US 11,642,857 B2Granted

Fluidic actuator manufacturing method

AssigneeRoam Robotics Inc.

InventorsJames Chau, Linus Park, Timothy Alan Swift

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Abstract

A method of constructing an inflatable fluidic actuator that includes generating a tube configuration with one or more shapes of fluid-impermeable membrane material, the tube configuration having a first tube end and a second tube end and an internal tube face and an external tube face. The method also includes coupling a first and second interface to the tube configuration at the first and second tube ends by respectively coupling each interface to the tube configuration at a respective tube end by generating at least one of: a first circumferential bond between the fluid-impermeable membrane material and one or more sidewalls of the interface; and an external face bond between fluid-impermeable membrane material at the tube end onto an external face of the interface.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of constructing an inflatable fluidic actuator, the method comprising:

cutting a fluid-impermeable membrane material to a first shape, the fluid-impermeable membrane material comprising an inextensible and flexible sheet of woven fabric;
folding the first shape of the fluid-impermeable membrane material into a tube configuration having a first tube end and a second tube end and an internal tube face and external tube face;
coupling a first and second portion of the fluid-impermeable membrane material with a lap weld extending from the first tube end to the second tube end to fix the fluid-impermeable membrane material in the tube configuration;
reinforcing the lap weld extending from the first tube end to the second tube end by sewing stiches along the lap weld;
reinforcing and making the stiches fluid impermeable by applying one or more of an adhesive and additional fluid-impermeable membrane material to the stiches;
coupling a first planar interface to the tube configuration at the first tube end by:
inserting the first planar interface into the tube configuration at the first tube end with one or more first sidewalls of the first planar interface circumferentially engaging a first portion of the internal tube face at the first tube end, and
coupling the first planar interface to the tube configuration at the first tube end by generating at least one of a first circumferential weld between the fluid-impermeable membrane material and the one or more first sidewalls and a first external face weld between fluid-impermeable membrane material at the first tube end onto a first external face of the first planar interface;
coupling a second planar interface to the tube configuration at the second tube end by:
inserting the second planar interface into the tube configuration at the second tube end with one or more second sidewalls of the second planar interface circumferentially engaging a second portion of the internal tube face at the second tube end, and
coupling the second planar interface to the tube configuration at the second tube end by generating at least one of a second circumferential weld between the fluid-impermeable membrane material and the one or more second sidewalls and a second external face weld between fluid-impermeable membrane material at the second tube end onto a second external face of the second planar interface;
applying one or more external constraint straps surrounding a length of the external tube face between the first and second tube ends, the one or more external constraint straps limiting lateral expansion of the tube configuration during inflation of the tube configuration;
and
applying one or more additional external constraint straps coupled to and extending between the first and second planar interfaces to create an unequal expansion of the tube configuration such that the unequal expansion results in the tube configuration forming an arc at least at a maximum inflation state of the tube configuration.

11 more elements

A method of constructing an inflatable fluidic actuator, the method comprising:

cutting a fluid-impermeable membrane material to generate one or more shapes of fluid-impermeable membrane material;
generating a tube configuration with the one or more shapes of fluid-impermeable membrane material, the tube configuration having a first tube end and a second tube end and an internal tube face and external tube face;
coupling a first interface to the tube configuration at the first tube end by:
inserting the first interface into the tube configuration at the first tube end with one or more first sidewalls of the first interface circumferentially engaging a first portion of the internal tube face at the first tube end, and
coupling the first interface to the tube configuration at the first tube end by generating at least one of:
a first circumferential bond between the fluid-impermeable membrane material and the one or more first sidewalls;
and
a first external face bond between fluid-impermeable membrane material at the first tube end onto a first external face of the first interface;
and
coupling a second interface to the tube configuration at the second tube end by:
inserting the second interface into the tube configuration at the second tube end with one or more second sidewalls of the second interface circumferentially engaging a second portion of the internal tube face at the second tube end, and
coupling the second interface to the tube configuration at the second tube end by generating at least one of:
a second circumferential bond between the fluid-impermeable membrane material and the one or more second sidewalls;
and
a second external face bond between fluid-impermeable membrane material at the second tube end onto a second external face of the second interface.

12 more elements

A method of constructing an inflatable fluidic actuator, the method comprising:

generating a tube configuration with one or more shapes of fluid-impermeable membrane material, the tube configuration having a first tube end and a second tube end and an internal tube face and external tube face;
coupling a first interface to the tube configuration at the first tube end by:
coupling the first interface to the tube configuration at the first tube end by generating at least one of:
a first circumferential bond between the fluid-impermeable membrane material and one or more first sidewalls of the first interface;
and,
a first external face bond between fluid-impermeable membrane material at the first tube end onto a first external face of the first interface;
and
coupling a second interface to the tube configuration at the second tube end by:
coupling the second interface to the tube configuration at the second tube end by generating at least one of:
a second circumferential bond between the fluid-impermeable membrane material and one or more second sidewalls of the second interface, and
a second external face bond between fluid-impermeable membrane material at the second tube end onto a second external face of the second interface.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/185,803Filed 25 Feb 2021 · us provisional application
Priority: 25 Feb 2020
Published: US 2021/0260834 A126 Aug 2021
Granted: 9 May 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification43 codes

B29C 65/62
Using mechanical means or mechanical connections, e.g. form-fits: stitching
A61H 3/00
Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about
B25J 9/0006
Program-controlled manipulators: exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure
B25J 9/0015
Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases: flexure members, i.e. parts of manipulators having a narrowed section allowing…

Family

Application62/981,141Us provisional application · filed 25 Feb 2020
Application63/030,586Us provisional application · filed 27 May 2020
Application63/058,825Us provisional application · filed 30 Jul 2020
US 2021/0260834 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Aug 2021
US 11,642,857 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.