The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the

United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

Projects Unlimited, Inc.

Bruce D Little

Robert L Fox

Richard F Hellbaum

Robert G Bryant

Paul H Mirick

James W High

W Keats Wilkie

Terry L St Clair

Anne K St Clair

Stanley E Woodard

Diane M Stoakley

Antony Jalink, Jr

Robert H Coultrip

John D Buckley

Donald J Progar

Richard H Couch

John R Gleason

Gerald A Denhardt

Alan W Frizzill

Bland A Stein

Rizza Balein

SeGon Jang

Raymond C Scholz

Robert H Daugherty

Rosemary Jalink, Legal Representative

Paul Mirick

James High

A method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises making a piezoelectric fiber sheet by providing a plurality of wafers of piezoelectric material, bonding the wafers together with an adhesive material to form a stack of alternating layers of piezoelectric material and adhesive material, and cutting through the stack in a direction substantially parallel to the thickness of the stack and across the alternating layers of piezoelectric material and adhesive material to provide at least one piezoelectric fiber sheet having two sides comprising a plurality of piezoelectric fibers in juxtaposition to the adhesive material. The method further comprises bonding two electrically conductive films to the two sides of the piezoelectric fiber sheet. At least one conductive film has first and second conductive patterns formed thereon which are electrically isolated from one another and in electrical contact with the piezoelectric fiber sheet.

Method of fabricating a composite apparatus

A method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises providing a piezoelectric material that has two sides and attaching one side upon an adhesive backing sheet. The method further comprises slicing the piezoelectric material to provide a plurality of piezoelectric fibers in juxtaposition. A conductive film is then adhesively bonded to the other side of the piezoelectric material, and the adhesive backing sheet is removed. The conductive film has first and second conductive patterns formed thereon which are electrically isolated from one another and in electrical contact with the piezoelectric material. The first and second conductive patterns of the conductive film each have a plurality of electrodes to form a pattern of interdigitated electrodes. A second film is then bonded to the other side of the piezoelectric material. The second film may have a pair of conductive patterns similar to the conductive patterns of the first film.

Method of fabricating a piezoelectric composite apparatus

An alert apparatus for a personal communication device includes a mechanically prestressed piezoelectric wafer positioned within the personal communication device and an alternating voltage input line coupled at two points of the wafer where polarity is recognized. The alert apparatus also includes a variable frequency device coupled to the alternating voltage input line, operative to switch the alternating voltage on the alternating voltage input line at least between an alternating voltage having a first frequency and an alternating voltage having a second frequency. The first frequency is preferably sufficiently high so as to cause the wafer to vibrate at a resulting frequency that produces a sound perceptible by a human ear, and the second frequency is preferably sufficiently low so as to cause the wafer to vibrate at a resulting frequency that produces a vibration readily felt by a holder of the personal communication device.

Piezoelectric vibrational and acoustic alert for a personal communication device

A set of film clamps and a mounting block for use in the determination of tensile modulus and damping properties of films in a manually operated or automated Rheovibron. These clamps and mounting block provide uniformity of sample gripping and alignment in the instrument. Operator dependence and data variability are greatly reduced.

Tensile film clamps and mounting block for the rheovibron and autovibron

The invention relates to a hot melt adhesive attachment pad for releasably securing distinct elements together and particularly useful in the construction industry or a spatial vacuum environment. The attachment pad consists primarily of a cloth 11 selectively impregnated with a charge of hot melt adhesive 12, a thermo-foil heater 13 and a thermo-cooler 14. These components are securely mounting in a mounting assembly 17 and 18. In operation, the operator activates the heating cycle transforming the hot melt adhesive to a substantially liquid state, positions the pad against the attachment surface, and activates the cooling cycle solidifying the adhesive and forming a strong, releasable bond.

Hot melt adhesive attachment pad

Growing community of inventors

Yorktown, VA, United States of America

Bruce D Little