Patent ID: 6481204
Filing Date: 2002-11-19
Classification: B25B,F03G,F15B

Abstract:
A mechanical actuating system comprising:a plurality of modules, each module including: a housing that defines: a polymer chamber, at least one piston port, a pair of parallel side faces, a pair of thermal medium ports, one thermal medium port defined in each of the parallel faces in alignment with each other, bores through the side faces and the housing for receiving mechanical elements that clamp side faces of adjoining modules together in a fluid-tight relationship to gang a plurality of modules together to operate concurrently; a volume of polymer which undergoes phase changes disposed in each polymer chamber; a fluid passage extending between the thermal medium ports through the polymer chamber of each housing; at least one piston disposed in the piston port of each housing to be moved by expansion of the polymer; and, a heat transfer fluid that flows serially through the fluid passages of modules that are ganged together.