Bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer

Abstract

The invention provides a liquid crystal elastomer-based bionic iris, and relates to the technical field of bionic soft robots, the liquid crystal elastomer-based bionic iris comprises a shell, one side of the shell is provided with a cylindrical accommodating groove, and the groove bottom of the accommodating groove is provided with a concentric through hole arranged in a penetrating manner; the liquid crystal elastomer is disc-shaped, an inner hole is formed in the middle of the liquid crystal elastomer, the diameter of the inner hole is smaller than that of the concentric through hole, and the liquid crystal elastomer is embedded into the containing groove to enable the inner hole and the concentric through hole to be coaxially arranged; electric heating wires are uniformly distributed on the surface of the heating ring, the heating ring is embedded into the containing groove and is tightly attached to the surface of the liquid crystal elastomer, the electric heating wires are used for heating the liquid crystal elastomer to enable an inner hole of the liquid crystal elastomer to be uniformly shrunk, and the inner hole of the liquid crystal elastomer and the concentric through hole are kept in a coaxial state in the shrunk process. The iris simulation device has the advantages that the temperature of the annular liquid crystal elastomer is adjusted by electrifying the heating wire, the contraction and relaxation functions of the iris can be simply and conveniently simulated, the inner hole and the concentric through hole are always kept in a coaxial state, and light deviation or shielding can be effectively avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of bionic soft robots, and particularly to a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomers. Background Art

[0002] As an important component structure of the eye, the iris can adjust the light input of the human eye by contracting and relaxing itself according to different light intensities. Based on this, scientists have developed traditional mechanical apertures. Traditional mechanical apertures are widely used in modern optical systems such as cameras, telescopes, microscopes, etc., but usually rely on complex mechanical devices and have disadvantages such as large volume, high energy consumption, and complex structure. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, in order to solve the problems of large volume, high energy consumption, and complex structure of the current bionic iris mechanism, an embodiment of the present invention provides a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomers.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomers, including: A housing, on one side of which there is a cylindrical accommodation groove, and the bottom of the accommodation groove is provided with a concentric through hole; A liquid crystal elastomer, which is disc-shaped and has an inner hole in the middle, the diameter of the inner hole is smaller than the diameter of the concentric through hole, and the liquid crystal elastomer is embedded in the accommodation groove so that the inner hole is coaxially arranged with the concentric through hole; And a heating ring, the surface of which is covered with uniformly arranged heating wires, the heating ring is embedded in the accommodation groove and is in close contact with the surface of the liquid crystal elastomer, and the heating wires are used to heat the liquid crystal elastomer to uniformly contract the inner hole of the liquid crystal elastomer, and the inner hole of the liquid crystal elastomer remains coaxial with the concentric through hole during the contraction process.

[0005] Further, the heating ring is a hollow disc shape, the outer wall of the heating ring is circumferentially provided with a plurality of external teeth, the inner wall of the heating ring is circumferentially provided with a plurality of internal teeth, and the heating wires bypass the external tooth grooves between the external teeth and the internal tooth grooves between the internal teeth and are uniformly wound on the surface of the heating ring.

[0006] Further, the external teeth are uniformly spaced along the circumferential direction of the outer wall of the heating ring, the internal teeth are uniformly spaced along the circumferential direction of the inner wall of the heating ring, the external tooth grooves and the internal tooth grooves are radially corresponding one by one, and the heating wires bypass the external tooth grooves and the internal tooth grooves respectively and are fixed on the surface of the heating ring.

[0007] Further, the side of the heating ring close to the liquid crystal elastomer is provided with a plurality of fixing columns, and the fixing columns are uniformly spaced along the circumferential direction of the heating ring, and the heating wires bypass the fixing columns respectively.

[0008] Further, a plurality of through holes are provided on the surface of the heating ring, and each fixing column is embedded in one of the through holes.

[0009] Further, the fixing column is a stepped cylinder. The smaller-diameter end of the fixing column is embedded in the through hole, and the larger-diameter end extends to the outside of the heating ring and is in close contact with the liquid crystal elastomer. The heating wire bypasses the annular groove between the larger-diameter end of the fixing column and the surface of the heating ring.

[0010] Further, the outer shell, the heating ring, and the heating wire are all made of heat-resistant materials with a heat-resistant temperature higher than 150 °C.

[0011] Further, a wire hole is provided on the side wall of the outer shell.

[0012] Further, the inner diameter of the accommodating groove, the outer diameter of the liquid crystal elastomer, and the outer diameter of the heating ring are the same.

[0013] Further, the side of the heating ring away from the liquid crystal elastomer is flush with the notch of the accommodating groove.

[0014] The beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention are as follows: 1. For a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer of the present invention, the liquid crystal elastomer is accommodated in the accommodating groove. The liquid crystal elastomer is heated by the heating wire. The inner hole and the outer ring wall of the liquid crystal elastomer both contract. The heating ring is in close contact with the liquid crystal elastomer to prevent the liquid crystal elastomer from displacing. When the liquid crystal elastomer contracts, the inner hole remains coaxial with the concentric through hole. The contraction of the inner hole realizes the contraction function of the bionic iris; when the heating of the liquid crystal elastomer stops, the liquid crystal elastomer naturally cools, and the inner hole of the liquid crystal elastomer expands outwards until it returns to the initial state, realizing the diastolic function of the bionic iris. Without a complex mechanical structure or electronic system, by adjusting the temperature of the annular liquid crystal elastomer through the energization of the heating wire, the contraction and diastolic functions of the iris can be simply and conveniently simulated.

[0015] 2. For a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer of the present invention, the heating wire is uniformly fixed on the surface of the heating ring through the outer tooth grooves, inner tooth grooves, and fixing columns, ensuring a stable state during the heating process of the heating wire, uniformly heating the liquid crystal elastomer, and causing the inner hole of the liquid crystal elastomer to uniformly contract towards the axis; the uniform heating and deformation process improves the reliability and stability of the bionic iris during use, and reduces the performance fluctuations caused by uneven heating of the annular liquid crystal elastomer.

[0016] 3. A bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to the present invention. During the temperature change process, the annular liquid crystal elastomer always maintains a coaxial state with the accommodation groove and the heating ring, which can effectively avoid the deviation or occlusion of the optical path and achieve the effect of regulating the light intensity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view of a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a front view of a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to the present invention; Figure 4 is Figure 3 the sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the heating ring and the fixing column; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the heating ring; Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the fixing column; Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the winding of the heating wire on the surface of the heating ring; Figure 9 is a working principle diagram of a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to the present invention; Figure 10 is a diagram of the change state of the liquid crystal elastomer during the working process of a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to the present invention.

[0018] In the figure: 1. Outer shell; 2. Liquid crystal elastomer; 3. Heating ring; 4. Fixing column; 5. Accommodation groove; 6. Concentric perforation; 7. Wire hole; 8. Inner hole; 9. Outer tooth; 10. Inner tooth; 11. Outer tooth groove; 12. Inner tooth groove; 13. Jack. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following describes a relatively preferred one among multiple possible embodiments of the present invention, aiming to provide a basic understanding of the present invention, but not aiming to identify the key or decisive elements of the present invention or limit the scope to be protected.

[0020] In all the examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be construed as merely exemplary and not as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0021] Known technologies, methods, and devices that are well-known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, such technologies, methods, and devices should be regarded as part of the specification.

[0022] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters denote like items in the following figures. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent figures. At the same time, it should be understood that for the sake of convenience of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the figures are not drawn in actual proportional relationships.

[0023] It should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "installed" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0024] Please refer to Figures 1-4 , an embodiment of the present invention provides a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer, mainly including a housing 1, a liquid crystal elastomer 2, and a heating ring 3.

[0025] One side of the housing 1 is provided with a cylindrical accommodating groove 5, and the bottom of the accommodating groove 5 is provided with a concentric through hole 6 which is coaxially arranged with the accommodating groove 5.

[0026] The liquid crystal elastomer 2 is in a disc shape and has an inner hole 8 in the middle. The diameter of the inner hole 8 is smaller than the diameter of the concentric through hole 6. The liquid crystal elastomer 2 is embedded in the accommodating groove 5 so that the inner hole 8 is coaxially arranged with the concentric through hole 6. The outer diameter (the diameter of the outer ring wall) of the liquid crystal elastomer 2 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the accommodating groove 5, so that the liquid crystal elastomer 2 can be stably embedded in the accommodating groove 5. The diameter of the concentric through hole 6 needs to be larger than the diameter of the inner hole 8 to prevent the accommodating groove 5 from blocking the inner hole 8.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 5-7 , the surface of the heating ring 3 is covered with uniformly arranged heating wires (not shown in the figure). The heating ring 3 is embedded in the accommodating groove 5 and is in close contact with the surface of the liquid crystal elastomer 2. The heating wires are used to heat the liquid crystal elastomer 2 so that the inner hole 8 uniformly shrinks towards the axis.

[0028] Specifically, the heating ring 3 is a hollow disc shape, and the outer diameter of the heating ring 3 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the accommodating groove 5, so that the heating ring 3 can be stably embedded in the accommodating groove 5. A plurality of external teeth 9 are circumferentially arranged around the outer wall of the heating ring 3, and a plurality of internal teeth 10 are circumferentially arranged around the inner wall of the heating ring 3. The heating wire is evenly wound around the surface of the heating ring 3 by bypassing the external tooth grooves 11 between the external teeth 9 and the internal tooth grooves 12 between the internal teeth 10. The number of the external teeth 9 and the internal teeth 10 can be flexibly set according to the heating wire required for heating the liquid crystal elastomer 2. Generally, the external teeth 9 and the internal teeth 10 have the same shape, which is convenient for forming the same number of external tooth grooves 11 and internal tooth grooves 12, so that the heating wire is evenly wound.

[0029] In some embodiments, the external teeth 9 are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction of the outer wall of the heating ring 3, the internal teeth 10 are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction of the inner wall of the heating ring 3, the external tooth grooves 11 and the internal tooth grooves 12 are radially corresponding to each other, and the corresponding external tooth grooves 11 and internal tooth grooves 12 are arranged along a radius of the heating ring 3. The heating wire bypasses the external tooth grooves 11 and the internal tooth grooves 12 respectively and is fixed on the surface of the heating ring 3. In this way, the heating wire is evenly arranged on the surface of the heating ring 3, so that the liquid crystal elastomer 2 is uniformly heated. When the temperature rises, the inner hole 8 uniformly contracts towards the axis direction, and when the temperature drops, the inner hole 8 uniformly restores in the opposite direction of the axis. The uniform heating and deformation process improves the reliability and stability of the device during use, and reduces the performance fluctuations caused by the uneven heating of the liquid crystal elastomer 2.

[0030] Combined Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, a plurality of fixing columns 4 are arranged on the side of the heating ring 3 close to the liquid crystal elastomer 2. The fixing columns 4 are evenly spaced around the circumferential direction of the heating ring 3, and the heating wire bypasses each fixing column 4 respectively. The fixing columns 4 are generally arranged between the corresponding external tooth grooves 11 and internal tooth grooves 12, and the heating wire is wound in the arrow direction shown in Figure 8 so that when bypassing the external tooth grooves 11 and the internal tooth grooves 12, it bypasses the fixing columns 4. In this way, during the deformation process of the liquid crystal elastomer 2, it is ensured that the heating wire remains in a stable state during operation, and external factors are avoided from causing the heating wire to be loose, displaced or detached, resulting in uneven heating of the liquid crystal elastomer 2.

[0031] In some preferred embodiments, a plurality of through holes 13 are provided on the surface of the heating ring 3, and each fixing column 4 is embedded in one of the through holes 13. More specifically, the fixing column 4 is a stepped cylinder. The smaller diameter end of the fixing column 4 is embedded in the through hole 13, and the larger diameter end extends to the outside of the heating ring 3 and is in close contact with the liquid crystal elastomer 2. The heating wire bypasses the annular groove between the larger diameter end of the fixing column 4 and the surface of the heating ring 3. In this way, the stable fixation of the fixing column 4 can be achieved, and the fixing column 4 can be in contact with the liquid crystal elastomer 2. The heating wire is close to the liquid crystal elastomer 2 but does not contact it, avoiding the movement of the heating wire caused by the deformation of the liquid crystal elastomer 2, resulting in uneven heating of the liquid crystal elastomer 2.

[0032] Considering the stability of the bionic iris during operation, the outer shell 1, the heating ring 3, and the heating wire are all made of heat-resistant materials with a heat-resistant temperature higher than 150 °C. In this way, when the heating wire heats the liquid crystal elastomer 2, the outer shell 1, the heating ring 3, and the heating wire maintain the stability of their structures and do not soften and bend.

[0033] In some embodiments, wire holes 7 are provided on the side wall of the outer shell 1. The wire holes 7 can be set to two. After the heating wire wound around the surface of the heating ring 3 is embedded in the accommodation groove 5, the heating wire can be led out through the two wire holes 7 and connected to an external power supply to supply power to the heating wire.

[0034] To make the overall structure of the bionic iris flat and beautiful, the side of the heating ring 3 away from the liquid crystal elastomer 2 is flush with the notch of the accommodation groove 5. In this way, the overall structure of the bionic iris is flat and its volume is small.

[0035] As Figure 9 and 10 shown, the working process of a bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer of the present invention is as follows: By supplying power to the heating wire, the heating wire heats the liquid crystal elastomer 2. Both the inner hole and the outer ring wall of the liquid crystal elastomer 2 contract. The inner hole 8 contracts towards the axis to achieve the contraction function of the bionic iris. The fixing column 4 assembled on the heating ring 3 is in close contact with the liquid crystal elastomer 2 to prevent the liquid crystal elastomer 2 from shifting during temperature change; when the heating of the liquid crystal elastomer 2 stops, the liquid crystal elastomer 2 cools naturally, and the inner hole 8 of the liquid crystal elastomer 2 expands outwards until it returns to its initial state, realizing the diastolic function of the bionic iris.

[0036] It should be noted that the liquid crystal molecules inside the liquid crystal elastomer 2 undergo an ordered-disordered phase transition under external thermal stimulation, thereby triggering macroscopic reversible deformation. Therefore, by precisely controlling the heating temperature of the liquid crystal elastomer 2, the aperture of the inner hole 8 of the liquid crystal elastomer 2 can be accurately adjusted to simulate different degrees of iris contraction. Temperature can be used as a control parameter for the bionic iris, enabling flexible and precise adjustment in environments with different light intensities. This provides the possibility for realizing intelligent control of the light flux entering the bionic iris and for the design of bionic human eyes.

[0037] In this article, the front, back, up, down, and other orientation words are defined based on the positions of the components in the drawings and the positions of the components relative to each other, solely for the sake of clarity and convenience in expressing the technical solution. It should be understood that they are relative concepts and can change accordingly according to different usage and placement methods. The use of the orientation words should not limit the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0038] Without conflict, the above-mentioned embodiments and the features in the embodiments in this article can be combined with each other. The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer, characterized in that: include: The housing has a cylindrical receiving groove on one side, and the bottom of the receiving groove is provided with a concentric through hole; A liquid crystal elastomer, which is in the shape of a disk and has an inner hole in the middle, wherein the diameter of the inner hole is smaller than the diameter of the concentric through hole, and the liquid crystal elastomer is embedded in the containing groove so that the inner hole and the concentric through hole are coaxially arranged; And a heating ring, the surface of which is covered with evenly arranged heating wires, the heating ring is embedded in the accommodating groove and tightly fits with the surface of the liquid crystal elastomer, the heating wire is used to heat the liquid crystal elastomer to make the inner hole of the liquid crystal elastomer shrink evenly, and the inner hole of the liquid crystal elastomer remains coaxial with the concentric perforation during the shrinkage process.

2. The bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating ring is in the shape of a hollow disc, the outer wall of the heating ring is provided with a plurality of external teeth around the circumference, the inner wall of the heating ring is provided with a plurality of internal teeth around the circumference, and the heating wire bypasses the external tooth grooves between the external teeth and the internal tooth grooves between the internal teeth and is evenly wound around the surface of the heating ring.

3. The bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer teeth are evenly spaced along the circumference of the outer wall of the heating ring, and the inner teeth are evenly spaced along the circumference of the inner wall of the heating ring. The outer tooth grooves and the inner tooth grooves correspond one to one in the radial direction, and the heating wire is fixed to the surface of the heating ring by respectively bypassing the outer tooth grooves and the inner tooth grooves.

4. The bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of fixing posts are arranged on the side of the heating ring close to the liquid crystal elastomer, and the fixing posts are evenly spaced around the heating ring in the circumferential direction, and the heating wires bypass the fixing posts respectively.

5. The bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to claim 4, characterized in that: The surface of the heating ring is provided with a plurality of insertion holes which penetrate through the surface, and each of the fixing posts is embedded in one of the insertion holes.

6. The bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to claim 5, characterized in that: The fixing column is a stepped cylinder, the smaller diameter end of the fixing column is embedded in the plug hole, the larger diameter end extends to the outside of the heating ring and fits tightly with the liquid crystal elastomer, and the heating wire bypasses the annular groove between the larger diameter end of the fixing column and the surface of the heating ring.

7. The bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing, the heating ring and the heating wire are all made of heat-resistant materials with a heat-resistant temperature higher than 150°C.

8. The bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side wall of the shell is provided with a wire hole.

9. The bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the containing groove, the outer diameter of the liquid crystal elastomer and the outer diameter of the heating ring are the same.

10. The bionic iris based on liquid crystal elastomer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side of the heating ring away from the liquid crystal elastomer is flush with the notch of the accommodating groove.

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