Variable Resistance Strut Assemblies and Articles Containing the Same

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a strut assembly 10 comprising of a piston 3 in slideable communication with a housing 2 ; a seal 6 in operative communication with the piston 3 and/or the housing 2 ; wherein the seal 6 comprises an active material adapted to control the motion of the piston 3 . Disclosed herein too is a method of operating a strut assembly 10 comprising displacing a suspended body 60 in mechanical communication with a piston 3 ; wherein the piston 3 comprises a piston head 14 and a piston rod 12 ; activating an active material in operative communication with the piston head 14 ; and controlling the motion of the suspended body 60.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A strut assembly comprising:
 a piston in slideable communication with a housing, wherein the piston comprises a piston head having a channel in operative communication with a fluid disposed in the housing; and   a flow control element comprising an active material disposed in the piston head, wherein the flow control element is operative to control an effective diameter of the channel.   
     
     
         6 . The strut assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the flow control element comprises one or more layers. 
     
     
         7 . The strut assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the flow control element comprises a first layer and a second layer, and wherein either the first layer and/or the second layer comprises the active material. 
     
     
         8 . The strut assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the second layer comprises two opposed active elements and that can be used to vary the effective diameter of a channel by changing the position of the first layer. 
     
     
         9 . The strut assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the flow control element is operative to control the resistance to the motion of the piston. 
     
     
         10 . The strut assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the flow control element prior to activation can be located so as to effectively maintain the channel in an open position, a partially open position or a closed position. 
     
     
         11 . The strut assembly of  claim 5 , wherein an axis of the flow control element intersects with an axis of the channel. 
     
     
         12 . The strut assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the active material is a shape memory alloy. 
     
     
         13 . A strut assembly comprising:
 a piston in slideable communication with a housing, wherein the piston comprises a piston head having a channel in operative communication with a fluid disposed in the housing;   an elastic member disposed in the channel; and   an active material in operative communication with the elastic member, wherein the active material is operative to change the shape of the elastic member.   
     
     
         14 . The strut assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the channel has a cross-sectional area that is square or rectangular. 
     
     
         15 . The strut assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the elastic member comprises at least one flat surface that is disposed parallel to at least one inner surface of the channel prior to activation. 
     
     
         16 . The strut assembly of  claim 13 , wherein each channel comprises about to about elastic members that are in operative communication with an active material. 
     
     
         17 . The strut assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the active material is a shape memory alloy. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . An article employing the strut assembly of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         23 . An article employing the strut assembly of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The strut assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the flow control element provides a first level of resistance when the active material is at a first temperature and wherein the flow control element provides an increased level of resistance greater than the first level of resistance when the active material is at an increased temperature greater than the first temperature. 
     
     
         26 . The strut assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the increased level of resistance of the flow control element is proportional to the increased temperature of the active material. 
     
     
         27 . The strut assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the flow control element has a first cross-sectional shape when the active material is in an inactivated state, and wherein the flow control element has a second cross-sectional shape when the active material is in an activated state. 
     
     
         28 . The strut assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the elastic member provides a first level of resistance when the active material is at a first temperature and wherein the elastic provides an increased level of resistance greater than the first level of resistance when the active material is at an increased temperature greater than the first temperature. 
     
     
         29 . The strut assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the elastic material has a first cross-sectional shape when the active material is in an inactivated state, and wherein the elastic material has a second cross-sectional shape when the active material is in an activated state.