Artificial muscles comprising an electrode pair having fan portions and artificial muscle assemblies including same
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsMichael P. Rowe, Maduran Palaniswamy
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Abstract
An artificial muscle includes an electrode pair including a first electrode and a second electrode. One or both of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a central opening. The first electrode and the second electrode each include two or more fan portions and two or more bridge portions. Each fan portion includes a first end having an inner length, a second end having an outer length, a first side edge extending from the second end, and a second side edge extending from the second end. The outer length is greater than the inner length. Each bridge portion interconnecting adjacent fan portions at the first end.
Claims20
An artificial muscle comprising:
- an electrode pair comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, one or both of the first electrode and the second electrode including a central opening, the first electrode and the second electrode each comprising:
- two or more fan portions, each fan portion including a first end having an inner length, a second end having an outer length, a first side edge extending from the second end, and a second side edge extending from the second end, wherein the outer length is greater than the inner length;
- and
- two or more bridge portions, each bridge portion interconnecting adjacent fan portions at the first end of the adjacent fan portions.
An artificial muscle comprising:
- a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region;
- an electrode pair comprising a first electrode and a second electrode positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the first electrode and the second electrode each comprising:
- a plurality of fan portions, each fan portion including a first end having an inner length, a second end having an outer length, a first side edge extending from the second end, and a second side edge extending from the second end, the outer length being greater than the inner length;
- and
- a plurality of bridge portions, each bridge portion interconnecting adjacent fan portions at the first end;
- and
- a dielectric fluid housed within the housing,
- wherein the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region.
A method for actuating an artificial muscle, the method comprising:
- providing a voltage using a power supply electrically coupled to an electrode pair of the artificial muscle, the artificial muscle comprising:
- a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region;
- the electrode pair comprising a first electrode and a second electrode positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the first electrode and the second electrode each comprising:
- a plurality of fan portions, each fan portion including a first end having an inner length, a second end having an outer length, a first side edge extending from the second end, and a second side edge extending from the second end, the outer length being greater than the inner length;
- and
- a plurality of opposing bridge portions, each bridge portion interconnecting adjacent fan portions at the first end of the adjacent fan portions;
- and
- a dielectric fluid housed within the housing;
- and
- applying the voltage to the electrode pair of the artificial muscle, thereby actuating the electrode pair from a non-actuated state to an actuated state such that the dielectric fluid is directed into the expandable fluid region of the housing and expands the expandable fluid region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.