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:
Nov. 26, 2024
Filed:
Feb. 22, 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Yufei Zhu, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Paul A. Gilmore, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Taewoo Nam, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Rikin Gupta, Manassas, VA (US);
Xintong Deng, Belleville, MI (US);
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
An actuator can include one or more shape memory material members and an electrostatic clutch. When an activation input is provided to the one or more shape memory material members, the one or more shape memory material members contract, which causes the actuator to morph into an activated configuration. A height of the actuator increases in the activated configuration. The electrostatic clutch can be configured to maintain the actuator in the activated configuration when the activation input to the one or more shape memory material members is discontinued. One or more processors can be operatively connected to selectively and independently activate the one or more shape memory material members and the electrostatic clutch.