Abstract: A latch assembly for an access door of a storage compartment in a vehicle, includes a locking bar configured to move into an engaged configuration which enables the access door to be placed and held into a closed position and a disengaged configuration which permits the access door to be placed into an opened position; and an automatic locking mechanism including a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator configured to be coupled to the access door, and further including a locking feature operably coupled to a portion of the locking bar, and configured to engage and disengage the SMA actuator which is electrically energized to move into a locked position to prohibit the locking feature from moving. A latch assembly for an access door of a storage compartment in a vehicle includes an SMA actuator configured to move the locking bar into the disengaged configuration with the storage compartment.

Abstract: A tunable microwave system includes at least two elements, each element being chosen from a propagating guide, an evanescent guide, a resonator, and at least one coupling device arranged between the two elements and configured to couple the two elements to each other, the coupling device having a holder having an aperture and having at least one elongate element the shape of which is elongate in a polarization direction contained in a plane of the aperture, the elongate element being securely fastened to the perimeter of the aperture at at least one end, the coupling device being configured to be rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the aperture so as to modify a value of the polarization direction and so that the coupling between the two elements is dependent on the value of the polarization direction.

Abstract: A latch assembly 1 for an access door 2 of a storage compartment 3 in a vehicle 4, comprises a locking bar 5 configured to be movable into an engaged configuration which enables the access door 2 to be placed and held into a closed position and into a disengaged configuration which permits the access door 2 to be placed into an opened position; and an automatic locking mechanism 8 including a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator 9 configured to be coupled to the access door 2, the automatic locking mechanism 8 further including a locking feature 10 operably coupled to at least a portion of the locking bar 5, 5?, and configured to engage and disengage the SMA actuator which is electrically energized to move into a locked position to prohibit the locking feature 10 from moving.

Abstract: A tunable microwave system includes at least two elements, each element being chosen from a propagating guide, an evanescent guide, a resonator, and at least one coupling device arranged between the two elements and configured to couple the two elements to each other, the coupling device having a holder having an aperture and having at least one elongate element the shape of which is elongate in a polarization direction contained in a plane of the aperture, the elongate element being securely fastened to the perimeter of the aperture at at least one end, the coupling device being configured to be rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the aperture so as to modify a value of the polarization direction and so that the coupling between the two elements is dependent on the value of the polarization direction.