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. 11, 2004
Filed:
Dec. 18, 2002
Larry L. Howell, Orem, UT (US);
Scott Lyon, Provo, UT (US);
Brigham Young University, Provo, UT (US);
Abstract
A microactuator providing an output force and displacement in response to an increase in thermal energy is displosed. The microactuator may have a substantially straight expansion member with a first and a second end. The first end may be coupled to a base member, and the second end may be coupled to a shuttle. The expansion member is capable of elongating in a elongation direction. Elongation of the expansion member may urge the shuttle to translate in an output direction substantially different than the elongation direction. In certain embodiments, multiple expansion members are arrayed along one side of the shuttle to drive the shuttle against a surface. Alternatively, expansion members may be disposed on both sides of the shuttle to provide balanced output force. If desired, multiple microactuators may be linked together to multiply the output displacement and/or output force.