JP5448091B2 - Linking mechanism using gel actuator - Google Patents

Description

The present application relates to communication tethered mechanism using a gel actuator.

In recent years, products aimed at assisting human movements have been provided as welfare equipment and nursing care equipment. In these products, a control mechanism such as an electric motor as a drive source for assisting the operation or a brake mechanism for stopping the operation of the device at a specific movement position is used. These control mechanisms have a configuration in which other members are connected to a member driven by an electric motor or the like to exert a mechanical action.
For example, the brake mechanism acts to stop the operation of the member by bringing another member into and out of contact with the member driven by an electric motor or the like, and the clutch mechanism makes the other member contact or separate from the member, It acts to control the mechanical connection between the member and other members.

JP 2009-273204 A

Journal of the Robotics Society of Japan Vol.27, No.7, pp.718〜724,2009

Conventionally, an electromagnetic brake is often used for a brake mechanism used in conjunction with an electric motor. However, the electromagnetic brake has a problem that it becomes heavy due to the use of an electromagnet, and there is a problem that noise is generated during the operation of the brake because the response is fast. Similarly, there are clutch mechanisms using electromagnetic force and hydraulic mechanisms, but there are problems that the apparatus becomes complicated and it is difficult to reduce the size of the apparatus.
The present invention has been made to solve these problems, it can be easily incorporated into can be miniaturized device, and to provide a continuous joint mechanism using an easy gel actuator handle .

Communicating joint mechanism using the gel actuator according to the present invention, a gel actuator pushes the first member and the second member to each other toward or away from, the gel actuator and a power source for driving the gel actuator In the linkage mechanism used, the gel actuator includes a mesh body made of a conductive material, and a first gel and a second gel made of a dielectric polymer material, facing each other with the mesh body interposed therebetween, An electrode provided on each outer surface of the first gel and the second gel, and when a voltage is applied between the mesh body and the electrode by the power source, a mesh hole of the mesh body When a part of the first gel and the second gel enter into the thickness direction and contracts in the thickness direction, and the voltage application is canceled, the first gel and the second gel have the original thickness. Action to return None, as a mechanism for generating a braking action between the first member and a second member that is rotationally driven around an axis, by pushing the first member, the gel actuator, The first member and the second member are arranged so as to be brought into contact with and separated from each other, and the first member is movable in the direction in which the first member and the second member are brought into contact with and separated from each other. The gel actuator is contracted in the thickness direction when a voltage is applied between the mesh body and the electrode to prevent the first member and the second member from rotating. When the application of voltage is released, the first member returns to its original thickness, and the first member and the second member come into contact with each other, and the first member and the second member are brought into contact with each other. The arrangement is such that a brake action is generated between the two.

In addition, as a gel actuator, the gel actuator, which is a basic unit including the mesh body, the first gel and the second gel, and the electrode, is arranged in the thickness direction as an arrangement sharing the electrode between adjacent layers. In the case of using a plurality of stacked gel actuators, it is effective in that the amount of displacement can be increased as compared with the case where a single gel actuator of a basic unit is used.
Further, as the first gel and the second gel of the gel actuator, those obtained by adding dibutyl adipate (DBA) as a plasticizer to a dielectric polymer material made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are particularly effective. It is done.

When the continuous joint mechanism using the gel actuator comprises a mechanism to achieve the braking effect between the first member and the second member, the second member is cooperative to the electric drive source, wherein the gel actuator It is effective to adopt a configuration in which the power source for driving the power source and the power source for the drive source are controlled in an on-off manner.

  The linking mechanism using the gel actuator according to the present invention uses a gel actuator as a mechanism for pushing at least one of the first member and the second member, and the gel actuator itself is simply configured. It is provided as a linkage mechanism that can be easily integrated into an apparatus and easy to handle.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure and effect | action of a gel actuator. It is explanatory drawing which shows a structure and effect | action of a laminated | stacked type gel actuator. It is a graph which shows the measurement result of the displacement amount when a voltage is applied to a gel actuator. It is a graph which shows the result of having measured the response characteristic by the composition of the gel used for a gel actuator. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the measuring apparatus for measuring the recovery stress by a gel actuator. It is a graph which shows the result of having measured recovery stress when changing a gap. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the brake mechanism using a gel actuator. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the measuring apparatus for measuring the characteristic of the brake mechanism using a gel actuator. It is a graph which shows the profile of the voltage applied to a motor. It is a graph which shows the measurement result of the rotation angle of a motor when a voltage is applied to a motor. It is a graph which shows the measurement result of the brake torque when a voltage is applied to a motor. It is a graph which shows how braking torque will become with a gap. It is a graph which shows the amount of rotations of the motor in the case where a brake is applied and the brake is not applied after turning off energization to a motor. It is a graph which shows the torque which acts on a motor after turning off electricity supply to a motor. It is a graph which shows the rotation angle of the motor after turning off electricity to a motor. It is a graph which shows the result of having measured the effect | action of the brake after applying a sine wave voltage to a motor for a fixed time. It is a graph which shows the result of having measured the time until a motor stops, when a brake is applied after applying a sine wave voltage to a motor for a fixed time. It is a graph which shows the result of having measured the rotation angle until a motor stops, when a brake is applied after applying a sine wave voltage to a motor for a fixed time.

(Structure and action of gel actuator)
FIG. 1 shows the configuration and action of a gel actuator used in a linkage mechanism using a gel actuator according to the present invention.
The gel actuator 10 includes a mesh body 12 made of a conductive material, a first gel 14a and a second gel 14b arranged to face each other with the mesh body 12 interposed therebetween, and a first gel 14a and a second gel 14b. It consists of a first electrode 16a and a second electrode 16b provided in contact with each outer surface.

The mesh body 12 is formed in a net shape using a conductive material. In this embodiment, a stainless steel mesh having a wire diameter of 0.2 mm, a mesh hole of 1.1 × 1.1 mm, and a thickness of 0.4 mm was used. Further, a stainless steel foil having a thickness of 0.01 mm was used for the first electrode 16a and the second electrode 16b. The first electrode 16a and the second electrode 16b are provided so as to cover the entire outer surfaces of the first gel 14a and the second gel 14b.
A gel actuator 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a gel actuator serving as a basic unit that expands and contracts in the thickness direction.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polymethyl methacrylate, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate, nylon 6, polyvinyl alcohol that undergoes bending deformation and creep deformation by electrical stimulation are applied to the first gel 14a and the second gel 14b. Dielectric polymer materials such as polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate and polyacrylonitrile are used.
In the present embodiment, PVC is used as the first gel 14a and the second gel 14b. Specifically, PVC added with dibutyl adipate (DBA) as a plasticizer was used. This mixture is completely dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a solvent, then the solution is cast into a petri dish, and the petri dish is left in a horizontal position for several days. Used. The film thickness of the gel is 0.6 to 1.0 mm.

  In producing the PVC gel, a plasticizer other than dibutyl adipate (DBA) such as dibutyl phthalate (DBP) can be used. In this embodiment, dibutyl adipate (DBA) is used as a plasticizer because the adhesiveness with a mesh body serving as an anode is lower than that using DBP as a plasticizer and is applied to a gel actuator. This is because the responsiveness when the voltage is removed is improved.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the gel actuator 10 has a first gel 14a and a second gel 14a in a state where no voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes 16a and 16b and the mesh body 12 (discharging). When the opposing surfaces of the gel 14b are separated and a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes 16a, 16b and the mesh body 12 (charging), a part of the first gel 14a and the second gel 14b is formed. The mesh body 12 enters the mesh hole 12a. As described above, the gel actuator 10 returns to the contracted state and the original thickness by turning ON-0FF the operation of applying a voltage between the first and second electrodes 16a and 16b and the mesh body 12. Switch to the state. That is, the gel actuator 10 acts as an actuator that is displaced in the thickness direction by an application operation of a voltage (mesh body is an anode, and an electrode is a cathode).

FIG. 2 shows the configuration and operation of a stacked gel actuator 20 produced by superposing a plurality of basic unit gel actuators 10 in the thickness direction (five in the illustrated example). When the stacked gel actuator 20 is formed, the gel actuators 10 are stacked using the first electrode 16a and the second electrode 16b in common for the gel actuators 10 in the upper and lower adjacent layers. .
The gel 14 made of the same material as the first and second gels 14a and 14b is attached to the lowermost surface and the uppermost surface of the stacked gel actuator 20 so as to serve as electrical insulation.

In the stacked gel actuator 20, each mesh body 12 is connected to the anode, and the first electrode 16a and the second electrode 16b are each connected to the cathode. As a result, a voltage is applied to each gel actuator 10 serving as a basic unit.
2 shows a state where no voltage is applied between the mesh body 12 and the first and second electrodes 16a and 16b (discharging), and the right figure shows the mesh body 12 and the first and second electrodes. In this state, a voltage is applied between the two electrodes 16a and 16b. The gel actuator 20 contracts by applying a voltage, returns to its original state by removing the voltage, and expands / contracts (expands / contracts) in the thickness direction. By stacking a plurality of basic unit gel actuators 10 as in the illustrated example, the amount of displacement of the entire gel actuator can be made larger than when a single gel actuator 10 is used.

The gel actuator 20 shown in FIG. 2 has a circular planar shape and is formed with a through hole 20a communicating in the thickness direction at the center. Since the first gel 14a and the second gel 14b are prepared by cutting a gel formed in a sheet shape, the first gel 14a and the second gel 14b can be appropriately formed in a shape and size according to the use of the gel actuator. The mesh body 12 and the first and second electrodes 16a and 16b can also be formed in an arbitrary shape, and it is easy to form the gel actuator 20 in an arbitrary shape and size.
Of course, the gel actuator may be of a type that does not form a through hole. Further, the number of lamination of the basic unit gel actuators 10 can be arbitrarily set.

(Measurement of displacement)
FIG. 3 shows the result of measuring how much displacement occurs when a voltage is applied to the gel actuator.
The sample used in the measurement is a stack of 8 layers of gel actuators of the basic unit. The gel has a composition ratio of PVC and DBA (plasticizer) of PVC: DBA = 10: 40 (DBA40). Used, a 20-mesh mesh body was used.
FIG. 3 shows the measurement results of the displacement when the voltage (DC) applied to the gel actuator is 600 V / mm, 1200 V / mm, and 1800 V / mm. For displacement measurement, a laser displacement measuring instrument was used. FIG. 3 shows that the displacement when the applied voltage is 1800 V / mm is about 1 mm, the displacement when the voltage is 1200 V / mm is about 0.95 mm, and the displacement when the voltage is 600 V / mm is about 0.6 mm. Indicates that there is. The total thickness of the gel actuator when no voltage is applied is 8 mm, and the contraction rate of the gel actuator in the measurement is about 7.5%, 12%, and 13%.

(Measurement of frequency response characteristics)
FIG. 4 shows the results of measuring how the response characteristics of the gel actuator change depending on the composition of the gel used in the gel actuator, specifically, the amount of DBA (dibutyl adipate) used in the plasticizer. Three types of the composition ratio of PVC and DBA were used as samples: PVC: DBA = 10: 40 (DBA40) 10:60 (DBA60), 10:80 (DBA80).
The measurement was performed by applying a rectangular pulse voltage (500 V) to the gel actuator, turning the voltage on and off at a frequency of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz, and measuring the displacement amplitude at that time. FIG. 4 is a gain diagram.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the measurement result shows that the sample DBA 40 has the best response characteristics among the three samples. In sample DBA40, the bandwidth until it became −3 dB was 7 Hz. The response speed of the actuator depends on the elasticity of the gel used for the gel actuator. The elasticity of the gel depends on the quantity ratio of the plasticizer added to the dielectric polymer material. As the quantity ratio of the plasticizer increases, the elasticity of the gel becomes inferior, and this reduces the response characteristics.

(Measurement of recovery stress)
FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of the apparatus used for measuring the recovery stress of the gel actuator. In this apparatus, the gel actuator 20 as a measurement object is set on a support base 30, and the separation distance (Gap) between the upper surface of the gel actuator 20 and the pressure sensor 32 is changed, so that the gel actuator 20 is returned to its original thickness. The stress (recovery stress) when returning is measured.
The pressure sensor 32 is attached to the lower end of a support rod 33 supported by a guide 34 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The pressure sensor 32 moves in the vertical direction by rotating the support rod 33 around the axis by the knob 35, and the movement amount of the pressure sensor 32 is detected by the micrometer 36.

The gel actuator 20 used in the present embodiment is the above-described laminated gel actuator. In this measurement, a sample in which DBA 40 is used for the gel and eight layers of basic unit gel actuators are stacked is used. The mesh body 12 of the gel actuator 20 is connected to the anode, and the first electrode 16a and the second electrode 16b are connected to the cathode.
The measurement is based on the gel actuator when the voltage applied between the anode and cathode is 224 (V / mm), 449 (V / mm), 674 (V / mm), and 898 (V / mm). The recovery stress of the gel actuator 20 was measured by changing the gap between the pressure sensor 20 and the pressure sensor 32.

  When a voltage is applied to the gel actuator 20, the gel actuator 20 contracts in the thickness direction. Therefore, the gap between the upper surface of the gel actuator 20 and the pressure sensor 32 at that time is adjusted by the micrometer 36, and the gap is changed to change the voltage. It was detected by the pressure sensor 32 how much the recovery stress was exhibited when cutting. FIG. 5A shows a case where a voltage is applied to the gel actuator 20 and a gap is generated between the gel actuator 20 and the pressure sensor 32. FIG. 5B shows a case where the voltage is turned off. The state where the gel actuator 20 pushes up the pressure sensor 32 is shown.

  FIG. 6 shows the measurement result of the recovery stress. This measurement result shows that the recovery stress increases as the voltage applied to the gel actuator 20 increases, and the recovery stress increases as the gap decreases. That is, in order to increase the recovery stress, it is preferable to place the upper surface of the gel actuator 20 and the pressure sensor 32 closer to each other with the gel actuator 20 contracted. The recovery stress due to the gel actuator is about 2 kPa. By using this recovery stress, the gel actuator can be used for a mechanical linkage mechanism such as a brake or a clutch.

(Brake mechanism using gel actuator)
FIG. 7 shows an example in which the gel actuator is used in a brake mechanism that is a mechanical linkage mechanism. In this brake mechanism, the laminated gel actuator 20 is disposed on the base 40 fixed to the frame body, and the first pad 42 is disposed so as to sandwich the gel actuator 20 with the base 40 in the thickness direction. ing. The first pad 42 is inserted with a non-rotating guide rod 44 that is fixedly supported while standing on the base 40. The first pad 42 is movable in the vertical direction and is prevented from rotating in a horizontal plane. Supported. The guide rod 44 is disposed on the outer periphery of the gel actuator 20 so as not to interfere with the gel actuator 20.

A drive rod 45 is inserted into the base 40, the gel actuator 20, and the first pad 42 so as to be connected to a drive source such as an electric motor. The base 40, the gel actuator 20, and the first pad 42 are provided with through holes through which the drive rod 45 is inserted.
The end of the drive rod 45 extends outward from the first pad 42, and the rotor 46 that rotates integrally with the drive rod 45 is fixed to the extended end of the drive rod 45. A second pad 48 is fixed to the surface of the rotor 46 facing the first pad 42 in a position facing the first pad 42.
The gel actuator 20 is formed by laminating a plurality of gel actuators as basic units. The mesh body of the gel actuator 20 is on the positive side of the power source, and the electrodes (first electrode and second electrode) are on the negative side of the power source. Connected to.

As described above, the gel actuator 20 contracts in the thickness direction when a voltage is applied between the anode (mesh body) and the cathode (electrode). 7A shows a state in which the gel actuator 20 is contracted in the thickness direction with a voltage applied to the gel actuator 20, and FIG. 7B shows a state in which the voltage applied to the gel actuator 20 is cut off. 20 shows a state in which it has expanded in the thickness direction (returned to the original state where no voltage is applied).
As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the first pad 42 and the second pad 48 are separated when the power is turned on, and the first pad 42 is separated from the first pad 42 when the power is turned off. If the distance between the first pad 42 and the second pad 48 is set so that the second pad 48 comes into contact with the second pad 48, the rotor 46 rotates freely with the power on, and the power is turned off. In this state, a braking force can be applied to the rotor 46.

  When driving an apparatus using an electric motor or the like, there is a case where control is performed to prevent transmission of driving force by applying a braking force when the driving power supply is turned off. The brake mechanism shown in FIG. 7 is set so that the braking force acts on the rotor 46 when the power source connected to the gel actuator 20 is turned off, and is called a negative type brake. If the ON / OFF of the power source of the electric motor, which is the driving source, and the power source connected to the gel actuator 20 are linked, the brake is automatically applied by the action of the gel actuator 20 when the driving of the electric motor is stopped. Acting can stop the drive of the device. Such a control method can increase the safety of device operation by interlocking the drive stop of the electric motor and the brake, and the brake acts instantaneously when the drive of the electric motor stops, It is possible to accurately hold the device at a specific operation stop position. Such control is effective when controlling an electric motor used for a robot.

  FIG. 7 shows an example in which the gel actuator 20 is configured to act as a negative type (negative actuating) brake. However, when a voltage is applied to the gel actuator 20, a braking force acts, and a brake occurs when the voltage is turned off. Of course, a configuration in which the force is released (positive (positive operation) type brake) is also possible. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the shape of the first pad 42 is a shape in which the second pad 48 is held by the first pad 42, and the upper surface of the second pad 48 when the gel actuator 20 contracts. The first pad 42 may be in contact with the first pad 42.

  In FIG. 7, the drive rod 45 is arranged so as to pass through the base 40, the gel actuator 20, and the first pad 42. However, the arrangement of the gel actuator 20 and the like for applying a braking force is limited to this example. is not. The brake mechanism including the gel actuator 20 can be appropriately arranged with respect to a target such as a rotor on which the brake is applied. In FIG. 7, the first pad 42 is moved by the gel actuator 20 and a braking force is applied to the second pad 48. However, the second pad 48 is not used, and the first pad 42 is used. One pad 42 may be directly pressed against the rotor 46.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the first pad 42 on which the braking force acts between each other corresponds to the first member in the present invention, and the second pad 48 corresponds to the second member. As a large concept, the base 40 and the first pad 42 can be regarded as the first member, and the rotor 46 and the second pad 48 can be regarded as the second member. Thus, the gel actuator in this invention can be grasped | ascertained as giving the effect | action which connects a mechanical effect | action between general members.

As shown in FIG. 7, the gel actuator 20 is interposed between the base 40 and the first pad 42 to generate a braking action. From the viewpoint of arrangement, there is an advantage that it can be mounted very compactly in a small device.
In addition, as described in the section of measurement of recovery stress, it is possible to adjust the strength of recovery stress (acting force) by appropriately adjusting the gap between pads (separation interval). By adjusting the gap, it is possible to adjust the way the braking force works, and it is possible to adjust the braking force softly according to the application.

(Brake action measuring device)
FIG. 8 shows a schematic configuration of a measuring apparatus used for measuring characteristics of a brake mechanism using the gel actuator shown in FIG. This measuring device is coaxial with an output shaft 52a of a motor 52 fixedly installed on a support frame 50, and includes a torque sensor 54, a base 40 constituting a brake mechanism, a gel actuator 20, a first pad 42, and a second pad. 48 and the rotor 46 are arranged. The motor 52 is provided with an encoder 51 for detecting the rotation angle (number of rotations) of the output shaft 52a. The output shaft 52 a of the motor 52 is connected to the drive rod 45 through couplings 55 and 56.
Note that the gel actuator 20 used in the measurement is the stacked gel actuator shown in FIG. 2, in which eight layers of gel actuators are stacked using DBA40 as a gel.

FIG. 9 shows a profile of the voltage applied to the motor 52 in measuring the brake torque or the like by the gel actuator. In these measurements, the voltage was applied linearly to the gel actuator 20 and the voltage was increased linearly with time after 2 seconds.
FIG. 10 shows the rotation angle of the motor 52 when the voltage applied to the motor 52 is increased according to the profile shown in FIG. 9 by changing the gap (Gap) between the first pad 42 and the second pad 48. The result of measuring the number of rotations) is shown. In the figure, 0.00% indicates that the gap is 0 and a voltage is applied to the motor 52. For example, 6.06% indicates that the gap interval is 6.06% of the total thickness of the gel actuator 20. This is the meaning when the interval is set.

  The previous recovery stress measurement showed that the recovery stress increased when the gap was narrowed. FIG. 10 shows that as the gap becomes wider, the motor 52 starts to rotate faster, and when the gap is 0, it starts to rotate after 10 seconds. The measurement result of the rotation start of the motor when this gap is changed also shows that the braking effectiveness becomes effective by narrowing the interval between the pads on which the brake is applied.

FIG. 11 shows the measurement result of the brake torque measured by the torque sensor 54 while increasing the voltage applied to the motor 52 in accordance with the profile shown in FIG. Torque is detected from the time when voltage application to the motor 52 is started.
FIG. 12 shows how much braking torque (braking torque) can be obtained when the gap is changed. Plot points in the figure indicate torque values when the motor 52 starts to rotate. FIG. 12 also shows the measured values when the gap is 8.3% and 10%. In the brake mechanism of this example, a torque value of about 40 mNm at maximum was obtained. This torque value is a numerical value that can be sufficiently used as a brake mechanism in a small motor.

  FIG. 13 shows the result of measuring the rotation of the motor 52 due to the action of the brake after the voltage applied to the motor is turned off. The energization to the motor 52 was turned off 5 seconds after the constant voltage was applied to the motor 52 (position of the vertical dotted line in the figure). When the brake was not applied, the motor 52 continued to rotate even after the power supply to the motor 52 was turned off, and stopped when the cumulative rotation angle reached about 40000 (deg). On the other hand, when the brake is applied, the rotation of the motor 52 is stopped within one second after the energization to the motor 52 is turned off. The measuring apparatus of the present embodiment is a negative type brake, and the brake is automatically operated by turning off the power to the motor 52.

FIG. 14 shows the result of measuring using the torque sensor 54 how long the brake actually starts to operate when the energization to the motor 52 is turned off. FIG. 15 shows the result of measuring the rotation amount of the motor 52 using the encoder 51 after applying the brake and turning off the power to the motor 52.
The measurement result of the torque value shown in FIG. 14 indicates that the brake has started to act 0.094 seconds (5.094 seconds) after turning off the power to the motor 52 (after 5 seconds). The measurement results shown in FIG. 15 indicate that the motor 52 is completely stopped 0.5 seconds after the energization of the motor 52 is turned off.
In the experiments shown in FIGS. 13, 14, and 15, the brake gap is set to 3.32%.

  In the brake mechanism of the present embodiment, since there is a gap between brake pads, there is a time loss until voltage is applied to the gel actuator and the brake actually starts to work. FIGS. 14 and 15 show this time delay. When an electric motor is used as a drive source, the motor is usually used at a speed reduced to about 1: 100. In this case, the rotation angle required until the motor is stopped is about 20 degrees, and the motor can be stopped by turning it slightly after turning off the energization of the motor.

16, 17, and 18 show the results of measuring the durability of a brake mechanism using a gel actuator. FIG. 16 is a graph in which a sinusoidal voltage is applied to the motor 52 over a certain period of time, and after a certain amount of time has elapsed, the energization of the motor 52 is turned off and the action of the brake at that time is observed. When the brake is applied, the motor 52 stops rotating in a short time, whereas when the brake is not applied, the motor 52 continues to rotate and stops after a certain time.
When the motor 52 is operated for a long time, the gel actuator is kept in the ON state during that time, so FIG. 16 shows whether or not the brake performance is deteriorated when a voltage is applied to the gel actuator for a long time. become.

FIGS. 17 and 18 show the results of examining whether or not the braking action works normally after the operation of applying a sinusoidal voltage to the motor 52 for a certain period of time. FIG. 17 shows how long the rotation of the motor stops when the brake is applied. As a result, FIG. 18 shows the rotation until the motor stops when the brake is applied. The result of measuring the angle is shown.
FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 both measured the brake characteristics up to about 10000 seconds. However, the brake characteristics were not deteriorated by applying a voltage for a certain time of the gel actuator, and the brake using the gel actuator was observed. It shows that the mechanism is sufficiently durable.

(Other usage examples)
In embodiment mentioned above, the example using the gel actuator as an actuator which acts a brake between members was shown. As described above, various brake mechanisms are used as drive sources, and there are various objects on which the brake is applied. Therefore, the arrangement of the gel actuators and the like may be set in accordance with these configurations.
For example, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the first pad 42 is driven by the gel actuator 20, but the rotor 46 rotates integrally with the drive rod 45 and is movable in the axial direction, and the rotor 46 is moved to the gel actuator 20. It is also possible to cause a braking force to act between the first pad 42 and the second pad 48 by pushing. In this way, the member that causes the gel actuator to act can be selected as appropriate.

  In the example shown in FIG. 7, a braking force is applied between the first pad 42 and the second pad 48, and this action is performed by the first pad 42 and the second pad 48. It can also be regarded as a relationship in which a mechanical coupling force acts between the two. In FIG. 7, if the first pad 42 and the base 40 are configured to rotate and support about the axis, the rotational force of the rotor 46 is applied when the first pad 42 is pressed against the second pad 48 by the gel actuator 20. Is transmitted to the base 40 side via the first pad 42, and the base 40 side rotates. The action of contacting and separating the first pad 42 and the second pad 48 by the gel actuator 20 corresponds to a clutch mechanism that controls the mechanical connection. In this way, a linkage mechanism using a gel actuator can be configured as a clutch mechanism.

  Since the gel actuator according to the present invention is a small and compact product, it can be easily used by being assembled in a device having a drive source such as a large number of electric motors such as a control robot. The gel actuator can be easily controlled by turning the voltage on and off, and electrical control is also easy. Further, the current value when a voltage is applied is very small, and there is an advantage that the amount of power consumption is small. Therefore, it can be suitably used for an apparatus using many electric motors.

  The present invention can be used for a brake mechanism or a clutch mechanism that exerts a mechanical action between members.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Gel actuator 12 Mesh body 14 Gel 14a 1st gel 14b 2nd gel 16a 1st electrode 16b 2nd electrode 20 Gel actuator 30 Support stand 32 Pressure sensor 36 Micrometer 40 Base 42 1st pad 45 Driving rod 46 rotor 48 second pad 51 encoder 52 motor 54 torque sensor

Claims (4)

A linkage mechanism using a gel actuator comprising a gel actuator that pushes and moves a first member and a second member in a direction to move away from each other, and a power source that drives the gel actuator,
The gel actuator is
A mesh body made of a conductive material, a first gel and a second gel made of a dielectric polymer material, which are arranged opposite to each other across the mesh body, and each of the first gel and the second gel An electrode provided on the outer surface,
When a voltage is applied between the electrode and the mesh body by the pre SL power, in the thickness direction by a part of the first gel and the second gel enters the mesh holes of the mesh body deflated, upon releasing the application of voltage to name a function of said first gel and the second gel is restored to its original thickness,
As a mechanism for generating a braking action between the first member and a second member that is rotationally driven around an axis,
The gel actuator is provided in an arrangement in which the first member and the second member are brought into contact with and separated from each other by pushing the first member,
The first member is supported so as to be movable in a direction in which the first member and the second member are in contact with and away from each other and in a rotational direction of the second member,
When the voltage is applied between the mesh body and the electrode, the gel actuator contracts in the thickness direction, and the first member and the second member are separated from each other, and the voltage application is released. The first member is returned to its original thickness, and the first member and the second member are brought into contact with each other to cause a braking action between the first member and the second member. Linking mechanism using gel actuator.   A gel actuator, which is a basic unit including the mesh body, the first gel and the second gel, and the electrode, is stacked in the thickness direction as an arrangement sharing the electrode between adjacent layers. The linkage mechanism using the gel actuator according to claim 1, wherein an actuator is used.   The first gel and the second gel are obtained by using a dielectric polymer material made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and dibutyl adipate (DBA) as a plasticizer. A linkage mechanism using the gel actuator according to 1 or 2. Wherein the second member is cooperative to the electric drive source according to claim 1, wherein a power supply for driving the gel actuator, that the power of the driving source is to ON-OFF control linkage A linkage mechanism using the gel actuator according to any one of the above.

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