US 12,473,896 B2
Thermally-powered polymer fiber actuators and articles including same
Na Li, Richardson, TX (US); Carter S. Haines, Murphy, TX (US); Marcio D. Lima, Richardson, TX (US); Monica Jung DeAndrade, Richardson, TX (US); Shaoli Fang, Richardson, TX (US); Jiyoung Oh, Richardson, TX (US); Mikhail E. Kozlov, Dallas, TX (US); Dongseok Suh, Plano, TX (US); and Ray H. Baughman, Dallas, TX (US)
Assigned to Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US)
Filed by Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Aug. 12, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/800,475.
Application 18/800,475 is a continuation of application No. 17/504,305, filed on Oct. 18, 2021, granted, now 12,060,868.
Application 17/504,305 is a continuation of application No. 16/685,904, filed on Nov. 15, 2019, granted, now 11,149,720, issued on Oct. 19, 2021.
Application 16/685,904 is a continuation of application No. 15/814,941, filed on Nov. 16, 2017, granted, now 10,480,491, issued on Nov. 19, 2019.
Application 15/814,941 is a continuation of application No. 14/418,811, granted, now 9,903,350, issued on Feb. 27, 2018, previously published as PCT/US2013/053227, filed on Aug. 1, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/784,126, filed on Mar. 14, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/678,340, filed on Aug. 1, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2024/0401574 A1, Dec. 5, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F03G 7/06 (2006.01); D01D 5/00 (2006.01); D01F 6/00 (2006.01); D01H 1/10 (2006.01); D02G 3/02 (2006.01); D02G 3/26 (2006.01); D02G 3/44 (2006.01); D04C 1/02 (2006.01); H02N 10/00 (2006.01); H02N 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC F03G 7/06 (2013.01) [D01D 5/0007 (2013.01); D01F 6/00 (2013.01); D01H 1/10 (2013.01); D02G 3/02 (2013.01); D02G 3/26 (2013.01); D02G 3/448 (2013.01); D04C 1/02 (2013.01); H02N 10/00 (2013.01); H02N 11/006 (2013.01); D10B 2401/046 (2013.01); D10B 2401/061 (2013.01); D10B 2509/00 (2013.01); Y10T 428/249921 (2015.04); Y10T 428/2925 (2015.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A thermally-powered polymer fiber actuator comprising a twisted polymer fiber or yarn, wherein
(a) the thermally-powered polymer fiber actuator has a first length at a first temperature;
(b) the thermally-powered polymer fiber actuator has a second length at a second temperature;
(c) the first length and the second length are different in length by at least 5%;
(d) the thermally-powered polymer fiber actuator is operable to reversibly actuate; and
(e) the thermally-powered polymer fiber actuator is a thermally-powered, non-electrochemically-powered, and non-electroactively-powered, polymer fiber actuator.