US 11,986,439 B2
Appendage massaging devices comprising artificial muscles
Frederick Mau, McKinney, TX (US); and 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 May 26, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/883,178.
Prior Publication US 2021/0369547 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. A61H 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61H 9/0078 (2013.01) [A61H 2209/00 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An appendage massaging device comprising:
an appendage wrap comprising an inner band, an outer layer, and an interconnect for attaching and electrically coupling the appendage wrap to a separate appendage wrap; and
one or more artificial muscles disposed between the inner band and the outer layer of the appendage wrap, wherein each of the one or more artificial muscles comprise:
a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable fluid region;
a dielectric fluid housed within the housing; and
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 comprise two or more tab portions and two or more bridge portions, each of the two or more bridge portions interconnects adjacent tab portions, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a central opening positioned between the two or more tab portions and encircling the expandable fluid region, 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 through the central opening thereby applying pressure to the inner band of the appendage wrap.