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:
May. 16, 2023
Filed:
Oct. 20, 2021
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Ryohei Tsuruta, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Umesh N. Gandhi, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Shardul Singh Panwar, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Paul A. Gilmore, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Brian J. Pinkelman, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Mark A. Gummin, Silverton, OR (US);
Brian J. Stasey, Fishers, IN (US);
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
MIGA Technologies, LLC, Silverton, OR (US);
Abstract
A multi-stable actuator includes a first superelastic-shape memory alloy (SE-SMA) wire extending between a first fixed support and a movable element and a second SE-SMA wire extending between a second fixed support and the movable element. The first SE-SMA wire is in tension against the second SE-SMA wire and the second SE-SMA wire is in tension against the first SE-SMA wire. The multi-stable actuator also includes at least one heating device configured to heat the first SE-SMA wire independent of the second SE-SMA wire and to heat the second SE-SMA wire independent of the first SE-SMA wire such that the movable element moves between and to at least three fixed positions without use of a brake or clutch.