Low-volume inflatable actuator composites for wearable applications and portable pneumatic source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12458556-B2
Application number	US-202117229313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2021
Priority date	Apr 15, 2020
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods for a wearable exoskeleton include an inflatable actuator with a reduced operation volume for faster operation. The inflatable actuator may include a first paddle connectable to the human body, a second paddle connectable to the human body, and an inflatable fabric coupled between the first paddle and the second paddle. In response to the inflatable fabric being filled with compressed air, the rigidity of the inflatable fabric increases, causing the angle between the first paddle and the second paddle to change to provide an assistive force for a movement of the human body. A portable pneumatic source is provided for quickly supplying a compressed air to the inflatable actuator. The portable pneumatic source may include a double acting piston and a cylinder defining a first chamber and a second chamber, and a valve assembly, for compressing air at both the upstroke and downstroke of the piston.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A wearable exoskeleton comprising:
a portable pneumatic source configured to be wearable by a person, the portable pneumatic source comprising: a controller, a pneumatic compressor comprising a cylinder, a piston, a first chamber, and a second chamber, an electric motor configured to move the piston between a first piston position and a second piston position, and a first valve in fluid communication with the pneumatic compressor, the first valve configured to move between a first valve position and a second valve position; an inflatable actuator comprising a first paddle, a second paddle, and an inflatable fabric coupled between the first paddle and the second paddle, wherein the first paddle and the second paddle each include a first half defined by a first flange and a first arcuate flange and a second half defined by a second flange and a second arcuate flange, the first flange and the second flange extending away from the first arcuate flange and the second arcuate flange in a direction such that the first half and the second half comprise opposing concave surfaces defined by the first arcuate flange and the second arcuate flange, the opposing concave surfaces defining a cavity, wherein the inflatable fabric includes a fabric lined with a film layer to hermetically seal the fabric, the fabric including one or more sheets of material connected at peripheral edges to form a single chamber of the inflatable fabric, wherein the inflatable fabric is in fluid communication with the pneumatic compressor, wherein the first paddle is configured to be directly coupled to an upper portion of a leg, and wherein the second paddle is configured to be coupled directly to a lower portion of the leg, and wherein a first portion of the inflatable fabric is disposed within the cavity of the first paddle, a second portion of the inflatable fabric is disposed within the cavity of the second paddle, and an intermediate portion of the inflatable fabric is disposed between the first portion and the second portion of the inflatable fabric; and a shoe comprising one or more human motion monitoring sensors coupled thereto, the one or more human monitoring sensors in electronic communication with the controller, wherein:
the controller is configured to cause the pneumatic compressor to move a compressed air with the first valve into the inflatable fabric to adjust an angle of the first paddle with respect to the second paddle based upon a gait pattern based on data received from the one or more human motion monitoring sensors.

2 . The wearable exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic compressor is configured to move the compressed air into the inflatable fabric to adjust the angle of the first paddle with respect to the second paddle to assist a movement of a human body.

3 . The wearable exoskeleton of claim 2 , wherein the inflatable actuator provides an assistive force for assisting knee extension in response to the inflatable fabric filling with the compressed air.

4 . The wearable exoskeleton of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the inflatable fabric, wherein the controller is configured to monitor a pressure of the compressed air with the pressure sensor.

5 . The wearable exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein:
in response to the first valve moving to the first valve position, the first valve is in fluid communication with the first chamber, and in response to the first valve moving to the second valve position, the first valve is in fluid communication with the second chamber.

6 . The wearable exoskeleton of claim 1 , further comprising a lead screw and a connecting member, wherein the electric motor is coupled to the piston via the lead screw and the connecting member.

7 . The wearable exoskeleton of claim 1 , further comprising a first one-way valve in fluid communication with the first chamber, and a second one-way valve in fluid communication with the second chamber.

8 . The wearable exoskeleton of claim 1 , further comprising a hose extending from the inflatable fabric, wherein the hose is in fluid communication with the pneumatic compressor.

9 . The wearable exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein a heat-sealable thermoplastic polyurethane membrane encased in the fabric.

10 . The wearable exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein the one or more human motion monitoring sensors includes a first sensor disposed proximate a heel of the shoe, a second sensor disposed proximate a toe of the shoe, a third sensor disposed proximate a fourth metatarsophalangeal joint location of the shoe, and a fourth sensor disposed proximate a first metatarsophalangeal joint location of the shoe, wherein the data received from the one or more human motion monitoring sensors indicated a heel strike and a toe off, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine the gait pattern based on the data.

11 . An inflatable actuator, comprising:
a first paddle disposed at a first end of the inflatable actuator; a second paddle disposed at a second end of the inflatable actuator; and an inflatable fabric coupled between the first paddle and the second paddle, the inflatable fabric including a fabric lined with a film layer to hermetically seal the fabric, the fabric including one or more sheets of material connected at peripheral edges to form a single chamber of the inflatable fabric, wherein:
the first paddle and the second paddle each include:
a first half defined by a first flange and a first arcuate flange and a second half defined by a second flange and a second arcuate flange, the first flange and the second flange extending away from the first arcuate flange and the second arcuate flange in a direction such that the first half and the second half comprise opposing concave surfaces defined by the first arcuate flange and the second arcuate flange, the opposing concave surfaces defining a cavity,

the first paddle is configured to be directly coupled to an upper portion of a leg,
the second paddle is configured to be directly coupled to a lower portion of the leg,
an angle of the direction of the first paddle with respect to the direction of the second paddle is configured to vary in response to the single chamber of the inflatable fabric at least one of inflating and deflating,
a first portion of the inflatable fabric is disposed within the cavity of the first paddle,
a second portion of the inflatable fabric is disposed within the cavity of the second paddle, and
an intermediate portion of the inflatable fabric is disposed between the first portion and the second portion of the inflatable fabric.

12 . The inflatable actuator of claim 11 , wherein a length of the inflatable fabric is between five percent and eighty percent of a total length of the inflatable actuator measured from the first end to the second end.

13 . The inflatable actuator of claim 12 , wherein the length of the inflatable fabric is between ten percent and seventy percent of the total length of the inflatable actuator.

14 . The inflatable actuator of claim 12 , wherein the length of the inflatable fabric is between fifteen percent and fifty percent of the total length of the inflatable actuator.

15 . The inflatable actuator of claim 11 , wherein the inflatable fabric comprises a heat-sealable thermoplastic polyurethane membrane encased in a fabric material.

16 . The inflatable actuator of claim 11 , wherein the inflatable fabric comprises a port configured to couple to a hose to provide fluid communication between a pneumatic compressor and the single

Assignees

• Sridar Saivimal
• Poddar Souvik
• Zhang Wenlong
• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Sridar Saivimal
• Poddar Souvik
• Zhang Wenlong

Classifications

• A61H2201/1215

  Rotary drive · CPC title

• A61H2201/1409

  Hydraulic or pneumatic means · CPC title

• A61H2201/1238

  with hydraulic or pneumatic drive · CPC title

• A61H2201/123

  Linear drive · CPC title

• A61H2201/5056

  pneumatically controlled · CPC title