Patent ID: 8752376

Claim:
An electro-thermal actuator device comprising a case defining a cavity in which there are housed at least one thermal actuator, having a respective body containing a thermo-expandable material, a piston partially inserted in said body and sealing means for said thermo-expandable material, said body being made of an electrically and thermally conductive material, one electrical heater in contact with the body of said thermal actuator, the electrical heater being operative to cause heating of said thermo-expandable material, in order to induce a variation in volume thereof and consequently move said piston, at least part of an actuating element capable of being actuated as a result of movement of said piston, wherein said device comprises a multipolar electrical connection arrangement having a connector body in a fixed position at an outer wall of said case and comprising passages in which respective portions of at least two terminals are housed, said connector body and said terminals being provided for coupling with an external multipolar connector for supplying power to the device, wherein said connector body defines a seat for at least partially housing said external connector, an intermediate wall being defined at said seat, wherein each of said terminals comprises a contact portion extending within said cavity of said case, for electrically supplying said electrical heater, and an interconnection portion extending outside said cavity of said case, wherein the interconnection portion of each of said terminals has at least one part which extends through said intermediate wall, said at least one part having a peripheral region at least partly facing or projecting towards the exterior of said intermediate wall, for allowing electrical coupling with said external connector, and wherein said connector body comprises at least one of: coding means, operative to allow a unique coupling of the connector body with said external connector, said coding means comprising shaped parts of at least one of said connector body, said case and said intermediate wall; and mechanical coupling mean configured to co-operate with said external connector to maintain the latter in a substantially fixed position relative to said terminals and said intermediate wall.