THERMO-MECHANICAL STABILIZATION OF NITINOL WIRES IN AN OPTICAL IMAGE STABILIZATION SUSPENSION

• Main Authors: SCHEELE, Bryan J, LADWIG, Peter F, SCHEELE, Daniel W, JOHNSON, Randy, J, MYERS, Dean E, JENNEKE, Richard R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 21.09.2022
• Subjects: CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS ANDNON-FERROUS ALLOYS; CHEMISTRY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUSMETALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE BY DECARBURISATION, TEMPERING OR OTHERTREATMENTS; METALLURGY; METALLURGY OF IRON; MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS

A method and system for stabilizing properties of shape memory alloy (SMA) wires in an optical image stabilization (OIS) suspension of the type having a first or support assembly and a second or moving assembly coupled with respect to one another by the SMA wires. Embodiments of the method comprise cyclically mechanically straining and de-straining the wires by moving the moving and support assemblies with respect to one another while heat is applied to the wires. The temperature, strain, and de-strain levels are configured to cause the wires to cyclically transition between austenite and martensite phases during the mechanical straining and de-straining.