Abstract

A thermal actuator (1) having a plurality of passive stable states (21, 22) is provided. The thermal actuator (1) comprises an actuator body (3), an actuating arrangement (10)and a thermal control arrangement (15). The actuating arrangement further comprises a phase change material, yielding a volume change upon a change in phase of the phase change material. The actuating arrangement(10) change state due to the volume change. The thermal control arrangement (15) has at least a first and a second thermal controlling means (16, 17), wherein at lest one of themes individually controllable in order to have a localized control of the change in phase and thus the state of the actuating arrangement(10).A method for switching a thermal actuator (1) according to the invention is also presented.

IPC Classes  ?

• B81B 3/00 - Devices comprising flexible or deformable elements, e.g. comprising elastic tongues or membranes
• F16K 7/12 - Diaphragm cut-off apparatus, e.g. with a member deformed, but not moved bodily, to close the passage with flat, dished, or bowl-shaped diaphragm
• H01H 37/72 - Switches in which the opening movement and the closing movement of a contact are effected respectively by heating and cooling or vice versa