Articulating devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10280951-B2
Application number	US-201515123031-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2015
Priority date	Mar 2, 2014
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

One aspect of the invention provides an articulating device including: an inflatable elastic layer and a textile shell surrounding or impregnated within at least a portion of the inflatable elastic layer. The textile shell includes at least two regions having different material properties or knit patterns. The textile shell selectively constrains expansion of the inflatable elastic layer to produce controlled bending or torsion. Another aspect of the invention provides an articulating device including: an inflatable elastic layer and a textile shell surrounding or impregnated within at least a portion of the inflatable elastic layer. The textile shell has a curved profile and selectively constrains expansion of the inflatable elastic layer to produce controlled bending.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An articulating device comprising:
an inflatable elastic layer; and
a textile shell surrounding or impregnated within at least a portion of the inflatable elastic layer, the textile shell including at least two regions having different material properties or knit patterns, wherein the at least two regions include:
a region of relatively lower elasticity; and
a region of relatively higher elasticity;
wherein the region of higher elasticity includes thinner fibers than the region of lower elasticity;

wherein the textile shell selectively constrains expansion of the inflatable elastic layer to produce controlled bending or torsion.

2. The articulating device of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable elastic layer is an elastomeric bladder.

3. The articulating device of claim 2 , wherein the elastomeric bladder is received within the textile shell.

4. The articulating device of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable elastic layer is bonded to an inner surface of the textile shell.

5. The articulating device of claim 1 , wherein the region of relatively higher elasticity is positioned on an opposite side of the articulating device from the region of relatively lower elasticity.

6. The articulating device of claim 1 , wherein the region of higher elasticity has a different pattern than the region of lower elasticity.

7. A method comprising:
applying fluid pressure within the inflatable elastic layer of the articulating device according to claim 1 .

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
releasing the fluid pressure.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein fluid pressure is applied to a plurality of articulating devices in order to grasp an object.

10. An articulating device comprising:
an inflatable elastic layer; and
a textile shell surrounding or impregnated within at least a portion of the inflatable elastic layer, the textile shell including at least two regions having different material properties or knit patterns, wherein the at least two regions include:
a region of relatively lower elasticity; and
a region of relatively higher elasticity;
wherein the region of higher elasticity includes a material having a lower Young's modulus than a material in the region of lower elasticity;

wherein the textile shell selectively constrains expansion of the inflatable elastic layer to produce controlled bending or torsion.

11. The articulating device of claim 10 , wherein the inflatable elastic layer is an elastomeric bladder.

12. The articulating device of claim 11 , wherein the elastomeric bladder is received within the textile shell.

13. The articulating device of claim 10 , wherein the inflatable elastic layer is bonded to an inner surface of the textile shell.

14. The articulating device of claim 10 , wherein the region of relatively higher elasticity is positioned on an opposite side of the articulating device from the region of relatively lower elasticity.

15. The articulating device of claim 10 , wherein the region of higher elasticity has a different pattern than the region of lower elasticity.

Assignees

• Dion Genevieve
• Primerano Richard
• Univ Drexel

Inventors

• Dion Genevieve
• Primerano Richard

Classifications

• B25J15/0023

  Gripper surfaces directly activated by a fluid (flexible fingers B25J15/12) · CPC title

• B32B5/026

  Knitted fabric · CPC title

• B32B25/10

  next to a fibrous or filamentary layer · CPC title

• B29C70/086 Primary

  and with one or more layers of pure plastics material, e.g. foam layers (applying a non-preformed coating, e.g. a gel-coat, B29C37/0025; with foam blocks B29C70/86) · CPC title

• F01B19/04

  with tubular flexible members · CPC title