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US 4,733,603 AGranted
Axially contractable actuator
OwnerMirko Kukoljinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An actuator has a first connection point and a second connection point at opposite ends and is contractable along an axis extending between the connection points. The actuator has at least one hollow enclosure with an opening for admitting a pressurized fluid. A simultaneously radially expandable, axially contractable constraining means cooperates with the enclosure. The constraining means converts radial expansion of the actuator into axial contraction when pressurized fluid is admitted into the enclosure. In a preferred form, the constraining means comprises a network of non-stretchable, flexible tension links.
Claims44
An actuator for contracting along an axis from an elongated state to a contracted state, comprising:
- an impermeable enclosure which is elongated along the axis in the elongated state;
- means for introducing pressurized fluid into the enclosure;
- the enclosure having a plurality of closed areas surrounded by at least four substantially non-extensible sides which are connected together to form a network-shaped structure, the sides being substantially parallel with the axis in the elongated state and adjacent connected sides being at a substantial angle with the axis in the contracted state to enlarge said areas as the actuator contracts, portions of the enclosure within each said area bulging outwardly, at least in the contracted state, and being deformable to permit contraction of the enclosure from the enlongated state to the contracted state, the structure having an exterior arc length in the contracted state which is less than the length of the structure in the elongated state.
A fluid operated actuator, comprising:
- (a) expansible enclosure means having a longitudinal axis, an axially elongated state and an axially contracted state and including means for admitting pressurized fluid into said enclosure means for shifting said enclosure means between said states;
- and,
- (b) constraining means disposed about said enclosure means and comprising a plurality of tension links connected together at a plurality of nodes providing a network having a plurality of open mesh areas and each of said mesh areas having at least four sides provided by the associated tension links and all tension links of each mesh area are substantially parallel with said axis when in said elongated state and adjacent connected tension links of each mesh area are disposed at a substantial angle to each other when in the contracted state and said enclosure means bulging outwardly through said mesh areas when in said contracted state.
A fluid operated actuator assembly, comprising:
- (a) expansible enclosure means having a longitudinal axis, an axially elongated state and an axially contracted state and include means for admitting pressurized fluid into said enclosure means for shifting said enclosure means between said states;
- and,
- (b) constraining means disposed about said enclosure means and comprising a plurality of tension links connected together at a plurality of nodes providing a network having a plurality of open mesh areas and each of said mesh areas having at least four sides defined by the associated tension links, all tension links are generally parallel with said axis when in said elongated state and adjacent connected tension links are disposed at a substantial angle to each other when in the contracted state so that the open area of said mesh areas is larger in the contracted state than in the elongated state and said enclosure means bulging outwardly through said mesh areas when in said contracted state.
A fluid operated actuator comprising:
- (a) an expandable enclosure of a fluid impermeable, flexible, non-elastomeric material having an unpressurized, elongated state and including means for admitting pressurized fluid into the enclosure for shifting said enclosure from the unpressurized, elongated state towards a pressurized, contracted state;
- and
- (b) a plurality of tension links disposed about the enclosure and connected together at a plurality of nodes to provide a network having a plurality of open mesh areas each having at least four sides provided by surrounding tension links, the tension links being articulatable about said nodes in response to said shifting of the enclosure, said tension links being substantially aligned in parallel with said axis when in said unpressurized, elongated state, adjacent tension links being disposed at a substantial angle with each other in said pressurized, contracted state and portions of said enclosure within each said open mesh are bulging outwardly from the open mesh areas in said unpressurized, elongated state to permit said shifting of the enclosure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.