Fore-aft position adjuster utilizing active material actuation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A fore-aft position adjuster adapted for use with a seat, said adjuster comprising:
- a locking member securely connected to the seat, so as to be translatable therewith;
a fixed structure connected to a base,wherein the member and structure are cooperatively configured so as to be caused to achieve one of disengaged and engaged conditions,wherein the member and seat are free to translate in the disengaged condition, and fixed in the engaged condition, relative to the base; and
an actuator drivenly coupled to the structure or member, including an active material element operable to undergo a reversible change when exposed to or occluded from an activation signal, wherein the element defines a bowstring configuration of predetermined trigonometry, and produces an actuation force that acts upon the member or structure,said actuator being configured to selectively cause the member and structure to achieve the other of said conditions, as a result of the change, and amplify the force so as to provide mechanical advantage.
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Abstract
A fore-aft positioning adjuster adapted for use with an object, such as a seat, includes a locking mechanism, and an actuator employing an active material element operable to undergo a reversible change when exposed to or occluded from an activation signal, and configured to selectively cause the mechanism to release, so that the object can be repositioned, as a result of the change.
31 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A fore-aft position adjuster adapted for use with a seat, said adjuster comprising:
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a locking member securely connected to the seat, so as to be translatable therewith; a fixed structure connected to a base, wherein the member and structure are cooperatively configured so as to be caused to achieve one of disengaged and engaged conditions, wherein the member and seat are free to translate in the disengaged condition, and fixed in the engaged condition, relative to the base; and an actuator drivenly coupled to the structure or member, including an active material element operable to undergo a reversible change when exposed to or occluded from an activation signal, wherein the element defines a bowstring configuration of predetermined trigonometry, and produces an actuation force that acts upon the member or structure, said actuator being configured to selectively cause the member and structure to achieve the other of said conditions, as a result of the change, and amplify the force so as to provide mechanical advantage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A fore-aft position adjuster adapted for use with a seat, said adjuster comprising:
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a locking member securely connected to the seat, so as to be translatable therewith; a fixed structure connected to a base, wherein the member and structure are cooperatively configured so as to be caused to achieve one of disengaged and engaged conditions, wherein the member and seat are free to translate in the disengaged condition, and fixed in the engaged condition, relative to the base; an actuator drivenly coupled to the structure or member, including a shape memory wire operable to undergo a reversible change in length when exposed to or occluded from an activation signal, operable to selectively cause the member and structure to disengage as a result of the change, and defining a bowstring configuration of predetermined trigonometry, so as to provide mechanical advantage; and a return mechanism drivenly coupled to the structure or member, configured to act antagonistically to the actuator, and producing a biasing force less than the actuation force, such that the mechanism causes the structure and member to achieve the engaged condition when the element is deactivated and allows the actuator to cause the structure and member to achieve the disengaged condition when the element is activated, said structure and member presenting first and second longitudinal channels, wherein the channels are configured to enable only fore-aft motion between the structure and member.
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10. A method of adjusting the fore-aft position of an object, comprising:
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a. securing the object to a base utilizing a locking mechanism; b. exposing an active material element defining a bowstring configuration to an activation signal, so as to activate the element and produce an actuation force, amplifying the force, applying the amplified force to the mechanism; c. causing the mechanism to disengage, as a result of applying the amplified force, so that the object is able to translate relative to the base; d. adjusting the fore-aft position of the object; e. occluding the element from the activation signal, so as to deactivate the element; and f. causing or allowing the mechanism to re-lock as a result of deactivating the element. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification