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:
Mar. 13, 2018
Filed:
Feb. 17, 2015
Hill-rom Services, Inc., Batesville, IN (US);
Charles A. Lachenbruch, Batesville, IN (US);
David L. Ribble, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Sandy M. Richards, Pershing, IN (US);
Laetitia Gazagnes, Montpellier, FR;
Hill-Rom Services, Inc., Batesville, IN (US);
Abstract
One embodiment of a climate management topper includes a flowpath boundary which defines a flowpath adapted to carry a stream of fluid in a principal direction. A flow compliant filler occupies at least part of the flowpath. The filler includes a spacer and a set of shape change actuators (SCA's) each of which is made of a shape change material (SCM). The properties of the SCM include a critical temperature T. The SCA's are configured to regulate distribution of the fluid stream through the flowpath in a direction transverse to the principal direction as a function of temperature. In one example the flowpath boundary is formed by liner panels and the SCA's are linear elements that elongate at a temperature TH which is higher than Tthereby distending the spacer and reducing its resistance to fluid flow. One suitable shape change material is a nickel/titanium alloy known as NiTiNOL.