Telescoping shear thickening fluid based object control mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12467486-B2
Application number	US-202218071671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2022
Priority date	Nov 25, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A head unit system for controlling an object includes a head unit device that include shear thickening fluid (STF) and a chamber configured to contain the STF. The chamber further includes a gate between a front channel and a back channel. The gate includes a set of bypass openings. The head unit device further includes a piston housed at least partially radially within the chamber. The gate is configured to control flow of the STF between the front channel and the back channel to control contraction of the chamber to provide the controlling of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A head unit system for controlling motion of an object, the head unit system comprising:
a head unit device, wherein the head unit device includes: a shear thickening fluid (STF), wherein the STF is configured to have a decreasing viscosity in response to a first range of shear rates and an increasing viscosity in response to a second range of shear rates, wherein the second range of shear rates are greater than the first range of shear rates; a chamber, the chamber configured to contain a portion of the STF, wherein the chamber includes a front channel and a back channel, wherein the chamber is further configured to volumetrically expand and contract to provide the first and second ranges of shear rates for the STF; a gate, the gate configured to separate the front channel and the back channel to control velocity of flow of the STF between the front channel and the back channel by covering and uncovering an opening within the chamber between the front channel and the back channel, wherein the gate is further configured to enable the STF to provide the first range of shear rates as the STF flows from the back channel to the front channel when the gate is in an open position uncovering the opening as the chamber volumetrically expands, wherein the gate is further configured to enable the STF to provide the second range of shear rates as the STF flows from the front channel to the back channel when the gate is in a closed position covering the opening as the chamber volumetrically contracts; and a piston housed at least partially radially within the back channel of the chamber, the piston configured to load a spring within the back channel of the chamber in response to the STF flowing from the front channel to back channel when the chamber volumetrically contracts in response to a force applied to the chamber from the object, wherein the piston is further configured to exert force on the STF to cause the STF to flow from the back channel to front channel in response to energy from the spring unloading when the chamber volumetrically expands absent the force applied to the chamber from the object.

2 . The head unit system of claim 1 , wherein the head unit device further comprises:
the gate further includes: a set of bypass openings between opposite sides of the gate, the set of bypass openings configured to enable the STF to provide the second range of shear rates as the STF flows from the front channel through the set of bypass openings to the back channel when the gate is in the closed position covering the opening as the chamber volumetrically contracts; and a hinge, the hinge configured to enable the gate to swing to the open position from the closed position and to swing to the closed position from the open position.

3 . The head unit system of claim 2 , wherein the set of bypass openings comprises:
one or more of a one-way check valve and a variable flow valve; when the piston is traveling through the chamber in an inward direction away from the gate: a first setting of the variable flow valve facilitates the second range of shear rates when the STF is to have the increasing viscosity; and when the piston is traveling through the chamber an outward direction towards the gate: the one-way check valve is configured to prevent STF flow through the one-way check valve.

4 . The head unit system of claim 2 , wherein the set of bypass openings further comprises:
a first bypass opening configured with at least one cylindrical tube with substantially consistent diameter from one side of the gate to an opposite side of the gate; a second bypass opening configured with at least one conical shaped tube with an increasing diameter from the one side of the gate to the opposite side of the gate; a third bypass opening configured with the at least one conical shaped tube with a decreasing diameter from the one side of the gate to the opposite side of the gate; and a fourth bypass opening configured with at least one venturi shaped tube from the one side of the gate to the opposite side of the gate.

5 . The head unit system of claim 1 , wherein the STF comprises:
a plurality of nanoparticles, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles includes one or more of an oxide, calcium carbonate, synthetically occurring minerals, naturally occurring minerals, polymers, SiO2, polystyrene, polymethylmethacrylate, or a mixture thereof.

6 . The head unit system of claim 1 , wherein the STF further comprises:
one or more of ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, ethanol, silicon oils, phenyltrimethicone, or a mixture thereof.

7 . The head unit system of claim 1 , wherein the head unit device further comprises:
a chamber bypass between opposite ends of the chamber, wherein the chamber bypass facilitates flow of a portion of the STF between the opposite ends of the chamber when the piston travels through the chamber in an inward or an outward direction.

8 . The head unit system of claim 1 , wherein the head unit device further comprises:
the gate is further configured to: when the piston is traveling through the chamber in an outward direction towards the gate, a first shear threshold effect includes: the first range of shear rates when the STF is configured to have the decreasing viscosity; and when the piston is traveling through the chamber in an inward direction away from the gate, a second shear threshold effect includes: the second range of shear rates when the STF is configured to have the increasing viscosity.

9 . The head unit system of claim 1 further comprises:
a set of fluid flow sensors positioned proximal to the chamber, wherein the set of fluid flow sensors are configured to provide a fluid response from the STF, wherein the set of fluid flow sensors includes one or more of:
a valve opening detector associated with a set of bypass openings,
a mechanical position sensor,
an image sensor,
a light sensor,
an audio sensor,
a microphone,
an ultrasonic sound sensor,
an electric field sensor,
a magnetic field sensor, and
a radio frequency wireless field sensor.

10 . The head unit system of claim 1 further comprises:
a set of fluid manipulation emitters positioned proximal to the chamber, wherein the set of fluid manipulation emitters provide a fluid activation to at least one of the STF, the gate, the piston, and
a set of bypass openings of the gate to provide the control of the motion of the object, wherein the set of fluid manipulation emitters includes one or more of:
a variable flow valve associated with the set of bypass openings of the gate,
a mechanical vibration generator,
an image generator,
a light emitter,
an audio transducer,
a speaker,
an ultrasonic sound transducer,
an electric field generator,
a magnetic field generator, and
a radio frequency wireless field transmitter.

Assignees

• Moshun Llc

Inventors

• Lang Richard Michael
• Schuda David
• Resch Jason K
• Buchalo John Edward
• Grube Gary W

Classifications

• F16F2236/103

  linear · CPC title

• F16F2230/18

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• F16F2230/08

  Sensor arrangement · CPC title

• F16F2224/048

  High viscosity, semi-solid pastiness (F16F2224/041 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16F9/3405

  Throttling passages in or on piston body, e.g. slots (F16F9/344, F16F9/3481 take precedence) · CPC title