Patent ID: 7597616

Claim:
A vent, comprising: a vane configured for spatial movement; and at least one actuator in operative communication with the vane configured to spatially move the vane in at least one direction, wherein the actuator comprises an active material configured to undergo a change in at least one property upon receipt of an activation signal, wherein the change in at least one property is effective to selectively change an orientation of the vane, wherein the at least one actuator comprises two antagonistically configured sets of sub-actuators each comprising an active material configured to undergo a change in at least one property upon receipt of an activation signal, wherein the change in at least one property is effective to selectively move each of the two antagonistically configured sets of sub-actuators in two directions, wherein the two antagonistically configured sets of sub-actuators each comprise two or more binary sub-actuators, wherein the two or more binary sub-actuators are in serial mechanical communication, and wherein the movement in the two directions of the antagonistically configured sets of sub-actuators is effective to move the two or more binary sub-actuators in series and selectively move the vane, so as to assume three or more angular positions.