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. 14, 2023
Filed:
Mar. 23, 2021
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Miga Technologies, Llc, Silverton, OR (US);
Mark A. Gummin, Silverton, OR (US);
Umesh N. Gandhi, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Brian J. Pinkelman, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Ryohei Tsuruta, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Miga Technologies, LLC, Silverton, OR (US);
Abstract
An actuator for a vehicle seat can be configured to prevent overstress of a shape memory alloy (SMA) wire. The actuator can include a first body member and a second body member pivotably connected to each other. The actuator can include an overstress post and an overstress contact plate operatively connected to the overstress post. Thus, movement of the overstress post causes movement of the overstress contact plate. The actuator can include an overstress contact pin. The actuator can include an SMA wire operatively connected to one of the body members and to the overstress post. When activated, the SMA wire can shrink, causing one of the body members to pivot relative to the other body member and causing the overstress contact plate to move toward the overstress contact pin. If the overstress contact plate contacts the overstress contact pin, the SMA wire can be deactivated.