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. 08, 1990
Filed:
Oct. 10, 1989
Peter A Hochstein, Troy, MI (US);
William L Pringle, Groose Pointe, MI (US);
Armada Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A thermal energy scavenger assembly (10) includes a plurality of integral elements (12) made of temperature sensitive material having first and second ends (14, 16). The integral elements (12) comprise a first portion (18) which is subjected to predetermined cyclic temperature changes to cause the first portion (18) to undergo thermoelastic, martensitic phase transformations in response to heat to pass from a martensitic phase when at a temperature below a phase transformation temperature range and capable of a first high level of recoverable strain to an austenitic parent phase and a memory shape when at a temperature above the phase transformation temperature range and capable of a second lower level of recoverable strain. The integral elements (12) further include a second portion (20) which is integral with the first portion (18) but which is also incapable of the shape memory responses. The second (20) portion is not subjected to the predetermined cyclic temperature changes. Thus, the second portion (20) acts to limit the stress to which the first portion (18) is subjected as the first portion (18) of the temperature sensitive elements (12) is subjected to temperatures above the phase transformation temperature range and transformed from the martensitic phase to the austenitic parent phase.