The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 01, 2022
Filed:
May. 24, 2019
Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Tatsuhiko Okita, Akiruno, JP;
OLYMPUS CORPORATION, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A variable stiffness apparatus to be installed in a flexible member includes a first elongated member, a second elongated member arranged along the first elongated member, and an inducing member. The first elongated member includes a high bending stiffness portion, and a low bending stiffness portion. The second elongated member includes a shape-memory member that takes a low-stiffness state when in a first phase and a high-stiffness state when in a second phase. The inducing member causes a region of the shape memory member that is arranged around the low bending stiffness portion to transition in phase between the first phase and the second phase, so as to change the stiffness of the region of the second elongated member.
Data source: USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) public patent records. Weekly synchronization. How IDiyas builds this profile