JP2015211577A - Actuator, laminated actuator and auxiliary tool - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that, regarding output of a gel actuator, the output of the gel actuator is adjusted by varying a voltage to be applied to gel.SOLUTION: An actuator includes: two cathodes disposed while interposing an interval therebetween; an anode disposed between the two cathodes and including a recess; and two dielectrics disposed between the two cathodes and the anode, respectively, including an inductive polymer material and being elastically deformable. In the case where a voltage is applied between the anode and the two cathodes, the dielectrics enter the recess of the anode, such that the actuator is shrunk in a thickness direction. The actuator further includes a selection section for selecting any one of the two dielectrics to which the voltage is applied.

Description

  The present invention relates to an actuator, a stacked actuator, and an auxiliary tool.

A gel actuator is known in which a gel is interposed from a dielectric polymer between an anode and a cathode, and contracts in the thickness direction when a voltage is applied between the anode and the cathode. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-23843

  In the above technique, the output of the gel actuator is adjusted by changing the voltage applied to the gel. However, since the magnitude of the voltage applied to the gel and the magnitude of the output generated thereby are not necessarily proportional, it is difficult to apply a voltage corresponding to the magnitude of the output to be obtained.

  As a first aspect of the present invention, two cathodes disposed at a distance from each other, an anode having a recess disposed between the two cathodes, and each disposed between the two cathodes and the anode And two elastically deformable dielectrics including a dielectric polymer material, and when the voltage is applied between the anode and the two cathodes, the dielectric is in the recess of the anode. There is provided an actuator that is contracted in the thickness direction by entering and further includes a selection unit that selects which one of the two dielectrics is to be applied with voltage.

  The above summary of the present invention does not enumerate all of the features of the present invention. A sub-combination of these feature groups can also be an invention.

It is a front view of the auxiliary tool with which the user was equipped. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a gel actuator 40. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a stacked actuator in which gel actuators 40 are stacked. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration and operation of the first actuator 12. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration and operation of the first actuator 12. FIG. It is a functional block diagram of the auxiliary tool which assists operation | movement of a biological body. An example of a gel database is shown. It is a flowchart explaining an actuator drive process. The other example of a gel database is shown. It is a flowchart explaining the drive process of an actuator provided with the gel from which a characteristic differs. An example of a switch circuit is shown. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram explaining the structure of another 1st actuator. It is a perspective schematic diagram explaining the structure of another 1st actuator.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. In addition, not all the combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solving means of the invention.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of the auxiliary tool 10 attached to the user 28. The up, down, left and right directions indicated by arrows in FIG. Further, the front and rear direction when viewed from the user 28 is the front and rear direction of the auxiliary tool 10. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary tool 10 is attached to the lower half of the user 28 and assists the operation of the legs of the user 28.

  The assisting tool 10 includes a trouser unit 11, a first actuator 12, a second actuator 14, a third actuator 16, a fourth actuator 18, a control unit 20, a power supply unit 22, a wiring 24, and a detection unit. 26. In the following description, the first actuator 12, the second actuator 14, the third actuator 16, and the fourth actuator 18 may be collectively referred to as the first actuator 12 or the like.

  The trouser part 11 has a trouser shape into which a right foot and a left foot can be inserted. The trouser part 11 consists of a chemical fiber etc. which can be expanded and contracted. The trouser part 11 tightly adheres the lower body of the user 28 with a fixed binding force. Thereby, the trouser part 11 becomes difficult to slide with respect to the leg part of the user 28 in the mounted state.

  The first actuator 12 is provided from the upper right to the lower left of the front surface of the trouser part 11 covering the knee part of the left foot. The first actuator 12 is elastically deformable and is formed in a belt shape. The first actuator 12 is adhered to and adhered to the trouser portion 11 over the entire length.

  An example of the first actuator 12 is a stacked actuator, which contracts in the longitudinal direction when a voltage is applied, and expands to the original length when the voltage application is released. The first actuator 12 assists the bending and stretching operation of the knee of the user's left foot during walking by extending or contracting.

  The second actuator 14 is provided from the upper left to the lower right of the front surface of the trouser part 11 covering the knee part of the left foot. Therefore, the first actuator 12 and the second actuator 14 intersect at the front surface of the knee portion of the left foot. The third actuator 16 is provided from the upper left to the lower right of the front surface of the trouser part 11 covering the knee part of the right foot. The fourth actuator 18 is provided from the upper right to the lower left of the front surface of the trouser part 11 covering the knee part of the right foot. The third actuator 16 and the fourth actuator 18 intersect at the front surface of the knee of the right foot. The other configurations of the second actuator 14, the third actuator 16, and the fourth actuator 18 are the same as those of the first actuator 12, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  The wiring 24 is electrically connected to the power supply unit 22 and each of the first actuator 12, the second actuator 14, the third actuator 16, and the fourth actuator 18 individually. The power supply unit 22 is provided on the upper part of the trouser unit 11. The power supply unit 22 is provided on the upper part of the trouser unit 11. The power supply unit 22 applies a voltage to each of the first actuator 12, the second actuator 14, the third actuator 16, and the fourth actuator 18 via the four wires 24.

  The control unit 20 governs overall control of the auxiliary tool 10. The detection unit 26 detects the situation of the user 28. The control unit 20 determines the situation of the user 28 based on the detection value detected by the detection unit 26. The control unit 20 controls the first actuator 12 and the like so as to give an optimal auxiliary force to the situation of the user 28 determined by the control unit 20.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the gel actuator 40. The gel actuator 40 is a basic unit constituting a stacked actuator such as the first actuator 12. The gel actuator 40 includes two thin films 46 made of stainless steel arranged at intervals, a mesh body 42 made of a conductive material arranged between the two thin films 46, two thin films 46 and a mesh. Two gels 44 disposed between the body 42 and the power supply unit 22 are provided. The mesh body 42 functions as an anode by being connected to the positive electrode of the power supply unit 22. The two thin films 46 function as cathodes by being connected to the negative electrode of the power supply unit 22. The anode and the cathode in the gel actuator 40 may be provided in reverse. In that case, the gel actuator 40 includes two mesh bodies 42 arranged with the thin film 46 interposed therebetween, two gels 44 arranged between the two mesh bodies 42 and the thin film 46, and a power source. Part 22.

  The gel 44 is made of a dielectric polymer such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) that undergoes bending deformation or creep deformation by electrical stimulation. The gel 44 may be formed using a dielectric polymer material such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate, nylon 6, polyvinyl alcohol, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyacrylonitrile, etc. A gel may be prepared by adding a plasticizer such as butyl adipate (DBP) to the polymer material. The gel is an example of a dielectric, and the gel actuator is an example of an actuator.

  When a voltage is applied between the mesh body 42 and the thin film 46, a part of the gel 44 enters the mesh hole of the mesh body 42, so that the gel actuator 40 contracts in the thickness direction. When the voltage applied between the mesh body 42 and the thin film 46 is released, the gel 44 is separated from the mesh body 42, and the gel actuator 40 expands and returns to its original thickness. As described above, the gel actuator 40 is displaced in the thickness direction by the voltage application operation to the gel 44 by the mesh body 42 and the thin film 46.

  An example of the size of the mesh body 42 used in the present embodiment is a stainless steel mesh having a linear shape of 0.2 mm, a mesh hole of 1.1 mm × 1.1 mm, and a thickness of 0.4 mm. The thin film 46 has a thickness of 0.01 mm, and the gel 44 has a thickness of 0.6 mm to 1.0 mm. In place of the mesh body 42, a stainless thin film provided with a recess may be used, or a stainless thin film having a hole punched may be used.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a stacked actuator in which gel actuators 40 are stacked. As shown in FIG. 3, the stacked actuator is formed by stacking a plurality of rectangular basic unit gel actuators 40 in the thickness direction. In the case of creating a stacked gel actuator, the thin film 46 provided on the lower side and the thin film 46 provided on the upper side may be shared to form a single thin film 46. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, in the stacked gel actuator, a plurality of thin films 46 and a plurality of mesh bodies 42 are alternately arranged, and a gel 44 is arranged therebetween.

  A displacement output, which is a displacement due to expansion / contraction of the stacked gel actuators, and a stress output, which is a force pushing the object by the expansion / contraction, are proportional to the number of the stacked gel actuators 40. For example, the displacement output and the stress output when five gel actuators 40 are stacked in the thickness direction are five times that of the gel actuator 40. In a laminated actuator in which gel actuators are laminated, the displacement output and stress output of the laminated actuator can be controlled without changing the voltage applied to the gel 44 by selecting the number of gel actuators 40 to be driven. In addition to selecting the number of gel actuators 40, the displacement output and stress output of the stacked actuator may be changed more finely by changing the voltage applied to the gel 44 of the selected gel actuator 40.

  4 and 5 are schematic cross-sectional views for explaining the configuration and operation of the first actuator 12. 4 and 5, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements as those in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, and redundant descriptions are omitted. FIG. 4 shows the first actuator 12 in a state in which no voltage is applied to the gel 44, and FIG. 5 shows a state in which a plurality of gel actuators 40 are contracted in the thickness direction when a voltage is applied to the gel 44. A product first actuator 12 is shown.

  The first actuator 12 includes a power supply unit 22, a plurality of gel actuators 40, a housing 50, an output member 52, a spring 54, a shaft 56, and a measurement unit 58. The plurality of gel actuators 40 are stacked in the thickness direction of the gel actuator 40. The hollow rectangular parallelepiped housing 50 is configured to surround the stacked gel actuators 40. The housing 50 is formed of an insulating resin such as polystyrene. The rectangular parallelepiped output member 52 is connected to the thin film 46 located on the top of the first actuator 12 and moves in the thickness direction along with the expansion and contraction of the gel actuator 40, and the expansion and contraction of the stacked gel actuators 40 is accommodated in the casing. 50 is output to the outside.

  The cylindrical shaft 56 is provided on the left and right side surfaces of the first actuator 12. At both ends of the shaft 56, locking portions 57 having a diameter larger than the diameter of the central portion are provided. The locking portion 57 on one end side of the shaft 56 is fixed to the bottom surface of the housing 50. The locking portion 57 on the other end side of the shaft 56 is locked to the thin film 46 positioned at the uppermost position via the spring 54. The shaft 56 penetrates the plurality of mesh bodies 42, the plurality of gels 44, and the plurality of thin films 46, and slidably locks them.

  The shaft 56 has rigidity to support at least the plurality of mesh bodies 42, the plurality of gels 44, and the plurality of thin films 46, and is made of an insulating material having no conductivity. Since the shaft 56 is made of an insulating material, the mesh body 42 and the thin film 46 are not energized via the shaft 56. The shaft 56 may be made of a conductive material such as a conductive metal as long as the contact point between the shaft 56 and the mesh body 42 or between the shaft 56 and the thin film 46 is insulated. By providing the shaft 56 made of a rigid material, the expansion and contraction of the first actuator 12 is guided in a direction along the shaft 56. Thereby, the expansion / contraction direction of the first actuator 12 becomes constant, and the output direction of the first actuator 12 can be maintained constant.

  The spring 54 is provided in a region sandwiched between the locking portion 57 of the shaft 56 and the thin film 46 positioned at the uppermost position, and biases the thin film 46 in the contraction direction of the first actuator 12. The thin film 46 positioned at the top receives an urging force downward in the contraction direction, and the plurality of thin films 46 positioned below and the plurality of mesh bodies 42 are brought close to each other. The shaft 56 and the spring 54 are an example of a preload member. The shaft 56 and the spring 54 bring the thin films 46 and the mesh bodies 42 close to each other. Thereby, in the 1st actuator 12, peeling of the gel 44 and the thin film 46 is prevented, and the positional relationship in the gel actuator 40 arrange | positioned so that the gel 44 may be pinched | interposed by the mesh body 42 and the thin film 46 can be maintained.

  FIG. 5 shows the first actuator 12 in a state where a voltage is applied to the gel 44, but the shaft 56 does not move even when the first actuator 12 contracts in the thickness direction. On the other hand, the spring 54 urges the thin film 46 in the downward direction, but the distance between the thin film 46 and the locking portion 57 becomes longer due to the contraction of the gel actuator 40, so that the spring 54 is urged by its own urging force. One actuator 12 extends in the thickness direction. When the voltage applied to the gel 44 is released from this state, the gel 44 extends and the first actuator 12 returns to the state shown in FIG.

  The measurement unit 58 detects the position of the output member 52. An example of the measurement unit 58 is a Hall element. A region where the magnetic flux density is changed is formed at a position facing the hall element of the output member 52 in association with the dimension in the thickness direction of the first actuator 12. Since the Hall element can detect a change in magnetic flux density, the amount of change in the position of the output member 52 is measured by detecting the change in the magnetic flux density of the output member 52 before and after applying the voltage. it can. Since the change amount of the position of the output member 52 is the displacement output of the first actuator 12, the measuring unit 58 can measure the displacement output of the stacked actuator. Note that the measurement unit 58 may be an image sensor. When the measurement unit 58 is an image sensor, the displacement output may be measured by providing a scale for the output member 52, capturing the scale with the image sensor, and analyzing the captured image.

  The power supply unit 22 includes a power supply 48 and a switch circuit 49. In the switch circuit 49, the mesh body 42 and the thin film 46 switch sandwiching the gel selected by the selection unit 64 are turned on. Thereby, a power source is connected to the mesh body 42 and the thin film 46 sandwiching the gel selected by the selection unit 64, and a voltage is applied to the gel. Thus, the first actuator 12 can apply a voltage to the individual gel selected by the selection unit 64 using the switch circuit 49. In addition, the 1st actuator 12 shown in FIG. 5 has shown the state which applied the voltage to all the gels 44. FIG.

  As described above, since the first actuator 12 can apply a voltage to the individual gel 44, the measurement unit 58 can also measure the displacement output of the individual gel 44 and the radial change of the displacement output. A voltage is applied to the gel 44 at every predetermined time to cause the gel 44 to contract. The measurement unit 58 can measure the displacement output of each gel by measuring the displacement of the gel 44 when contracted. In addition, the change in displacement output over time can be measured by comparing the initial displacement output measured and recorded in advance with the measured displacement output. .

  In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the plurality of gels 44 constituting the first actuator 12 may use a plurality of gels 44 made of the same material, or may use a plurality of gels 44 made of different materials. Also good. By using the gel 44 comprised from the same material, manufacture of the gel actuator 40 and the 1st actuator 12 becomes easy. Further, as described above, since the displacement output or stress output of the first actuator 12 can be controlled by the number of gel actuators 40 to be driven, the number of gel actuators 40 to be driven according to the displacement output or stress output to be output. By selecting, the displacement output or stress output of the first actuator 12 can be controlled without changing the applied voltage.

  When the material of the gel 44 is different and the gel 44 is hard, the displacement output of the gel actuator 40 is small, but the stress output is large. When the gel 44 is soft, the displacement output of the gel actuator 40 is large, but the stress output is small. Therefore, the relationship between force and displacement differs between when the gel is hard and when it is soft. As described above, the first actuator 12 may be configured by laminating the gel actuator 40 including a hard gel having different output characteristics and the gel actuator 40 including a soft gel. Then, the gel actuator that applies the voltage is selected from the gel actuator 40 including a hard gel and the gel actuator 40 including a soft gel in accordance with the required stress output and displacement output. Thereby, the output of the first actuator 12 can be controlled so as to match the required stress output and displacement output without changing the applied voltage.

  FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the assisting tool 10 that assists the operation of the living body. The auxiliary tool 10 includes a first actuator 12 including a stacked actuator, a control unit 20, a power supply unit 22, a detection unit 26, and a measurement unit 58. In addition, the same reference number is attached | subjected to the same element as another figure, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The control unit 20 performs overall control of the auxiliary tool 10. The control unit 20 includes a processing unit 60 and a storage unit 66. An example of the processing unit 60 is a CPU. The processing unit 60 functions as the situation determination unit 62 and the selection unit 64 by reading the auxiliary program stored in the storage unit 66. The situation determination unit 62 determines the situation of the user 28 based on the detection value detected by the detection unit 26.

  The selection unit 64 controls driving of the first actuator 12 and the like based on the situation determination of the user 28 by the situation determination unit 62. The selection unit 64 controls the switch circuit 49 of the power supply unit 22 to select the number and type of gels 44 to which a voltage is applied in the stacked actuator. For example, when the situation determination unit 62 determines the situation of the user 28 and determines the magnitude of the assisting force or the characteristic of the assisting force that matches the situation, the selection unit 64 determines the magnitude of the assisting force. The required number of gels 44 is selected accordingly. In addition, when the first actuator 12 has gels with different output characteristics, the selection unit 64 selects necessary gels among gels with different output characteristics according to the assisting force characteristics that match the situation of the user 28. Select from.

  The detection unit 26 detects the situation of the user 28. An example of the detection unit 26 is a triaxial acceleration sensor, but may be an atmospheric pressure sensor or a sensor that combines these sensors. The measurement unit 58 measures the displacement output of the first actuator 12 and the like.

  The storage unit 66 stores a program for controlling the gel database 70 and the auxiliary tool 10 constituting the first actuator 12 and the like. The power supply unit 22 includes a power supply 48 and a switch circuit 49. The power supply 48 is a power supply that applies a voltage to each gel 44 constituting the first actuator 12 and the like. The switch circuit 49 is provided with switches corresponding to the individual gels 44 constituting the first actuator 12 and the like. The selection unit 64 selects the number and type of gels 44 to which a voltage is applied by controlling ON / OFF of the switch.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of a gel database. The gel database 70 is provided with a name field, an ID field, a stress field, a displacement field, an address field, an application frequency field, and a diameter change field. In the name column, the name of the gel for identifying the gel 44 is recorded. An ID number for identifying the gel 44 is recorded in the ID column. In addition, if there is an ID number, the name is not particularly required, but the name column of the gel is shown for explanation of the figure.

  In the stress column and the displacement column, initial and current stress output and displacement output when a predetermined voltage is applied are recorded. The current displacement output is measured by the measurement unit 58 and recorded by the situation determination unit 62. The stress output is calculated from the relationship between displacement and stress measured in advance based on the displacement output.

  In the address field, addresses in the switch circuit 49 of the two thin films 46 and the mesh body 42 for applying a voltage to the gel recorded in the ID field are recorded. The address of the switch circuit is, for example, S1 and S2 in the switch circuit 49 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and is an address for identifying the switch of the switch circuit. In the application number column, the cumulative number of times the voltage is applied to the gel is recorded.

  In the diameter change column, a flag “1” is recorded when the measured displacement output of the gel is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the displacement recorded in the displacement column at a predetermined interval. . Note that “0” is recorded at the time of shipment of the auxiliary tool, and “0” is displayed when the ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio. An example of the predetermined interval is 24 hours, and an example of the predetermined ratio is 90%. In the example shown in FIG. 9, since the current output of gel 1, gel 3, gel 4 and gel n is 90% or more with respect to the initial stress output and displacement output, it remains “0”. It has become. On the other hand, since the current output of gel 2 is less than 90% of the initial stress output and displacement output, flag “1” is recorded.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining actuator drive processing. The drive process of the first actuator 12 will be described using the gel database 70 stored in the storage unit 66. The driving process of the first actuator 12 starts after the detection unit 26 outputs the detection value.

  First, the situation determination unit 62 calculates the output value of the auxiliary tool 10 required by the user 28 based on the detection value detected by the detection unit 26 (S101). For example, when the detection unit 26 is a three-axis acceleration sensor, the detection unit 26 outputs a signal related to a change in acceleration related to the situation of the user 28 to the control unit 20. For example, the detection unit 26 detects the number of times per time that the acceleration of the acceleration sensor provided on the left and right legs of the user 28 has changed, and outputs a signal indicating the number of times per time to the control unit 20.

  When the situation determination unit 62 obtains the number of times per time, the number of times detected by the detection unit 26 exceeds the number of times measured in advance, as compared with the number of acceleration changes per hour measured in advance. In this case, the user 28 determines that the situation is running. In the storage unit 66, the auxiliary force corresponding to the running situation and the auxiliary force corresponding to the walking situation are measured and stored in advance. The situation determination unit 62 reads the output of the auxiliary tool 10 corresponding to the running situation from the storage unit 66. On the other hand, if the number of times detected by the detection unit 26 does not exceed the number of times measured in advance, the user 28 determines that the user is walking and outputs the assisting device 10 corresponding to the walking situation. Is read from the storage unit 66. Then, the situation determination unit 62 calculates an output value of the first actuator 12 and the like corresponding to the calculated output of the assisting tool, and outputs it to the selection unit 64.

  When the detection unit 26 is a triaxial acceleration sensor, the detection unit 26 may be provided on the back of the user 28 to detect the angle of the back of the user 28 with respect to the gravity direction. The situation determination unit 62 determines the posture of the user 28 from the detected angle. In the storage unit 66, an auxiliary force corresponding to the posture is measured and stored in advance. The situation determination unit 62 reads the output of the assisting tool 10 corresponding to the determined posture of the user 28 from the storage unit 66. Then, the situation determination unit 62 may calculate an output value of the first actuator 12 or the like corresponding to the calculated output of the assisting tool and output the output value to the selection unit 64.

  For example, when the detection unit 26 is an atmospheric pressure sensor, the detection unit 26 outputs an atmospheric pressure signal. The situation determination unit 62 calculates the altitude of the user 28 from the acquired atmospheric pressure signal. The situation determination unit 62 creates a profile of the altitude change of the user 28 from the calculated altitude. The situation determination unit 62 determines that the user 28 is going up the stairs when the altitude change profile is gently rising. In the storage unit 66, the auxiliary force corresponding to the situation where the stairs are being climbed is measured and stored in advance. The situation determination unit 62 reads from the storage unit 66 the output of the assisting tool 10 corresponding to the situation where the stairs are being climbed. Then, the situation determination unit 62 may calculate an output value of the first actuator 12 or the like corresponding to the calculated output of the assisting tool and output the output value to the selection unit 64.

  The selection unit 64 calculates the number of gels 44 necessary for outputting the obtained output value of the first actuator 12 or the like (S102). Since the output value of the stacked actuator is proportional to the number of gels to which the voltage is applied, the selection unit 64 divides the acquired output value of the first actuator 12 and the like by the output value that can be output by one gel 44. Then, the number of gels 44 to which a voltage is applied is calculated. When the number of gels 44 is calculated, the selection unit 64 refers to the gel database 70 stored in the storage unit 66 and selects the number of gels calculated from the gels 44 with a small number of voltage applications (S103).

  In step S103, the gel 44 to which the voltage is applied is selected according to the cumulative number of times the voltage is applied. The selection unit 64 refers to the application number column of the gel database 70 and selects the gel 44 having the minimum cumulative number of times to which the voltage is applied. If the minimum number of gels 44 is less than the calculated number, the gel 44 having the smallest cumulative number of times after the minimum value is selected. Further, when the minimum number of gels 44 is greater than the calculated number, the gel 44 having a smaller ID number is selected.

  In the gel actuator 40, when a voltage is applied to the gel 44 a plurality of times, permanent compression distortion occurs in the gel 44, and the stress output and the displacement output decrease. Therefore, in the laminated actuator, by averaging the number of times the voltage is applied, it is possible to prevent the permanent compression strain of the specific gel 44 from increasing and becoming unusable.

  In addition, when selecting a gel with a small number of application times, the selection unit 64 may select the gel 44 to which a voltage is applied according to a change with time. For example, the selection unit 64 refers to the time change column and selects the gel except for the gel in which the flag “1” is recorded. As described above, by selecting the gel 44 to which the voltage is applied according to the change with time, it is possible to avoid the use of the gel whose stress output or displacement output has decreased due to the change with time, and to reduce the output of the first actuator 12. Can be avoided. When the selection unit 64 selects the gel 44 to which the voltage is applied, the selection unit 64 deletes the value in the number-of-applications column in the selected gel 44 and newly records the number obtained by adding 1 to the original value (S104).

  The selection unit 64 reads the address recorded in the address column of the selected gel (S105). The selection unit 64 outputs the read address to the switch circuit 49 (S106), and changes the switch of the thin film 46 and the mesh body 42 corresponding to the selected gel 44 to ON. Thereby, a voltage is applied to the selected gel 44 from the power supply 48 (S107), and the first actuator 12 is driven (S108). The gel actuator 40 generates a repulsive stress in a state where the voltage is released from the state where the voltage is applied. Therefore, the control of releasing the voltage of the selected gel from the state where the voltage is applied may be performed.

  FIG. 9 shows another example of the gel database. The gel database 72 shown in FIG. 9 further includes a Type column with respect to the gel database 70 shown in FIG.

  In the Type column, the type of the gel 44 is recorded. In the example shown in FIG. 9, Type A is a gel with a small stress output and a large displacement output, and Type B is a gel with a large stress output and a small displacement output. In the stress column and the displacement column, initial and current stress output and displacement output when a predetermined voltage is applied are recorded. The current displacement output is measured by the measurement unit 58 and recorded by the situation determination unit 62. The stress output is calculated and recorded from the relationship between the displacement and the stress recorded for each of Type A and Type B.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a driving process of an actuator including gels having different characteristics. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 10, the processing from step S101 and step S104 to step S108 executes the same processing as the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In step S <b> 201, the situation determination unit 62 specifies the output characteristics of the actuator based on the determined situation of the user 28. The situation determination unit 62 calculates the stress output and displacement output required by the user 28 and outputs the results to the selection unit 64. The selection unit 64 calculates the number of gels having different characteristics for outputting the acquired stress output and displacement output. Specifically, the number of Type A and the number of Type B recorded in the gel database 70 are used as variables to calculate the number of each gel that matches the stress output and the displacement output. In addition, when it is not possible to calculate, the number of gels each having an output close to the obtained stress output and displacement output may be selected. In this way, the selection unit 64 calculates the number of Type A and the number of Type B to which the voltage is applied (S201).

  The selection unit 64 refers to the gel database 70 based on the calculated number of Type A and Type B, and selects the number of gels calculated for each Type (S202). In this case, a gel with a small number of application times may be selected, but priority may be given to selecting the calculated number of Type A and Type B rather than selecting a gel with a small number of application times. Thus, the output can be controlled with priority given to the stress output required by the user 28. The subsequent processing is the same as that after step S104 of the processing shown in FIG.

  As described above, the first actuator 12 according to the present embodiment can reduce the number of gel actuators 40 to be driven without changing the voltage applied to the gel with respect to the stress output or displacement output required by the user 28. By selecting, the 100 displacement output and stress output of the laminated actuator can be controlled. Thereby, the transformation mechanism which changes an applied voltage from the power supply part 22 in the 1st actuator 12 can be eliminated, and the structure of a power supply part can be simplified.

  In the present embodiment, the selection unit 64 selects the gel 44 to which the voltage is applied according to the cumulative number of times the voltage is applied. Instead, the selection unit 64 uses the current output stress or displacement output of the gel. Accordingly, the gel 44 to which a voltage is applied may be selected. The selection unit 64 selects the gel 44 according to the small amount of change with respect to the initial output stress. Thereby, a gel with high output efficiency of stress and displacement can be selected, and the output efficiency of the first actuator 12 can be improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the first actuator 12 is configured by laminating a plurality of gel actuators 40, but a dielectric elastomer actuator having a dielectric elastomer such as silicone rubber or acrylic rubber together with the plurality of gel actuators 40. May be provided. The dielectric elastomer actuator is an actuator in which a dielectric elastomer such as silicone rubber or acrylic rubber is interposed between two electrode plates, and generates a displacement output and a stress output in a direction orthogonal to the voltage application direction. By using a stacked actuator in which a plurality of dielectric elastomers are stacked together with a plurality of gel actuators 40, an actuator that generates output in the vertical and horizontal directions of the stacked actuator can be obtained.

FIG. 11 shows an example of the switch circuit 49. The switch circuit 49 may be a matrix circuit as shown in FIG. In the case shown in FIG. 11, when the gel 1, gel 2 and gel 6 are driven simultaneously, the voltages are respectively switched while switching between X ₁ and Y ₁ , X ₂ and Y ₁ and X ₂ and Y ₂ in a short time. Apply.

  In this case, the contraction speed of the gel 44 is sufficiently faster than the return speed, and the voltage switching speed is also sufficiently faster than the return speed of the gel 44. Therefore, the voltage is switched before the gel 44 returns. Gel 1, gel 2 and gel 6 can be driven simultaneously. If the number of gels 44 to which voltage is applied is large and the gel 44 is restored in the time obtained by multiplying the voltage application time and the number of gels 44, the voltage application time may be shortened. In this way, by using the switch circuit 49 as a matrix circuit, the number of terminals to which a voltage is applied can be reduced with respect to the number of gels to be driven.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of another first actuator 120. In FIG. 12, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements as those in FIGS. 4 and 5, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. The first actuator 120 has a connection member 68 that connects the upper and lower thin films 46. The connection member 68 is electrically conductive and electrically connects the three thin films 46 to each other. The connecting member 68 has an urging force that urges the upper and lower thin films 46 in a direction to bring them closer to each other. The connection member 68 is an example of a preload member. The connecting member 68 may be an elastic member, and in this case, the connecting member 68 is connected to the upper and lower thin films 46 in a pulled state. Thereby, force can be generated in the direction in which the upper and lower thin films 46 are brought closer by the elasticity of the elastic member. In this way, by generating a force in the direction in which the upper and lower thin films 46 are brought closer to each other, in the first actuator 120, the gel 44 and the thin film 46 are prevented from being separated, and the gel 44 is sandwiched between the mesh body 42 and the thin film 46. It is possible to maintain the positional relationship in the gel actuator 40 arranged in the above. In addition, an example of the elastic member having conductivity is a polyurethane foam having conductivity.

  Although the connection member 68 electrically connects the three thin films 46, the mesh members 42 included in the gel actuator 80 and the gel actuator 82 may be further electrically connected using the connection member 68. . Thereby, the gel actuator 80 and the gel actuator 82 can be electrically connected. By electrically connecting the gel actuator 80 and the gel actuator 82, any one of the three thin films 46 and the power source can be connected, so that the three thin films 46 can be energized. The two mesh bodies 42 can be energized by connecting one of them and a power source.

  Thus, although the example which selects the gel 44 individually in the 1st actuator 12 was shown instead, instead of this, a plurality of gel actuators 40 are electrically connected, and the plurality of gel actuators 40 connected thereto are connected. Each unit may be selected individually. Thereby, the wiring connected to the thin film 46 and the wiring connected to the mesh body 42 can be deleted, and the number of parts can be reduced.

  In FIG. 12, the example in which the three thin films 46 are electrically connected using the connection member 68 is shown, but all the thin films 46 may be electrically connected using the connection member 68. . Further, the thin film 46 is connected to the negative electrode of the power source so that the thin film 46 functions as a cathode. On the other hand, the mesh body 42 individually controls voltage application by the switch circuit 49. Even if the thin film 46 functions as a cathode, the gel actuator 40 does not expand and contract unless the mesh body 42 functions as an anode. By adopting such a configuration, the number of gel actuators 40 to be driven can be selected, wiring connected to the plurality of thin films 46 and switches in the switch circuit can be eliminated, and the number of parts can be reduced. The connection using the connection member 68 is not limited to the thin film 46, and all the mesh bodies 42 may be electrically connected using the connection member 68.

  FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the configuration of another first actuator 120. As shown in FIG. 13, the connection member 68 may be shifted in the circumferential direction of the first actuator 120. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the connecting members 68 from interfering with each other.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in the said embodiment. In addition, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be added to the above embodiment. Furthermore, it is apparent from the description of the scope of claims that the embodiments added with changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The order of execution of each process such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, system, program, and method shown in the claims, the description, and the drawings is particularly “before” or “prior to”. It should be noted that the output can be realized in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Regarding the operation flow in the claims, the description, and the drawings, even if it is described using “first”, “next”, etc. for convenience, it means that it is essential to carry out in this order. It is not a thing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Auxiliary tool, 11 Trouser part, 12, 120 1st actuator, 14 2nd actuator, 16 3rd actuator, 18 4th actuator, 20 Control part, 22 Power supply part, 24 Wiring, 26 Detection part, 28 User, 40 , 80, 82 Gel actuator, 42 Mesh body, 44 Gel, 46 Thin film, 48 Power supply, 49 Switch circuit, 50 Housing, 52 Output member, 54 Spring, 56 Shaft, 57 Locking part, 58 Measuring part, 60 Processing part 62 Situation determination unit, 64 selection unit, 66 storage unit, 68 connection member, 70, 72 gel database, 100, 110 stacked actuator

Claims (18)

Two cathodes spaced apart from each other;
An anode having a recess disposed between the two cathodes;
Two elastically deformable dielectrics, each disposed between the two cathodes and the anode, comprising a dielectric polymer material;
When the voltage is applied between the anode and the two cathodes, the actuator contracts in the thickness direction by entering the dielectric into the concave portion of the anode,
An actuator further comprising a selection unit that selects which one of the two dielectrics is to be applied with voltage. A cathode having a recess;
Two anodes disposed across the cathode; and
Two elastically deformable dielectrics disposed between the two anodes and the cathode, respectively, comprising a dielectric polymer material;
With
When a voltage is applied between the cathode and the two anodes, the actuator contracts in the thickness direction by entering the dielectric into the concave portion of the anode,
An actuator further comprising a selection unit that selects which one of the two dielectrics is to be applied with voltage. A plurality of cathodes;
A plurality of anodes having recesses;
A plurality of elastically deformable dielectrics including a dielectric polymer material;
With
The plurality of cathodes and the plurality of anodes are alternately arranged,
Each of the plurality of dielectrics is disposed between each of the plurality of cathodes and each of the plurality of anodes,
When a voltage is applied between the plurality of anodes and the plurality of cathodes, each of the plurality of dielectrics enters the recesses of each of the plurality of anodes and contracts in the thickness direction. A laminated actuator further comprising a selection unit that selects which one of the dielectrics to apply a voltage to.   The multilayer actuator according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of dielectrics are made of the same polymer material.   5. The stacked actuator according to claim 4, wherein the selection unit selects the number of the plurality of dielectrics to which a voltage is applied according to a magnitude of an output of the stacked actuator.   4. The stacked actuator according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of dielectrics is different from at least one of the other dielectrics in a relationship between force and displacement when a voltage is applied.   The stacked actuator according to claim 6, wherein the selection unit selects each of the plurality of dielectrics to which a voltage is applied in accordance with output characteristics of the stacked actuator.   The multilayer actuator according to claim 3, wherein a constant voltage is applied to each of the plurality of dielectrics.   9. The device according to claim 3, wherein the selection unit selects each of the plurality of dielectrics to which a voltage is applied according to a cumulative number of times each of the voltages of the plurality of dielectrics is applied. Multilayer actuator.   10. The stacked actuator according to claim 3, wherein the selection unit selects each of the plurality of dielectrics to which a voltage is applied according to a change with time of the diameter of the dielectric.   The measuring device further includes a measurement unit that measures a change with time of each of the plurality of dielectrics, and the selection unit selects each of the plurality of dielectrics to which a voltage is applied based on the measurement of the measurement unit. The multilayer actuator according to claim 10.   The multilayer actuator according to any one of claims 3 to 11, wherein any one of the plurality of anodes and the plurality of cathodes is electrically connected to each other.   The multilayer actuator according to any one of claims 3 to 12, wherein a predetermined number of the plurality of anodes and the plurality of cathodes are electrically connected to each other.   The multilayer actuator according to any one of claims 3 to 13, further comprising a preload member that urges the plurality of cathodes in a direction in which the plurality of cathodes approach each other.   The multilayer actuator according to claim 14, wherein the preload member is an elastic member having conductivity and electrically connecting at least the plurality of adjacent anodes and the plurality of cathodes.   The preload member includes a penetrating member that penetrates any of the plurality of cathodes, the plurality of anodes, and the plurality of dielectrics, and a biasing member that biases the multilayer actuator in a contracting direction. 14. A laminated actuator according to 14.   An auxiliary tool for assisting the operation of a living body having the laminated actuator according to any one of claims 3 to 16.   The assisting device further includes a situation determination unit that determines the state of the living body, and the selection unit selects each of the plurality of dielectrics to which a voltage is applied based on the determination of the situation determination unit. Item 18. Auxiliary device according to item 17.

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