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US 11,684,752 B2Granted
Actuator, actuator module, endoscope, endoscope module, and controlling method
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsAkihiro Nakata, Satoshi Nakamaru, Hiroichi Ishikawa, Kazuhito Wakana, Yoshio Goto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An actuator is provided with a tubular actuator element and a supporting body which supports an inner peripheral surface of the actuator element. An internal pressure of the actuator element is higher than an external pressure of the actuator element.
Claims17
An actuator comprising:
- a tubular actuator element, wherein the tubular actuator element includes a sealed internal space;
- and
- a supporting body which supports an inner peripheral surface of the tubular actuator element,
- wherein the supporting body comprises a plurality of supporting units and a plurality of joint mechanisms,
- wherein the plurality of joint mechanisms have a spherical shape and connect adjacent supporting units so as to be rotatable in an arbitrary direction, and
- wherein the sealed internal space maintains an internal pressure that is higher than an external pressure of the sealed internal space.
3 more elements
An actuator module comprising:
- an actuator including a tubular actuator element, wherein the tubular actuator element includes a sealed internal space;
- a supporting body which supports an inner peripheral surface of the tubular actuator element, wherein the supporting body comprises a plurality of supporting units and a plurality of joint mechanisms, and wherein the plurality of joint mechanisms have a spherical shape and connect adjacent supporting units so as to be rotatable in an arbitrary direction;
- a control unit which controls drive of the actuator;
- and
- a pressurizing unit which pressurizes the sealed internal space of the actuator.
2 more elements
An actuator comprising:
- an actuator element, wherein the actuator element includes a sealed internal space;
- and
- a supporting body which supports the actuator element, wherein the supporting body comprises a plurality of supporting units and a plurality of joint mechanisms, wherein the plurality of joint mechanisms have a spherical shape and connect adjacent supporting units so as to be rotatable in an arbitrary direction, and
- wherein an internal pressure of the sealed internal space is higher than an external pressure of the sealed internal space.
1 more element
A controlling method comprising:
- detecting a pressure in a sealed internal space of a tubular actuator element, wherein the tubular actuator element includes a supporting body which supports an inner peripheral surface of the tubular actuator element, wherein the supporting body comprises a plurality of supporting units and a plurality of joint mechanisms, and wherein the plurality of joint mechanisms have a spherical shape and connect adjacent supporting units so as to be rotatable in an arbitrary direction;
- and
- pressurizing or depressurizing the sealed internal space of the tubular actuator element on a basis of a result of the detection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.