| US 7,555,900 B1 | ||
| Linear actuator using shape memory wire with controller | ||
| Robert Ryan Vallance, South Riding, Va. (US); Bruce L. Walcott, Lexington, Ky. (US); James E. Lumpp, Lexington, Ky. (US); Aravind Balasubramanian, Lexington, Ky. (US); and Osamah A. Rawashdeh, Lexington, Ky. (US) | ||
| Assigned to The University of Kentucky Research Foundation, Lexington, Ky. (US) | ||
| Filed on Sep. 10, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/659,406. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/409460, filed on Sep. 10, 2002. | ||
| Int. Cl. F01B 29/10 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 60—528 [60/529] | 22 Claims |
| 1. A linear actuator, comprising:
a housing;
a stop displaceable on a linear axis with respect to the housing;
at least one wire formed of a shape-memory alloy, said wire attached at a first end to the stop and at a second end to the
housing for applying a pulling force to the stop when heated to a predetermined temperature to cause the stop to slide in
a first direction into a housing interior channel;
a spring applying a biasing force to the stop in a second direction counter to the first direction;
at least one jewel bearing defining a channel therethrough for slidingly receiving the wire and reducing frictional contact
between the wire and the housing; and
a wire heater.
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