Suction devices having artificial muscles

A vehicle comprising:

• an interior vehicle surface;
• a suction device provided beneath the interior vehicle surface, the suction device comprising:
• a casing having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a central post extending from the bottom wall of the casing;
• a flexible member provided across a free end of the central post;
• an artificial muscle housed within the casing, the artificial muscle comprising:
• a housing having a first wall, a second wall opposite the first wall, an expandable fluid region, and an electrode region adjacent the expandable fluid region;
• a dielectric fluid housed within the housing;
• and
• an electrode pair housed within the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair including a first electrode coupled to the first wall and a second electrode coupled to the second wall,
• wherein the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation of the electrode pair from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region,
• wherein, when the electrode pair of the artificial muscle is in the actuated state, the artificial muscle deforms the flexible member to form a suction area at the free end of the central post.

A method comprising:

• positioning an object over an access hole formed in an interior vehicle surface, wherein the access hole is aligned with a suction device, the suction device comprising:
• a casing having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a central post extending from the bottom wall of the casing;
• a flexible member provided across a free end of the central post;
• and
• an artificial muscle housed within the casing, the artificial muscle comprising:
• a housing having a first wall and a second wall opposite the first wall, the housing having an expandable fluid region and an electrode region adjacent the expandable fluid region;
• a dielectric fluid housed within the housing;
• and
• an electrode pair housed within the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair including a first electrode coupled to the first wall and a second electrode coupled to the second wall,
• grasping the object by actuating the electrode pair of the artificial muscle of the suction device from a non-actuated state to an actuated state to direct the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region, thereby deforming the flexible member to form a suction area at the free end of the central post.