Invention Grant
- Patent Title: SMA valve for controlling pressurized air supply to an air cell in a vehicle seat
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Application No.: US15104033Application Date: 2013-12-13
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Publication No.: US10207619B2Publication Date: 2019-02-19
- Inventor: Frank Dankbaar , Anders Grönhage
- Applicant: Kongsberg Automotive AB
- Applicant Address: SE Mullsjö
- Assignee: Kongsberg Automobile AB
- Current Assignee: Kongsberg Automobile AB
- Current Assignee Address: SE Mullsjö
- Agency: Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC
- International Application: PCT/EP2013/076494 WO 20131213
- International Announcement: WO2015/086088 WO 20150618
- Main IPC: F16K31/00
- IPC: F16K31/00 ; B60N2/90

Abstract:
The present invention provides a SMA valve for controlling pressurized air supply to an air cell in a vehicle seat comprising: a valve housing, a valve element (4) which is moveably suspended in the housing to be moveable between a closed position and an open position, a spring element adapted to exert a bias force on the valve element urging it to the closed position, and a SMA wire (1) extending between a part fixed in the housing and the valve element and arranged such that shortening of the SMA wire upon exceeding its threshold temperature exerts a force on the valve element which pulls the valve element away from the closed position against the bias force of the spring element, characterized in that the valve element (4) is suspended by a connecting link (10, 10′) connected with one of its ends to the valve element (4) and with its opposite end to a stationary component (8) in the housing by a hinge (12, 12′) enabling pivotal movement of the connecting link (10, 10′) between a first and second position of the connecting link corresponding to the closed and open position of the valve element (4), respectively.
Public/Granted literature
- US20170015222A1 SMA Valve for Controlling Pressurized Air Supply to an Air Cell in a Vehicle Seat Public/Granted day:2017-01-19
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