KR102605268B1 - Soft actuator and soft gripper using the soft actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a soft actuator and a soft gripper using the same. The soft actuator according to the present invention has a chamber formed inside and is formed in a folded structure, and a folded structure driver that develops the folded structure when fluid flows into the chamber; It is characterized in that it includes a deployment limiter fixed between the two folded surfaces of the folding structure driving part to limit the expansion of one side when the folding structure driving part is unfolded.

Description

Soft actuator and soft gripper using the same {SOFT ACTUATOR AND SOFT GRIPPER USING THE SOFT ACTUATOR}

The present invention relates to a soft actuator and a soft gripper using the same. It relates to a soft actuator capable of performing complex unfolding and bending behavior under the pressure of air (gas) flowing inside, and a soft gripper using the same.

Soft robots are robots made using soft and flexible materials that have high adaptability to the environment and have the advantage of being safe when interacting with people.

Pneumatic soft robot actuators have movements such as bending, tension, contraction, and twisting when pneumatic pressure is applied, and can be used as artificial muscles for flexible robots. However, the pneumatic soft robot actuator is designed by carving an internal air chamber and passage into a cylinder or beam-shaped structure, so it occupies a large space and has the disadvantage of sagging because it cannot overcome its own weight when not operating.

The origami structure is stored in a small shape when not in operation, but when necessary, the origami structure can be expanded to become several times larger than the original size and can be driven.

Accordingly, the present invention proposes a new soft actuator based on an origami structure and a soft gripper using the same.

Republic of Korea registered patent 10-2222633

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to solve such conventional problems, and is formed as a folded structure, and when fluid flows into the internal chamber, the folded structure is expanded between the folded surfaces of the folded structure driving portion, which limits the expansion. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a soft actuator that is equipped with a part and can perform not only an unfolding operation but also a bending operation, and a soft gripper using the same.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

The above object is, according to the present invention, a folding structure driving unit in which a chamber is formed inside and a folding structure is formed, and the folding structure is deployed when fluid flows into the chamber; And it can be achieved by a soft actuator including a deployment limiter that is fixed between the two folded surfaces of the folding structure driving part and restricts the deployment of one side when the folding structure driving part is unfolded.

Here, the folding structure driving unit may be formed as a folding structure that repeatedly folds in a zigzag shape.

Here, the folded structure driving unit may be a folded structure in which two adjacent folded surfaces are folded in parallel.

Here, the expansion limiter may be formed as a folded structure between two folded surfaces of the folded structure driving part.

Here, the expansion limiting part may be fixed to one side of the folding structure driving part with a folding structure of the same type as the folding structure driving part, and may be formed integrally to limit the unfolding of each of the folding surfaces.

Here, the fluid may be air.

Here, the folding structure driving part may be formed of a flexible material.

In addition, the above object is, according to the present invention, at least one soft actuator described above; a fluid supply unit that supplies fluid into the chamber of the soft actuator; and a fluid suction unit that suctions and removes fluid inside the chamber of the soft actuator. This can be achieved by a soft gripper that grips the object by driving the folding structure drive unit.

In addition, it may further include a housing for fixing the soft actuator.

According to the soft actuator of the present invention as described above and the soft gripper using the same, it has the advantage of taking up a small space due to its folded structure and enabling complex operation of expansion and bending at a size of 2 to 3 times or more during operation.

Additionally, it has the advantage of being easy to manufacture with a single material.

1 is a side view of a soft actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the soft actuator actually manufactured according to FIG. 1 before and after driving.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the unfolding operation of the soft actuator of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a bending operation of the soft actuator of FIG. 1.
Figure 5 is a side view of a soft actuator according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a diagram showing a method of manufacturing a soft actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a soft gripper manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a diagram showing various objects being gripped using the soft gripper of Figure 7.

Specific details of the embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

The advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. The present embodiments are merely provided to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to be understood by those skilled in the art. It is provided to fully inform those who have the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to drawings for explaining a soft actuator and a soft gripper using the same according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a soft actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing the soft actuator actually manufactured according to FIG. 1 before and after driving, and FIG. 3 is an expanded view of the soft actuator of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the bending operation of the soft actuator of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the soft actuator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The soft actuator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a folding structure driving part 110 and a deployment limiting part 120.

The folding structure driving unit 110 may have a chamber 112 formed therein and may be formed in a folding structure. When fluid flows into the chamber 112, the folded structure may develop due to pressure from the fluid. Therefore, the folded structure drive unit 110 is formed of a flexible material that is easy to fold and unfold so that the folded structure is deployed when fluid is introduced and the unfolded structure is easily folded again when the fluid is sucked and removed from the inside of the chamber 112. It is desirable to be For example, it may be formed of an elastomer such as TPU, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 1, the folding structure driving unit 110 may be formed as a folding structure that is repeatedly folded in a zigzag shape so that when fully unfolded, it has a rectangular plate shape. However, the folded structure is not necessarily limited to the form shown. In the drawing, the top and bottom lengths and widths of the folded surfaces are shown to be the same, but the top and bottom lengths and widths of each folded surface may be different, or the front and rear thicknesses may also be formed differently.

Additionally, the folded structure driving unit 110 may be folded so that two adjacent folded surfaces are parallel, as shown. In this way, the size of the folded structure driving unit 110 when folded can be minimized by the folded structure in which the two adjacent folded surfaces are completely folded in parallel.

As will be described later, the expansion limiter 120 may be disposed on one side of the folding structure driving unit 110, and the expansion limiter 120 may be disposed between two adjacent folded surfaces. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the two adjacent folded surfaces of the folding structure driving unit 110 can be spaced apart at a predetermined distance so that the expansion limiter 120 can be inserted and arranged, and the contact shape can be formed in a repeated form. there is.

The chamber 112 may also be formed in a shape corresponding to the folded structure of the folded structure driving unit 110. The chamber 112 and the folding structure driving unit 110 may be formed to have a rectangular plate shape when fully deployed. That is, the chamber 112 may be arranged so that the outer surface of the folding structure driving unit 110 and the inner chamber 112 are folded together.

An inlet 114 through which fluid flows in from the outside may be formed on one side of the chamber 112. Additionally, an outlet (not shown) may be separately formed to suck fluid flowing into the chamber 112 and remove it to the outside.

The fluid flowing into the chamber 112 may preferably be air, but it is necessarily limited thereto.

The deployment limiting part 120 is fixed between the two folded surfaces of the folding structure driving part 110, and limits the expansion range of one side during the unfolding process when the folding structure driving part 110 is unfolded. Therefore, a bending operation of the folding structure driving unit 110 is possible.

As shown in FIG. 3, when air flows into the chamber 112 inside the folding structure driving unit 110, the folded portion may be expanded to both sides by pneumatic pressure. At the initial stage of deployment, since the deployment limiter 120 does not restrict the deployment operation of the folding structure drive unit 110, the deployment angle B of one side of the folded portion where the deployment limiter 120 is disposed and the deployment angle of the other side folded portion ( A) is the same, so it can be deployed in a straight line on both sides without bending.

However, as shown in FIG. 4, as the deployment continues on both sides, the expansion limiter 120 also unfolds and unfolds. The deployment angle of one side of the folded portion B where the deployment limiter 120 is disposed is While it gradually increases, the expansion angle A of the other folded portion does not increase any further and maintains a constant angle due to the expansion limiter 120. Accordingly, both ends of the folding structure driving unit 110 are no longer deployed in a straight line, but an inward bending motion occurs toward one side where the expansion limiter 120 is located.

In this way, according to the soft actuator 100 of the present invention, it is possible to implement both a straight expansion operation and a bending operation in which both ends are bent.

As shown, the expansion limiter 120 may be formed as a folded structure inserted between the two folded surfaces of the folded structure driving unit 110. Therefore, before deployment, the deployment limiter 120 is positioned between the folded surfaces of the folding structure driver 110, thereby reducing the overall size of the soft driver 100.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the expansion limiter 120 is formed in a folding structure with repeated folding in the same form as the folding structure driving part 110 and is fixed to one side of the folding structure driving part 110. It can be formed integrally to limit the development of each force surface. At this time, the expansion limiting part 120 is fixed only to the end of the folded part on one side of the folding structure driving part 110, and the part located inside the folded surface is not fixed and can be deployed.

Alternatively, the expansion limiter 120 may be formed so that both ends are individually fixed between two adjacent folded surfaces on one side of the folding structure driving unit 110, as shown in FIG. 5 . Compared to FIGS. 1 to 4, there is a disadvantage in that each expansion limiter 120 must be individually manufactured and fixed, but it can be arranged only at an arbitrary position between the two folded surfaces of the folded structure drive part 110 to allow various driving forms. It can also be implemented. In Figure 5, each expansion limiter 120 is shown fixed at all positions between two neighboring folding surfaces on one side of the folding structure driving unit 110, but the expansion limiting part 120 is located on one side of the folding structure driving part 110. It may be located only in a part of or may be fixed between two neighboring folded surfaces on the other side of the folding structure driving unit 110.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the soft actuator 100 described above will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing a method of manufacturing a soft actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in A of FIG. 6, a chamber 112 is formed inside using a fused deposition modeling (FDM) printer, which is a low-cost 3D printing method, and a folded structure drive unit 110 of a zigzag folded structure is manufactured. You can. At this time, as described above, the folding structure driving unit 110 is preferably formed of a flexible material so that unfolding and bending operations can easily occur when air flows into the chamber 112.

Next, the tube corresponding to the expansion limiter 120 can be inserted between two folded surfaces adjacent to one side of the folded structure driving unit 110 and fixed using an adhesive.

Next, while supporting both developed ends using blocks, the structure can be heated in an oven at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to strengthen the bonding of the structure and increase durability.

The manufacturing method of the soft actuator 100 described above is not limited to this and can be manufactured in various ways.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a soft gripper manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 8 is a diagram showing various objects being gripped using the soft gripper of Figure 7.

The soft gripper 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a soft actuator 100, a fluid supply unit, a fluid suction unit, and a housing.

Since the detailed structure and operation of the soft actuator 100 have been described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, detailed description thereof will be omitted. At least one soft actuator 100 may be fixed to the housing 140. FIG. 7 shows a left and right pair of soft drive units 100 arranged in two housings 140, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The fluid supply unit supplies fluid into the chamber 112 of the folded structure drive unit 110 through the inlet 114 of the folded structure drive unit 110. When supplying air into the chamber 112, the fluid supply unit may include a pneumatic pump (not shown) and an air pipe 130 that supplies air generated from the pneumatic pump into the chamber 112.

The fluid suction unit suctions and removes the fluid inside the chamber 112 of the folding structure driving unit 110. The fluid intake unit may include a vacuum pump (not shown), and an air pipe (not shown) connecting the outlet of the soft drive unit and the vacuum pump. Figure 7 shows a connection portion 150 to which the air pipe for air intake is connected.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but may be implemented in various forms of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims. It is considered to be within the scope of the claims of the present invention to the extent that anyone skilled in the art can make modifications without departing from the gist of the invention as claimed in the claims.

100: soft actuator
110: Folding structure driving unit
112: chamber
114: inlet
120: Deployment limiter
130: air piping
140: housing
150: connection part
200: Soft gripper

Claims (8)

A folding structure driving unit that has a chamber formed therein and is formed as a folding structure, and in which the folding structure unfolds when fluid flows into the chamber; and
It includes a deployment limiter that is fixed only to an end of the folded portion between the two folded sides of one side of the folding structure driving unit, and restricts the deployment of one side when the folding structure driving part is deployed, wherein the expansion limiting part prevents the folding of the folding structure driving part. A soft actuator formed by a folded structure that develops between two surfaces. According to claim 1,
The folding structure driving part is a soft actuator formed in a folding structure that repeatedly folds in a zigzag shape. According to claim 2,
The folded structure driving unit is a soft actuator having a folding structure in which two adjacent folding surfaces are folded in parallel. delete According to claim 1,
The soft actuator wherein the expansion limiting portion has a folding structure of the same type as the folding structure driving portion, is fixed to one side of the folding structure driving portion, and is integrally formed to limit each expansion between the folding surfaces. According to claim 1,
A soft actuator wherein the fluid is air. According to claim 1,
The folding structure driving part is a soft actuator formed of a flexible material. At least one soft actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 7;
a fluid supply unit that supplies fluid into the chamber of the soft actuator; and
It includes a fluid suction unit that suctions and removes fluid inside the chamber of the soft actuator,
A soft gripper that grips an object by driving the folding structure driving unit.

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