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US 9,731,422 B2Granted
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for micromanipulation with adhesive fibrillar structures
AssigneeCARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, a Pennsylvania Non-Profit Corporation
InventorsMetin Sitti, Yi{hacek over (g)}it Mengüç
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention are methods for fabrication of micro- and/or nano-scale adhesive fibers and their use for movement and manipulation of objects. Further disclosed is a method of manipulating a part by providing a manipulation device with a plurality of fibers, where each fiber has a tip with a flat surface that is parallel to a backing layer, contacting the flat surfaces on an object, moving the object to a new location, then disengaging the tips from the object.
Claims23
A method of using micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to manipulate a first part, comprising the steps of:
- providing a manipulation device with a plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers,
- wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber has a tip with a flat surface that is parallel to a backing layer,
- wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber is perpendicular to the backing layer;
- contacting the first part with the flat surface of one or more tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form contacted tips;
- picking up the first part and maneuvering it from a first position to a second position;
- reducing a contact area of each contacted tip of the contacted tips with the first part by displacing the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers towards the first part to cause the fiber to deform and the contacted tips to peel away from the first part;
- and
- retracting the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers away from the first part to release the first part from the manipulation device.
5 more elements
A method of using micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to manipulate a first part, comprising the steps of:
- providing a manipulation device with a plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers,
- wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber has a tip with a flat surface that is parallel to a backing layer,
- wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber is perpendicular to the backing layer;
- contacting the first part with the flat surface of one or more tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form contacted tips, wherein a pull-off force is increased;
- picking up the first part and maneuvering it from a first position to a second position;
- displacing the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers towards the first part to cause the fibers to deform and the contacted tips to peel away from the first part, thereby forcing the contacted tips into a release state, whereby the pull-off force is reduced;
- and
- retracting the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers away from the first part to release the first part from the manipulation device.
5 more elements
A method of using micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to manipulate a first part relative to a second part, comprising the steps of:
- providing a manipulation device with a plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers,
- wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber has a tip with a flat surface that is parallel to a backing layer,
- wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber is perpendicular to the backing layer;
- contacting the first part with the flat surface of one or more tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form a first set of contacted tips;
- picking up the first part and maneuvering it in position of the second part;
- contacting the second part with the flat surface of one or more non-contacted tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form a second set of contacted tips;
- picking up the second part and simultaneously maneuvering the first and second parts in position of a release location;
- reducing a contact area of the first and second sets of the contacted tips by displacing the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers towards the first or second parts to cause the fibers to deform and the first and second sets of contacted tips to peel away from the first part and second part;
- and
- retracting the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers away from the first and second parts to release the first and second parts from the manipulation device.
7 more elements
A method of using micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to manipulate a first part relative to a second part, comprising the steps of:
- providing a manipulation device with a plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers,
- wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber has a tip with a flat surface that is parallel to a backing layer,
- wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber is perpendicular to the backing layer;
- contacting the first part with the flat surface of one or more tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form a first set of contacted tips, wherein a pull-off force of the first set of contacted tips is increased;
- picking up the first part and maneuvering it in position of the second part;
- contacting the second part with the flat surface of one or more non-contacted tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form a second set of contacted tips, wherein a pull-off force of the second set of contacted tips is increased;
- picking up the second part and simultaneously maneuvering the first and second parts in position of a release location;
- displacing the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers towards the first part or the second part to cause the fibers to deform and the contacted tips to peel away from the first part, thereby forcing the contacted tips into a release state, whereby the pull-off force of the first set of contacted tips and the pull-off force of the second set of contacted tips are reduced;
- and
- retracting the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers away from the first and the second parts to release the first and second parts from the manipulation device.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.