Granted Patent B2

US 7,478,845 · App. 11/078,823 · Granted Jan 20, 2009

Abstract

Claims (36)

1. A locking arrangement including a locking device in combination with a suspended body for locking the suspended body to a supporting body, comprising:

a striker disposed on the suspended body; and

a rotatable latch disposed on the supporting body having a first finger and a second finger, each of the fingers having a respective convex side and a respective concave side opposite the convex side;

wherein the concave side of the first finger faces the convex side of the second finger;

the striker being positioned to initially contact the concave side of the second finger upon closure of the suspended body relative to the supporting body and effect rotation of the rotatable latch such that the first finger forms a mechanical interlock with the striker;

wherein the latch is in operative communication with an active material based actuator that comprises an active material;

wherein the fingers are rigid and the rotatable latch includes a rigid segment and a flexible segment, wherein the flexible segment is disposed between the fingers and the rigid segment such that the rotatable latch bends at the flexible segment in response to application of a force to the rotatable latch;

wherein the active material based actuator is adapted to rotate the first finger and exert a force against the striker in response to an applied activation signal to the active material and effect further closure of the locking device.

2. The locking arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the active material comprises a shape memory alloy, a shape memory polymer, a magnetorheological fluid, an electrorheological fluid, a electroactive polymer, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing shape memory materials.

3. The locking arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the active material is activated by the application of an external stimulus, wherein the external stimulus is electrical, magnetic, thermal, mechanical, chemical, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing external stimuli.

4. The locking arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the active material is configured to change its shape, stiffness and/or dimensions in response to an applied external stimulus.

5. The locking arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing spring in operative communication with the locking device.

6. The locking arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a controller in operative communication with the locking device.

7. The locking arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable latch is coupled to a movable sub-assembly that comprises a biasing spring and a secondary actuator, wherein the sub-assembly is operative to reduce a distance between the suspended body and the supporting body.

8. The locking arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the active material based actuator is operatively coupled to at least one of the fingers to bend the rotatable latch at the flexible segment to move the fingers relative to the rigid segment in response to activation of the active material based actuator.

9. The locking arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a bias spring interconnecting the rotatable latch and the supporting body with the bias spring for biasing the rotatable latch to a first equilibrium position to receive the striker between the first and second fingers and for biasing the rotatable latch to a second equilibrium position to retain the striker by the first finger.

10. A method for assisting a final closing motion of a suspended body with respect to a supporting body comprising:

moving the suspended body to within a defined distance from the supporting body and contacting a striker to provide a mechanical interlock between the suspended body and the striker, wherein the striker is fixedly attached to the supporting body; and

applying an activation signal to an active material of an active material actuator to bend a rotatable latch at a flexible segment that interconnects at least one finger of the rotatable latch and a rigid segment of the rotatable latch to move the at least one fingers of the rotatable latch relative to the rigid segment such that the at least one finger exerts a force against the striker, thereby moving the suspended body to a final closed position from the defined distance.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the active material comprises a shape memory alloy, a shape memory polymer, a magnetorheological fluid, an electrorheological fluid, a electroactive polymer, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing shape memory materials.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the active material is activated by the application of an external stimulus, wherein the external stimulus is electrical, magnetic, thermal, mechanical, chemical, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing external stimuli.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the active material is configured to change its shape, stiffness and/or dimensions in response to an applied external stimulus.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the rotatable latch includes a flexible segment interconnecting the rigid segment and the fingers; and wherein said applying an activation signal to an active material causes the flexible segment to bend.

15. A locking arrangement including a locking device in combination with a suspended body for locking the suspended body to a supporting body, comprising:

a rotatable latch disposed on the supporting body with the rotatable latch having first and second fingers,

a striker disposed on the suspended body with the striker being positioned to initially contact the second finger upon closure of the suspended body relative to the supporting body and effect rotation of the rotatable latch such that the first finger forms a mechanical interlock with the striker;

the rotatable latch including a rigid segment and a flexible segment with the flexible segment connecting the rigid segment and the fingers such that the fingers are rotatable relative to the rigid segment; and

an active material based actuator that comprises an active material operatively connected to at least one of the upper and lower fingers to move the fingers relative to the rigid segment and exert a force against the striker in response to an applied activation signal and effect further closure of the locking device.

16. A locking arrangement including a locking device in combination with a suspended body for locking the suspended body to a supporting body, comprising:

a striker disposed on the suspended body; and

a rotatable latch disposed on the supporting body having a first finger and a second finger, each of the fingers having a respective convex side and a respective concave side opposite the convex side;

wherein the concave side of the first finger faces the convex side of the second finger;

the striker being positioned to initially contact the second finger upon closure of the suspended body relative to the supporting body and effect rotation of the rotatable latch such that the first finger forms a mechanical interlock with the striker;

wherein the latch is in operative communication with an active material based actuator that comprises an active material;

wherein the active material based actuator is adapted to rotate the first finger and exert a force against the striker in response to an applied activation signal to the active material and effect further closure of the locking device;

wherein the rotatable latch is coupled to a movable sub-assembly that comprises a biasing spring and a secondary actuator, wherein the sub-assembly is operative to reduce a distance between the suspended body and the supporting body.

Assignments (12)