A fluidic artificial muscle actuator consisting of an inner elastic bladder surrounded by a braided filament sleeve and sealed off on either end with end fittings. Pressurization of the actuator produces force and/or motion through radial movement of the bladder and sleeve which forces the sleeve to move axially. Both contractile and extensile motions are possible depending on the geometry of the braided sleeve. The fluidic artificial muscle actuator is manufactured using a swaging process which plastically deforms swage tubes around the end fittings, braided sleeve, and pressure bladder, creating a strong mechanical clamping action that may be augmented with adhesive bonding of the components. The swaging system includes the swaging die and associated components which are used to plastically deform the swage tube during assembly of the actuator.
Fluidic artificial muscle actuator and swaging process therefor
2016-11-08
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B23P Sonstige Metallbearbeitung , OTHER WORKING OF METAL / B21D WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL , Bearbeiten oder Verarbeiten von Blechen, Metallrohren, -stangen oder -profilen ohne wesentliches Abtragen des Werkstoffs / B63B Schiffe oder sonstige Wasserfahrzeuge , SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS / B63G OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS ON VESSELS , Angriffs- oder Verteidigungsanordnungen auf Schiffen / B63H Schiffsantrieb oder Steuerung der Schiffe , MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING |
SAE Technical Papers | 2009
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