Patent ID: 8739525

Claim:
A thermally-activated material assembly, transformable between an actuated condition and a non-actuated condition, comprising: an actuator element having actuator material defined by an actuation temperature and a reset temperature, wherein the actuator material: in response to being heated to or above the actuation temperature, causes the actuator element to actuate from a non-actuated shape, wherein the assembly is in the non-actuated condition, to an actuated shape, transforming the assembly to the actuated condition; and in response to cooling to or below the reset temperature, causes the actuator element to actuate from the actuated shape back to the non-actuated shape; a mechanism connected to the actuator element; a phase-change material (PCM) component associated with the mechanism, the PCM component being defined by a phase-change temperature and causing the PCM component to transition from a first state to a second state in response to being heated to or above the phase-change temperature; and a sheath surrounding at least a portion of the PCM component so as to contain material of the PCM component when the PCM component is in the second state; wherein the mechanism is configured and arranged in the assembly to: cause the PCM component to directly engage the actuator element when the assembly is in the non-actuated condition and to be disengaged from the actuator element when the assembly is in the actuated condition; or cause the PCM component to directly engage the actuator element when the assembly is in the actuated condition and to be disengaged from the actuator element when the assembly in the non-actuated condition.