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US 10,539,164 B2Granted
Hydraulic acuator
OwnerWilliam Davis Simmonsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydraulic actuator includes a hollow tube that has a first opening at a first end of the hollow tube and that has a second opening at a second end of the hollow tube. The hollow tube contains hydraulic fluid. A moveable magnet moves within hollow tube as a result of a magnetic field within the hollow tube. A magnetic field source located outside the hollow tube creates the magnetic field within the hollow tube. When the moveable magnet moves to the first end of the hollow tube, a first piston pushes hydraulic fluid out of the first opening. When the moveable magnet moves to the second end of the hollow tube a second piston pushes hydraulic fluid out of the second opening.
Claims20
A moveable joint of a robotic device comprising:
- a first rigid structure;
- a second rigid structure connected to the first rigid device at a pivot;
- a hydraulic muscle connected to the first rigid structure and to the second rigid structure;
- a hollow tube, having a first opening at a first end of the hollow tube and having a second opening at a second end of the hollow tube;
- hydraulic fluid within the hollow tube;
- a magnet within the hollow tube;
- a first piston on a first end of the magnet wherein when the magnet moves toward the first end of the hollow tube the first piston pushes hydraulic fluid out of the first opening;
- a second piston on a second end of the magnet wherein when the magnet moves toward the second end of the hollow tube the second piston pushes hydraulic fluid out of the second opening;
- and
- a positioning system that allows precise positioning to place and hold the magnet at any selected location the magnet can reach between the first end of the hollow tube and the second end of the hollow tube, the positioning system including:
- a plurality of sets of wire windings around the hollow tube, and
- a control circuit that is separately connected to each set of wire windings allowing the control circuit to separately control current through each set of wire windings, the current through each set of wire windings creating a magnetic field that exerts a motional electromotive force on the magnet controlling movement and location of the magnet within the hollow tube so that in response to a positioning command, the control circuit separately controls current through each set of wire windings to hold the magnet at a selected position between the first end of the hollow tube and the second end of the hollow tube;
- wherein hydraulic fluid pushed out of the first opening of the hollow tube is pushed into the hydraulic muscle.
10 more elements
A moveable joint comprising:
- a first rigid structure;
- a second rigid structure connected to the first rigid device at a pivot;
- a hydraulic muscle connected to the first rigid structure and to the second rigid structure;
- a hollow tube, having a first opening at a first end of the hollow tube and having a second opening at a second end of the hollow tube;
- hydraulic fluid within the hollow tube;
- a moveable magnet within the hollow tube, the moveable magnet moving within hollow tube as a result of a magnetic field within the hollow tube;
- a first piston on a first end of the moveable magnet, wherein when the moveable magnet moves toward the first end of the hollow tube, the first piston pushes hydraulic fluid out of the first opening;
- a second piston on a second end of the moveable magnet, wherein the controller controls magnitude and polarity of each magnetic field separately to control location and motion of the moveable magnet with the hollow tube;
- and,
- a controller that precisely controls positioning of the moveable magnet to move and hold the moveable magnet at selected locations between the first end of the hollow tube and the second end of the hollow tube, wherein the precise control of positioning is performed in response to positioning commands, separately controlling magnitude and polarity of each of a plurality of magnetic fields to hold the moveable magnet at a selected location;
- wherein hydraulic fluid pushed out of the first opening of the hollow tube is pushed into the hydraulic muscle.
8 more elements
A device comprising:
- a hollow tube, having a first opening at a first end of the hollow tube and having a second opening at a second end of the hollow tube;
- hydraulic fluid within the hollow tube;
- a moveable magnet within the hollow tube, the moveable magnet moving within hollow tube as a result of a magnetic field within the hollow tube;
- a first piston on a first end of the moveable magnet, wherein when the moveable magnet moves toward the first end of the hollow tube, the first piston pushes hydraulic fluid out of the first opening;
- a second piston on a second end of the moveable magnet, wherein the controller controls magnitude and polarity of each magnetic field separately to control location and motion of the moveable magnet with the hollow tube;
- and,
- a controller that precisely controls positioning of the moveable magnet to move and hold the moveable magnet at selected locations between the first end of the hollow tube and the second end of the hollow tube by, wherein the precise control of positioning is performed by, in response to positioning commands, separately controlling magnitude and polarity of each of a plurality of magnetic fields to hold the moveable magnet at a selected location;
- a hydraulic cylinder;
- a cylinder piston extending out of the hydraulic cylinder;
- wherein hydraulic fluid pushed out of the first opening of the hollow tube is pushed into the hydraulic cylinder to control an amount by which the cylinder piston extends out of the hydraulic cylinder.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.