US 11,872,152 B2
Appendage pressurization devices comprising artificial muscles
Michael P. Rowe, Pinckney, MI (US)
Assigned to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed on Jul. 17, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/931,608.
Prior Publication US 2022/0015933 A1, Jan. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. A61F 5/01 (2006.01); A61F 5/34 (2006.01); A61F 2/70 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 5/012 (2013.01) [A61F 2/70 (2013.01); A61F 5/34 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0155 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0188 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An appendage pressurization device comprising:
an appendage strap;
a plurality of artificial muscles disposed in the appendage strap and communicatively coupled to a controller, wherein each of the plurality of artificial muscles comprise:
a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable fluid region;
a dielectric fluid housed within the housing;
an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode fixed to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode fixed to a second surface of the housing, wherein the electrode pair is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region, expanding the expandable fluid region; and
a pressure sensor communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to output a current pressure value to the controller and actuation of the electrode pair is based on the current pressure value;
wherein each of the plurality of artificial muscles is independently actuatable between the non-actuated state and the actuated state.