Material or article handling – Article manipulator moves analogous with human hand – finger,...
Patent
1999-02-05
2000-08-29
Dudash, Diana
Material or article handling
Article manipulator moves analogous with human hand, finger,...
7449002, 244213, 414 7, 427341, 4274431, 604171, 604158, 604177, 623 24, 623 25, 623 64, B25J 1500, B25J 1700, B05D 512, B05D 704, A61M 2509
Patent
active
061098523
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel method of manufacturing actuators, e.g., artificial muscles, and novel applications of the actuators manufactured according to the novel method. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel chemical/mechanical/electrical treatment of membranes, e.g. ion-exchange membranes, to convert them to artificial muscles capable of undergoing electrically-controllable large deformations resembling the behavior of biological muscles. The invention further relates to a number of novel techniques for packaging and application of the said artificial muscles.
2. Background Art
The creation of controllable actuators, or synthetic muscles, is known. Artificial muscles or actuators made from ion-exchange membranes are relatively new but also known.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,698, to Maget, discloses a prime mover that uses pressure increases and decreases induced by converting molecules of electrochemically active material to ions, transporting ions through an electrolytic membrane and reconverting the ions to molecules. The prime mover includes gas-tight compartments filled with an electrochemically active material and separated by an electrolytic membrane, such as an ion-exchange membrane, that incorporates electrodes so that a voltage gradient can be established across the membrane to induce current flow through the membrane. When the current flows through the membrane, molecules travel through the membrane and are reconverted to molecules in the opposite compartment causing a pressure increase in the receiving compartment and a pressure decrease in the other compartment. The pressure changes are converted to mechanical motion which can be used as a driver for a mechanical load. The disadvantages of this technique are that the resulting motion is small and the pressure increase may rupture the membrane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,933, to Tanaka, et al., discloses the use of ionized cross-linked polyacrylamide gels as engines or artificial muscles; the gels can contain a metal ion and are capable of discontinuous volume changes induced by infinitesimal changes in environment. The gel is made by dissolving acrylamide monomers and bisacrylamide monomers in water, adding a polymerization initiator (in particular, ammonium persulfate and TEMED, or tetramethyl-ethylene-diamine) to the solution, soaking the gel sample in water to wash away all residual monomers and initiators, immersing the gel in a basic solution of TEMED for up to 60 days, then immersing the gel in a solvent (in particular, acetone, acetone in water, ethanol and water, or methanol and water). The primary disadvantages of these actuators are generally that the response time of the gel is much longer than that of other known actuator components and that the gel must be contained in the solvent bath. The gels are also mechanically brittle and easily broken.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,167, to Adolf, et al., discloses actuators or synthetic muscles, using polymeric gels contained in compliant containers with their solvents; these actuators undergo substantial expansion and contraction when subjected to changing environments. The actuators may be rigid or flexible and may be computer-controlled. The driver may also be electrolytic, where application of a voltage across the polymer gel causes a pH gradient to evolve between the electrodes. For example, filling the polymer fibers with platinum by alternatively treating them with solutions of platinic chloride and sodium borohydride obtains a reversible expansion and contraction of the fiber with the application of an electric field. The actuating gel itself is the only moving part required and the electric field may be only on the order of a few volts per centimeter. The disadvantage is that actuator performance is dictated by the parameters of the polymeric gel used. Furthermore, liquid containment is required to make the actuators stronger and not so easily broken.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,222, to Shahinpoor, discloses electrically controll
REFERENCES:
patent: 4083765 (1978-04-01), Lawson
patent: 4272353 (1981-06-01), Lawrance
patent: 4328086 (1982-05-01), Takenaka et al.
patent: 4364803 (1982-12-01), Nidola et al.
patent: 4417959 (1983-11-01), Kadija et al.
patent: 4449599 (1984-05-01), Creek
patent: 4496451 (1985-01-01), Ishii et al.
patent: 4522598 (1985-06-01), Maget
patent: 4537910 (1985-08-01), Oogai et al.
patent: 4546010 (1985-10-01), Killer et al.
patent: 4565487 (1986-01-01), Kroczynski
patent: 4578045 (1986-03-01), Mayer
patent: 4681855 (1987-07-01), Huang
patent: 4717581 (1988-01-01), Robblee
patent: 4748737 (1988-06-01), Charles et al.
patent: 4818353 (1989-04-01), Langer et al.
patent: 4835395 (1989-05-01), McManus et al.
patent: 4858063 (1989-08-01), Laue et al.
patent: 4919891 (1990-04-01), Yafuso et al.
patent: 4940318 (1990-07-01), Ealy et al.
patent: 4959132 (1990-09-01), Fedkiw, Jr.
patent: 5038821 (1991-08-01), Mget
patent: 5062841 (1991-11-01), Siegel
patent: 5089659 (1992-02-01), Yim et al.
patent: 5100933 (1992-03-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5109813 (1992-05-01), Ohashi et al.
patent: 5250167 (1993-10-01), Adolf et al.
patent: 5268082 (1993-12-01), Oguro et al.
patent: 5275820 (1994-01-01), Chang
patent: 5279559 (1994-01-01), Barr
patent: 5334304 (1994-08-01), Maget
patent: 5389222 (1995-02-01), Shahinpoor
patent: 5471185 (1995-11-01), Shea et al.
patent: 5481152 (1996-01-01), Baschulte
patent: 5529279 (1996-06-01), Beatty et al.
patent: 5531664 (1996-07-01), Adachi et al.
patent: 5554272 (1996-09-01), Benco et al.
patent: 5556700 (1996-09-01), Kaneto et al.
patent: 5614246 (1997-03-01), Mund et al.
patent: 5685837 (1997-11-01), Horstmann
Asaka, K., et al., "Bending of Polyelectrolyte Membrane--Platinum Composites by Electric Simulli I. Response characteristics to Various Waveforms," Polymer Journal, vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 436-440 (1995).
Burroughs, C., "UNM's Muscle Research," Albuquerque Business Times, Nov. 11-25, 1996.
Millet, P., et al., "Preparation of Solid Polymer Electrolyte Composites: Investigation of the Ion-Exchange Process," Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, vol. 25, pp. 227-232, 233-239 (1995).
Millet, P., et al., "New Solid Polymer Electrolyte Composites for Water Electrolysis," Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, vol. 19, pp. 162-166 (1989).
Millet, P., et al., "Preparation of New Solid Polymer Electrolyte Composites for Water Electrolysis," Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 245-253 (1990).
Mojarrad, M., et al., "Ion-Exchange-Metal Composite Sensor Films," SPIE, vol. 3042 (1997).
Oguro, K., et al., "Polymer Film Actuator Driven by a Low Voltage," 4.sup.th Int'l Symp on Micro and Human Science, Jagiya, Japan (1993) pp. 39-40.
Sadeghipour, et al., "Development of a Novel Electrochemically Active Membrane and `Smart` Material Based Vibration Sensor/Damper," Smart Materials Struc, vol. 1, pp. 172-179 (1992).
Furlow, B., "(Muscle) Bound for Glory", Mirage-University of New Mexico, Spring 1997.
Shahinpoor, M., "The Ionic Flexogelectric Effect in Polymeric Gels" School of Engineering UNM (1996).
Mojarrad Mehran
Shahinpoor Mohsen
Dudash Diana
Kehl Dickson G.
Mays Andrea L.
Myers Jeffrey D.
University of New Mexico
LandOfFree
Soft actuators and artificial muscles does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Soft actuators and artificial muscles, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Soft actuators and artificial muscles will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1242559