Patent ID: 7686382
Filing Date: 2010-03-30
Classification: B62D,Y02T

Abstract:
1. An air dam assembly adapted for use with a vehicle, the assembly defining a surface of the vehicle that can increase or decrease airflow within a space under the vehicle during movement of the vehicle, the assembly comprising: a housing attachable to the vehicle, and defining an opening exposable to the space under the vehicle; an air dam translatably disposed within the housing and slidably engaged with the opening; and an active material actuator comprising an active material in operative communication with the air dam and configured to selectively effect deployment of the air dam from the housing and into the space, so as to decrease airflow therein, wherein the active material actuator comprises a shape memory alloy wire having one end linked to the air dam and a bias spring attached to the air dam configured to provide a counter force to that provided by the shape memory alloy wire, wherein the bias spring has a spring constant greater than a spring constant of the shape memory alloy wire when the shape memory alloy wire is in a martensite phase and is less than the spring constant of the shape memory alloy wire when the shape memory alloy wire is in a austenite phase.