Methods and apparatus for shape control

• US 9,777,753 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Niiyama, Ryuma, Yao, Lining, Ou, Jifei, Follmer, Sean, Ishii, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bosques, Edelmira
• Assistant Examiner(s): Drake, Richard
• Application Number:
  US14/257,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20140314976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 60327, 60430, 60527, 92 6
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/103 using inflatable bodies that contract when fluid pressure is applied, e.g. pneumatic artificial muscles or McKibben-type actuators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1307 Bag or tubular film [e.g., pouch, flexible food casing, envelope, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1334 Nonself-supporting tubular film or bag [e.g., pouch, envelope, packet, etc.]

Abstract

In exemplary implementations of this invention, a shape controller controls the shape of a bladder as the bladder inflates. The shape controller includes a first set of regions and a second set of regions. The second set of regions is more flexible than the first set of regions. The shape controller is embedded within, or adjacent to, a wall of the bladder. When the bladder is inflated, the overall shape of the bladder bends in areas adjacent to the more flexible regions of the shape controller. For example, the shape controller may comprise paper and the more flexible regions may comprise creases in the paper. Or, for example, the more flexible regions may comprise notches or indentations. In some implementations of this invention, a multi-state shape display changes shape as it inflates, with additional bumps forming as pressure in the display increases.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a bladder, a first set of chambers, a second set of chambers, jammable material, a pump and valves, wherein:

(a) the bladder at least partially surrounds a cavity;

(b) the first and second sets of chambers are embedded in a wall of the bladder;

(c) the jammable material is located in the first and second sets of chambers;

(d) the pump and the valves are configured to adjust how much fluid is inside the first set of chambers, including by moving fluid out of the first set of chambers sufficiently such that the first set of chambers becomes more rigid than the second set of chambers; and

(e) the bladder is configured such that, when the first set of chambers is more rigid than the second set of chambers and the bladder is inflated, the overall shape of the bladder bends in areas selected from the second set of chambers.