scanner and mirror with shape memory alloy hinges

1
respect to fixed points of reference upon the substrate. Each beam thereby has a fixed end and a relatively moveable free end. Compressive axial force induced by axial movement, applied to the movable end of a beam, will cause that beam to deform or buckle. Buckling occurs transversely in-plane due to a high aspect ratio profile of each beam. The amount of lateral or transverse movement of a beam due to buckling is relatively large in relation to the applied axial force or axial movement which causes it. By arranging these beams in cooperating perpendicular pairs as micromotion amplifier stages, an input axial force/movement applied to the movable free end of a first beam generates a transverse motion ot buckling movement of that beam. Patent number: US 6183097 Publication date: 6 February 2001 Inventors: M.T.A. Saif, N.C. MacDonald Polymer microactuator array with macroscopic force and displacement Applicant: Honeywell International Inc., USA This microactuator array device includes a plurality of generally parallel thin flexible polymer sheets bonded together in a predetermined pattern to form an array of unit cells on at least one layer. Thin conductive and dielectric films are deposited on the sheets to form a plurality of electrodes associated with the array of unit cells. A source of electric potential operably connects the electrodes, whereby electrostatic forces are generated most intensely near the point where the gap between the sheets is smallest. Inlets and outlets for each cell permit displacement of fluid during generation of the electrostatic forces. In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of sheets forms a stack of layers of arrays of unit cells. The layers are configured such that bi-directional activation is caused by pairs of actuators working opposite each other. At least one of every pair of the sheets may be preformed into corrugations or into flaps to provide a predetermined mechanical bias between the pairs, or the sheets may form curved portions by an applied load to provide a displacement between the pairs. The sheets are preferably from about 1 .mu.m to about 100 .mu.m thick and rhe cells preferably have an individual displacement of from about 5 .mu.m to about 200 .mu.m. Patent number: US 6184608 Publication date: 6 February 2001 Inventors: C. Cabuz, R.D. Horning, W.R. Herb Magnetorheological brake with integrated flywheel Applicant: Lord Corporation, USA A magnetorheological brake includes an outer, rotating flywheel member having a hollow interior space, and an inner fixed member disposed in the hollow interior space. The inner fixed member is sized so that a working space is provide between the surfaces of the fixed member and the inner wall of the rotating member. A controllable medium of magnetically permeable metal particles is disposed in the working space. A field generator is mounted in the interior space ro the fixed member to selectably generate a field acting on the outer and inner members and the controllable medium in the working space. The rheology change in the medium produced by the field generares resistance to rotation of the outer member about the inner member. A device according to the invention may be used as a flywheel/brake or resistance-generating device in exercise equipment, rotating equipment, such as conveyors, and vehicles. Patent number: US 6186290 Publication date: 13 February 2001 Inventor: J.D. Carlson Scanner and mirror with shape memory alloy hinges Applicant: Symbol Technologies, Inc., USA An integrated scanner for scanning a barcode is formed on a common substrate. The scanner may include a micro-machined mirror, a laser diode, and a detector, mounted on a single substrate or several connected substrates. Lenses can be used to focus a laser beam from the laser diode as well as expand a laser beam deflected by the micro-machined mirror. The scanner may also scan a barcode without using a micro- machined mirror by rotating the laser diode. Patent number: US 6186399 Publication date: 13 February 200 1 Inventors: M. Stern, C. Ray Packaged microelectromechanical devices and systems Applicant: Lucent Technologies Inc., USA This invention relates to a packaged microelectromechanical device having a housing with a plurality of ports. A bundle of a plurality of optical fibres is mounted in one of the plurality of ports by a welded or brazed flange. An array-type microelectromechanical device is mounted in another port of the housing by a welded or brazed flange and includes a plurality of elements adapted for interacting with the plurality of optical fibres. By this means, information may be transmitted into the housing via one of the optical fibres and may be transferred out of the housing via another of the optical fibres. The array-type micro- electromechanical device has a plurality of electrical control pins protruding outside the housing. A pair of windows in the housing provides ports for optical sensory signals for the array-type microelectromechanical device. Two conduits for providing pressurised inert gas are mounted in the housing by welded or brazed flanges. The housing provides a hermetically sealed enclosure for the bundle of the plurality of optical fibres, the windows, the array-type microelectromechanical device, and the conduits. The pressurised inert gas is used to remove dust and moisture during assembly but remains in the finished assembly. Helium in the gas enables detection of leaks. Patent number: US 6188814 Publication date: 13 February 2001 Inuentor: K.S. Bhalla Device for controlling rigidity and deformation of car body Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Japan A device for controlling rigidity of a car body includes a device for adjusting rigidity of a right side frame and a left side frame extending in the longitudinal direction of a car. The device is attached to the side frames. The control device has a controller for controlling operation of the device for adjusting rigidity of the right and left side frames according to a form of collision judged by an output of a collision detector such as an acceleration sensor. Further, a control device for controlling deformation of a frame has an actuator for generating a force in a direction of restricting or facilitating deformation of a frame, an external force detection sensor for detecting an external force inputted into the frame, and a controller for controlling operation of the actuator according to an output signal of the external force detection sensor. The actuator is arranged in a portion of the frame in which deformation of the frame greater than that of the periphery is predicted. Due to the foregoing, rigidity of rhe right and left side frames can be adjusted to a value appropriate for a form of collision by the device for adjusting rigidity of a right and a left side frame. Accordingly, it is possible to absorb an impact of collision appropriately in any form of collision including overall collision and partial collision. Patent number: US 6193303 Publication date; 27 February 200 1 Inventors: Y. Urushiyama, E. Higuchi Electromagnetic induction heating device and image recording device Applicant: Fugi Xerox Co., Ltd, Japan The electromagnetic induction heating device has a simple construction, holds an objecr to be heated in a favourable heating condition while effectively suppressing the irregularities of heat generation of the object to be heated, and reduces an energy consumption. The electromagnetic induction heating device which heats the object to be heated provided with at cc3 Smart Materials Bulletin May 2001

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Page 1: Scanner and mirror with shape memory alloy hinges

respect to fixed points of reference upon the

substrate. Each beam thereby has a fixed end and

a relatively moveable free end. Compressive axial force induced by axial movement, applied to the

movable end of a beam, will cause that beam to

deform or buckle. Buckling occurs transversely

in-plane due to a high aspect ratio profile of each

beam. The amount of lateral or transverse

movement of a beam due to buckling is relatively

large in relation to the applied axial force or axial

movement which causes it. By arranging these

beams in cooperating perpendicular pairs as

micromotion amplifier stages, an input axial

force/movement applied to the movable free end

of a first beam generates a transverse motion ot

buckling movement of that beam.

Patent number: US 6183097

Publication date: 6 February 2001

Inventors: M.T.A. Saif, N.C. MacDonald

Polymer microactuator array with macroscopic force and displacement Applicant: Honeywell International Inc., USA

This microactuator array device includes a

plurality of generally parallel thin flexible

polymer sheets bonded together in a predetermined pattern to form an array of unit

cells on at least one layer. Thin conductive and

dielectric films are deposited on the sheets to

form a plurality of electrodes associated with the

array of unit cells. A source of electric potential

operably connects the electrodes, whereby

electrostatic forces are generated most intensely

near the point where the gap between the sheets

is smallest. Inlets and outlets for each cell permit

displacement of fluid during generation of the

electrostatic forces. In a preferred embodiment,

the plurality of sheets forms a stack of layers of

arrays of unit cells. The layers are configured

such that bi-directional activation is caused by

pairs of actuators working opposite each other.

At least one of every pair of the sheets may be

preformed into corrugations or into flaps to

provide a predetermined mechanical bias

between the pairs, or the sheets may form curved

portions by an applied load to provide a

displacement between the pairs. The sheets are

preferably from about 1 .mu.m to about 100

.mu.m thick and rhe cells preferably have an

individual displacement of from about 5 .mu.m

to about 200 .mu.m.

Patent number: US 6184608

Publication date: 6 February 2001

Inventors: C. Cabuz, R.D. Horning, W.R. Herb

Magnetorheological brake with integrated flywheel Applicant: Lord Corporation, USA

A magnetorheological brake includes an outer,

rotating flywheel member having a hollow

interior space, and an inner fixed member

disposed in the hollow interior space. The inner

fixed member is sized so that a working space is

provide between the surfaces of the fixed

member and the inner wall of the rotating

member. A controllable medium of magnetically

permeable metal particles is disposed in the

working space. A field generator is mounted in

the interior space ro the fixed member to

selectably generate a field acting on the outer

and inner members and the controllable

medium in the working space. The rheology

change in the medium produced by the field

generares resistance to rotation of the outer

member about the inner member. A device

according to the invention may be used as a

flywheel/brake or resistance-generating device in

exercise equipment, rotating equipment, such as

conveyors, and vehicles.

Patent number: US 6186290

Publication date: 13 February 2001

Inventor: J.D. Carlson

Scanner and mirror with shape memory alloy hinges Applicant: Symbol Technologies, Inc., USA

An integrated scanner for scanning a barcode is

formed on a common substrate. The scanner

may include a micro-machined mirror, a laser

diode, and a detector, mounted on a single

substrate or several connected substrates. Lenses

can be used to focus a laser beam from the laser

diode as well as expand a laser beam deflected by

the micro-machined mirror. The scanner may

also scan a barcode without using a micro-

machined mirror by rotating the laser diode.

Patent number: US 6186399

Publication date: 13 February 200 1

Inventors: M. Stern, C. Ray

Packaged microelectromechanical devices and systems Applicant: Lucent Technologies Inc., USA

This invention relates to a packaged

microelectromechanical device having a housing

with a plurality of ports. A bundle of a plurality

of optical fibres is mounted in one of the

plurality of ports by a welded or brazed flange.

An array-type microelectromechanical device is

mounted in another port of the housing by a

welded or brazed flange and includes a plurality

of elements adapted for interacting with the

plurality of optical fibres. By this means,

information may be transmitted into the

housing via one of the optical fibres and may be

transferred out of the housing via another of the

optical fibres. The array-type micro-

electromechanical device has a plurality of electrical control pins protruding outside the

housing. A pair of windows in the housing

provides ports for optical sensory signals for the

array-type microelectromechanical device. Two

conduits for providing pressurised inert gas are

mounted in the housing by welded or brazed

flanges. The housing provides a hermetically

sealed enclosure for the bundle of the plurality of

optical fibres, the windows, the array-type

microelectromechanical device, and the

conduits. The pressurised inert gas is used to

remove dust and moisture during assembly but

remains in the finished assembly. Helium in the

gas enables detection of leaks.

Patent number: US 6188814

Publication date: 13 February 2001

Inuentor: K.S. Bhalla

Device for controlling rigidity and deformation of car body Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki

Kaisha, Japan

A device for controlling rigidity of a car body

includes a device for adjusting rigidity of a right

side frame and a left side frame extending in the

longitudinal direction of a car. The device is

attached to the side frames. The control device

has a controller for controlling operation of the

device for adjusting rigidity of the right and left

side frames according to a form of collision

judged by an output of a collision detector such

as an acceleration sensor. Further, a control

device for controlling deformation of a frame has

an actuator for generating a force in a direction

of restricting or facilitating deformation of a frame, an external force detection sensor for

detecting an external force inputted into the

frame, and a controller for controlling operation

of the actuator according to an output signal of

the external force detection sensor. The actuator

is arranged in a portion of the frame in which

deformation of the frame greater than that of the

periphery is predicted. Due to the foregoing,

rigidity of rhe right and left side frames can be

adjusted to a value appropriate for a form of

collision by the device for adjusting rigidity of a

right and a left side frame. Accordingly, it is

possible to absorb an impact of collision

appropriately in any form of collision including

overall collision and partial collision.

Patent number: US 6193303

Publication date; 27 February 200 1

Inventors: Y. Urushiyama, E. Higuchi

Electromagnetic induction heating device and image recording device Applicant: Fugi Xerox Co., Ltd, Japan

The electromagnetic induction heating device

has a simple construction, holds an objecr to be

heated in a favourable heating condition while

effectively suppressing the irregularities of heat

generation of the object to be heated, and

reduces an energy consumption. The

electromagnetic induction heating device which

heats the object to be heated provided with at

cc3 Smart Materials Bulletin May 2001