# US 7,607,380 B2 · Fluid pressure actuator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,607,380 B2 - Document ID: US7607380B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/578,350 - Filed: 2004-10-18 - Published: 2007-04-19 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2004-10-18 - Assignees: Kanda Tushin Kogyo - Inventors: Kazuaki Hiramatsu; Taisuke Matsushita; Yutaka Sato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607380B2 ## CPC - F15B 15/103: {using inflatable bodies that contract when fluid pressure is applied, e.g. pneumatic artificial muscles or McKibben-type actuators} - F15B 15/2815: {Position sensing, i.e. means for continuous measurement of position, e.g. LVDT} - F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A fluid pressure actuator includes: an actuator body which expands and contracts through supply/discharge of a fluid to generate a driving force; a sensor for detecting a condition of the actuator body; and a control part for controlling a fluid regulator for adjusting a pressure of the fluid supplied to and discharged from the actuator body based on a detection signal from the sensor. The sensor is mounted in the actuator body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fluid pressure actuator comprising: an actuator body which expands and contracts through supply/discharge of a fluid to generate a driving force; a sensor for detecting a condition of the actuator body; and a control part for controlling a fluid regulator for adjusting a pressure of the fluid supplied to and discharged from the actuator body based on a detection signal from the sensor; wherein the sensor is mounted in the actuator body; and wherein the sensor and the control part are provided on a common circuit board, and the circuit board is mounted on the actuator body so that the sensor faces the interior of the actuator body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fluid pressure actuator according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the actuator body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fluid pressure actuator according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a length sensor for detecting the length of the actuator body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The fluid pressure actuator according to claim 3, wherein the length sensor has a sensor body and a length measurement spring connected between the sensor body and the actuator body, and the sensor body detects a change in a tensile force due to the length measurement spring. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fluid pressure actuator according to claim 1, wherein both a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure in the actuator body and a length sensor for detecting a length of the actuator body are mounted in the actuator body as the sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) The fluid pressure actuator according to any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the circuit board is formed by a hybrid IC. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) The fluid pressure actuator according to any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein an end sealing member is fixed to one end of the actuator body, and the circuit board is fixed to the end sealing member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) The fluid pressure actuator according to any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the control part controls the fluid regulator based on a pressure control signal from a host computer and a detection signal from the sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fluid pressure actuator according to claim 8, wherein the control part has processing means for generating a command signal so that an output pressure of the fluid regulator becomes a target pressure according to the pressure control signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fluid pressure actuator according to claim 9, wherein the processing means is a CPU, and the control part has an A/D converter for A/D-converting the detection signal from the sensor and inputting the A/D converted detection signal to the CPU, and a D/A converter for D/A-converting the command signal from the CPU and outputting the D/A converted command signal to the fluid regulator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The fluid pressure actuator according to claim 8, wherein the control part has an I/O port receiving a pressure control signal from the host computer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The fluid pressure actuator according to claim 1, wherein the control part has storage means storing specific addresses, and of pressure control signals received from a host computer, only a signal of a corresponding address is processed by the control part. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The fluid pressure actuator according to claim 8, wherein the control part has storage means storing a program for communication with the host computer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) The fluid pressure actuator according to any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the control part is provided on the fluid regulator.