An actuator includes a sliding body moveable along a guide between a rest position and a retracted position, a spring resting on a support body and acting to exert a bias force urging the sliding body to the rest position, and a SMA wire having opposite ends being mechanically and electrically connected to a respective one of two stationary contacts and forming a loop between the opposite ends which is connected to the sliding body, wherein the SMA wire is arranged to, when activated by electric energy supply, pull the sliding body away from the rest position to the retracted position, wherein the guide is fixed to a first end portion, the support body is fixed to an intermediate portion, and a contact holding body, in which the two contacts are incorporated, is fixed to a second end portion of a mounting bar.

An actuator includes a sliding body moveable along a guide between a rest position and a retracted position, a spring resting on a support body and acting to exert a bias force urging the sliding body to the rest position, and a SMA wire having opposite ends being mechanically and electrically connected to a respective one of two stationary contacts and forming a loop between the opposite ends which is connected to the sliding body, wherein the SMA wire is arranged to, when activated by electric energy supply, pull the sliding body away from the rest position to the retracted position, wherein the guide is fixed to a first end portion, the support body is fixed to an intermediate portion, and a contact holding body, in which the two contacts are incorporated, is fixed to a second end portion of a mounting bar.

A hybrid actuation device includes an artificial muscle, a first plate coupled to a second plate, and a shape memory alloy wire. The artificial muscle includes a housing, a first electrode and a second electrode, and a dielectric fluid. The housing includes a first film layer, a second film layer, an electrode region, and an expandable fluid region. The first electrode and the second electrode are each disposed in the electrode region of the housing. The dielectric fluid is disposed within the housing. The first plate and the second plate are positioned within the housing, the first plate positioned between the first film layer and the first electrode, and the second plate positioned between the second film layer and the second electrode. The shape memory alloy wire extends from the first plate to the second plate and through the dielectric fluid.

An optical assembly, a camera module having the optical assembly, and a smart device having the camera module. The optical assembly comprises: a lens module (10) having an outer frame (12), wherein the outer frame (12) comprises four side surfaces divided according to an angle range, the lens module (10) comprises a first support portion (13) and a second support portion (14) on each side surface of the outer frame (12), and both the first support portion (13) and the second support portion (14) on each side surface are located at a group of diagonal regions (12A) of the outer frame (12); and a fixing means (30) disposed at another group of diagonal regions (12B) of the outer frame (12) of the lens module (10), wherein the fixing means (30) has a first power supply fixing portion (311) and a first groundwire fixing portion (321) corresponding to the first support portion (13), and a second power supply fixing portion (331) and a second groundwire fixing portion (322) corresponding to the second support portion (14), on a respective fixing surface corresponding to each side surface of the outer frame (12).

SMA actuators and related methods are described. One embodiment of an actuator includes a base; a plurality of buckle arms; and at least a first shape memory alloy wire coupled with a pair of buckle arms of the plurality of buckle arms. Another embodiment of an actuator includes a base and at least one bimorph actuator including a shape memory alloy material. The bimorph actuator attached to the base.

Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators and thermal management systems including the same. An SMA actuator includes an SMA lifting tube and a process fluid conduit configured to convey a process fluid through the SMA lifting tube. The SMA actuator assumes a conformation that is based on the temperature of the process fluid. The SMA lifting tube includes a first end and a second end configured to translate relative to the first end at least partially along a lateral direction. A thermal management system is configured to regulate a temperature of a process fluid. The thermal management system includes a heat exchanger that at least partially defines a heat transfer region, a process fluid conduit configured to convey the process fluid through the heat transfer region, and an actuator assembly including the SMA actuator. The actuator assembly is configured to selectively position the heat exchanger within a thermal management fluid flow.

A gear unit includes a toothed wheel, a reservoir receiving lubricant for lubricating the toothed wheel, a displacement body configured to set a lubricant level in the reservoir, and an actuator configured to move the displacement body as a function of a temperature as the displacement body is wetted with the lubricant.

The invention relates to a charge air cooler (5) for fuel engine comprising: a casing having an inlet (16) and an outlet (20), a heat exchanger (10) within the casing between the inlet (16) and the outlet (20), a thermally responsive draining mechanism (50, 60) for draining condensates, the draining mechanism (50, 60) being configured to drain condensates when temperature within the charge air cooler (5) is below a defined temperature, draining mechanism comprising a drain port (58, 68), a valve (51, 61, 52, 62, 53, 63) arranged on the drain port (58, 68), an actuation device (53, 63, 64) for moving the valve between an opened state and a closed state,
wherein the actuation device includes a phase change material.

An SMA haptic assembly comprising: a length of SMA wire; and first and second parts that are movable relative to each other along a movement axis, the length of SMA wire being connected at each end to a respective support portion which is a portion of the first or second part; wherein each of the first and second parts comprises at least one contact portion and a connection portion which connects the at least one contact portion and any support portion of the respective one of the first and second parts; wherein the at least one contact portion of the first part and the at least one contact portion of the second part are relatively positioned so as to make contact with the length of SMA wire on opposite sides of the length of SMA wire along the movement axis and to guide the length of SMA wire along a tortuous path such that the first and second parts are driven apart along the movement axis on contraction of the length of SMA wire; and wherein the connection portion of the first body is a beam disposed on a side of the length of SMA wire in a direction normal to the movement axis.

An SMA haptic assembly comprising: a length of SMA wire; and first and second parts that are movable relative to each other along a movement axis, the length of SMA wire being connected at each end to a respective support portion which is a portion of the first or second part; wherein each of the first and second parts comprises at least one contact portion and a connection portion which connects the at least one contact portion and any support portion of the respective one of the first and second parts; wherein the at least one contact portion of the first part and the at least one contact portion of the second part are relatively positioned so as to make contact with the length of SMA wire on opposite sides of the length of SMA wire along the movement axis and to guide the length of SMA wire along a tortuous path such that the first and second parts are driven apart along the movement axis on contraction of the length of SMA wire; and wherein the connection portion of the first body is a beam disposed on a side of the length of SMA wire in a direction normal to the movement axis.