KR101650465B1 - Artificial muscle module - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an artificial muscle module, and more specifically, to an artificial muscle module which is used to place muscles or assist the muscles. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an artificial muscle module which improves responsiveness to expansion and contraction, and which is easily produced. An artificial muscle module according to the present invention comprises a power supply part and an artificial muscle. The power supply part comprises a heating unit and a cooling unit. The artificial muscle comprises: a main wire which is extended in one direction; a tension inducing wire which is extended in a state that the tension inducing wire is in contact with the main wire, and which is heated by receiving a heat source from the heating unit to induce extension of the main wire; and a contraction inducing wire which is extended in a state that the contraction inducing wire is in contact with the main wire and the tension inducing wire, and which is cooled by receiving a cooling source from the cooling unit to induce contraction of the main wire.

Description

Artificial muscle module {ARTIFICIAL MUSCLE MODULE}

The present invention relates to an artificial muscle module, and more particularly, to an artificial muscle module used for replacing or assisting muscles.

Artificial muscle refers to a substance used in place of a human body muscle. Recently, it has been applied to replace damaged muscle or supplement muscle strength to a patient who has suffered muscle damage or an aged person with weak muscle. Many studies have been carried out, and in some cases, biological experiments have been carried out.

With respect to such artificial muscles, Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-117776 discloses a technique relating to an artificial muscle using a compressed gas, in which an inner tube-shaped tube and an outer braided thread lace-like expansion body are formed, As well. However, in the above-mentioned conventional art, when the adhesion between the inner tube type tube and the outer expandable body is lowered, the inflating ability of the inner tube is lowered, and the function of the muscle is deteriorated.

Furthermore, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0026794 discloses a metal hydride artificial muscle, which includes an expandable ball, at least one metal hydride sample drawn into an inflatable ball, and means for heating it, And the articulation of the artificial muscle is improved. However, even in the case of the above-mentioned prior art, the responsiveness can be improved due to the expansion of the bladder due to heating. However, since the metal hydride sample is to be manufactured in the inside of the bladder, It is necessary to further study to optimally incorporate the metal hydride sample in order to optimally control the expansion of the artificial muscle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an artificial muscle module which is improved in response to expansion and contraction and is easy to manufacture.

The artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a power supply unit and an artificial muscle. The power supply unit includes a heating unit and a cooling unit. Wherein the artificial muscle comprises a main wire extending in one direction, a tension guiding wire extending in contact with the main wire and heated by receiving a heat source from the heating unit to induce extension of the main wire, And a contraction inducing wire extending in contact with the induction wire and cooled by receiving a cooling source from the cooling unit to induce contraction of the main wire.

In one embodiment, the main wire, the tensioning guide wire, and the shrinkage inducing wire are in close contact with each other and can be laced by a three-wire braiding technique.

In one embodiment, the heating unit is connected to both ends of the tension guiding wire, and can supply current to the tension guiding wire to heat the tension guiding wire.

In one embodiment, the cooling unit is connected to both ends of the shrinking induction wire, and the shrinking induction wire can be cooled by supplying a cooling body with the shrinking induction wire.

In one embodiment, the main wire may expand in the extending direction as the tensioning wire is heated, and may contract in the extending direction as the shrinking induction wire cools.

In one embodiment, a plurality of artificial muscles, in which the main wire, the tension inducing wire, and the contraction inducing wire are lapped with each other, may be bundled and extended to form an artificial muscle bundle.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, since the heated tensile induction wire, the cooled shrinkage induction wire and the main wire contact each other and extend in one direction, when the tensile induction wire is heated and supplied with heat, The main wire is transferred to the main wire, the main wire is pulled, and when the shrinkage inducing wire is cooled and loses heat, the cooling heat of the shrinkage induction wire is transferred to the main wire, and the main wire is contracted. The contraction can be freely controlled.

In particular, since the tension guiding wire, the shrinking guiding wire, and the main wire are in close contact with each other and are extended by the conventional triple braiding technique, heat transfer efficiency is uniform and effective, and uniformity of tension and contraction of the artificial muscle can be maintained as a whole.

Further, since the tension induction wire and the contraction induction wire are quickly heated and cooled according to the control of the heating unit and the cooling unit, the tensile and contraction control of the artificial muscle as a whole can be performed immediately, and the response speed of the artificial muscle is improved .

In addition, the artificial muscles can be stretched and contracted by heating and cooling the heating unit and the cooling unit by being bundled with a plurality of bundles, so that various types of artificial muscles can be formed.

1 is a schematic view showing an artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A to 2C are schematic views showing a method of manufacturing the artificial muscle of FIG. 1. FIG.
3 is a schematic view illustrating an artificial muscle module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. Like reference numerals are used for like elements in describing each drawing. The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms.

The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, the term "comprises" or "comprising ", etc. is intended to specify that there is a stated feature, figure, step, operation, component, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic view showing an artificial muscle module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2A to 2C are schematic views showing a method of manufacturing the artificial muscle of FIG. 1. FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the artificial muscle module 10 according to the present embodiment includes an artificial muscle 100 and a power supply unit 200.

The artificial muscle 100 replaces broken muscle in the living body muscle or compensates for the weakened muscle. The artificial muscle 100 is positioned adjacent to the weakened muscle in place of the living muscle muscle.

Further, the artificial muscle 100 may be applied to a muscle structure for performing a more flexible operation in the production of a robot or the like, and may be used for realizing a more flexible operation with an organization similar to an actual human muscle.

The artificial muscle 100 includes a main wire 110, a tension induction wire 120 and a contraction induction wire 130. The main wire 110, the tension induction wire 120, 130 extend in one direction in the form of a wire. Each of the main wire 110, the tension guide wire 120 and the shrinkage induction wire 130 may be formed of a material that can be bent or bent, . ≪ / RTI >

In this case, the wires constituting the artificial muscle 100 are in close contact with each other with a three-line braiding technique as shown in Figs. 2A to 2C and are laced and extended.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2A, the tension induction wire 120 is crossed to the upper portion of the main wire 110 and extends between the main wire 110 and the contraction induction wire 130, The shrinking induction wire 130 intersects the upper portion of the tension inducing wire 120 and extends between the tension inducing wire 120 and the main wire 110 as shown in FIG. 2C, the main wire 110 is crossed to the upper portion of the shrinking induction wire 130 and extends between the main wire 110 and the tension guiding wire 120, They are woven together with the same three-line braids to form a knot.

When the main wire 110, the tension guide wire 120 and the shrinkage induction wire 130 are knotted and braided to form a knot, the main wire 110, the tension guide wire 120, The artificial muscle 100 having a predetermined thickness as a whole is formed so that the overall strength of the artificial muscle 100 is increased and the contraction induction wire 130 is formed as a whole by increasing the overall strength of the artificial muscle 100. Particularly, Even if the wire is extended or contracted to increase or decrease the length, the knot between the wires is maintained, so that the overall shape of the artificial muscle 100 can be maintained.

That is, even if the length of the main wire 110 is extended or contracted, the main wire 110, the tension guide wire 120, and the shrinkage induction wire 130 can maintain the knot tied between the wires as a whole , The artificial muscle 100 can be extended and contracted so that it can function as an artificial muscle.

The power supply unit 200 includes a heating unit 210 and a cooling unit 220.

The power supply unit 200 may be disposed adjacent to the artificial muscle 100, and may be manufactured in a small size and positioned inside the living body.

The heating unit 210 is electrically connected to both ends of the tension induction wire 120 to supply a heat source to the tension induction wire 120 to heat the tension induction wire 120.

For example, the heating unit 210 applies a current to the tension guiding wire 120, and the tension guiding wire 120 may be heated to generate heat as the current is supplied. That is, the tension guiding wire 120 may include a material having electrical conductivity that is heated according to the supply of electric current.

Alternatively, the heating unit 210 supplies a heating body to the tension induction wire 120, the heating body is moved into the tension induction wire 120, and the tension induction wire 120 is heated to heat . In this case, as the heating body, a fluid or gas which can be heated as water can be used.

The cooling unit 220 is connected to both ends of the shrinking induction wire 130 to supply a cooling source to the shrinking induction wire 130 to cool the shrinking induction wire 130.

For example, the cooling unit 220 supplies a cooling body to the shrinking induction wire 130, moves the cooling body inside the shrinking induction wire 130 to cool the shrinking induction wire 130 do. In this case, as the cooling body, a fluid such as a refrigerant or a gas may be used.

The tension induction wire 120 and the shrinkage induction wire 130 both include a material having a good thermal conductivity, and it is necessary to improve heat transfer efficiency during heating or cooling.

When the tension induction wire 120 is heated by the heating unit 210, heat generated from the tension induction wire 120 is transmitted to the main wire 110 woven together by a three-wire braiding technique, Accordingly, the main wire 110 is stretched or elongated along the extending direction to increase its length. Of course, the tension guiding wire 120 and the shrinking guiding wire 130 may be stretched or elongated to increase the length thereof, even if they are not the same amount as the main wire 110 together with the main wire 110.

The total length of the artificial muscle 100 is increased.

Similarly, when the shrinking induction wire 130 is cooled by the cooling unit 220, the cooling heat generated in the shrinking induction wire 130 is also transferred to the main wire 110 woven together by a three-line braiding technique, The main wire 110 is contracted along the extending direction and the length thereof is reduced. Of course, the contraction induction wire 130 and the tension induction wire 120 may be contracted together with the main wire 110 to reduce the length thereof, even though they are not the same amount as the main wire 110.

The total length of the artificial muscle 100 is reduced.

As such, the entire length of the artificial muscle 100 is elongated or contracted with heating or cooling around the main wire 110, and the repetition of such heating or cooling is controlled so that the artificial muscle 100 It becomes possible to replace the in vivo muscles.

On the other hand, in the case of heating the tension induction wire 120, the cooling of the contraction induction wire 130 is stopped, and when the contraction induction wire 130 is cooled, To improve the efficiency of stretching or contraction of the artificial muscle following heating or cooling.

Although not shown, through the control unit for controlling the operation of the heating unit 210 and the cooling unit 220 of the power supply unit 200, the tensile induction wire (not shown) 120 and the contraction inducing wire 130 can be controlled.

In the case of the present embodiment, heating or cooling of the tension induction wire or cooling of the shrinking induction wire is performed through current control, flow control of the heating body or the cooling body while the electric current or the heating body or the cooling body directly passes through the wire, Cooling can be controlled more quickly and accurately, so that the operation of the artificial muscle 100 can be controlled more quickly and accurately.

3 is a schematic view showing an artificial muscle module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the artificial muscle module 20 according to the present embodiment is formed by bundling a plurality of artificial muscles described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 2C to form an artificial muscle bundle. 1 to Fig. 2C, and therefore, duplicate explanations are omitted.

In this embodiment, the first to third artificial muscles 101, 102, and 103 are bundled so as to be adjacent to each other to form an artificial muscle bundle.

In this case, though not shown, the first to third tension induction wires 121, 122, and 123 are heated by the heating unit by one heating unit, and the first to third shrinking induction wires 131, The first to third artificial muscles 101, 102, and 103 are cooled by a single cooling unit, and the first to third artificial muscles 101, 102, and 103 are extended or contracted by the single power supply unit 200 Can be controlled.

Alternatively, the first to third tension guide wires 121, 122 and 123 may be heated by a separate heating unit, and the first to third tension guide wires 131, 132, And 133 may also be heated by supplying the heating body by a separate heating unit.

3, the artificial muscles may be bundled so as to be adjacent to each other in various shapes to form various types of artificial muscle bundles.

Thus, the force that can be applied through the artificial muscle can be increased, and the usability can be improved.

According to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, since the heated tensile induction wire, the cooled shrinkage induction wire, and the main wire contact each other and extend in one direction, when the tensile induction wire is heated and supplied with heat, Heat is transmitted to the main wire to tension the main wire, and when the shrinkage induction wire is cooled to lose heat, the cooling heat of the shrinkage induction wire is transmitted to the main wire to shrink the main wire, so that it is used as an artificial muscle Tension and shrinkage can be freely controlled.

In particular, since the tension guiding wire, the shrinking guiding wire, and the main wire are in close contact with each other and are extended by the conventional triple braiding technique, heat transfer efficiency is uniform and effective, and uniformity of tension and contraction of the artificial muscle can be maintained as a whole.

Further, since the tension induction wire and the contraction induction wire are quickly heated and cooled according to the control of the heating unit and the cooling unit, the tensile and contraction control of the artificial muscle as a whole can be performed immediately, and the response speed of the artificial muscle is improved .

In addition, the artificial muscles can be stretched and contracted by heating and cooling the heating unit and the cooling unit by being bundled with a plurality of bundles, so that various types of artificial muscles can be formed.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. It can be understood that it is possible.

The artificial muscle module according to the present invention has industrial applicability that can be used as an artificial muscle.

10: artificial muscle module 100: artificial muscle
110: main wire 120: tension induction wire
130: shrinkage induction wire 200: power supply part
210: heating unit 220: cooling unit

Claims (6)

A power supply unit including a heating unit and a cooling unit; And
A main wire extending in one direction, a tension induction wire extending in contact with the main wire and heated by a heat source supplied from the heating unit to induce an extension of the main wire, And a shrinkage inducing wire extending from the cooling unit and being cooled by being supplied with a cooling source from the cooling unit to induce contraction of the main wire. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the main wire, the tensioning wire, and the shrinkage inducing wire are in close contact with each other and are laced by a three-wire braiding technique. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the heating unit is connected to both ends of the tension guiding wire and heats the tension guiding wire by supplying current to the tension guiding wire. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the cooling unit is connected to both ends of the shrinking induction wire and supplies the cooling body with the shrinking induction wire to cool the shrinking induction wire. 5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4,
Wherein the tension guiding wire is expanded in an extending direction as it is heated and contracts in an extending direction as the shrinking induction wire is cooled. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein a plurality of artificial muscles, in which the main wire, the tension induction wire, and the contraction induction wire are lapped and extended to each other, are bundled and extended to form an artificial muscle bundle.

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