Delta Materials Research Limited

Jencons (scientific) Limited

Other

T. I. Domestic Appliances Limited

William B Hart

Graham J Ball

Michael H Hurst

Reginald T Williams

Benjamin F Gostelow

Philip Albon

Thomas R Buick

Richard C Dibling

Trevor L Carr

Rami Domloge

Paul N Gale

A liquid dispenser has a cylinder in which a piston may move in an intake stroke and a discharge stroke. A pulse generator responds to any movement of the piston in the discharge direction, whereby a counting and readout device provides a dispensing measurement readout even for inadvertent discharge movements of the piston. Movement of the piston in the discharge direction rotates a wheel in the pulse generator. A ratchet system may be provided to prevent rotation of the wheel in reverse during intake movements of the piston. Alternatively the wheel rotates in both directions, and a discriminator is provided to discriminate between the two directions of movement.

Liquid dosing device with digital display

A shelf unit (3, FIG. 1) for a refrigerator cabinet includes an air flow passageway (6) connectible to a duct (1) located at the rear of the refrigerator. The flow of air through the passageway (6) is regulated by a flap whose movement is controlled by a thermostat (9) also mounted upon the shelf. The shelf unit, when in position in a refrigerator, enables a user to preset the temperature of the zone in the refrigerator cabinet beneath the unit.

Shelf units for refrigerators

A thermostatically controlled fan unit, particularly for a motor vehicle, has a fan assembly driven through a clutch. The clutch is controlled by a clutch actuator incorporating an element having an elastic modulus which varies significantly with temperature.

Fan unit

A jet nozzle has the effective dimensions of its outlet orifice automatically controlled by use of a shape memory effect (SME) material. The nozzle itself may be made wholly or partly of SME material or it may be controlled in position relative to its metering needle by a temperature sensitive actuator incorporating a device of SME material.

Jet nozzles

A valve which opens and closes according to the temperature of the fluid passing through it has a fluid-controlling valve member consisting of a helix of a shape memory effect material having an elastic modulus which varies significantly with temperature in a reversible manner. At relatively low fluid temperature, the turns of the helix are closely compacted and obstruct the flow, while at relatively high fluid temperature, the turns are expanded and allow flow of fluid between them.

Temperature-responsive valve

A differential temperature detector comprises two springs made of a shape memory effect alloy. The springs are oppositely stressed and are coupled together in stressed condition. When the springs are subject to the same temperature, no movement occurs when that temperature changes, but when the springs are subject to different temperatures, movement occurs dependent on the temperature difference.

Temperature-responsive actuator

There are disclosed devices and methods for converting heat energy into mechanical energy utilizing elements formed of materials which exhibit so-called shape memory effect (SME) characteristics, which elements are subjected to stress, strain and temperature conditions in a cyclic manner, the stress and strain conditions in the element being related by a closed loop locus plotted on the stress/strain/temperature spectrum. The elements may also be formed of bi-metallic expansion alloys or of other materials having a high thermal expansion coefficient. In one particular application of the invention as a heat engine there is provided a first member composed of elements made of a material exhibiting SME characteristics or of elements made of a bi-metallic material or of other materials having a high thermal expansion coefficient, and a second member which comprises means for deforming the first member, the arrangement being such that when the first member is subjected to a thermal cycling effect to establish a temperature difference between different parts of the first member the strains set up in the first member thereby are translated into a physical motion of the first member. The device is so arranged that the configurations of the component parts of the first member change in dependence on the temperature thereof and these changes in configuration generate forces effective to cause a relative movement of the first member with the respective second member. The thermal cycling effect may be obtained by arranging that over one part of the cycle each part of the first member has heat energy supplied thereto as, for example, by solar-, gas- or electric-heating or by exposing it to a hot fluid and over another part of the cycle each part of the first member is cooled as, for example, by exposing it to a cold fluid. Devices according to this invention have many diverse applications including as a prime mover powered, for example, by solar energy for irrigation and water pumping applications in arid and undeveloped areas of the world.

Growing community of inventors

Ipswich, United Kingdom

William B Hart