Patents by Inventor Hines Antonio

Hines Antonio has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20010011414
    Abstract: A fluid control valve having a shaped memory alloy (SMA) driven actuator is disclosed. The SMA driven actuator includes a first frame section coupled to a valve body and fixed in relation thereto, a second frame section coupled to a movable element of the valve body and movable in relation to the valve body, and a mulitiplicity of SMA wire sections coupling the first and second frame sections for moving the movable element from a biased first position to a second position when heated. An electrical controller controls the heating of the SMA wire sections by regulating current therethrough, preferably using pulse width modulation techniques. The electrical controller may be governed by a position measurement signal proportional to the position of the movable element to regulate current to the SMA drive element to position the movable element to a desired position. The position measuring signal may be provided from a position measuring element integral to the valve actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2001
    Publication date: August 9, 2001
    Inventors: Hines Antonio, Theodore J. Gausman, William H. Glime, Steven H. Hill, Bruce S. Rigsby