The invention claimed is:
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a membrane,
said membrane made of a nonmagnetic material body and
magnetic pieces, said magnetic pieces contained in said nonmagnetic material body,
a magnet operatively connected to said membrane, and
means for causing said magnet to act on and change the shape of said membrane.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnet is a permanent magnet.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnet is an electro magnet.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nonmagnetic material body comprises a polymer material.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nonmagnetic material body comprises a polymeric material.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise individual magnetic particles.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces are magnetic particles embedded in said nonmagnetic material body.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces are magnetic particles dispersed uniformly in said nonmagnetic material body.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces are magnetic particles in a specific concentration profile in said nonmagnetic material body.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a FePt alloy.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a NiPd alloy.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a NiZnFeO magnetic powder.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a Bad-CoFeO magnetic powder.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a FeO magnetic powder.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a substituted magnetite or ferric oxide crystalline lattice with a portion of the iron atoms substituted by one of the following, cobalt, nickel, manganese, zinc, magnesium, copper, chromium, cadmium, or gallium.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a Palladium Cobalt alloy.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a Palladium Cobalt alloy that has a controllable curie temperature in the range of 40-100 degrees Celsius.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a Nickel Zinc Ferrite material.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise particles having a size range of 1 nm to 500 microns.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 including a magnetic field sensor operatively connected to said membrane.
21. The apparatus of claim 1 including a tubular magnetic field sensor operatively connected to said membrane.
22. The apparatus of claim 1 including a pump body operatively connected to said membrane and valve means connected to said pump body for controlling flow.
23. The apparatus of claim 1 including a pump body operatively connected to said membrane, a one way intake valve connected to said pump body, and a one way output valve connected to said pump body.
24. The apparatus of claim 1 where said apparatus serves as a valve to open or close a conduit with an opening with said membrane positioned to move between a position closing said opening and a position where said opening is not closed.
25. An apparatus, comprising:
a membrane,
said membrane made of a nonmagnetic material body and
magnetic pieces, said magnetic pieces contained in said nonmagnetic material body, and
magnet means operatively connected to said membrane for causing said membrane to change shape.
26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnet means is a permanent magnet.
27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnet means is an electro magnet.
28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nonmagnetic material body comprises a polymer material.
29. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nonmagnetic material body comprises a polymeric material.
30. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise individual magnetic particles.
31. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces are magnetic particles embedded in said nonmagnetic material body.
32. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces are magnetic particles dispersed uniformly in said nonmagnetic material body.
33. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces are magnetic particles in a specific concentration profile in said nonmagnetic material body.
34. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a FePt alloy.
35. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a NiPd alloy.
36. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a NiZnFeO magnetic powder.
37. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a Bad-CoFeO magnetic powder.
38. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a FeO magnetic powder.
39. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a substituted magnetite or ferric oxide crystalline lattice with a portion of the iron atoms substituted by one of the following, cobalt, nickel, manganese, zinc, magnesium, copper, chromium, cadmium, or gallium.
40. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a Palladium Cobalt alloy.
41. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a Palladium Cobalt alloy that has a controllable curie temperature in the range of 40-100 degrees Celsius.
42. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise a Nickel Zinc Ferrite material.
43. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic pieces comprise particles having a size range of 1 nm to 500 microns.
44. The apparatus of claim 1 including a magnetic field sensor operatively connected to said membrane.
45. The apparatus of claim 1 including a tubular magnetic field sensor operatively connected to said membrane.
46. The apparatus of claim 1 including a pump body operatively connected to said membrane and valve means connected to said pump body for controlling flow.
47. The apparatus of claim 1 including a pump body operatively connected to said membrane, a one way intake valve connected to said pump body, and a one way output valve connected to said pump body.
48. The apparatus of claim 1 where said apparatus serves as a valve to open or close a conduit with an opening with said membrane positioned to move between a position closing said opening and a position where said opening is not closed.
49. A method of actuating a device to perform an activity on a subject, comprising the steps of:
providing a membrane having magnetic pieces in a nonmagnetic material body,
positioning said membrane in a desired position with regard to said subject, and
using a magnet to produce a magnetic field that acts on said magnetic pieces thereby actuating the device to perform the activity on the subject.
50. The method of claim 49 wherein said step of using a magnet comprises using a permanent magnet to produce a magnetic field that acts on said magnetic pieces thereby actuating the device to perform the activity on the subject.
51. The method of claim 49 wherein said step of using a magnet comprises using an electro magnet to produce a magnetic field that acts on said magnetic pieces thereby actuating the device to perform the activity on the subject.
52. The method of claim 49 wherein said step of providing a membrane comprises providing a membrane having magnetic pieces in a polymer material body.
53. The method of claim 49 wherein said step of providing a membrane comprises providing a membrane having magnetic pieces in a polymeric material body.
54. The method of claim 49 wherein said step of providing a membrane comprises providing a membrane having individual magnetic particles in a nonmagnetic material body.
55. The method of claim 49 wherein said step of providing a membrane comprises providing a membrane having magnetic particles embedded in a nonmagnetic material body.
56. The method of claim 49 wherein said step of providing a membrane comprises providing a membrane by dispersing magnetic particles uniformly in a nonmagnetic material body.
57. The method of claim 49 wherein said step of providing a membrane comprises providing a membrane by dispersing magnetic particles in a specific concentration profile in a nonmagnetic material body.
58. The method of claim 49 wherein said step of providing a membrane comprises providing a membrane having ferrite magnetic pieces in a polymer material body.
59. The method of claim 49 wherein said step of providing a membrane comprises providing a membrane having magnetic pieces made of an alloy in a polymer material body.
60. The method of claim 49 wherein said step of providing a membrane comprises providing a membrane having magnetic pieces in the form of a powder in a polymer material body.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A multiple unit applicator product comprising several identical sealed applicator units and a cap, each applicator unit comprising:
a rigid applicator body comprising a base wall, a skirt extending downwardly from said base wall, at least one upper side wall extending upwardly from said base wall having a top edge, said at least one upper side wall and said base wall defining an upper compartment, said skirt and said base wall defining a lower compartment having an open bottom;
a compressible foam body received in said upper compartment, said foam body extending above said at least one upper side wall top edge when in an uncompressed state;
a quantity of fluid or gel absorbed in said foam body;
a sealing top fixed to said at least one upper side wall top edge compressing said foam body into said upper compartment and sealing said upper compartment, said top having a rigid tab extending from said top;
said skirt being adapted to surround and engage the upper side wall of an identical rigid body; and,
said cap comprising a cap top wall and a cap skirt extending downwardly from said cap top wall, said cap top wall and said cap skirt defining a cap compartment having an open bottom,
said cap skirt being adapted to surround and engage the upper side wall of one of said applicator units whereby several applicator units may be compactly stacked and the top most applicator unit covered by said cap, said cap top wall having an opening adapted to receive said sealing top tab such that said top wall engages said tab and said cap acts as a lever to rotate said tab to remove said sealing top.
2. The multiple unit applicator product of claim 1 wherein said cap top wall is generally flat.
3. The multiple unit applicator product of claim 1 wherein said sealing top tab has a top surface and is provided with at least one rib on said top surface; said at least one rib having a vertical step therein, said cap top opening having an edge adapted to engage said rib vertical step whereby said cap is held in engagement with said tab.
4. A multiple unit applicator product comprising several identical sealed applicator units and a cap, each applicator unit comprising:
a rigid body comprising a base wall, a skirt extending downwardly from said base wall, at least one upper side wall extending upwardly from said base wall having a top edge, a top removably fixed to said side wall around said top edge, said top having a rigid tab extending from said top adjacent said top edge,
said at least one upper side wall, said base wall and said top defining an upper compartment having an openable closed top;
said skirt and said base wall defining a lower compartment having an open bottom;
a compressible body received in said upper compartment, said compressible body adapted to extend above said at least one upper side wall top edge when in an uncompressed state and be contained in said upper compartment in a closed state;
a quantity of fluid or gel absorbed in said compressible body;
said skirt being adapted to surround and engage the upper side wall of an identical rigid body; and,
said cap comprising a cap top wall and a cap skirt extending downwardly from said cap top wall, said cap top wall and said cap skirt defining a cap compartment having an open bottom, said cap skirt being adapted to surround and engage the upper side wall of one of said applicator units whereby several applicator units may be compactly stacked and the top most applicator unit covered by said cap, said cap top wall having an opening adapted to received said rigid tab such that said top wall engages said tab and said cap acts as a lever to rotate said tab to remove said top.
5. The multiple unit applicator product of claim 4 wherein said cap top wall is generally flat.
6. The multiple unit applicator product of claim 5 wherein said top, said at least one upper side wall and said skirt are a unitary molded structure.
7. The multiple unit applicator product of claim 6 wherein said base wall is welded into said unitary molded structure.
8. The multiple unit applicator product of claim 4 wherein said top tab has a top surface and is provided with a vertically upwardly extending surface on said tab top surface; and, said cap top opening has an edge adapted to engage said vertically upwardly extending surface whereby said cap is held in engagement with said tab.