US 12,280,492 B2
Electrothermal manipulator
Hyunjoon Kong, Urbana, IL (US); Byoungsoo Kim, Urbana, IL (US); Jonghwi Lee, Urbana, IL (US); Chi Hwan Lee, West Lafayette, IN (US); and Min Ku Kim, Lafayette, IN (US)
Assigned to The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL (US); and Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed by The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL (US); and Purdue Research Foundation, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed on Aug. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/462,862.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/072,634, filed on Aug. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0063110 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B25J 15/00 (2006.01); B25J 7/00 (2006.01); B25J 11/00 (2006.01); B25J 19/00 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 15/008 (2013.01) [B25J 7/00 (2013.01); B25J 11/0095 (2013.01); B25J 19/0025 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A manipulator comprising:
a contact layer having a contact surface with thermally responsive recess features;
a microelectric heater in thermal contact with the contact surface;
an electrical power source electrically connected to the microelectric heater;
wherein the thermally responsive recess features have:
a thermally actuated geometry with microelectric heater actuation; and
a thermally relaxed geometry without microelectric heater actuation,
wherein the thermally actuated geometry is different than the thermally relaxed geometry.