ACTIVE MATERIAL ENABLED PRESSURE RELEASE VALVES AND METHODS OF USE

• US 20100112924A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynalloy, Inc., GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Dynalloy, Inc., GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Hu, Brian D., Gao, Xiujie, Browne, Alan L., Owens, John N., Alexander, Paul W., Brown, James Holbrook, Patterson, Derek L., Voss, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,708,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/008 the input being air quality
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/24 Devices purely for ventilating or where the heating or cooling is irrelevant nozzles, air-diffusers B60H1/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/248 Air-extractors, air-evacuation from the vehicle interior
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/26 Ventilating openings in vehicle exterior; Ducts for conveying ventilating air
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/003 reacting to pressure and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/0413 in the form of closure plates
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/042 with locking or disconnecting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/004 actuated by piezoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/025 actuated by thermo-electric means

Abstract

A pressure relief valve includes a housing and vane that is movable to one of an open position and a closed position. A linear actuator mechanically couples between the movable vane and the housing. The linear actuator is a wire device fabricated from a shape memory alloy. An actuable latching system is configured to retain the movable vane in one of the open position and the closed position for an indeterminate time period.

Claims

1. A valve, comprising:

a housing defining an opening providing fluid communication between a vehicle compartment and an external environment;

a movable vane pivotally connected to the housing and movable to one of an open position and a closed position;

a first linear actuator mechanically coupled between the movable vane and the housing, the first linear actuator comprising a first wire device fabricated from a shape memory alloy;

a first power supply electrically coupled to the first linear actuator to effect a phase transformation in the shape memory alloy of the first linear actuator to move the vane to one of the open position and the closed position when the first power supply is activated in response to a first activation command from a controller; and

an actuable latching system, the actuable latching system configured to retain the movable vane in one of the open position and the closed position for an indeterminate time period.

2. The valve of claim 1, wherein the open position comprises one of a partially-opened position and a fully-opened position.

3. The valve of claim 2, wherein the actuable latching system comprises the first power supply periodically activated to maintain the phase transformation in the shape memory alloy to retain the movable vane in the open position.

4. The valve of claim 1, wherein the actuable latching system comprises a mechanical click latch device engaging a protruding element on the movable vane when the movable vane is moved to the open position.

5. The valve of claim 4, wherein the mechanical click latch device disengages the protruding element on the movable vane when the first linear actuator further rotates the movable vane subsequent to the mechanical click latch device having engaged the protruding element on the movable vane.

6. The valve of claim 1, wherein the actuable latching system comprises a mechanical latch device coupled to a second linear actuator comprising a second wire device fabricated from a shape memory alloy, and a second power supply electrically coupled to the second linear actuator to effect a phase transformation in the shape memory alloy of the second linear actuator to move the mechanical latch device when the second power supply is activated in response to a second activation command from the controller to engage a protruding element on the movable vane in opposition to a spring biasing the mechanical latch device away from engagement with the protruding element.

7. The valve of claim 6, wherein the mechanical latch device is moved to disengage the protruding element on the movable vane by the spring biasing the mechanical latch device away from engagement with the protruding element when the second power supply is deactivated in response to the second activation command from the controller.

8. The valve of claim 1, wherein the actuable latching system comprises an electromagnet device coupled to a second power supply to magnetically couple to a ferrous target on the movable vane when the second power supply is activated in response to a second activation command from the controller and the movable vane is in the open position with the ferrous target contiguous to the electromagnet device.

9. The valve of claim 8, wherein the electromagnet device magnetically decouples from the ferrous target on the movable vane when the second power supply is deactivated in response to the second activation command from the controller.

10. The valve of claim 1, wherein the actuable latching system comprises a mechanical over-center latch including the movable vane coupled to a spring element, the first linear actuator and a second linear actuator, said second linear actuator comprising a wire device fabricated from a shape memory alloy, and a second power supply electrically coupled to the second linear actuator to effect a phase transformation in the shape memory alloy of the first linear actuator to move the vane to the other one of the open position and the closed position when the second power supply is activated in response to a second activation command from the controller, said spring element effective to maintain the vane in a current one of the open position and the closed position when both the first power supply and the second power supply are deactivated.

11. A valve, comprising:

a housing defining an opening providing fluid communication between a vehicle compartment and an external environment;

a movable vane pivotally connected to the housing and movable to an open position, the movable vane including a spring device having a spring bias urging the movable vane to a closed position relative to the housing sufficient to maintain an environmental seal across the opening;

a first linear actuator mechanically coupled between the movable vane and the housing, the first linear actuator comprising a first wire device fabricated from a shape memory alloy;

a first power supply configured to transfer electric power to the first linear actuator to effect a phase transformation in the shape memory alloy of the first linear actuator to urge the movable vane to the open position in response to a first activation command from a controller; and

an actuable latching system, the actuable latching system configured to retain the movable vane in the open position for an indeterminate time period.

12. The valve of claim 11, wherein the actuable latching system comprises the first power supply periodically activated to maintain the phase transformation in the shape memory alloy to retain the movable vane in the open position.

13. The valve of claim 11, wherein the actuable latching system comprises a mechanical click latch device engaging a protruding element on the movable vane when the movable vane is moved to the open position.

14. The valve of claim 11, wherein the actuable latching system comprises a mechanical latch device coupled to a second linear actuator comprising a second wire device fabricated from a shape memory alloy, and a second power supply electrically coupled to the second linear actuator to effect a phase transformation in the shape memory alloy of the second linear actuator to move the mechanical latch device when the second power supply is activated in response to a second activation command from the controller to engage a protruding element on the movable vane in opposition to a spring biasing the mechanical latch device away from engagement with the protruding element.

15. The valve of claim 11, wherein the actuable latching system comprises an electromagnet device coupled to a second power supply to magnetically couple to a ferrous target on the movable vane when the second power supply is activated in response to a second activation command from the controller and the movable vane is in the open position with the ferrous target contiguous to the electromagnet device.

16. The valve of claim 11, wherein the actuable latching system comprises a mechanical over-center latch including the movable vane coupled to a spring element, the first linear actuator and a second linear actuator, said second linear actuator comprising a wire device fabricated from a shape memory alloy, and a second power supply electrically coupled to the second linear actuator to effect a phase transformation in the shape memory alloy of the first linear actuator to move the vane to the other one of the open position and the closed position when the second power supply is activated in response to a second activation command from the controller, said spring element effective to maintain the vane in a current one of the open position and the closed position when both the first power supply and the second power supply are deactivated.

17. The valve of claim 11, wherein the open position comprises one of a partially-opened position and a fully-opened position.