# US 2023/0054745 A1 · Unified pneumatic and electrical connector system and method

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- Number: US 2023/0054745 A1
- Document ID: US20230054745A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/889,589
- Filed: 2022-08-17
- Published: 2023-02-23
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-17
- Assignees: Roam Robotics Inc.
- Applicants: Roam Robotics Inc.
- Inventors: Eitan Cher; Ashley Swartz; Zack Stephanchick; Ronald Lam; Phil Pham; Kevin Conrad Kemper; Timothy Alan Swift
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230054745A1

## CPC

- B25J 19/0025: {Means for supplying energy to the end effector}
- B25J 9/0006: {Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure}
- B25J 9/142: {comprising inflatable bodies}
- B25J 19/0029: {arranged within the different robot elements}
- A61M 39/00: Tubes, tube connectors, tube couplings, valves, access sites or the like, specially adapted for medical use (for respiratory devices, e.g. tracheal tubes, A61M16/00; artificial heart valves A61F2/24)
- A61M 2039/1027: {Quick-acting type connectors}
- F16L 37/004: {using magnets}
- F16L 37/56: for double-walled or multi-channel pipes {or pipe assemblies}
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL

## Abstract

An exoskeleton system including one or more unitary cables comprising at least a first unitary cable configured to extend from an exoskeleton device to a first actuator unit, the first unitary cable comprising: one or more power lines, one or more fluid lines, one or more communication lines, and a cable connector that includes a first connector side and a second connector side.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An exoskeleton system comprising:
a left and right leg actuator unit configured to be respectively coupled to a left and right leg of a user, the left and right leg actuator units each including:
an upper arm and a lower arm that are rotatably coupled via a joint, the joint positioned at a knee of the user with the upper arm coupled about an upper leg portion of the user above the knee and with the lower arm coupled about a lower leg portion of the user below the knee, and
a fluidic bellows actuator that extends between the upper arm and lower arm, and
an exoskeleton device that includes:
a fluidic system, and
a processor and memory, the memory storing instructions, that when executed by the processor, are configured to control the fluidic system to introduce fluid to the bellows actuators of the left and right leg actuator units; and
a plurality of unitary cables, comprising a first unitary cable extending from the exoskeleton device to the right leg actuator unit and a second unitary cable extending from the exoskeleton device to the left leg actuator unit, the first and second unitary cables each comprising:
one or more electrical power lines configured to convey electrical power from the exoskeleton device to the left or right leg actuator unit,
one or more fluid lines configured to convey the fluid from the exoskeleton device to the respective bellows actuators of the left or right leg actuator unit,
one or more communication lines configured to convey communication signals from the exoskeleton device to the left or right leg actuator unit,
a sheath that surrounds and encloses the one or more electrical power lines, the one or more fluid lines, and one or more communication lines, and
a cable connector comprising:
a first connector side having release button and a first coupling face that includes a first pin array and a fluidic connector surrounded by a first cylindrical magnet,
a second connector side having a second coupling face that includes a second pin array configured to operably couple and de-couple with the first pin array, a fluid stem surrounded by a second cylindrical magnet, the fluid stem configured to operably couple and de-couple with the fluidic connector of the first connector side, the second cylindrical magnet configured to couple and de-couple with the first cylindrical magnet of the first connector side, and
a first and a second cable portion extending respectively from the first and second connector sides,
wherein actuating the release button causes the first and second coupling faces to disengage, including causing the first and second cylindrical magnets to decouple, causing the first and second pin arrays to de-couple, and causing the fluid stem and fluidic connector to de-couple.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The exoskeleton system of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises air and wherein the one or more fluid lines comprise one or more tubes configured to convey the air from an air source at the exoskeleton device to the respective bellows actuators of the left or right leg actuator units to cause selective inflation of the respective bellows actuators of the left or right leg actuator units.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The exoskeleton system of claim 1, wherein the first and second cable portions consist essentially of:
a single fluid line defined by a tube configured to convey air from an air source at the exoskeleton device;
a single power line configured to convey the electrical power; and
a plurality of communication lines, including at least five communication lines.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The exoskeleton system of claim 1, wherein the cable connectors are configured for safety disconnect function that allows the cable connectors to disengage when the cable connectors experience a sufficient pulling force to cause, without the actuation of the release button, the first and second coupling faces to disengage, including causing the first and second cylindrical magnets to decouple, causing the first and second pin arrays to de-couple, and causing the fluid stem and the fluidic connector to de-couple.

### Claim 5

An exoskeleton system comprising:
one or more actuator units that comprise a fluidic actuator,
an exoskeleton device that includes:
a fluidic system, and
a device configured to control the fluidic system to introduce fluid to the fluidic actuators of the one or more actuator units; and
one or more unitary cables, comprising at least a first unitary cable extending from the exoskeleton device to a first actuator unit, the first unitary cable comprising:
one or more electrical power lines configured to convey electrical power from the exoskeleton device to the first actuator unit,
one or more fluid lines configured to convey the fluid from the exoskeleton device to a first fluidic actuator of the first actuator unit,
one or more communication lines configured to convey communication signals from the exoskeleton device to the first actuator unit, and
a cable connector comprising:
a first connector side having a first coupling face that includes a first pin array, a fluidic connector and a first magnet,
a second connector side having a second coupling face that includes a second pin array configured to operably couple and de-couple with the first pin array, a fluid stem configured to operably couple and de-couple with the fluidic connector of the first connector side, and a second magnet configured to couple and de-couple with the first magnet of the first connector side.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The exoskeleton system of claim 5, wherein the one or more actuator units are configured to be coupled to one or more of a left and right leg of a user.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The exoskeleton system of claim 5, wherein the first unitary cable comprises sheath that surrounds and encloses the one or more electrical power lines, the one or more fluid lines, and the one or more communication lines.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The exoskeleton system of claim 5, wherein the first connector side comprises a release button and wherein actuating the release button causes the first and second coupling faces to disengage, including causing the first and second magnets to decouple, causing the first and second pin arrays to de-couple, and causing the fluid stem and fluidic connector to de-couple.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The exoskeleton system of claim 5, wherein the first magnet comprises a first cylindrical magnet that surrounds the fluidic connector, and wherein the second magnet comprises a second cylindrical magnet that surrounds the fluid stem.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The exoskeleton system of claim 5, wherein the cable connector is configured for a safety disconnect function that allows the cable connector to disengage when the cable connector experiences a sufficient pulling force to cause, without the actuation of a release button, the first and second coupling faces to disengage, including causing the first and second magnets to decouple, causing the first and second pin arrays to de-couple, and causing the fluid stem and the fluidic connector to de-couple.

### Claim 11

An exoskeleton system comprising:
one or more unitary cables comprising at least a first unitary cable configured to extend from an exoskeleton device to a first actuator unit, the first unitary cable comprising:
one or more power lines,
one or more fluid lines,
one or more communication lines, and
a cable connector comprising:
a first connector side, and
a second connector side.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The exoskeleton system of claim 11, wherein the first actuator unit comprise a fluidic actuator.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The exoskeleton system of claim 11, wherein the exoskeleton device includes:
a fluidic system, and
a device configured to control the fluidic system to introduce fluid to a fluidic actuator of the first actuator unit via the one or more fluid lines.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The exoskeleton system of claim 11, wherein
the one or more power lines are configured to convey electrical power from the exoskeleton device to the first actuator unit,
the one or more fluid lines are configured to convey a fluid from the exoskeleton device to a first fluidic actuator of the first actuator unit, and
at least one of the one or more communication lines are configured to convey a communication signal from the exoskeleton device to the first actuator unit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The exoskeleton system of claim 11, wherein
the first connector side includes a first coupling face that includes a first pin array, and
the second connector side includes a second coupling face that includes a second pin array configured to operably couple and de-couple with the first pin array.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The exoskeleton system of claim 11, wherein
the first connector side includes a first coupling face that includes a first fluidic connector, and
the second connector side includes a second coupling face that includes a second fluid connector configured to operably couple and de-couple with the first fluidic connector of the first connector side.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The exoskeleton system of claim 11, wherein
the first connector side includes a first coupling face that includes a first magnet, and
the second connector side includes a second coupling face that includes a second magnet configured to couple and de-couple with the first magnet of the first connector side.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The exoskeleton system of claim 11, wherein the first connector side comprises a release button and wherein actuating the release button causes the first and second connector sides to disengage.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The exoskeleton system of claim 11, wherein the cable connector is configured for a safety disconnect function that allows the cable connector to disengage when the cable connector experiences a sufficient pulling force to cause the first and second connector sides to disengage.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The exoskeleton system of claim 11, wherein the first actuator unit is configured to be coupled to one or more of a left and right leg of a user.