JP2014131558A

JP2014131558A - Double corrugated pipe artificial muscle

Info

Publication number: JP2014131558A
Application number: JP2013011501A
Authority: JP
Inventors: Haruo Araki; 晴雄荒木
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-01-07
Filing date: 2013-01-07
Publication date: 2014-07-17

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a highly durable artificial muscle with a suppressed expansion rate of an elastic rubber since in a conventional artificial muscle, an elastic rubber pipe repeats expansion/contraction but lacks durability because of a large expansion rate and, when expanding, the elastic rubber pipes becomes thin and its strength decreases.SOLUTION: In a double corrugated pipe artificial muscle, an elastic rubber pipe reinforced by fiber in an axial direction is doubled, a shape maintenance ring 2 is provided outside an outside pipe 1a and inside an inside pipe 1b, an internal diameter is made thick, and the expansion rate is reduced.

Description

この発明は管の内圧により管が変形すること利用した人工筋肉に関するものである。The present invention relates to an artificial muscle that utilizes the deformation of a tube by the internal pressure of the tube.

従来の軸方向繊維強化型人工筋肉はゴム管の膨張を利用した人工筋肉である。A conventional axial fiber reinforced artificial muscle is an artificial muscle utilizing the expansion of a rubber tube.

特開２０１１−１３７５１６号公報JP 2011-137516 A

従来の人工筋肉は弾性ゴムの管が膨張収縮を繰り返すが、伸縮率が大きいため耐久性に欠ける。又、膨張時には弾性ゴムの管が薄くなるため強度が下がる欠点がある。Conventional artificial muscles have an elastic rubber tube that repeatedly expands and contracts, but lacks durability because of its high expansion / contraction rate. In addition, the elastic rubber tube is thinned during expansion, so that the strength is lowered.

繊維で軸方向に補強された弾性ゴムの管を二重にし、形状維持リング（２）を外側の管（１ａ）の外および内側の管（１ｂ）の内側に設ける。外側の管（１ａ）と内側の管（１ｂ）との間に流体を注入し加圧する。加圧により外側の管（１ａ）は外側へ、内側の管（１ｂ）は内側へ変形する。繊維により軸方向ののびが規制されているため管は収縮する。
管の径方向の伸縮率は収縮時の内径を伸張時の内径で割った値に１を引いたものとなる。従来の軸方向繊維強化型人工筋肉では、伸張時の内径を太くすると人工筋肉の収縮率が下がるため内径を太くできない。本発明の内径に当たるのが外側の管（１ａ）と内側の管（１ｂ）の隙間である。この隙間は流体が通過できる幅があればよいので、管の内径にかかわらず一定にできる。このため管の内径を大きくとることができ、伸縮率を抑えられる。本発明の二重コルゲート管人工筋肉は、加圧により管が膨張するのではなく、加圧により管がコルゲート管状に変形することにより収縮する。An elastic rubber tube reinforced in the axial direction with fibers is doubled, and a shape maintaining ring (2) is provided outside the outer tube (1a) and inside the inner tube (1b). A fluid is injected between the outer tube (1a) and the inner tube (1b) and pressurized. By pressurization, the outer tube (1a) is deformed outward and the inner tube (1b) is deformed inward. The tube contracts because the fiber is restricted from extending in the axial direction.
The expansion / contraction ratio in the radial direction of the tube is obtained by subtracting 1 from the value obtained by dividing the inner diameter at the time of contraction by the inner diameter at the time of expansion. In a conventional axial fiber reinforced artificial muscle, if the inner diameter at the time of extension is increased, the contraction rate of the artificial muscle is lowered, so that the inner diameter cannot be increased. The gap between the outer tube (1a) and the inner tube (1b) corresponds to the inner diameter of the present invention. This gap need only be wide enough to allow fluid to pass through and can be made constant regardless of the inner diameter of the tube. For this reason, the internal diameter of a pipe | tube can be taken large and the expansion-contraction rate can be suppressed. In the double corrugated tube artificial muscle of the present invention, the tube does not expand by pressurization, but contracts when the tube is deformed into a corrugated tube by pressurization.

弾性ゴムの伸縮率が抑えられるため耐久性が向上する。弾性率の高い弾性体が使用でき材料選択の幅が広がる。Durability is improved because the expansion / contraction rate of the elastic rubber is suppressed. An elastic body having a high elastic modulus can be used, and the range of material selection is widened.

本発明の伸張時の断面図である。It is sectional drawing at the time of the expansion | extension of this invention. 本発明の収縮時の断面図である。It is sectional drawing at the time of shrinkage | contraction of this invention. 本発明の収縮時の正面図である。It is a front view at the time of contraction of the present invention.

以下、本発明を実施するための形態について説明する。
軸方向に繊維で補強された弾性ゴムの管を二重にし、外側の管（１ａ）と内側の管（１ｂ）の両端をフランジ（３）で閉じ、止め金具（６）で固定する。フランジには注入口（４）および排出口（５）を設けておく。外側の管（１ａ）の外および内側の管（１ｂ）の内側に形状固定リング（２）を設ける。本発明は以上のような構造の人工筋肉である。
両端のフランジに張力をかけると人工筋肉は伸張する。図１は人工筋肉の伸張時の断面図である。人工筋肉を収縮するには、注入口（４）から外側の管（１ａ）と内側の管（１ｂ）との間に流体を注入し加圧する。加圧により外側の管（１ａ）は外側へ、内側の管（１ｂ）は内側へ変形する。繊維により軸方向ののびが規制されているため人工筋肉は収縮する。図２は収縮時の人工筋肉の断面図である。人工筋肉を伸張するには，排出口（５）より流体を排出し減圧する。管の変形が戻り人工筋肉は伸張する。Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described.
The elastic rubber tube reinforced with fibers in the axial direction is doubled, and both ends of the outer tube (1a) and the inner tube (1b) are closed by the flange (3) and fixed by the fastener (6). The inlet (4) and the outlet (5) are provided in the flange. The shape fixing ring (2) is provided outside the outer tube (1a) and inside the inner tube (1b). The present invention is an artificial muscle having the above structure.
When tension is applied to the flanges at both ends, the artificial muscle stretches. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the artificial muscle when stretched. In order to contract the artificial muscle, fluid is injected between the outer tube (1a) and the inner tube (1b) from the injection port (4) and pressurized. By pressurization, the outer tube (1a) is deformed outward and the inner tube (1b) is deformed inward. The artificial muscle contracts because the fiber is restricted from extending in the axial direction. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the artificial muscle during contraction. To stretch the artificial muscle, the fluid is discharged from the discharge port (5) and the pressure is reduced. The deformation of the tube returns and the artificial muscle stretches.

１ａ外側の管
１ｂ内側の管
２形状固定リング
３フランジ
４注入口
５排出口
６止め金具1a outer tube 1b inner tube 2 shape fixing ring 3 flange 4 inlet 5 outlet 6 stopper

Claims

繊維で軸方向に補強された弾性ゴムの管を二重にし、形状維持リング（２）を外側の管（１ａ）の外および内側の管（１ｂ）の内側に設けた人工筋肉であって、外側の管と内側の管の間に流体を注入し加圧することによって作動する人工筋肉。An artificial muscle in which a tube of elastic rubber reinforced axially with fibers is doubled, and a shape maintaining ring (2) is provided outside the outer tube (1a) and inside the inner tube (1b), An artificial muscle that operates by injecting and pressurizing fluid between an outer tube and an inner tube.

請求項１の人工筋肉の両端をフランジ（３）で閉鎖した人工筋肉アクチュエーター。The artificial muscle actuator which closed both ends of the artificial muscle of Claim 1 with the flange (3).