US5250167A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrically controlled polymeric gel actuators
Assignee: National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC
•
Filing: 1992-06-22
•
Granted: 1993-10-05
•
Expires: 2012-06-22
Abstract
Abstract Electrically controlled polymeric gel actuators or synthetic muscles capable of undergoing substantial expansion and contraction when subjected to changing pH environments, temperature, or solvent. The actuators employ compliant containers for the gels and their solvents. The gels employed may be cylindrical electromechanical gel fibers such as polyacrylamide fibers or a mixture of poly vinyl alcohol-polyacrylic acid arranged in a parallel aggregate and contained in an electrolytic solvent bath such as salt water. The invention includes smart, electrically activated devices exploiting this phenomenon. These devices are capable of being manipulated via active computer control as large displacement actuators for use in adaptive structure such as robots.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas B. Adolf
- 👤 Mohsen Shahinpoor
- 👤 Daniel J. Segalman
- 👤 Walter R. Witkowski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 11:35
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/08; B; B25; B25J; B25J9/00; B25J9/10; B25J9/1095; F; F03; F03G; F03G7/00; F03G7/008; F03G7/012; F03G7/0121; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00831; A61B2017/00867; A61B2017/00871; A61F2002/0894; A61F2/50; A61F2/68; A61F2/70; A61F2002/704
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A polymeric gel actuator comprising: fluid containment means for containment of an electrolytic solution; an electrolytic solution within said containment means; a first ionizable polymeric gel element disposed within said electrolytic solution; means for introducing electric current through said solution, said means having an anode and a cathode; and means for converting translation of at least a portion of said polymeric gel element into mechanical movement external to said fluid containment means; whereby, upon introduction of electric current through said solution, ions are formed therein which act upon said first polymeric gel element causing a change of dimensions of said polymeric gel element resulting in translation of said portion of said first polymeric gel element relative to another portion of said first polymeric gel element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
A polymeric gel actuator comprising: fluid containment means for containment of an electrolytic solution; an electrolytic solution within said containment means; a first ionizable polymeric gel element disposed within said electrolytic solution; means for introducing electric current through said solution, said means having an anode and a cathode; and means for converting translation of at least a portion of said polymeric gel element into mechanical movement external to said fluid containment means; whereby, upon introduction of electric current through said solution, ions are formed therein which act upon said first polymeric gel element causing a change of dimensions of said polymeric gel element resulting in translation of said portion of said first polymeric gel element relative to another portion of said first polymeric gel element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 1, wherein said fluid containment means comprises flexible wall means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
81 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 2, wherein said fluid containment means further comprises first and second end means sealingly engaged with said wall means, said first polymeric gel element being so attached to said first and second end means such that translation of at least said portion of said polymeric gel element results in movement of one of said first and second end means relative to the other of said end means, thereby inducing displacement resulting in said external actuation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 3, wherein said anode and said cathode are located within said first and second end means, respectively.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 4, further comprising spacing means so disposed within said fluid containment means as to ionically insulate one end of said gel element from one of said anode and cathode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 5, wherein said first polymeric gel element is an anion-rich polyelectrolyte and said spacing means is located in the vicinity of said second end means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 6, wherein said first polymeric gel element comprises a gel fiber bundle.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
83 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 4, further comprising a second ionizable polymeric gel element disposed within said fluid containment means, said first polymeric gel element being attached to said first end means, said second polymeric gel element being attached to said second end means, said first and second polymeric gel elements being attached at a point intermediate between said first and said second end means, said first polymeric gel element being a cation-rich polyelectrolyte, said second gel element being an anion-rich polyelectrolyte.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 8, wherein said first and said second polymeric gel elements comprise gel fiber bundles, respectively.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
91 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 2, wherein said fluid containment means is in the form of a planar layer having first and second sides and first and second ends, said first side containing and anode disposed along its length, and said second side containing a cathode disposed along its length, said fluid containment means having a plurality of polymeric gel elements disposed therein, said polymeric gel elements being disposed in sheets located between said first and second ends and attached therebetween, said sheets being disposed substantially parallel to said sides.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 10, wherein said plurality of gel elements are composed of anion-rich polyelectrolyte in the vicinity of said anode and of cation-rich polyelectrolyte in the vicinity of said cathode.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
82 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 2, wherein said electrolytic fluid containment means is in the form of an annular container having concentric inner and outer flexible sides, a first end means, and a second end means, said inner side having a cathode disposed therein, said outer side having an anode disposed therein, said fluid containment means having a plurality of polymeric gel elements in the form of sheets disposed therein and concentric with said inner and outer sides and parallel thereto.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
57 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 12, wherein said plurality of gel elements are composed of anion-rich polyelectroloytes in the vicinity of said anode and of cation-rich polyelectrolytes in the vicinity of said cathode resulting in a sphincter action of said polymeric gel actuator upon application of an electric potential to said means for introducing electric current.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 13 wherein said anode and said cathode are disposed within said fluid containment means at substantially diametrically opposed positions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
48 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 14, further comprising a plurality cathode disposed parallel to a central axis of said annular containment means such that, upon timely application of electrical potential to said anode and cathode pairs, a peristaltic pump action is induced in said annular gel actuator.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
191 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 1, further comprising an electrolysis cell, said electrolysis cell having an anode at a first end and a cathode at a second end, said electrolysis cell having a permeable membrane separating said cell into an anode section and a cathode section, said anode section being in fluid communication with said containment means at an end thereof by means of a first conduit means, said cathode section being in fluid communication with said containment means at an opposite end thereof by means of a second conduit means, said electrolysis cell being in fluid communication near said membrane with said containment means at a location midway between said opposite ends by means of a third conduit means, said third conduit means comprising pump means, whereby, upon application of electrical potential to said anode and said cathode, ion-rich solution flows from said anode section to said containment means through said first conduit means, oppositely charged ion-rich solution flows from said cathode section to said containment means through said second conduit means, and neutral solution flows from said containment means to said electrolysis cell through said third conduit means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
180 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 1, wherein said fluid containment means further comprises first and second opposing face means, first and second opposing end means, and first and second opposing side means, said first and second face means having an axle mounted therebetween and perpendicular thereto, and extending through one of said face means, said axle having a pulley mounted thereon within said containment means so as to e free to turn with said axle, said first polymeric gel element comprising a belt looped around said pulley, said belt having two ends attached to mounting means fixedly located within said containment means, said first and second side means having a cathode and an anode disposed thereon, said cathode and said anode being in communication with said solution and in the vicinity of opposite end portions of said belt, whereby, upon application of electric potential between said cathode and said anode, ion-rich solution causes one of said belt end portions to expand and the other of said end portions to contract, thus, inducing rotation of said axle by said pulley.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
185 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 2, wherein said fluid containment means is in the form of an annular container having concentric inner and outer flexible sides, a first end means and a second end means, said first end means having an anode disposed therein, said second end means having a cathode disposed therein, said first polymeric gel element being in the shape of a torroid and being located within said annular container in the vicinity of said anode and concentric with said inner side, said first gel element being a cation-rich polyelectrolyte, a second polymeric gel element similar in shape to said first gel element located within said annular container in the vicinity of said cathode and concentric with said inner side, said second gel element being an anion-rich polyelectrolyte, whereby, upon application of electrical potential between said anode and said cathode, ion-rich solution causes said first and second gel elements to contract against said inner side, causing the annulus to close in a sphincter-type action, said first and second gel elements expanding upon removal of electrical potential to allow opening of the annulus.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
The polymeric gel actuator of claim 18, wherein said first and second gel elements are composed of gel fiber bundles.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4522698A
Cited
US5100933A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-10-04 | 1997-04-05 | 1997-10-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-10-04 | 2001-04-05 | 2001-10-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-10-04 | 2005-04-05 | 2005-10-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |