Artificial muscle actuator device
AssigneeMoumus Consulting Group LLC
InventorShouzou MIYAZAWA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The artificial muscle actuator device is structured to suit the muscles of the body and has a versatile structure that can be applied as a device responsible for the motion function of a robot, due to a small, electric-power-conserving motive power source that uses balloon inflation and deflation and eliminates fluid pressure loss. In the artificial muscle actuator device, an actuator unit and a first artificial muscle unit are connected by a first linking tube, the actuator unit and a second artificial muscle unit are connected by a second linking tube, the first artificial muscle unit and the second artificial muscle unit are attached to a body site, and the actuator unit is controlled by current conduction, so as to perform flexion and extension movements of a skeleton at the body site.
Claims8
An artificial muscle actuator device comprising:
- a first artificial muscle unit;
- a second artificial muscle unit;
- and
- an actuator unit, wherein
- the artificial muscle actuator device is configured to be attached to a body part corresponding to a skeleton in which a first bone and a second bone are linked by a joint, and to perform a bending motion and a stretching motion with the first artificial muscle unit and the second artificial muscle unit,
- the first artificial muscle unit includes
- a first balloon that is inflated and deflated by fluid pressure of a first working fluid,
- a first joining tube that joins the first balloon and the actuator unit to each other, and
- a first net that covers an outer periphery of the first balloon and is attached to the body part,
- the second artificial muscle unit includes
- a second balloon that is deflated and inflated by fluid pressure of a second working fluid,
- a second joining tube that joins the second balloon and the actuator unit to each other, and
- a second net that covers an outer periphery of the second balloon and is attached to the body part, and
- the actuator unit
- includes a housing to which each of the first joining tube and the second joining tube is joined, a piston disposed in the housing, and a solenoid that moves the piston back and forth, and
- is configured to perform a first motion of pushing the first working fluid toward the first balloon and drawing the second working fluid from the second balloon via a forward movement of the piston, and a second motion of pushing the second working fluid toward the second balloon and drawing the first working fluid from the first balloon via a backward movement of the piston.
An artificial muscle actuator device comprising:
- a first artificial muscle unit;
- a second artificial muscle unit;
- and
- an actuator unit, wherein
- the artificial muscle actuator device is configured to be attached to a body part corresponding to a skeleton in which a first bone and a second bone are linked by a joint, and to perform a bending motion and a stretching motion with the first artificial muscle unit and the second artificial muscle unit,
- the first artificial muscle unit includes
- a first balloon that is inflated and deflated by fluid pressure of a first working fluid,
- a first joining tube that joins the first balloon and the actuator unit to each other, and
- a first net that covers an outer periphery of the first balloon and is attached to the body part,
- the second artificial muscle unit includes
- a second balloon that is deflated and inflated by fluid pressure of a second working fluid,
- a second joining tube that joins the second balloon and the actuator unit to each other, and
- a second net that covers an outer periphery of the second balloon and is attached to the body part, and
- the actuator unit
- includes a housing to which each of the first joining tube and the second joining tube is joined, a first piston disposed in the housing, a first solenoid that moves the first piston back and forth, a second piston disposed in the housing, and a second solenoid that moves the second piston back and forth, and
- is configured to perform a first motion of pushing the first working fluid toward the first balloon and drawing the second working fluid from the second balloon via a motion of separating the first piston and the second piston away from each other, and a second motion of pushing the second working fluid toward the second balloon and drawing the first working fluid from the first balloon via a motion of bringing the first piston and the second piston close to each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.