Valve based deformable sensor having rigidity adjustment capability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11486744-B1
Application number	US-202117407864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 20, 2021
Priority date	Aug 20, 2021
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A deformable sensor is provided. The deformable sensor includes a first deformable member defining a first cavity configured to be filled with a medium, a second deformable member defining a second cavity, a rigid component disposed between the first deformable member and the second deformable member such that the first deformable member is positioned on a first portion of the rigid component and the second deformable member is positioned on a second portion of the rigid component, the rigid component including an aperture disposed thereon, and a valve member configured to fluidly couple the first cavity of the first deformable member to the second cavity of the second deformable member via the aperture. The first deformable member has a first rigidity value when the valve member is configured in a first orientation, and a second rigidity value when the valve member is configured in the second orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A deformable sensor comprising:
a first deformable member defining a first cavity configured to be filled with a medium;
a second deformable member defining a second cavity;
a rigid component disposed between the first deformable member and the second deformable member such that the first deformable member is positioned on a first portion of the rigid component and the second deformable member is positioned on a second portion of the rigid component, the rigid component including an aperture disposed thereon; and
a valve member configured to fluidly couple the first cavity of the first deformable member to the second cavity of the second deformable member via the aperture, the valve member configurable in a first orientation and a second orientation,
the first deformable member having a first rigidity value when the valve member is configured in the first orientation, and
the first deformable member having a second rigidity value when the valve member is configured in the second orientation, the second rigidity value is based on a part of the medium dispersing from the first cavity of the first deformable member to the second cavity of the second deformable member.

2. The deformable sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first orientation of the valve member corresponds to a closed operation status.

3. The deformable sensor of claim 1 , wherein the second orientation corresponds to an open operation status.

4. The deformable sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first rigidity value is higher than the second rigidity value.

5. The deformable sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a third deformable member that is positioned on a third portion of the rigid component and defining a third cavity.

6. The deformable sensor of claim 5 , wherein a volume of the first deformable member is larger than an additional volume of the third deformable member.

7. The deformable sensor of claim 5 , further comprising an additional valve member that is positioned in the rigid component and configured to fluidly couple the first deformable member to the second deformable member via an additional aperture disposed on the rigid component, the additional valve member is configuration in the first orientation and the second orientation.

8. The deformable sensor of claim 7 , wherein the first deformable member having a third rigidity value when the additional valve member is configured in the second orientation.

9. The deformable sensor of claim 8 , wherein the third rigidity value is based on an additional part of the medium dispersing from the first deformable member to the third deformable member responsive to the additional valve member being configured in the second orientation.

10. The deformable sensor of claim 1 , wherein a volume of the first deformable member is larger than an additional volume of the second deformable member.

11. The deformable sensor of claim 1 , wherein the medium is air.

12. A deformable sensor comprising:
a first deformable member defining a first cavity configured to be filled with a medium;
a second deformable member defining a second cavity;
a third deformable member defining a third cavity;
a rigid component disposed such that the first deformable member is positioned on a first portion of the rigid component, the second deformable member is positioned on a second portion of the rigid component, and the third deformable member is positioned on a third portion of the rigid component, the rigid component including an aperture and an additional aperture disposed thereon;
a valve member configured to fluidly couple the first cavity of the first deformable member to the second cavity of the second deformable member via the aperture, the valve member configurable in a first orientation and a second orientation,
the first deformable member having a first rigidity value when the valve member is configured in the first orientation,
the first deformable member having a second rigidity value when the valve member is configured in the second orientation, the second rigidity value is based on a part of the medium dispersing from the first deformable member to the second deformable member; and

an additional valve member configured to fluidly couple the first cavity of the first deformable member to the third cavity of the third deformable member via the additional aperture, the additional valve member configurable in the first orientation and the second orientation,
the first deformable member having a third rigidity value when the additional valve member is configured in the second orientation, the third rigidity value is based on an additional part of the medium dispersing from the first cavity of the first deformable member to the third cavity of the third deformable member.

13. The deformable sensor of claim 12 , wherein the first orientation of the valve member corresponds to a closed operation status.

14. The deformable sensor of claim 12 , wherein the second orientation corresponds to an open operation status.

15. The deformable sensor of claim 12 , wherein a volume of the first deformable member is larger than an additional volume of the third deformable member.

16. The deformable sensor of claim 12 , wherein a volume of the first deformable member is larger than an additional volume of the second deformable member.

17. The deformable sensor of claim 12 , wherein the medium is air.

18. The deformable sensor of claim 12 , wherein the first rigidity value is larger than the second rigidity value.

19. The deformable sensor of claim 12 , wherein the first rigidity value is larger than the third rigidity value.

20. The deformable sensor of claim 12 , wherein the medium is water.

Assignees

• Toyota Res Inst Inc

Inventors

• Kuehner Manuel L
• Yasuda Hiroshi

Classifications

• G01B11/16

  for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. optical strain gauge · CPC title

• G01D11/245 Primary

  Housings for sensors · CPC title

• G01B5/016

  Constructional details of contacts · CPC title

• B25J13/084 Primary

  Tactile sensors (in general G01L5/16, G01L5/22) · CPC title