US 12,031,558 B2
Titanium dioxide composite insulator artificial muscle
Max Herzog, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Maduran Palaniswamy, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Michael P. Rowe, Pinckney, MI (US); and Charles R. Rutledge, Tipton, 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 Nov. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/529,531.
Prior Publication US 2023/0149186 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. F15B 15/10 (2006.01)
CPC F15B 15/103 (2013.01) [F15B 2215/305 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An artificial muscle comprising:
a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable liquid region;
a dielectric liquid housed within the housing;
an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the electrode pair is configured to actuate between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric liquid into the expandable liquid region, expanding the expandable liquid region; and
a composite electrical insulating layered structure in contact with at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode, wherein the composite electrical insulating layered structure comprises:
an electrical insulator layer residing between and in contact with a plurality of adhesive surfaces;
the adhesive surfaces located between one or more flexible electrical insulators; and
the one or more flexible electrical insulators of which at least one is directly affixed to one of the first electrode and the second electrode.