US 12,241,490 B2
Artificial muscles comprising an electrode pair and artificial muscle assemblies including same
Michael P. Rowe, Pinckney, MI (US); Shardul S. Panwar, Ann Arbor, MI (US); and Madison B. Emmett, Ann Arbor, 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 Apr. 20, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/724,847.
Application 17/724,847 is a continuation of application No. 16/886,282, filed on May 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0243743 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F15B 7/00 (2006.01); F15B 21/06 (2006.01); F15B 15/10 (2006.01)
CPC F15B 7/00 (2013.01) [F15B 21/065 (2013.01); F15B 15/10 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An artificial muscle comprising:
a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable fluid region;
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 first electrode and the second electrode each comprises a pair of tab portions and a bridge portion, wherein the bridge portion interconnects the pair of tab portions; and
a dielectric fluid housed within 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,
wherein, when the electrode pair is in the non-actuated state, the first electrode and the second electrode are non-parallel to one another, and
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to zipper toward one another when actuated from the non-actuated state to the actuated state, such that when the electrode pair is in the actuated state, the first electrode and the second electrode are parallel to one another.