In a spring-woven fabric, a manufacturing method for the spring-woven fabric, a flexible actuator using the spring-woven fabric, a wearable robot comprising the flexible actuator, and a massage device comprising the flexible actuator, the spring-woven fabric is configured to be contracted or relaxed by external power supply. The fabric includes a thermal response drive element and a wire. The thermal response drive element has a spring shape, and is configured to function as one of a warp and a weft. The wire is configured to function as the remaining of the warp and the weft.

A cooling system includes a coolant source to cool down components of a processing chamber and a return line for the coolant coupled between the processing chamber and the coolant source. The return line has a valve, which includes a flow compartment having a first inlet and an outlet that support a default flow rate of the coolant, the flow compartment also having a second inlet. The valve has a plunger with a tip to variably open and close the second inlet to vary a flow rate of the coolant from the default flow rate. The valve has a shape memory alloy (SMA) spring positioned on the plunger between a side of the valve and the tip, the SMA spring attached to the tip to variably withdraw the tip from the second inlet in response to a rise in temperature of the coolant above a threshold temperature value.

This device consists of a housing (1) made of electrically insulating material, in which a fuse (6) is provided with at least one main fuse wire (7) located in its cavity. The main fuse wire (7) is electrically conductively connected at one end to at least one connecting pin (2) which is led out of the housing (1) and at the other end it is electrically conductively connected to at least one terminal (3) located in at least one cavity (4) formed in the housing (1). The shape of the connecting pin (2) is adapted for connection to the protected device.

A distance adjustment apparatus and a control method of the distance adjustment apparatus are provided. The distance adjustment apparatus includes a connection component, and the connection component includes a first component and a second component. The first component is connected to the second component, and a memory alloy component is disposed in a connection region between the first component and the second component. The memory alloy component is controlled by a current to drive the first component and the second component to move closer to and/or away from each other.

This disclosure relates generally to a reusable actuating device utilizing multiple integrated planar shape memory alloy elements integrated with independent driver circuits and at least one return spring integrated onto a single multi-layer PCB with a novel layout to create an electrically and mechanically redundant integrated actuator solution uniquely suited for use in low-profile devices that can be utilized by themselves or as an initiator in a staged device to release higher loads. The apparatus of the invention is particularly useful for spacecraft and other vehicular actuation devices.

An antenna including a remote electrical tilt drive for driving a movable phase shifter linkage is provided. The remote electrical tilt drive comprises a shape memory alloy arrangement attached to a non-moving part of the antenna and to the movable phase shifter linkage, wherein the shape memory alloy arrangement is configured to move the movable phase shifter linkage in a predetermined direction upon an electrical current being supplied to the shape memory alloy arrangement, and a counter motion member attached to the non-moving part of the antenna and to the movable phase shifter linkage and configured to move the movable phase shifter linkage in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

The present disclosure provides a thermomechanical actuator and a cleaning system implementing the thermomechanical actuator. The thermomechanical actuator includes a solar heat collector (SHC) housing shape memory alloy springs connected between a piston movably disposed therein and one end of the SHC. A cable extending from the piston through an opposite end of the SHC is connected to a bias load that develops returning force on the springs. In presence of solar radiation, the springs contract and cause linear movement of the piston in a direction of contraction and, in absence of the solar radiation, the springs expand and cause linear movement of the piston in direction of expansion. Useful power and work is extracted in form of the cleaning system from such linear movement of the piston.

An articulated finger. The articulated finger comprises a first phalange; a second phalange; a self-locking joint coupling the first phalange to the second phalange, wherein the self-locking joint is configured to allow motion in a first rotational direction of the first phalange relative to the second phalange and prevent motion in a second rotational direction of the first phalange relative to the second phalange, wherein the first rotational direction is opposite the second rotational direction; and a compliant actuator configured to actuate the first phalange in the first rotational direction relative to the second phalange.

The present disclosure provides a thermomechanical actuator and a cleaning system implementing the thermomechanical actuator. The thermomechanical actuator includes a solar heat collector (SHC) housing shape memory alloy springs connected between a piston movably disposed therein and one end of the SHC. A cable extending from the piston through an opposite end of the SHC is connected to a bias load that develops returning force on the springs. In presence of solar radiation, the springs contract and cause linear movement of the piston in a direction of contraction and, in absence of the solar radiation, the springs expand and cause linear movement of the piston in direction of expansion. Useful power and work is extracted in form of the cleaning system from such linear movement of the piston.

A system manages the reactions of fluids to their changes in their environment in order to convert these reactions into energy thereby harvesting the same while protecting the device against destruction or malfunction when the environmental conditions exceed predefined thresholds.