C.r.f. Societa Consortile Per Azioni

Magneti Marelli S.p.a.

Stefano Alacqua

Francesco Butera

Marco Biasiotto

Alessandro Zanella

Gianluca Capretti

Piero Perlo

Gianfranco Innocenti

Andrea Perosino

Antonino Domenico Veca

Denis Bollea

Cosimo Carvignese

Roberto Finizio

Bartolomeo Pairetti

Tommaso Luchetti

Elena Balocco

Andrea Saccagno

A grip member is equipped with a plurality of modules for generating haptic feed-back distributed along the grip member and activatable according to a pre-set sequence.

Grip member with haptic feed-back

A locking device for preventing the rotation and/or the axial movement of a pin includes a coil spring wound around at least a portion of the pin and having one end rigidly connected to a support structure. In its undeformed condition, the spring has an internal diameter smaller than the diameter of the pin, whereby in its resting condition the spring is tightened around the pin to prevent a rotation thereof at least in a direction or an axial movement in any direction. The device includes shape memory means for causing the unwinding of the turns of the spring for the purpose of temporarily releasing the pin.

Locking device for preventing a rotation and/or an axial movement of a pin, including shape memory releasing means

A sealing ring is set between the engine block of an internal-combustion engine and a cylinder head fixed to the engine block, within a seat set concentrically around a cylinder of the engine. The sealing ring has a composite structure, with an external hollow annular body made of superelastic material, and an internal hollow annular body including a shape-memory alloy.

Sealing ring interposed between the block and the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, having a composite structure

A sunshade device comprises a sunshade in the form of a roller blind forming part of a roller-blind device, comprising a supporting structure, a shaft for rolling of the sunshade blind, mounted so that it can rotate on the aforesaid supporting structure, and a shape-memory actuator device for causing displacement of the blind from the rolled-up condition to the distended condition.

Sunshade device for motor-vehicles, with shape memory actuator

An assisted manual actuating device includes a controlled member, which can be displaced from a first position into a second position, a control member, which is designed to actuate the controlled member, and a mechanical transmission, which connects the control member to the controlled member. The mechanical transmission includes a shape-memory element, which is supplied by an electrical-supply that can be activated when the control member reaches an actuation position. The assisted manual actuating device includes an activation device having an anchor for constraining the mechanical transmission when the control member reaches the actuation position of the device in such a way as to enable the mechanical transmission to move only in the direction useful for bringing the controlled member into the second position.

Manual actuating system assisted by a shape-memory actuator

An actuator comprises an elongated shape-memory element wound around a first element and having one first end connected to the first element and one second end connected to a second element. Heating means are provided for heating the shape-memory element in order to obtain a displacement of one of the ends thereof. The elongated shape-memory element is guided so that it can slide within a closed channel made of a material having a low coefficient of friction, for example defined by a sheath.

Actuator with a wound shape-memory element

A shape-memory actuator device comprises means for interrupting electrical supply to a shape-memory element when the axial load applied to said element exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Shape-memory actuator device with protection against over-stresses

A gasket for the cylinder head of a motor-vehicle engine includes a body including a polymeric matrix containing a reinforcement material including a dispersion of nanofibers or nanotubes of electrically conductive material. Each nanotube or nanofiber has a substantially elongated shape. A uniform distribution of electrodes is associated to the body. Two layers of electrically insulating material are arranged on the top and bottom surfaces of the body, one on top of and one underneath the polymeric matrix, and designed to insulate electrically the dispersion of nanofibers or nanotubes contained therein. Control and processing means are designed to be connected to any pair of electrodes of the distribution for determining any variation of load applied in an axial direction to the gasket.

Gasket for the cylinder head of an engine of a motor-vehicle, with a structure of polymeric nanocomposite material, having integrated sensor capability

A lock device which includes a bolt actuated by a flexible shape memory element. The memory element can assume an extended or a shortened configuration as a result of heating. A constraining element which includes two points between which an intermediate portion of the shape memory extends is also provided. The two points belong to a moveable transmission element which moves when the shape memory element extends. As a result, a controlled element is moved from between an operating position and a non-operating position.

Lock device with shape memory actuating means

A household appliance comprises a cabinet, a door and a door block/release device. In normal conditions, the device is actuated by electrically powered actuator means whilst in case of need the device can be actuated by means of a release system. The device comprises an actuation element, preferably made of shape memory material, inserted within a movable body. The device is capable of passing from the condition of blocking to that of releasing the door both by means of a movement of the actuation element caused by the electrical power supply control of the actuator means and by means of a manual actuation, using the housing body as an element of manual mechanical transmission.

Household appliance, namely a machine for washing and/or drying laundry, with a door block/release device that can be actuated electrically

A device for autonomous power supply of power-using devices set in the proximity of a road, along which vehicles travel, includes one or more electric-current generator elements of a piezoelectric type. The device includes at least one structural element configured for being deformable in an elastic way in at least one direction in response to a perturbation of the environment adjacent to the path of a vehicle that is travelling. The at least one structural element includes at least one area of deformation. The electric-current generator element of a piezoelectric type is associated to the area of deformation.

Apparatus for autonomous power supply of power-using devices located in the proximity of a road, and process therefor

A vehicle seat comprises at least one passage for a heating or conditioning air flow and a flow deviating device associated to the seat to control the flow of air through such passage. The flow deviating device comprises at least one Coanda effect deviating device. In the case of application to the front seat of a car, the passage internal to the seat for the ventilation air flow has an upstream end communicating with an air supplying duct, and a downstream end communicating with a discharge duct whose outlet opens at the rear of the seat, to ventilate the rear part of the car passenger compartment. Said passage inside the seat is formed on the surface of the seat padding in the area of contact with the user's body, immediately below the cover of the padding. The discharge duct is arranged such that the flow of air through the passage carries out a flushing action of the area of contact with the user's body and is not forced to flow substantially through the cover.

Seat, in particular a vehicle seat, with means for deviating a ventilation flow based on Coanda effect

A door for a motor vehicle of the type without frame for the side window is provided with a device for controlling a slight movement of the window from and into its completely raised position upon opening and closing of the door. Said device comprises shape-memory actuating means.

Motor-vehicle door provided with a device for moving the window pane when the door is opened and closed

Described herein is a valve for fluids, liquids or dusts, which can be used to particular advantage for controlling openings for passage of cooling air in refrigerating apparatuses or the like. The valve comprises a diaphragm open/close element having a central part and a peripheral edge connected, respectively, to a central support and to a peripheral support. Said supports are axially displaceable with respect to one another between a first relative end position and a second relative end position corresponding, respectively, to the open condition and to the closed condition of the valve, or vice versa. The relative displacement in an axial direction of said first and second supports is controlled by shape-memory means, including at least one shape-memory wire, which extends at least in part along the periphery of the diaphragm and is activated by electrical supply means. The heating of the wire is exploited to remove any possible formation of ice or frost that might tend to prevent correct movement of the diaphragm.

Valve for fluids having a diaphragm shutter controlled by shape memory means acting also as defrosting means

A lock device which includes a bolt actuated by a flexible shape memory element. The memory element can assume an extended or a shortened configuration as a result of heating. A constraining element which includes two points between which an intermediate portion of the shape memory extends is also provided. At least of the two points belongs to a moveable transmission element which moves when the shape memory element extends. As a result, a controlled element is moved from between an operating position and a non-operating position.

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Rivoli Cascine Vica, Italy

Stefano Alacqua