Flexible actuator
First Claim
1. A flexible actuator comprising:
- a long movable part that is bent by a liquid moving toward a main liquid chamber;
a reservoir where the liquid moves to and from said main liquid chamber;
a pump that moves the liquid between the reservoir and said main liquid chamber; and
a pump driving unit that controls the pump, wherein said movable part includes a long tube that forms said main liquid chamber, a plurality of frame members aligned at predetermined intervals along a length of the tube, and a resilient core member that holds the alignment of the frame members, said tube is made of a flexible elastic material, and includes a plurality of flat expanded hollow portions provided at predetermined intervals along the length and a narrow hollow portion that communicates between the expanded hollow portions, said plurality of frame members are formed by flat members and longitudinally hold said plurality of expanded hollow portions by the narrow hollow portion of said tube inserted into recesses or holes provided on sides abutting said core member, said movable part has a first bending portion that produces a large bending force and a second bending portion that produces a small bending force, said expanded hollow portion placed in said first bending portion has a large transverse cross sectional area, and said expanded hollow portion placed in said second bending portion has a small transverse cross sectional area.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible actuator 2 according to the invention includes a movable part 6, an actuator body 8, a reservoir 10, and a pump 12 that moves a liquid between the reservoir 10 and a main liquid chamber 4. The movable part 6 includes a long tube 16 that forms the main liquid chamber, frame members 18a, 18b . . . aligned at predetermined intervals along a length of the tube, and a core member 20 that holds the alignment of the frame members. The tube includes a narrow hollow portion 24 that communicates between flat expanded hollow portions 22a, 22b . . . . Among the plurality of expanded hollow portions, the expanded hollow portion at a base has a largest transverse cross sectional area, with transverse cross sectional areas of the expanded hollow portions gradually decreasing toward a tip, and the expanded hollow portion at the tip has a smallest transverse cross sectional area.
60 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A flexible actuator comprising:
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a long movable part that is bent by a liquid moving toward a main liquid chamber;
a reservoir where the liquid moves to and from said main liquid chamber;
a pump that moves the liquid between the reservoir and said main liquid chamber; and
a pump driving unit that controls the pump, wherein said movable part includes a long tube that forms said main liquid chamber, a plurality of frame members aligned at predetermined intervals along a length of the tube, and a resilient core member that holds the alignment of the frame members, said tube is made of a flexible elastic material, and includes a plurality of flat expanded hollow portions provided at predetermined intervals along the length and a narrow hollow portion that communicates between the expanded hollow portions, said plurality of frame members are formed by flat members and longitudinally hold said plurality of expanded hollow portions by the narrow hollow portion of said tube inserted into recesses or holes provided on sides abutting said core member, said movable part has a first bending portion that produces a large bending force and a second bending portion that produces a small bending force, said expanded hollow portion placed in said first bending portion has a large transverse cross sectional area, and said expanded hollow portion placed in said second bending portion has a small transverse cross sectional area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A flexible actuator comprising:
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a long movable part that is bent by a liquid moving toward a main liquid chamber;
a reservoir where the liquid moves to and from said main liquid chamber;
a pump that moves the liquid between the reservoir and said main liquid chamber; and
a pump driving unit that controls the pump, wherein said movable part includes said main liquid chamber and said reservoir placed along a length, a plurality of frame members aligned at predetermined intervals along lengths of said main liquid chamber and said reservoir, and a resilient core member that holds the alignment of the frame members. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A flexible actuator comprising:
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a plurality of flat expanded hollow portions made of a flexible elastic material and provided at predetermined intervals along a length;
a long tube in which a liquid chamber is formed by a connection tube that communicates between the plurality of expanded hollow portions and extends along the length;
a plurality of flat frame members that longitudinally hold the plurality of expanded hollow portions of said tube with surface contact; and
a connection that holds said adjacent frame members so as to swing against each other, wherein said actuator includes at least one spring member for recovering rotating angle between said frame members, and said spring member is placed to produce a spring force in a compressing direction of the expanded hollow portions of said tube by said adjacent frame members. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A flexible actuator comprising:
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a first actuator that bends in a predetermined direction; and
a second actuator joined to a base of the first actuator, wherein said first actuator includes;
a plurality of flat expanded hollow portions made of a flexible elastic material and provided at predetermined intervals along a length;
a long tube in which a liquid chamber is formed by a connection tube that communicates between the plurality of expanded hollow portions and extends along the length;
a plurality of flat frame members that longitudinally hold the plurality of expanded hollow portions of said tube with surface contact; and
a connection that holds said adjacent frame members so as to swing against each other, and said second actuator is placed between said frame member at the base of said first actuator and an actuator mounting portion, and the entire first actuator is slanted in a direction different from a bending direction of said first actuator.- View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification