Artificial Muscle Heat-Contracting Coil Spring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional exo-skeleton muscular strength assisting systems are cumbersome, uncomfortable to wear due to mismatched degree of freedom and weight, and generate noise from electric motor operation, limiting their widespread use for exercise assistance.
Innovation Solution
A flexible artificial muscle with a contraction coil spring that contracts via heat and an expansion part that expands via an electric field, allowing for fast operation speeds and improved comfort through a stress transmission mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid-frame structure is used for exo-skeleton muscular strength assisting system, then mechanical strength is improved, but weight and volume increase making it uncomfortable to wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional rigid-frame structure with a flexible artificial muscle structure. The artificial muscle uses a flexible polymer coil spring that can contract and expand, providing mechanical strength while maintaining flexibility and reducing weight. This allows the exo-skeleton system to assist muscular strength without the bulk and weight of conventional rigid structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the artificial muscle materials to optimize performance. By controlling the temperature and electrical parameters of the polymer coil spring, the system achieves rapid contraction and expansion cycles, improving operational speed while maintaining flexibility and reducing weight compared to rigid structures.
2Power
If electric motor and gear mechanism are used for joint operation, then mechanical power is improved, but noise is generated and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electric motor and gear mechanism with a direct artificial muscle actuation system. The polymer coil spring contracts and expands in response to temperature changes or electrical signals, directly providing the mechanical power needed for joint movement without requiring motors, gears, or transmission mechanisms, thereby eliminating noise and reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions or temperature-induced changes in the polymer coil spring material to generate mechanical motion. When the polymer is heated or cooled, it undergoes dimensional changes that cause the coil spring to contract or expand, directly driving the joint movement without mechanical transmission components that would generate noise.
3Weight of moving object
If flexible material is used for artificial muscle, then comfort and weight are improved, but operation speed is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the physical and chemical parameters of the flexible polymer material to enhance its operational speed. By controlling factors such as polymer molecular weight, cross-linking density, and thermal conductivity, the system achieves rapid contraction and expansion cycles while maintaining the flexibility and light weight characteristics of the artificial muscle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic heating and cooling cycles or alternating electrical signals to the polymer coil spring to achieve rapid repeated contraction and expansion movements. This periodic actuation allows the flexible artificial muscle to operate at high speeds while maintaining its flexible, lightweight structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flexible artificial muscle provides efficient contraction and expansion movements with controlled speed, enhancing exercise assistance while reducing weight and noise, making it more comfortable and practical for users.
Implementation Method 1
The contraction coil spring has a shape of a spring progressing in the first direction, and the contraction coil spring is contracted by heat
Implementation Method 2
The heating part may heat the polymer coil spring, and the polymer coil spring may be contracted in the first direction by the heating
Implementation Method 3
Voltages different from each other may be respectively applied to the first and second electrodes to provide an electric field in the polymer layer, and the polymer layer may be expanded in the first direction by the electric field
Data Source
AI summary
An artificial muscle includes a first stress transmission part and a second stress transmission part, which are spaced apart from each other in a first direction, a contraction coil spring provided between the first and second stress transmission parts to pull the first and second stress transmission parts, and an expansion part provided between the first and second stress transmission parts to push the first and second stress transmission parts. The contraction coil spring has a shape of a spring progressing in the first direction, and the contraction coil spring is contracted by heat.