Customizable strut assemblies having variable stroke lengths and articles employing the same

• US 20050263359A1
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Mankame, Nilesh D., Ulicny, John C., Stevenson, Robin, Browne, Alan L., Johnson, Nancy L., Jones, Gary L.
• Application Number:
  US11/078,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20050263359A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 188/266.100
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2015/0493 Overcenter springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0009 with thermo-electric actuators, e.g. heated bimetals
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0011 with piezoelectric actuators piezoelectric devices per se H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 51/005 by a bimetallic or memory-shape element heated by electricity E05B47/0009; for panic door actuation E05B65/104
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/20 for assisting final closing or for initiating opening
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/204 Control means for piston speed or actuating force without external control, e.g. control valve inside the piston F15B11/02, F15B15/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/26 Locking mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 21/065 Use of electro- or magnetosensitive fluids, e.g. electrorheological fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/005 using electro- or magnetostrictive actuation means generating of mechanical vibrations operating with electrostriction B06B1/06, with magnetostriction B06B1/08; vehicle suspension arrangements characterised by use of piezoelectric elements B60G17/01941; piezoelectric, electrostrictive and magnetostrictive devices per se H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2224/025 Elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2224/0258 Shape-memory metals, e.g. Ni-Ti alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2224/0283 piezoelectric; electro- or magnetostrictive
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2224/045 magnetorheological
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/368 Sealings in pistons
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/46 allowing control from a distance , i.e. location of means for control input being remote from site of valves, e.g. on damper external wall attachment of valve units to cylinders F16F9/325
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/466 Throttling control, i.e. regulation of flow passage geometry F16F9/464, F16F9/465 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/54 Arrangements for attachment grommet-type rubber mounting springs per se F16F1/3732; construction of cylinder ends F16F9/3242; attachments to vehicles B60G13/001, B60G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/56 Means for adjusting the length of, or for locking, the spring or damper, e.g. at the end of the stroke F16F9/50 takes precedence; for telescopic gas springs or dampers F16F9/0245; vehicle suspension locking arrangements B60G17/005
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/17 Bendable securers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/699 : Motor controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5093 : For closures

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a strut assembly 10 comprising a housing 2; a piston 3 in slideable communication with the housing 2; an actuator 16 in operative communication with the piston 3 and/or the housing 2; wherein the actuator 16 is adapted to change the location of the housing 2 from a first position to a second position and/or change in a stroke length of the piston 3. Disclosed herein too is a method for changing the strut length of a strut assembly 10 comprising activating an actuator 16 that is in operative communication with a housing 2 or a piston of the strut assembly 10; and changing in the location of the housing 2 from a first position to a second position and/or changing a stroke length of the piston 3.

Claims

1. A strut assembly comprising:

a housing;

a piston in slideable communication with the housing;

an actuator in operative communication with the piston and/or the housing;

wherein the actuator is adapted to change the location of the housing from a first position to a second position and/or change in a stroke length of the piston.

2. The strut assembly of claim 1, wherein the customizable strut assembly is disposed between and in operative communication with a suspended body and a supporting body, and wherein the actuator upon actuation facilitates a change in the location of the suspended body from a first position to a second position.

3. The strut assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises one or more active elements 20 that comprise a shape memory material, a passive material that does not have shape memory properties, or a combination of the shape memory material and the passive material.

4. The strut assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises more than one active elements, and wherein the active elements are disposed in series or parallel.

5. The strut assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator is disposed inside or outside the housing.

6. The strut assembly of claim 3, wherein the shape memory materials comprise compositions that have the ability to remember their original shape, and wherein the original shape can be recalled by applying an external stimulus, and wherein the shape memory materials are shape memory alloys, piezoelectrics, electroactive polymers and/or piezoceramics.

7. The strut assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator is an electric stepper motor, an inchworm, a piezoelectric inchworm, an ultrasonic motor, an electrohydrostatic actuator, a nanomotion piezoelectric motor, a compact hybrid actuator device or combinations thereof.

8. The strut assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator is adapted to change the stroke length of the piston or adapted to change in the mean position of travel of the piston.

9. The strut assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator is adapted to change the stroke length of the piston while retaining the mean position of travel of the piston.

10. The strut assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator is located outside the housing and is disposed between a supporting body and the housing or between a suspended body and the piston.

11. The strut assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator is located inside the housing and is in operative communication with the piston and/or within the housing.

12. The strut assembly of claim 11, wherein the actuator comprises a coil spring manufactured from a shape memory alloy or wherein the actuator comprises a block of a magnetorheological elastomer.

13. An article that employs the strut assembly of claim 1.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the article comprises a door on an automobile, aircraft, water craft or a residential building;

a hood or trunk of the automobile;

a jaw of a vice or a press;

platens on machine tools;

or arbors and chucks on machine tools.

15. A method for changing the strut length of a strut assembly comprising:

activating an actuator that is in operative communication with a housing or a piston of the strut assembly; and

changing in the location of the housing from a first position to a second position and/or changing a stroke length of the piston.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the activating of the actuator occurs by the application of an external stimulus to a shape memory material employed in the actuator, and wherein the external stimulus can be an electrical stimulus, a magnetic stimulus, a thermal stimulus, a chemical stimulus, a mechanical stimulus, an ultrasonic stimulus or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing external stimuli.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein actuating the actuator facilitates a change in the stroke length of the piston and a change in the mean position of travel of the piston.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein actuating the actuator facilitates a change in the stroke length of the piston while retaining the mean position of travel of the piston.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the actuator is located outside the housing and wherein the actuator upon actuation displaces the housing either towards the supporting body or away from the supporting body.

20. An article employing the method of claim 15.