Cambridge Mechatronics Limited

Sanofi-a Ventis Deutschland Gmbh

Hutchinson Technology Corporation

Campbell Soup Company

James Robert Howarth

Andrew Benjamin Simpson Brown

Stephen Matthew Bunting

Robin Eddington

Dominic George Webber

Michael Harms

Steffen Raab

John David Cross

Geoffrey Philip Gray

Trevor John Beckett

Andrew Benjamin David Brown

Marc-Sebastian Scholz

Robert Langhorne

Joshua Carr

Andreas Flouris

Oliver Hart

Daniel John Burbridge

Peter Van Wyk

Thomas James Powell

Konstantinos Pantelidis

Nicholas Henry Reddall

Adam South

Peter Francis Ladwig

Richard Rodger Jenneke

Martin McBrien

David Kuan Wei Ooi

Chee Keong Lai

Andrew Antony Brown

Udo Leuschner

Michael Strehl

Norbert Besenhardt

Mark Robert Watts

Jonathan Morgan

David Charles William Richards

Talia Salamon-Hickey

William John Cramer

Chris Dawson

Rasheed Mohammed

Ian Edward Charles Rogers

Robin Craig Cocker

Paul Windle

George Richard Gregory

Jason Tun

Mohammed Karkache

Igor Gotlibovych

Allan Sinclair

Anthony Raymond Charpentier

Eugene Yu Jen Ho

Valerio Polenta

David Ooi

Tevor John Beckett

Emily Kwok

Stephen Kindness

Alexander Doust

Nicolas Heijne

Adrienne Lynn Sienkowski

René Kist

Amanda Zimlich

An actuator assembly comprises a static part and a movable part. A helical bearing arrangement supporting the movable part on the static part guides helical movement of the movable part with respect to the static part around a helical axis. One or more actuators, that are not shape memory alloy actuators, are arranged to drive movement of the movable part around the helical axis, which thereby includes a component of translational movement along the helical axis. The helical movement increases the force within the actuator assembly allowing actuation of heavier movable parts, and may improve posture.

Actuator assembly

An actuator assembly () comprises: a support structure (); a movable part () that is movable relative to the support structure; and a set of one or more actuating units (). Each actuating unit () is configured, on actuation, to apply a force on the movable part () that is substantially directed along a line in a plane perpendicular to a primary axis (z). Each actuating unit () comprises: a force-modifying mechanism () connected to one of the support structure () and the movable part (); a coupling link () connected between the force-modifying mechanism () and the other of the support structure () and the movable part (); and an SMA element () connected between the force-modifying mechanism () and the one of the support structure () and the movable part (). The SMA element () is configured to exert an input force on the force-modifying mechanism (), thereby causing the force-modifying mechanism () to apply an output force on the coupling link () and causing the coupling link () to apply an actuating force on the other of the support structure () and the movable part (). The component of the input force along the primary axis (z) has a greater magnitude than the component of the input force in any direction perpendicular to the primary axis (z).

A shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator assembly comprising: a support structure (); a moveable part () moveable relative to the support structure; at least one SMA wire () having a first portion and a second portion respectively attached to the support structure and the moveable part, the said SMA wire is configured to, on contraction, drive movement in the moveable part at least in a primary axis along which the shortest side of the SMA actuator assembly extends; an intermediate component () engaging the SMA wire at a location between the first and second portions, the second portion of the SMA wire being arranged at an oblique angle to both the primary axis and the first portion of the SMA wire.

A shape memory alloy apparatus () comprising: a member () comprising a first end portion () and a second end portion (); and a shape memory alloy component () connected to the member (). The shape memory alloy component () being configured to, on contraction, change the separation between the first end portion () and the second end portion () of the member (), the member () being configured to be in tension during contraction of the shape memory alloy component (), wherein the said separation changes in a direction that is angled to the direction of contraction.

Shape memory alloy apparatus

A shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator () for a camera assembly, comprising:—a support structure supporting an electronic component, wherein the electronic component is susceptible to interference caused by magnetic flux; —a moveable part moveable relative to the support structure; one or more SMA components () connected between the moveable part and the support structure, wherein the one or more SMA components are configured to, on contraction, drive movement of the movable part; —a first electrical path and a second electrical path defined between, and/or including, each of the one or more SMA components () and respective electrical terminals (a); and wherein the first and second electrical paths of each of the one or more SMA components are configured to, at least in part, extend adjacently to and in parallel with each other, and enabling the electrical current in the respective paths to flow in opposite directions, so as to minimise combined magnetic flux from the first and second electrical paths into the electronic component.

Shape memory alloy actuator

An actuator assembly () comprising: a support structure () comprising a first friction surface (); a movable part () comprising a second friction surface () engaging the first friction surface; one or more SMA wires () arranged, on contraction, to move the movable part relative to the support structure to any position within a range of movement; a biasing arrangement () arranged to bias the first and second friction surfaces against each other with a normal force, thereby generating a static frictional force that constrains the movement of the movable part relative to the support structure at any position within the range of movement when the one or more SMA wires are not contracted, wherein the one or more SMA wires are arranged such that the normal force between the first and second friction surfaces remains substantially constant on contraction of the one or more SMA wires.

An actuator assembly comprising: a support structure comprising a first friction surface; a movable part comprising a second friction surface engaging the first friction surface; one or more SMA wires arranged, on contraction, to move the movable part relative to the support structure to any position within a range of movement; a biasing arrangement arranged to bias the first and second friction surfaces against each other with a normal force, thereby generating a static frictional force that constrains the movement of the movable part relative to the support structure at any position within the range of movement when the one or more SMA wires are not contracted; wherein the one or more SMA wires are arranged, on contraction, to reduce the normal force between first and second friction surfaces.

An actuator assembly () comprising: first () and second () parts that are movable relative to each other; and one or more actuating units, each actuating unit comprising: a force-modifying mechanism () connected to the first part (); a coupling link () connected between the force-modifying mechanism () and the second part (); and an SMA wire () connected between the first part () and the force-modifying mechanism () for applying an input force on the force-modifying mechanism () thereby causing the force-modifying mechanism () to apply an output force on the coupling link () and causing the coupling link () to apply an actuating force on the second part (); wherein the coupling link () is compliant in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the actuating force.

An actuator assembly comprising: a support structure; an image sensor assembly comprising an image sensor having a light-sensitive region, the image sensor assembly being suspended on the support structure in a manner allowing movement of the image sensor assembly relative to the support structure; and at least two flexible printed circuits, each electrically connected at one end to the image sensor assembly, wherein the flexible printed circuits fold around the image sensor assembly such that their other ends are at the same side of the image sensor assembly.

Broadly speaking, embodiments of the present techniques provide haptic button assemblies in which the haptic button has a low profile while still providing a satisfying tactile response or sensation to a user. Advantageously, the haptic button assemblies may have a profile that, for example, enables the assembly to be incorporated into the free space along an edge of a portable computing device. The haptic assemblies may, for example, be arranged to move the button perpendicularly with respect to the edge of the device.

Haptic button with SMA

An SMA actuator assembly () for driving or rotating a movable part () in a predetermined direction or sense by a plurality of repeated incremental steps is provided. The SMA actuator assembly comprises the movable part; a first engagement portion () for engaging the movable part; two SMA wires () arranged to move the first engagement portion such that the first engagement portion repeatedly, for each of said incremental steps, is configured to do the following: engage with the movable part from a starting position, exert a force or torque on the movable part in the predetermined direction and disengage from the movable part and return to the starting position. The exertion of the force or torque on the movable part and the engaging or disengaging with the movable part are caused by contraction or relaxation of the two SMA wires.

SMA actuator assembly

Broadly speaking, the present techniques provide specific arrangements of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator wires in SMA actuation apparatuses. In one arrangement, a single straight shape memory alloy actuator wire may be used, which may be inclined at an acute angle greater than 0 degrees with respect to a plane normal to the movement direction. In another arrangement, two straight lengths of shape memory alloy actuator wire may be used, where the SMA wires may be inclined at an acute angle greater than 0 degrees with respect to a plane normal to the movement direction.

Shape memory alloy actuation apparatus

An actuator assembly comprises: first () and second () parts, wherein a primary axis (P) is defined with reference to the second part; a plurality of lengths of shape-memory alloy wire () connected between the first and second parts, wherein the lengths of wire are configured, when selectively powered, to cause three-dimensional movement of the first part relative to the second part; and a mechanism configured, when the lengths of wire are unpowered, to hold the first part in at least one position and/or orientation relative to the second part against the force of gravity for any orientation of the second part.

An SMA haptic assembly comprises relatively movable first and second parts and a length of SMA wire, the ends of which are connected to the first part or second part, wherein the first and second parts comprise at least one contact portion making contact with the length of SMA wire on opposite sides of the length of SMA wire and relatively positioned so as to guide the length of SMA wire along a tortuous path such that the first and second parts are driven in opposite directions along a movement axis on contraction of the length of SMA wire. The at least one contact portion of one or both of the first and second parts is formed from sheet material that is shaped to guide the path of the SMA wire in contact therewith, thereby reducing the overall thickness and simplifying manufacture.

SMA haptic assembly

An actuator assembly () includes a first part (), a second part (), a bearing arrangement () and a drive arrangement (). The bearing arrangement () includes first to fourth flexures () arranged about a primary axis () passing through the actuator assembly (). The bearing arrangement () supports the second part () on the first part (). The second part () is tiltable about first and/or second axes () which are not parallel and which are perpendicular to the primary axis (). The drive arrangement () includes four lengths of shape memory alloy wire (). The four lengths of shape memory alloy wire () are coupled to the second part () and to the first part (). The bearingarrangement () is configured to convert lateral force(s) normal to the primary axis () generated by the drive arrangement () into tilting of the second part () about the first and/or second axes (). Each of the first to fourth flexures () has a first end () connected to the first part () and a second end () connected to the second part (). Each of the first to fourth flexures () includes a feature () configured to increase a first compliance of that flexure () to displacement of the respective second end () towards the respective first end (). The first compliance is less than a second compliance of that flexure () to 25 displacement of the respective second end () parallel to the primary axis ().

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Willingham, United Kingdom

James Robert Howarth