US 12,280,524 B2
Magnetorheological fluid valve and variable manufacturing mold
Eric Cotton, Stratford, CT (US)
Assigned to Shoreline Design &Manufacturing LLC, Stratford, CT (US)
Appl. No. 18/011,998
Filed by Shoreline Design & Manufacturing LLC, Stratford, CT (US)
PCT Filed Jun. 21, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/038219
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 21, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/262588, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/041,967, filed on Jun. 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0211525 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. B29C 33/30 (2006.01); F16K 13/10 (2006.01); F16K 31/06 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 33/308 (2013.01) [F16K 13/10 (2013.01); F16K 31/06 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A variable mold comprising:
a plurality of hydraulic pin systems, each pin system comprising:
a valve in fluid communication with a supply of pressurized fluid;
a tubing in fluid communication with the valve; and
a pin coupled to the tubing, wherein:
the pin is configured for displacement from the tubing in response to the supply of the fluid through the valve to the tubing,
a longitudinal axis of each pin is mutually parallel and arranged in a two-dimensional array; and
each valve is a magnetorheological valve having a magnetic coil and the fluid is a magnetorheological fluid;
a controller operably coupled to the valves, the controller configured to control a displacement of each pin of the plurality of hydraulic pin systems; and
a temperature control system comprising a temperature control fluid in contact with each of the valves, wherein the magnetorheological fluid and the temperature control fluid are different fluids.