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40 Inventive Principles
Thermal Expansion
 

a) Use thermal expansion or contraction of materials.

b) Use various materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion.
 

EXAMPLE:
  1. The fine adjusting of the mechanical stage of a microscope can be performed by utilizing the controlled linear expansion of an electrically heated metal rod.
  2. Bi-metallic plates made up of materials which have different coefficients of thermal expansion, are often used as thermo-mechanical actuators to open or close the windows of a greenhouse, for example.