Tensile jamming fibers
AssigneeYale University
InventorsBilige Yang, Robert Baines, Xiaonan Huang, Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio, Dylan Shah
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Abstract
The present invention relates to fiber jamming systems capable of tuning tensile stiffness of soft systems within seconds without the use of high voltage or temperature changes. The systems employ segmented fibrils of interspersed segments of stretchable and non-stretchable materials. Applying a vacuum to the fibrils in an enclosed volume elicits a large interfacial shear resistance to tensile displacement. In the absence of a vacuum, the fibrils are free to stretch and bend in any direction.
Claims25
A tensile jamming fiber, comprising:
- a length extending between a first end and a second end;
- at least a first and a second segmented elastic fibril, each extending between the first end and the second end and each comprising alternating segments of an elastic material and an inextensible material;
- and
- an elastic membrane enclosing the first and second segmented elastic fibrils in an interior space and forming an airtight and watertight housing;
- wherein the first and second segmented elastic fibrils are fused to the elastic membrane at the first end and the second end, and wherein segments of inextensible material in the first segmented elastic fibril partially overlap segments of inextensible material in the second segmented elastic fibril.
A method of fabricating a tensile jamming fiber, comprising the steps of:
- providing rectangular sections of a first sheet of a first elastic material;
- arranging the rectangular sections into at least two adjacent rows, wherein each row comprises regularly spaced rectangular sections having embedded segment lengths of an inextensible material in alignment, and adjacent rows are offset from each other such that rectangular sections of a first row at least partially overlap rectangular sections of a second row;
- coating the arranged rectangular sections in a second elastic material to form a second sheet;
- cutting the second sheet into fibers, wherein each fiber comprises a single row of regularly spaced embedded segment lengths of inextensible material in alignment;
- bundling at least two fibers in an elastic membrane, wherein the single row of regularly spaced embedded segment lengths of inextensible material in each fiber is offset from each other;
- and
- sealing the elastic membrane with the at least two fibers at their respective opposing ends to form an airtight and watertight interior space in the elastic membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.