| 摘要 |
A thermal actuator including a casing having an opening at one end and a chamber substantially filled with a thermally expandable medium supported within the casing. The chamber includes a neck portion defining an open-ended bore in axial registry with the opening in the casing. A piston assembly including a piston head is received within the bore and has a piston rod projecting from the bore toward the opening in the casing. A self-regulating heat generating element is disposed in thermal communication with the thermally expandable medium and generates heat at a substantially constant temperature sufficient to effect a predetermined expansion of the medium in response to electrical energization of the heating element so as to cause the medium to apply sufficient force against the piston head to effect movement thereof from a first rest position to a second actuated position.
|
