| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 060529000 | Mass is bimetallic | 11 |
| 20120017583 | SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY POWERED HYDRAULIC ACCUMULATOR HAVING ACTUATION PLATES - A system, in certain embodiments, includes an accumulator having a first plate with a first plurality of holes and a second plate with a second plurality of holes. The second plate is positioned at an offset from the first plate, and the second plate is moveable relative to the first plate to adjust a fluid pressure. The accumulator also includes a plurality of shape memory alloy wires extending between the first and second plates, wherein the plurality of shape memory alloy wires extend through the first and second plurality of holes. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120042646 | METHOD OF COOLING - A method of cooling a first region that is above the transition temperature of a phase change material having a cold phase and a warm phase and that is proximal to a second region into which heat may be exhausted. The method utilizes an article of the phase change material, and starting in the cold phase, places the article into thermal contact with the first region, thereby causing the phase change material to undergo a phase transition, changing size. When the phase transition is substantially complete, the article is taken out of thermal contact with the first region and is placed into thermal contact with the second region. At this point, force is applied to the article, causing it to transition to the cold phase, thereby exhausting heat into the second region. The process is begun again, by placing the article, once again, into thermal contact with the first region. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120216526 | SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY HEAT ENGINES AND ENERGY HARVESTING SYSTEMS - An energy harvesting system in thermal communication with a hot region and a cold region includes a hot end heat engine in thermal communication with the hot region, a cold end heat engine in thermal communication with the cold region, and an intermediate heat engine disposed between the hot end heat engine and the cold end heat engine. The hot end heat engine includes a hot end shape memory alloy (SMA) element, the cold end heat engine includes a cold end SMA element disposed, and the intermediate heat engine includes an intermediate SMA element. A hot side of the intermediate SMA element is in thermal communication with a cold side of the hot end SMA element. A cold side of the intermediate SMA element is in thermal communication with a hot side of the cold end SMA element. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20120216527 | SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY HEAT ENGINES AND ENERGY HARVESTING SYSTEMS - 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. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20130067909 | CURVED MULTIMORPH MICROACTUATORS THAT BEND AND/OR TWIST - A curved multimorph actuator is provided composed of a plurality of materials, each material exhibiting different deformations in response to a stimulus, such as heat. Application of different stimuli causes the actuator to bend and/or twist. In an embodiment, the actuator is capable of rotating an object about its center without significantly shifting the center in one or more dimensions. In a further embodiment, the actuator can be used to rotate an object about a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis and the second axis are mutually perpendicular. In an embodiment, rotation about the first axis and the second axis are achieved in combination. In another embodiment, rotation about the first axis is produced in response to a first stimulus and rotation about the second axis is produced in response to a second stimulus. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20140007572 | Methodology and Mechanisms for Enhancing High Ambient Temperature Performance in Shape Memory Alloy Applications - An actuator comprising an SMA element and a thermally responsive element that adjusts bias stress improves high ambient temperature operation. | 01-09-2014 |
| 20140216027 | HEAT STORAGE DEVICE, AND SYSTEM PROVIDED WITH HEAT STORAGE DEVICE - Provided is a heat storage device which can stably store heat by storing heat within a fixed temperature range. A heat storage device ( | 08-07-2014 |
| 20150113975 | THERMAL ACTUATOR - Disclosed is a thermal actuator that utilizes the dimensional change of a phase change media hermetically sealed within a shell. This thermal actuator may be utilized in a variety of environments where electric thermostatic actuators are impossible or impractical. | 04-30-2015 |
| 20150330370 | DYNAMIC ANTI-BUCKLING SUPPORT FOR A LONG SLENDER MEMBER WITH A HIGH AXIAL COMPRESSION STRESS STATE AND CHANGING LENGTH - Apparatus and method for supporting an elongated slender member having a high axial compression stress state during a change in length of the member. | 11-19-2015 |
| 20160069331 | Nitinol Heat Engine with Mechanical Storage Mechanism - A generator which uses one or more harvesting modules, each consisting of one or more nitinol elements, to harvest low grade thermal energy, converting it into high grade mechanical energy. The mechanical energy decoupled from the power generator by means of a mechanical energy storage mechanism, a mechanism capable of summing successive cycles, and a control mechanism. Stored mechanical energy is then utilized when needed. | 03-10-2016 |
| 20170234306 | HEAT SENSITIVE ACTUATOR DEVICE | 08-17-2017 |
