CONSTANT LOAD FASTENER
First Claim
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1. A fastener for holding at least first and second structures together, the fastener comprising:
- an elongate hyperelastic shaft having first and second ends;
a first retainer coupled to the first end, wherein the first retainer is configured to secure to the first structure; and
a second retainer coupled to the second end, wherein the second retainer is configured to secure to the second structure;
wherein the hyperelastic shaft is configured to respond to a load applied on the fastener from the first and second structures by distorting while maintaining the load constant.
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Abstract
Described herein are fasteners and devices for securing together several components so that the load applied to the components is constant or nearly constant. The fasteners described herein include a hyperelastic member having first end to which a first retainer is coupled and a second end to which a second retainer is coupled. The retainers are configured to contact the structures being fastened and transfer the load from the structures to the hyperelastic member. The hyperelastic member may be an elongate shaft (e.g., a rod, cylinder, strut, etc.), and is a shape memory alloy that is typically fabricated as a single crystal.
116 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A fastener for holding at least first and second structures together, the fastener comprising:
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an elongate hyperelastic shaft having first and second ends; a first retainer coupled to the first end, wherein the first retainer is configured to secure to the first structure; and a second retainer coupled to the second end, wherein the second retainer is configured to secure to the second structure; wherein the hyperelastic shaft is configured to respond to a load applied on the fastener from the first and second structures by distorting while maintaining the load constant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14)
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10. A fastener for securing a first structure and a second structure together, the fastener comprising:
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an elongate, hyperelastic shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; a fist retainer coupled to the proximal end of the hyperelastic shaft so that rotation of the first retainer does not substantially torque the hyperelastic shaft; and a second retainer coupled to the distal end of the hyperelastic shaft so that rotation of the second retainer does not substantially torque the hyperelastic shaft. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A fastener for securing a first structure and a second structure together, the fastener comprising:
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an elongate, hyperelastic shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, and an intermediate region between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the intermediate region has a smaller radial diameter than either the proximal or distal ends; a fist retainer coupled to the proximal end of the hyperelastic shaft; and a second retainer coupled to the distal end of the hyperelastic shaft. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification