Reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible seal assemblies
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A seal assembly, comprising:
- a seal membrane formed of an elastic material, the seal membrane comprising a sealed interior region;
a reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material disposed in the interior region; and
at least one electrically conductive element in thermal communication with the reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Seal assemblies employing reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material that can be controlled and remotely changed to alter the seal effectiveness, wherein the seal assemblies actively change dimensional and/or modulus properties such as stiffness, shape orientation, and the like. In this manner, in seal applications such as a vehicle door application, door opening and closing efforts can be minimized yet seal effectiveness can be maximized.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A seal assembly, comprising:
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a seal membrane formed of an elastic material, the seal membrane comprising a sealed interior region;
a reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material disposed in the interior region; and
at least one electrically conductive element in thermal communication with the reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A seal assembly, comprising:
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a seal membrane formed of an elastic material, the seal membrane comprising a sealed interior region;
a reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material disposed-in the interior region; and
at least one conduit in thermal communication with the reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material, wherein the conduit is in fluid communication with a fluid effective to heat and/or cool the reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for selectively sealing a first surface against a second surface, comprising:
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attaching a seal assembly to a selected one of the first surface and the second surface, wherein the seal assembly comprises a seal membrane formed of an elastic material comprising a sealed interior region, a reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material disposed in the interior region; and
at least one electrically conductive element in thermal communication with the reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material, wherein the seal membrane contacts the selected one of first surface and the second surface; and
selectively expanding and/or contracting the reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material with a thermal activation signal to selectively increase or decrease a sealing force of the seal membrane against the first surface and the second surface. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for selectively sealing a first surface against a second surface, comprising:
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attaching a seal assembly to a selected one of the first surface and the second surface, wherein the seal assembly comprises a seal membrane formed of an elastic material comprising a sealed interior region, a reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material disposed in the interior region; and
at least one fluid conduit in thermal communication with the reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material, wherein the seal membrane contacts the selected one of first surface and the second surface; and
flowing a fluid through the conduit to selectively expand and/or contract the reversible thermally expandable and/or contractible material and increase or decrease a sealing force of the seal membrane against the first surface and the second surface. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification