Fluidic latches, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10962124-B1
Application number	US-201916369888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2019
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A fluidic latch device may include an input port, an additional input port, an output port, an additional output port, a pressure chamber, an additional pressure chamber, and a flexible membrane. The pressure chamber may include an inlet coupled to the input port by a first fluid channel and an outlet coupled to the output port by a second fluid channel, and the additional pressure chamber may include an additional inlet coupled to the additional input port by a third fluid channel and an additional outlet coupled to the additional output port by a fourth fluid channel. The flexible membrane may separate the pressure chamber and the additional pressure chamber and be configured to (1) block, when the membrane is in an expanded state, the outlet of the pressure chamber and (2) block, when the membrane is in an additional expanded state, the additional outlet of the additional pressure chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluidic latch device comprising:
a set-signal port, a reset-signal port, an output port, and a negated output port;
a pressure chamber comprising:
a first region;
a second region;
an inlet to the first region, the inlet being coupled to the set-signal port by a first fluid channel; and
an outlet from the second region, the outlet being coupled to the output port by a second fluid channel;

an additional pressure chamber comprising:
a third region;
a fourth region;
an additional inlet to the third region, the additional inlet being coupled to the reset-signal port by a third fluid channel; and
an additional outlet from the fourth region, the additional outlet being coupled to the negated output port by a fourth fluid channel; and

a flexible membrane separating the pressure chamber and the additional pressure chamber and configured to:
separate, when a high pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a low pressure is applied at the reset-signal port, the third region from the fourth region;
separate, when a low pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a high pressure is applied at the reset-signal port, the first region from the second region;
substantially hold, when a high pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a high pressure is applied at the reset-signal port, a current separating configuration of the flexible membrane.

2. The fluidic latch device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible membrane is further configured to:
rejoin, when a low pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a low pressure is applied at the reset-signal port, the first region to the second region or the third region to the fourth region; and
substantially hold, when a high pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a high pressure is applied at the reset-signal port, a current pressure level at the output port.

3. The fluidic latch device of claim 2 , wherein the total surface area of the flexible membrane exposed to the pressure chamber, when a low pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a low pressure is applied at the reset-signal port, is substantially equal to the total surface area of the flexible membrane exposed to the additional pressure chamber.

4. The fluidic latch device of claim 1 , wherein the first region, the second region, the third region, and the fourth region are coaxially aligned.

5. The fluidic latch device of claim 4 , wherein:
the first region is an annular region coaxially aligned to the outlet; and
the third region is an annular region coaxially aligned to the additional outlet.

6. The fluidic latch device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a contact protrusion surrounding the outlet and evenly extending towards the flexible membrane into the pressure chamber, wherein the flexible membrane is configured to contact, when a low pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a high pressure is applied at the reset-signal port, the contact protrusion; and
an additional contact protrusion surrounding the additional outlet and evenly extending towards the flexible membrane into the additional pressure chamber, wherein the flexible membrane is configured to contact, when a high pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a low pressure is applied at the reset-signal port, the additional contact protrusion.

7. The fluidic latch device of claim 1 , further comprising a substantially rigid layer and an additional substantially rigid layer, wherein:
the substantially rigid layer forms the set-signal port, the output port, the pressure chamber, the inlet, the outlet, the first fluid channel, and the second fluid channel;
the additional substantially rigid layer forms the reset-signal port, the negated output port, the additional pressure chamber, the additional inlet, the additional outlet, the third fluid channel, and the fourth fluid channel; and
the flexible membrane is sandwiched between opposing faces of the substantially rigid layer and the additional substantially rigid layer.

8. The fluidic latch device of claim 1 , wherein:
a first annular surface area of the flexible membrane is exposed to the first region when a low pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a high pressure is applied at the reset-signal port;
a first circular surface area of the flexible membrane is exposed to the second region when a low pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a high pressure is applied at the reset-signal port;
a second annular surface area of the flexible membrane is exposed to the third region when a high pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a low pressure is applied at the reset-signal port;
a second circular surface area of the flexible membrane is exposed to the fourth region when a high pressure is applied at the set-signal port and a low pressure is applied at the reset-signal port; and
the first annular surface area, the second annular surface area, the first circular surface area, and the circular surface area are coaxially aligned.

9. The fluidic latch device of claim 1 , wherein:
the volume of the first region is substantially equal to the volume of the third region; and
the volume of the second region is substantially equal to the volume of the fourth region.

10. A fluidic system comprising:
a latch comprising:
an input port, an additional input port, an output port, and an additional output port;
a pressure chamber comprising:
an inlet coupled to the input port by a first fluid channel; and
an outlet coupled to the output port by a second fluid channel;

an additional pressure chamber comprising:
an additional inlet coupled to the additional input port by a third fluid channel; and
an additional outlet coupled to the additional output port by a fourth fluid channel; and

a flexible membrane separating the pressure chamber and the additional pressure chamber and configured to:
block, when the flexible membrane is in an expanded state, the outlet; and
block, when the flexible membrane is in an additional expanded state, the additional outlet;

a pressure source connected to the input port;
an additional pressure source connected to the additional input port, wherein the pressure source and the additional pressure source are each independently drivable between at least a high-pressure state and a low-pressure state; and
a load connected to the output port.

11. The fluidic system of claim 10 , wherein the flexible membrane is further configured to:
unblock, when the flexible membrane is in an intermediate state or the additional expanded state, the outlet of the pressure chamber; and
unblock, when the flexible membrane is in the intermediate state or the expanded state, the additional outlet of the additional pressure chamber.

12. The fluidic system of claim 11 , wherein the total surface area of the flexible membrane exposed to the pressure chamber when the flexible membrane is in the intermediate state is equal to the total surface area of the flexible membrane exposed to the additional pressure chamber when the flexible membrane is in the intermediate state.

13. The fluidic system of claim 10 , wherein:
the pressure chamber comprises a circular wall; and
the additional pressure chamber comprises an additional circular wall.

14. The fluidic system of claim 13 , wherein:
the outlet is centered in the circular wall; and
the additional outlet is centered in the additional circular wall.

15. The fluidic system of claim 13 , wherein the latch further comprises:
a contact protrusion surrounding the outlet and evenly extending into the pressure chamber, wherein the fle

Assignees

• Facebook Tech Llc

Inventors

• Stanley Andrew Arthur
• Roby Erik

Classifications

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• F16K99/0057

  the fluid being the circulating fluid itself, e.g. check valves · CPC title

• F16K99/0015 Primary

  Diaphragm or membrane valves · CPC title

• F16K7/123 Primary

  the seat being formed on the bottom of the fluid line · CPC title