Degassing electrorheological fluid
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsSteven H. Walker, Raymond L. Nicoli, Katherine Stegner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system may include an output manifold that may be in fluid communication with a reservoir and that may include multiple discharge ports. Each of the discharge ports may be configured to discharge electrorheological fluid into a housing. A recovery manifold may be in fluid communication with the reservoir and include multiple recovery ports. Each of the recovery ports may be configured to receive the electrorheological fluid from a housing. A gas remover may be positioned to extract gas from the electrorheological fluid received from the recovery ports. A housing may be connected to the system, and electrorheological fluid from the system may be pumped through the housing and the gas remover.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- connecting a housing to a fluid system containing an electrorheological fluid, the fluid system comprising a reservoir of the electrorheological fluid and a gas remover, wherein the connecting the housing to the fluid system connects an interior volume of the housing to an interior volume of the fluid system;
- connecting an output manifold and a recovery manifold in fluid communication with the reservoir;
- after connecting the housing to the fluid system, pumping the electrorheological fluid through the reservoir while pumping the electrorheological fluid through the housing and through the gas remover;
- pumping the electrorheological fluid through the housing comprises:
- performing a first pumping of the electrorheological fluid through the housing while the housing is in a first orientation,
- after the first pumping, placing the housing in a second orientation, and
- performing a second pumping of the electrorheological fluid through the housing in the second orientation.
A system comprising:
- a fluid system comprising:
- a reservoir containing an electrorheological fluid;
- an output manifold in fluid communication with the reservoir and filled with the electrorheological fluid, the output manifold comprising at least one discharge port configured to discharge the electrorheological fluid;
- a recovery manifold in fluid communication with the reservoir and filled with the electrorheological fluid, the recovery manifold comprising at least one recovery port configured to receive the electrorheological fluid;
- a gas remover positioned to extract gas from the electrorheological fluid received from the recovery port(s);
- a vacuum source connected to the reservoir and configured to create a vacuum in the reservoir;
- and
- a pump positioned to cause a flow of the electrorheological fluid from the recovery manifold, through the reservoir, through the gas remover, and to the output manifold;
- the system further comprising a housing configured to be connected to one of the at least one recovery ports and to one of the at least one discharge ports of the fluid system such that an interior volume of the housing is connected to an interior volume of the fluid system,
- wherein the pump is configured to:
- perform a first pumping of the electrorheological fluid through the housing while the housing is in a first orientation, and
- perform a second pumping of the electrorheological fluid through the housing in a second orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.