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:
Oct. 03, 2000
Filed:
Jan. 21, 1997
Alain Carrier, Millbrae, CA (US);
Bruce Cobb, Fremont, CA (US);
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for latching an object, such as a payload for a space vehicle, includes an expandible latch which is shifted between a relaxed open condition and a flexed closed condition by actuation of a pair of temperature-responsive members, such as shaped memory alloy (SMA) coil springs. One of the two temperature-responsive members biases an actuator into a first position that allows the expandible latch to open. The other SMA member biases the actuator in the opposite position to close the expandible latch. Heating the appropriate SMA member causes the actuator to move from one position to the other position. In the preferred embodiment, no power is required to maintain the actuator in either position once the position has been established. For example, the actuator may have a rest position that allows the expandible latch to remain open when the two SMA members are cooled and allowed to reach an equilibrium condition with respect to applied force to the actuator. A detent-and-ball arrangement may be used to maintain the position of the actuator after the expandible latch has been closed.