THERMALLY ACTIVATED ACTUATOR AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A THERMALLY ACTIVATED ACTUATOR

摘要

A thermally activated actuator (10), particularly an actuator based on liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs), includes an actuator housing (1), a thermal interface fluid (3) contained in the actuator housing (1), and a strip of actuator sheet material (4) rolled up to a coil which is embedded in the thermal interface fluid (3) within the actuator housing (1). The actuator (10) is thermally activated by introducing thermal excitation energy into the thermal interface fluid (3) and by transferring the thermal excitation energy via the thermal interface fluid (3) to the rolled up actuator sheet material (4) to cause the actuator sheet material (4) to expand in radial direction and thus to contract in axial direction.