Direction controlled service apparatus
First Claim
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1. A direction controlled service apparatus comprising:
- a mounting assembly;
a housing assembly configured to operably connect to said mounting assembly, said housing assembly being movable with respect to said mounting assembly;
a plurality of actuators connected between said mounting assembly and said housing assembly, wherein each actuator of said plurality of actuators comprises a shape memory alloy wire and contracts upon application of an electric current; and
at least one locking mechanism configured to releasably secure said housing assembly in a fixed position with respect to said mounting assembly, wherein said locking mechanism comprises;
a latch movable between an open and a closed configuration, said latch being configured to operably engage said housing assembly upon being set in said closed configuration;
a latch release movable between an engaged and a disengaged configuration, said latch release being configured to operably engage said latch upon being set in said engaged configuration;
a latch actuator operably connected to said latch, said latch actuator being configured to move said latch into said open configuration; and
a latch release actuator operably connected to said latch release, said latch release actuator being configured to move said latch release into said disengaged configuration;
wherein said latch actuator and said latch release actuator are each configured to contract upon a current being applied to one of said latch actuator or said latch release actuator, said latch actuator and said latch release actuator each comprising a shape memory alloy wire.
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Abstract
A direction controlled service apparatus may include a mounting assembly, a housing assembly configured to operably connect to the mounting assembly, the housing assembly being movable with respect to the mounting assembly, and a plurality of actuators connected between the mounting assembly and the housing assembly, each actuator of the plurality of actuators being configured to contract upon a current being applied to the actuator to rotate the housing assembly with respect to the mounting assembly.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A direction controlled service apparatus comprising:
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a mounting assembly; a housing assembly configured to operably connect to said mounting assembly, said housing assembly being movable with respect to said mounting assembly; a plurality of actuators connected between said mounting assembly and said housing assembly, wherein each actuator of said plurality of actuators comprises a shape memory alloy wire and contracts upon application of an electric current; and at least one locking mechanism configured to releasably secure said housing assembly in a fixed position with respect to said mounting assembly, wherein said locking mechanism comprises; a latch movable between an open and a closed configuration, said latch being configured to operably engage said housing assembly upon being set in said closed configuration; a latch release movable between an engaged and a disengaged configuration, said latch release being configured to operably engage said latch upon being set in said engaged configuration; a latch actuator operably connected to said latch, said latch actuator being configured to move said latch into said open configuration; and a latch release actuator operably connected to said latch release, said latch release actuator being configured to move said latch release into said disengaged configuration; wherein said latch actuator and said latch release actuator are each configured to contract upon a current being applied to one of said latch actuator or said latch release actuator, said latch actuator and said latch release actuator each comprising a shape memory alloy wire. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A direction controlled service apparatus comprising:
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a mounting assembly; a housing assembly configured to operably connect to said mounting assembly, said housing assembly being movable with respect to said mounting assembly; and a plurality of actuators connected between said mounting assembly and said housing assembly, wherein each actuator of said plurality of actuators comprises a shape memory alloy wire and contracts upon application of an electric current, and wherein; said housing assembly comprises a ball-shaped housing, said ball-shaped housing comprising a first ring; said mounting assembly comprises a socket housing configured to receive said ball-shaped housing, said socket housing comprising a second ring; each of said actuators of said plurality of actuators being connected between said first ring and said second ring, said plurality of actuators being spaced circumferentially about said first ring and said second ring; and said ball-shaped housing being configured to rotate with respect to said socket housing upon contraction of at least one actuator of said plurality of actuators. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification