Patents by Inventor Marco D. Lima

Marco D. Lima 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).

  • Polymer fiber actuators
    Patent number: 11629705
    Abstract: Actuators (artificial muscles) comprising twist-spun nanofiber yarn or twist-inserted polymer fibers generate actuation when powered electrically, photonically, chemically, thermally, by absorption, or by other means. These artificial muscles utilize polymer fibers non-coiled or coiled yarns and can be either neat or comprising a guest. Devices comprising these artificial muscles are also described. In some embodiments, thermally-powered polymer fiber torsional actuator has a twisted, chain-oriented polymer fiber that has a first degree of twist at a first temperature and a second degree of twist at a second temperature in which the bias angles of the first degree and second degree of twist are substantially different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: THE BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: Na Li, Carter S. Haines, Marco D. Lima, Monica Jung DeAndrade, Shaoli Fang, Jiyoung Oh, Mikhail E. Kozlov, Dongseok Suh, Ray H. Baughman
  • POLYMER FIBER ACTUATORS
    Publication number: 20220003221
    Abstract: Actuators (artificial muscles) comprising twist-spun nanofiber yarn or twist-inserted polymer fibers generate actuation when powered electrically, photonically, chemically, thermally, by absorption, or by other means. These artificial muscles utilize polymer fibers non-coiled or coiled yarns and can be either neat or comprising a guest. Devices comprising these artificial muscles are also described. In some embodiments, thermally-powered polymer fiber torsional actuator has a twisted, chain-oriented polymer fiber that has a first degree of twist at a first temperature and a second degree of twist at a second temperature in which the bias angles of the first degree and second degree of twist are substantially different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: Na Li, Carter S. Haines, Marco D. Lima, Monica Jung DeAndrade, Shaoli Fang, Jiyoung Oh, Mikhail E. Kozlov, Dongseok Suh, Ray H. Baughman