APPARATUS FOR COST EFFECTIVE WIRELESS ACTUATOR USING SMA AND MRC
First Claim
1. A magnetic resonant coupling (MRC) actuation circuit comprising:
- a transmitter circuit including a controller, a base coil, a variable current source and a tuning capacitor, said variable current source selectively providing a predetermined alternating current to the base coil in combination with a capacitance provided by the tuning capacitor so as to generate an oscillating magnetic field at a predetermined frequency; and
at least one receiver circuit including a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator and an actuator coil, said controller selectively providing the frequency of the oscillating magnetic field to be tuned to the actuator coil through MRC so as to heat the SMA actuator and cause it to change its configuration.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for wirelessly controlling a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator using magnetic resonant coupling (MRC). The SMA actuator is part of a receiver circuit including an actuator coil, where the SMA actuator is configured into a certain shape. The system includes a transmitter circuit having a transmitter coil and a controller, where the transmitter coil receives an AC current that causes the transmitter coil to generate an oscillating magnetic field in resonance with the actuator coil in the receiver circuit and be magnetically coupled thereto. The current induced in the actuator coil creates heat that reconfigures the SMA actuator to provide the actuation.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A magnetic resonant coupling (MRC) actuation circuit comprising:
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a transmitter circuit including a controller, a base coil, a variable current source and a tuning capacitor, said variable current source selectively providing a predetermined alternating current to the base coil in combination with a capacitance provided by the tuning capacitor so as to generate an oscillating magnetic field at a predetermined frequency; and at least one receiver circuit including a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator and an actuator coil, said controller selectively providing the frequency of the oscillating magnetic field to be tuned to the actuator coil through MRC so as to heat the SMA actuator and cause it to change its configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A magnetic resonant coupling (MRC) actuation circuit comprising:
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a transmitter circuit including a controller, a base coil, a variable current source and a tuning capacitor, said variable current source selectively providing a predetermined alternating current to the base coil in combination with a capacitance provided by the tuning capacitor so as to generate an oscillating magnetic field at a predetermined frequency; and a receiver circuit including a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator being configured as an actuator coil, said controller selectively providing the frequency of the oscillating magnetic field to be tuned to the actuator through MRC so as to heat the actuator and cause it to change its configuration. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A magnetic resonant coupling (MRC) actuation circuit for actuating a device on a vehicle, said MRC circuit comprising:
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a transmitter circuit including a controller, a base coil, a variable current source and a tuning capacitor, said variable current source selectively providing a predetermined alternating current to the base coil in combination with a capacitance provided by the tuning capacitor so as to generate an oscillating magnetic field at a predetermined frequency; and a plurality of receiver circuits each including a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator and an actuator coil, said controller selectively providing the frequency of the oscillating magnetic field to be separately tuned to the actuator coil in each of the receiver circuits through MRC so as to heat the SMA actuator and cause it to change its configuration. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification