activation may result from a remote trigger signal. A method is provided for controlling access to an interior compartment that may be carried out by a controller operatively connected to various active material components that unlatch the closure from the frame, close the closure and cinch the closure to the frame, respectively.

摘要翻译： 通过使用一种或多种活性材料组分来改善用于存储或其它目的的内部隔室。 激活一个或多个活性材料部件执行以下功能中的一个或多个：打开或关闭隔室（其可以包括闭合闭合件）和/或从框架锁定或解锁闭合件。 激活可能由远程触发信号引起。 提供了一种用于控制对内部隔间的通路的方法，所述方法可以由可操作地连接到各种活动材料部件的控制器执行，所述控制器分别将闭合件从框架上解开，闭合闭合件并将闭合件分别固定在框架上。

公开(公告)号：US09236207B2

公开(公告)日：2016-01-12

申请号：US13250248

申请日：2011-09-30

申请人： Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Guillermo A. Herrera

发明人： Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Guillermo A. Herrera

IPC分类号： F03G7/06 ,  H01H37/32 ,  E05B47/00

CPC分类号： H01H37/323 ,  E05B47/0009 ,  F03G7/065

摘要： A deformable bi-stable device includes an elastically deformable member having at least two stable configurations and capable of being deformed from a first stable configuration to a second stable configuration, the element passing through an unstable configuration as it is deformed from the first stable configuration to the second stable configuration, and a shape memory polymer layer on or in the elastically deformable member. A method of using this device includes heating the shape memory polymer to a temperature sufficient to reduce the modulus of the shape memory polymer, deforming the deformable member to move from one of the first and second stable configurations to another of the first and second stable configurations, and cooling the device to a temperature sufficient to increase the modulus of the shape memory polymer.

摘要翻译： 一种可变形的双稳态装置包括具有至少两个稳定构造并且能够从第一稳定构型变形到第二稳定构型的可弹性变形构件，该元件在从第一稳定构型变形时穿过不稳定构型， 第二稳定构型和可弹性变形构件上或其中的形状记忆聚合物层。 使用该装置的方法包括将形状记忆聚合物加热到足以降低形状记忆聚合物的模量的温度，使可变形构件变形从第一和第二稳定构型中的一个移动到第一和第二稳定构型中的另一个 ，并将该装置冷却到足以增加形状记忆聚合物的模量的温度。

公开(公告)号：US08853916B2

公开(公告)日：2014-10-07

申请号：US13250317

申请日：2011-09-30

申请人： Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Guillermo A. Herrera

发明人： Alan L. Browne ,  Nancy L. Johnson ,  Geoffrey P. McKnight ,  Andrew C. Keefe ,  Guillermo A. Herrera

IPC分类号： H01L41/09 ,  G05G5/06 ,  G05G1/02 ,  H01H5/30

CPC分类号： H01L41/09 ,  F03G7/06 ,  G05G1/02 ,  G05G5/06 ,  H01H5/30 ,  H01L41/04 ,  H01L41/0926

摘要： A reconfigurable bi-stable device includes an elastically deformable panel laterally disposed between and connected to one or more mounting members directly or indirectly connected to opposing ends of the panel, with the panel maintained under compressive force along at least one vector extending between the opposing ends. The compressive force deforms the panel into a one of two stable deformed positions, with the device disposed such that the panel may be moved between each of the two stable deformed positions by application of manual force to one of two opposing faces of the panel. A first shape memory alloy (SMA) or piezo actuator member is connected to the panel, the actuator member being capable of moving the panel from a first one of the two stable deformed positions to a second one of the two stable deformed positions.

摘要翻译： 可重构双稳态装置包括横向设置在直接或间接连接到面板的相对端的一个或多个安装构件之间并且连接到面板的相对端部之间并连接到面板的相对端部的弹性变形板，其中面板沿着在相对端之间延伸的至少一个矢量保持在压缩力 。 压缩力使面板变形为两个稳定的变形位置之一，其中该装置设置成使得面板可以通过对面板的两个相对面之一施加手动力而在两个稳定的变形位置中的每一个之间移动。 第一形状记忆合金（SMA）或压电致动器构件连接到面板，致动器构件能够将面板从两个稳定变形位置中的第一个移动到两个稳定变形位置中的第二个。