Storage compartment assemblies having artificial muscles and methods of operating storage compartment assemblies

A storage compartment assembly comprising:

• a storage compartment comprising at least one inside surface and defining an opening for receiving an object;
• and
• a compartment portal extending over the opening, the compartment portal comprising a plurality of artificial muscle cantilevers, each artificial muscle cantilever comprising:
• a housing comprising an electrode region fluidly coupled to a cantilevered region, the cantilevered region having at least one expandable fluid chamber;
• a first electrode and a second electrode each disposed in the electrode region of the housing;
• and
• a bladder housing a fluid and extending into the cantilevered region, wherein the cantilevered region of the housing of each of the plurality of artificial muscle cantilevers extends over the opening.

A method of operating a storage compartment assembly, the method comprising:

• actuating a plurality of artificial muscle cantilevers of a compartment portal, each artificial muscle cantilever comprising:
• a housing comprising an electrode region fluidly coupled to a cantilevered region, the cantilevered region having at least one expandable fluid chamber;
• a first electrode and a second electrode each disposed in the electrode region of the housing;
• and
• a bladder housing a fluid and extending into the cantilevered region, wherein the cantilevered region of the housing of each of the plurality of artificial muscle cantilevers extends over an opening for receiving an object, the opening defined by a storage compartment,
• wherein the first electrode and the second electrode of the plurality of artificial muscle cantilevers are actuatable between a non-actuated position and an actuated position such that actuation from the non-actuated position to the actuated position directs the fluid in the bladder into the at least one expandable fluid chamber of the cantilevered region;
• and
• actuating one or more artificial muscles disposed within the storage compartment, each artificial muscle comprising:
• a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable fluid region;
• a dielectric fluid housed within the housing;
• and
• an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, the electrode pair configured to actuate between a non-actuated position and an actuated position such that actuation from the non-actuated position to the actuated position directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region.