KR20220135397A - Fabric woven with shape memory alloy spring, cloth-type flexible actuator using the fabric, wearable robot and massage device including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible actuator according to the present invention includes a fabric in which shape memory alloy (SMA) springs are woven therewith, and the fabric includes: a spring type thermal response drive element configured to function as one of warps and wefts; and a wire configured to function as the other of the warps and wefts. According to the present invention, a large number of SMA springs are arranged to not only enable large forces to be generated, but also improve cooling performance due to uniform SMA spring arrangements.

Description

Fabric woven with shape memory alloy spring, cloth-type flexible actuator using the fabric, wearable robot and massage device including the same}

The present invention relates to a fabric woven with an SMA spring, a cloth-type flexible actuator using the same, a wearable robot including the same, and a massage device.

In general, workers, cargo workers, courier workers, etc. in the industrial field often perform the operation of repeatedly lifting and moving heavy objects.

This work requires several people, or depending on the site situation, heavy equipment, cranes, and auxiliary equipment such as pulleys are inconvenient to be used. In addition, when a person works directly, there is a problem with not only increased fatigue and decreased work efficiency, but also industrial accidents such as musculoskeletal damage and avoidance of related occupations due to high work intensity. Since it requires a relatively large moving space or installation space, there is a problem that the range of use is limited.

Due to these problems, there is a need for a wearable strength assisting device to alleviate repetitive load-bearing motions or motions to withstand heavy loads.

Most recently developed muscle strength assistive devices are driven by attaching them to the side of an arm or leg using a motor and a frame.

This type of strength assisting device is composed of a frame or a motor for driving various frames, and thus has a heavy and hard weight, which prevents natural movement and is uncomfortable to wear.

Therefore, it is required to develop a wearable robot (clothes for strengthening muscle strength) that is light in weight and is attached to a position similar to that of the human body's muscles, so that it does not interfere with the movement of the body and can improve the responsiveness of various movements.

In response to this request, a cloth-type flexible actuator using a shape memory alloy (SMA) spring and a muscle support device using the same have been proposed and related technologies are being studied.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fabric in which an SMA spring is woven, a cloth-type flexible actuator using the same, a wearable robot and a massage device including the same, in order to improve the cloth-type flexible actuator.

SMA spring woven fabric according to the technical spirit of the technology disclosed herein, a cloth-type flexible actuator using the same, a wearable robot and a massage device including the same, are not limited to the specific tasks mentioned above, and are not mentioned Another problem that is not will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

A fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to function as one of a warp and a weft, a spring-type thermal response driving element; and a wire configured to function as the other of the warp and transverse yarns.

The spring-type thermal reaction driving element is preferably an SMA spring.

The SMA springs are flexible and are woven closely together within the fabric.

In the fabric manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a spring-type thermal reaction driving element thread is used as one of the warp and weft threads, and the wire is used as the other of the warp and weft threads, and the fabric is woven into a fabric composed of the warp and weft threads. do.

Fabric manufacturing method according to another embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: manufacturing a thermally responsive driving element with a spring-shaped wire; preparing the wire; and weaving into a fabric using the spring-type thermally responsive driving element yarn and the wire.

The manufacturing of the thermally responsive driving element into a spring-shaped wire may include: continuously winding the thermally responsive driving element wire in a spring form around a core wire (base wire) to be removed later; and heat-treating the thermally responsive drive element wire in the form of a spring wound around the core wire to store it in the form of a spring.

In the fabric weaving step, using a spring-type thermally responsive driving element wire wound around the core wire as one of a warp and a weft, and using the wire as the other of the warp and a weft, using a conventional weaving technique, a warp and a weft weaving into the constructed fabric; and removing the core wire from the woven fabric.

The core wire is dissolved by acid and removed.

Flexible actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention, a driving unit comprising a fabric manufactured by the above-described fabric or manufacturing method; and a control unit configured to control power supply to the driving unit.

The drive is configured to contract and relax in the longitudinal direction in which the springs in the fabric are arranged.

The flexible actuator further includes a relaxation length limiting part configured to limit a relaxation length of the driving part.

The relaxation length limiting part is characterized in that it is a wire limiting the relaxation length installed on one side or both sides of the fabric, or a sheath configured to contain the fabric.

The driving unit may include: a current supply line configured to supply current by the power supply; and a conductive pad configured to serve as an electrode defining a path for the current to flow to a spring in the fabric.

The flexible actuator further includes a support cloth configured to transmit an externally applied force.

A wearable robot according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a clothing body, and the flexible actuator of the preceding description connected to or integrally formed with the clothing body, and one side of the flexible actuator is disposed on the first body fixing part, the The other side of the flexible actuator is disposed on the second body fixing part opposite to the first body fixing part based on the position corresponding to the joint in the clothing body.

A massage device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an elastic band, and one or more flexible actuators described above connected to the elastic band.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a fabric woven with an SMA spring, a cloth-type flexible actuator using the same, and a wearable robot and a massage device including the same.

Specifically, by weaving the SMA spring as densely as a warp or weft in a cloth, a large number of SMA springs per unit area can be arranged at a uniform density, and a large number of SMA springs can be arranged to generate a large force, as well as a uniform SMA The cooling performance is also improved due to the spring arrangement. Above all, copper cloth-type actuators can be manufactured through the same process as conventional weaving machines (weaving machines), so mass production is possible through automation, and when provided to users in the form of fabrics, desired shapes, sizes, etc. Design Design freedom is also increased.

On the other hand, the effects described above are merely exemplary, and effects predicted or expected from the detailed configuration of the present invention from the point of view of those skilled in the art may also be added to the inherent effects of the present invention.

1 is a configuration diagram of a flexible actuator using an SMA spring fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment of the flexible actuator of FIG. 1 .
3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1 ;
4 is a real and enlarged photograph of an SMA spring fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flow chart showing the SMA spring fabric manufacturing method of FIG.
6 is an exemplary view and a flow chart showing the manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method of the SMA spring yarn of FIG. 5 exemplarily, respectively.
7 is an exemplary view respectively showing before and after the operation of the flexible actuator of FIG.
8 is a block diagram of a wearable robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a block diagram of a massage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is an exemplary view for explaining the operation of the massage device of FIG. 9 .

Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar components will be given the same reference numerals regardless of reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" for components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of only the ease of writing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical idea disclosed herein is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention , should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but it is understood that other components may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is said that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, terms such as “comprises” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It is to be understood that this does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

While the present disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and above description, the present disclosure is to be considered illustrative and not restrictive in nature, and only certain embodiments have been shown and described, which are within the spirit of the present disclosure. It will be understood that all changes and modifications that are introduced are desirably protected.

flexible drive unit

Hereinafter, a cloth-type flexible actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For convenience of description, the embodiments described herein are limited to the case of a thermally responsive driving device that causes the flexible actuator to contract through Joule heating using electric current.

The flexible actuator 10 according to this embodiment is a thermally responsive driving element 100 that is a fabric (hereinafter, referred to as 'SMA spring fabric') woven with a spring-type shape memory alloy (SMA) is a control unit. By contracting and relaxing by 300, the actuator itself is also configured to contract and relax.

Such a flexible actuator may include one or more SMA spring fabrics according to design needs as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and various arrangements are possible accordingly.

A thermal reaction drive device is a material that can convert thermal energy into mechanical energy such as driving force or displacement, and is widely applied to artificial muscles.

The shape memory alloy wire (hereinafter referred to as 'SMA wire'), which is one of the thermal reaction driving elements, is deformed by applying stress to the material in the low-temperature martensitic state, and then restored to its original shape when heated to the high-temperature austenitic state. material that becomes

If the SMA wire having a contraction displacement of 2 to 5% is manufactured in a spring form, the contraction displacement can be improved to 40% or more.

On the other hand, the SMA spring has a high rate of contraction by heating, but a slow cooling rate, so there is a limit to improving the relaxation rate, which causes a problem in that the overall driving speed is slowed down.

The smaller the diameter of the SMA wire used to manufacture the SMA spring, the faster the heating rate, and the higher the surface area to volume ratio, the higher the cooling rate can be.

For example, an SMA wire with a fine diameter of 0.08 mm is 1/39 of the cross-sectional area of an SMA wire with a 0.5 mm thick diameter, for example, increasing the unit volume to surface area ratio by 6.25 times. Since the load capacity is reduced by the ratio of the cross-sectional area, 39 SMA springs made of SMA wire with a diameter of 0.08 mm are theoretically required to exert the load capacity of one SMA spring made of SMA wire with a diameter of 0.5 mm.

When fabricating a cloth actuator with a driving force of 10 kgf with an SMA spring composed of 0.5 mm diameter SMA wire, tens (eg, 20) of SMA springs can be used, but the user wears an actuator assembly composed of a plurality of springs. If you do, the sense of alienation and discomfort you feel will be unavoidable.

On the other hand, in order to have a corresponding driving force of 10 kgf of a cloth actuator manufactured with an SMA spring composed of 0.5 mm diameter SMA wire, hundreds of SMA springs must be used for an SMA spring of 0.08 mm diameter wire.

The present disclosure will be a solution to the development needs of a new type of cloth actuator and manufacturing process using such a large number of microdiameter wire SMA springs.

Note that, although the diameter of the wire constituting the SMA spring is 0.5 mm and 0.08 mm as an example, the present invention is not necessarily applicable only to these diameters. A method that did not need to be considered in the past is a new manufacturing method and configuration is required as the number of wires increases as the number of wires becomes thinner. Therefore, even in the case of a wire having a diameter greater than 0.5 mm, it is possible to sufficiently manufacture it by the new method according to the present invention. As will be described later, any wire having a diameter that can be woven in a fabric form can be applied to the present invention.

The main technical idea of the present disclosure is to weave a thermally responsive driving device in the form of one integrated fabric like a fabric by using such a fine SMA spring as a fabric yarn.

That is, the SMA spring fabric 100 according to the present disclosure includes an SMA spring-type warp (or warp: 101) and wire weft (or warp: 103) as shown in FIG. 4 .

The wire 103 configured to function as one of the warp and transverse threads is for fixing the plurality of SMA spring threads (wires 101) in a plane, and does not necessarily have to be formed densely, and is spaced enough not to interfere with the contraction/relaxation action of the SMA spring. can be formed with In addition, it is sufficient if the wire 103 satisfies the condition of not reacting during acid treatment in consideration of the acid treatment process after weaving.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the SMA springs are woven in close contact with each other in the fabric with flexibility. In this way, by weaving the SMA springs as tightly as warp or weft in the fabric, a large number of SMA springs per unit area can be arranged at a uniform density, and a large number of SMA springs can generate large force as well as uniform SMA springs. The cooling performance is also improved due to the arrangement.

Above all, copper cloth-type actuators can be manufactured through the same process as a general weaving machine (weaving machine), so mass production is possible through automation. is increased

For example, hundreds of SMA springs are collected to form one module, the SMA spring fabric 100 . When using a micro-diameter SMA wire-based fabric, while maintaining the existing driving force, it maintains a considerable part of the flexibility of the fabric, so that there is no sense of disparity when worn, and in particular, quick response can be realized by improving the cooling rate. On the other hand, the same is true for the number of springs constituting the fabric as in the wire diameter. A new manufacturing method and configuration according to the present invention can be applied from several to hundreds.

5 shows a flow chart for the manufacturing process of the SMA spring fabric in FIG.

The fabric manufacturing method according to this embodiment uses a spring-type thermal reaction driving device (SMA spring) thread as one of a warp and a weft, and uses a wire (eg, a general fiber yarn) as the other of a warp and a warp, It is woven from a fabric made up of weft and weft yarns.

To this end, the copper fabric manufacturing method includes the steps of manufacturing a general SMA wire with a spring-type thread (S300), preparing a wire (S400), and weaving into a fabric using a spring-type thermal reaction driving element thread and wire (S500).

First, the step (S300) of manufacturing the SMA wire, which is a thermal reaction driving device, into a spring-shaped thread includes the steps of continuously winding the SMA wire in a spring form around the core wire (base wire) to be removed later by acid or the like, and this core wire It includes the step of heat-treating the thermally responsive drive element wire wound in the form of a spring to store it in the form of a spring.

The process of making the SMA spring corresponding to one of the yarns constituting the fabric long with a wire/thread itself is not limited to a specific manufacturing method, but for example, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0029517 already filed by the applicant of the present invention It may be manufactured by the method disclosed in “Method for Manufacturing SMA Spring”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

For example, in the method of manufacturing an SMA wire with a spring-type thread, as shown in FIG. 6 , a base wire (core wire) made of a metal having a melting point of 500° C. or higher and dissolved by reacting with an acid or aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution is supplied. Step of winding the base wire to which the SMA wire is supplied, the step of continuously forming a spring shape in which the SMA wire is wound around the base wire, and heat-treating the bobbin in which the base wire in which the SMA wire is wound is wound in a high temperature furnace It may include a heat treatment step.

As exemplarily shown in FIG. 6 , the SMA spring-type yarn manufacturing apparatus includes a first unwinding unit 610 , a first rotating unit 620 , and a second unwinding unit 630 . And it may include a first winding (winding) portion (660).

In the first unwinding unit 610 , the wound base wire (core wire: 102 ) may be unwound. The base wire 102 may have an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the SMA spring 101 to be manufactured.

The base wire 102 may be made of a material that has a melting point higher than the heat treatment temperature of the SMA spring and dissolves by reacting with an acid or aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution. Specifically, the base wire 102 has a melting point of about 500° C. or higher, and may be made of a metal that is dissolved by reacting with an acid or aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution. , hydroperoxide, acetic acid, propionic acid, diacetic acid, formic acid and the like can be used without limitation. Illustratively, the base wire 102 may include molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), zirconium (Zr), cobalt (Co), It may be made of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of platinum (Pt), gold (Au), silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), and alloys thereof, preferably molybdenum or tungsten.

The base wire 102 unwound by the first unwinding unit 610 may be wound around the first winding unit 660 . And the base wire 102 may be supplied at a constant velocity.

The first winding unit 660 may be formed of a bobbin made of a material that can withstand the heat treatment temperature of the SMA spring. The bobbin may be provided in the form of a spool or a reel, and may be formed to include at least one material of metal, ceramic, silicon, and glass that can withstand a temperature of about 500° C. or higher. A high corrosion-resistant, high-melting-point metal material that can withstand temperatures of about 1,000° C. or higher may be included.

The first rotating part 620 may be provided in the supply direction of the base wire 102 unwound by the first unwinding part 610 . A first through hole 621 may be formed through the first rotating part 620 in a central direction. The base wire 102 may be supplied through the first through hole 621 , and the first through hole 621 may have an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the base wire 102 .

The first rotating unit 620 may be rotatably coupled to the first supporting unit 670 . The first support part 670 may be provided in the supply direction of the base wire 102 unwound by the first unwinding part 610 . A first connection hole 671 may be formed through the first support portion 670 in the supply direction of the base wire 102 . The first rotation part 620 may be rotatably coupled to the first support part 670 , and the first through hole 621 may be provided to have the same central axis as the first connection hole 671 . The first rotation unit 620 may be coupled to the first support unit 670 to rotate about the central axis of the first through hole 621 .

The second unwinding part 630 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first rotating part 620 . The second unwinding unit 630 may be rotatably provided about a rotational axis provided in the radial direction of the first rotating unit 620 . Accordingly, the second unwinding unit 630 may be rotated together with the first rotating unit 620 when the first rotating unit 620 is rotated, and the second unwinding unit 630 itself may also be rotated. That is, the second unwinding unit 630 may simultaneously perform a first rotation about the central axis of the first rotating unit 620 and a second rotation about a rotation axis provided in the radial direction of the first rotating unit 620 at the same time. can

The SMA wire 101 may be unwound in the second unwinding unit 630 . The SMA wire 101 unwound by the second unwinding part 630 is unwound by the first unwinding part 610 and then the base wire 102 supplied through the first through hole 621 of the first rotating part 620 . ) can be wound around the outer periphery of The SMA wire 220 may be a single wire rod. The SMA wire 101 may form a wire rod of the SMA spring, and the diameter of the wire rod of the SMA spring may be the diameter of the SMA wire 101 .

The diameter of the wire rod of the SMA spring is not limited, but may be 1.0 mm or less, preferably 0.5 mm or less, and more preferably 0.1 mm or less, which is the thickness of hair. If the diameter of the SMA wire 101 is the same, since the SMA wire 101 can be tied to the base wire 102 and fixed, there is an advantage in that there is no need to use a separate fixing device.

As the front end of the SMA wire 101 unwound in the second unwinding part 630 is wound around the base wire 102, the base wire 102 is continuously supplied and the first rotating part 620 is rotated, the SMA wire 101 ) may be wound along the longitudinal direction of the base wire 102 on the outer circumferential surface of the base wire 102 . And, as the supply of the base wire 102 continues in a state in which the SMA wire 101 is wound around the base wire 102, the second unwinding unit 630 is rotated and the SMA wire 101 can be continuously unwound. there will be

The base wire 102 in which the SMA wire 101 is wound may be wound around the first winding unit 660 .

In the manufacturing method of the SMA spring wire (yarn), as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the first rotating part 620 having the first through-hole 621 penetrating in the axial direction is rotated, and the first It may include a step (S310) of supplying the base wire 102 unwound from the winding unit 610 through the first through hole 621. The base wire 102 may be fed at a constant velocity.

In step S310 , the base wire 102 unwound by the first unwinding unit 610 may be supplied through the first rotating unit 620 and wound around the bobbin of the first winding unit 660 .

And, in the manufacturing method, the SMA wire 101 wound around the second unwinding part 630 provided in the first rotating part 620 and rotating together with the first rotating part 620 is unwound, and the SMA wire 102 is The front end may include a step (S320) of winding around the base wire 102 supplied through the first through hole (621).

In step S320, the SMA wire 101 can control the deformation temperature in a wide range, the deformation amount is large, and the nickel-titanium alloy having the advantage that the shape memory effect ability hardly changes even after many repeated operations during contraction. , a copper-titanium alloy, but is not limited thereto, and may include a copper-zinc alloy, a gold-cadmium alloy, and an indium-thallium alloy.

In addition, the manufacturing method is a step in which the SMA wire 101 unwound by the second unwinding unit 630 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the base wire 102 supplied through the first rotating unit 620 to continuously form a spring shape. (S330) may be included.

In step S330, the rotation speed and rotation time of the first rotation unit 620 may be adjusted by the control unit, and through this, the pitch and length of the spring may be adjusted.

As a result of steps S320 and S330 , the SMA spring 101 may be formed on the base wire 102 . The SMA wire 101 may be wound around the base wire 102 wound on the bobbin of the first winding unit 660 .

In addition, the method of manufacturing the SMA spring may include a heat treatment step (S340) of heat-treating the bobbin of the first winding unit 660 on which the base wire 102 in which the SMA wire 101 is wound is wound in a high-temperature furnace. .

In step S340 , the base wire 102 of the state in which the SMA wire 101 wound on the bobbin of the first winding part 660 is wound is heated in a high temperature furnace and heat-treated to be stored in a spring shape. The base wire 102 of the state in which the SMA wire 101 is wound may be heat-treated for 30 to 60 minutes at a temperature of 300 to 400° C. in a high temperature furnace, for example. The first winding part 660 is made of a material that can withstand the heat treatment temperature required for the heat treatment process, and is formed to include at least one material of metal, ceramic, silicon and glass that can withstand a temperature of about 500° C. or higher. can Through this, when a temperature of 300 ~ 400 ℃ is applied to the SMA spring in a state in which the SMA spring is stretched, the SMA spring can be contracted and returned to its initial shape.

When the heat treatment process is completed, the base wire 102 in the state in which the SMA wire 101 is wound can be obtained in the form of a yarn, and this can be used as a weft or warp line for weaving the SMA spring fabric. That is, a base wire, which is a core wire, is required for weaving, and after weaving in a fabric form, the final fabric is completed by removing the core wire through an acid or the like.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, using the SMA spring thread and general thread (fiber) wound on the core wire, using the existing weaving technology such as a loom and a weaving machine, a fabric consisting of a warp / weft is woven (S500). Existing weaving techniques such as looms and weaving machines are obvious to those skilled in the art, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the base wire, which is a core wire, is removed from the woven fabric (S600). As an example of a removal method, the entire fabric may be acid-treated to melt the core wire. As described above, the base wire 102 is made of a material that is dissolved by reacting with an acid or aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution, and can be completely removed by being dissolved in an acid or hydrogen peroxide solution. This eliminates the need for a process of manually removing the base wire, and enables mass production and automation.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 4, only the fabric consisting of the warp and weft yarns of the SMA spring yarn and the general yarn is left through these processes.

It will be understood that the SMA spring fabric of the fine diameter manufactured as described above may be installed in a single number (see FIG. 1 ) or a plurality (see FIG. 2 ) according to a required driving force.

The flexible actuator according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 includes one SMA spring fabric 100 . Therefore, the driver according to this embodiment, when viewed from the side of the direction of the external current, the first conductivity that is a 'tip electrode' that transmits the current supplied from the outside to the SMA spring fabric (first SMA spring fabric) located at the most upstream. Only the pad and the second conductive pad, which is the 'end electrode' for sending current to the outside, are required, and the 'intermediate electrode' formed to allow current flow between the plurality of SMA spring fabrics is not required.

Therefore, the flexible actuator according to this embodiment is arranged to be changeable between a contracted state and a relaxed state according to a change in temperature, and the first SMA spring fabric 110, the first SMA spring fabric ( A first conductive pad 210 including a first overlapping portion electrically connected to one side of 110 , and a second conductive pad 220 including a second overlapping portion to be electrically connected to the other side of the first SMA spring fabric 110 . ), and an external current receiver 240 configured to draw current from the outside to form an electrical path to the first conductive pad 210 and the first SMA spring fabric 110 and the second conductive pad 220 .

The embodiment of Figure 2 (a) is a micro-diameter SMA wire-based SMA spring fabric is composed of a plurality, such as the first SMA spring fabric 110 and the second SMA spring fabric 120, and operates in the same contraction/relaxation direction. It relates to the case where they are placed next to each other so as to do so. The embodiment of FIG. 2( b ) consists of first to third three SMA spring fabrics 100 . Therefore, the driver according to this embodiment electrically connects the first to third SMA spring fabric modules as well as the first conductive pad as the 'tip electrode' and the second conductive pad as the 'end electrode' for sending current to the outside. Intermediate conductive pads, which are 'intermediate electrodes' to connect, are required.

The functions of the detailed components constituting each of these embodiments are all the same, and for convenience, description will be made based on the embodiment of FIG. 2 ( a ).

The flexible actuator may be largely composed of a support cloth 500 , an SMA spring fabric 100 , a conductive pad that is an electrode 200 , and an external current receiving unit (current supply line; 240 ).

The shell for enclosing the above components therein may be configured as needed. That is, in the present invention, since a plurality of SMA springs are fixedly present in the form of fabric, an outer jacket for the function of maintaining individual springs is not necessarily required as in the prior art. However, the outer skin may perform a function of limiting the relaxation length of the SMA spring fabric to be described later. The epithelium may be formed of a pair of epithelium 410 and hypothelium 420 . It may be made of various materials, and preferably, it may be made of a material that can be contracted or relaxed together when the SMA spring fabric is contracted or relaxed. For example, the outer skin may be made of a flexible material, more preferably a fabric material.

The SMA spring fabric 100 described above is, for example, a module in which several tens to hundreds of fine diameter SMA wires are tightly woven with each other. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one or more are arranged so as to be changeable between a contracted state and a relaxed state according to a change in temperature.

For example, referring to FIG. 2 , the plurality of SMA spring fabrics, in terms of current flow, include a first SMA spring fabric 110 at a distal end (located at the most upstream) and a second SMA spring at a distal end (located at the most downstream). fabric 120 . Each of the SMA spring fabrics 110 , 120 includes, in terms of current flow, one end on an inlet side (through which current enters) and the other end on an outlet side (through which current exits). In this embodiment, the first SMA spring fabric 110 and the second SMA spring fabric 120 are configured and arranged side by side to be operable in the same contraction/relaxation direction.

The electrode 200, the conductive pad, is formed of at least two or more conductive cloths or flexible conductor thin films that serve as electrodes for creating a path through which an externally supplied current flows to the SMA spring fabric. The conductive pad 200 may be fixedly disposed on the fabric 500 for support by various methods.

2, the plurality of electrodes 200, in terms of current flow, the first conductive pad 210 at the front end (located at the most upstream), the middle conductive pad 230 at the end (located at the most downstream) and a second conductive pad 220 .

The plurality of electrodes 200 have regions in contact with each of the fabrics to form an electrical path with each of the plurality of SMA spring fabrics. These areas are defined as 'overlaps' and the overlap may be part or all of the conductive pad. The overlap may be made in such a way that the conductive pad and the SMA spring fabric are secured to each other, for example by stitching them together.

The first conductive pad 210 includes a first overlapping portion electrically connected to one end of the first SMA spring fabric 110 , and is formed at an upper end of the actuator.

The intermediate conductive pad 230 is formed at the lower end of the actuator and is configured to electrically connect the first SMA spring fabric 110 and the second SMA spring fabric 120 to each other, and has two intermediate overlapping portions in contact with each spring fabric. include

The second conductive pad 220 includes a second overlapping portion electrically connected to the other end of the second SMA spring fabric 120 , and in the embodiment of FIG. 2 , parallel to the first conductive pad 210 at the upper end of the actuator. is formed

That is, when viewed in terms of the direction in which the external current flows, the first conductive pad 210 among the plurality of electrodes transfers the current supplied from the outside to the SMA spring fabric (first SMA spring fabric) located at the most upstream of the ‘tip electrode’ ', and the second conductive pad 220 is a 'end electrode' that transmits the current from the SMA spring fabric (second SMA spring fabric) located at the most downstream to the outside, and the middle conductive pad 230 is a plurality of SMAs. It corresponds to the 'intermediate electrode' formed to allow current flow between the spring fabrics. The 'intermediate electrode' between these 'tip electrodes' and 'end electrodes' may be either unnecessary (eg if there is one spring fabric) or two (eg if there are two spring fabrics) or depending on the number/arrangement of the spring fabrics. Three (eg, three spring fabrics) or more may be required.

As mentioned above, the overlapping portion refers to a region in which the individual unit springs constituting the SMA spring fabric and the conductive pad are in physical contact with each other so that they can be electrically connected to each other, and may be at least a part of the conductive pad. In general, in the overlapping portion, the SMA spring fabric is fixedly coupled to each other by a method such as the conductive pad 200 and stitching. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , these overlapping portions may be joined to each other by sewing one side and the other side of the first SMA spring fabric 110 together with the corresponding first and second conductive pads 210 and 220 , respectively. have.

These overlaps and conductive pads are embodied in the additional fabric 500 . The additional cloth 500 is preferably constructed of a material that is less flexible than the sheath. The additional cloth 500 may include an opening 501 for an eyelet, and a flexible actuator may be used in connection with the connection member 2000 by using the opening 501 . That is, the additional fabric 500 may be understood as a fabric having high rigidity, such as a bag strap that fixes the eyelet and transmits a force applied from the outside. On the other hand, alternatively, this additional cloth may be replaced by a sheath.

The external current receiving unit 240 means a wire or conductive cloth exposed to the outside in order to receive a current from the outside to the inside of the shell. That is, it is configured to initially draw current from the outside to form an electrical path between the conductive elements residing inside the shell, such as the conductive pads of FIGS. 1 and 2 and the SMA spring fabrics. The external current receiver 240 may be formed from the first conductive pad 210, which is an uppermost tip electrode.

As briefly mentioned above, the present invention does not necessarily require a sheath. If the flexible actuator does not include an outer shell, it is preferable to further include a relaxation length limiting part 400 for limiting the relaxation length of the SMA spring fabric. This relaxation length limiting unit 400 may be installed on one side or both sides of the SMA spring fabric 100, and may be provided in the form of a wire, for example. This will be clearly understood with reference to Figure 7 which shows before and after the actuation of the actuator.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the flexible actuator according to this embodiment may further include a control unit 300 , an electricity supply unit 310 , a sensing unit 320 , and a power supply unit 330 .

The control unit 300 is configured to control whether electricity is supplied to the thermally responsive driving element 100 so that the thermally responsive driving element 100 constituting the SMA spring fabric can be changed from a contracted state to a relaxed state, or vice versa. can be

Specifically, the control unit 300 may control whether electricity is supplied to the thermal reaction driving device 100 through the electricity supply unit 310 . When the control unit 300 transmits an electricity supply signal to the electricity supply unit 310 , the electricity supply unit 310 may supply a current to the thermal reaction driving device 100 . In addition, when the control unit 300 transmits an electricity supply stop signal to the electricity supply unit 310 , the electricity supply unit 310 may stop supplying the current so that the current does not flow any more to the thermal reaction driving device 100 .

When a current is supplied to the thermally responsive driving element 100 by controlling whether or not electricity is supplied as described above, heat is generated and the thermally responsive driving element 100 is contracted. ) is relaxed.

The electricity supply unit 310 is a current driver configured to be connected to the thermal reaction driving element to supply a current to the thermal reaction driving element, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The sensing unit 320 may include a sensor configured to detect the wearer's biometric information or motion. Here, the biometric information may include an electromyogram. For example, when the sensing unit 320 includes an EMG sensor, the sensor detects the movement or motion of the wearer's muscle (specifically, a contraction motion or a relaxation motion) according to the gripping, moving, and supporting of a heavy object. can As another example, the sensing unit 320 may include a voice sensor, and in this case, the sensor may be configured to receive the current wearer's behavior, state, requirements, etc. through voice information of the wearer.

Also, the sensing unit 320 may include a sensor configured to detect deformation of the thermally responsive driving device 100 . For example, the sensing unit 320 may include a strain gauge. In addition, the sensing unit 320 may include a sensor configured to sense the temperature of the thermally responsive driving element 100, which is useful for a massage device that performs a fan drive according to the temperature by repeating a relaxation operation and a contraction operation. can be used

The power supply unit 330 may be configured to supply electricity to at least one of the control unit 300 , the electricity supply unit 310 , and the sensing unit 320 .

The control unit 300 may control the current supplied by the electricity supply unit 310 to the thermal reaction driving device based on the information sensed by the sensing unit 320 .

For example, when the wearer performs an operation that requires contraction of the thermally responsive driving element, such as bending the arm, the sensor 320 may transmit the measured EMG information to the controller 300 , and the controller 300 ) may be determined based on the EMG information to indicate that the wearer intends to bend the arm. In addition, the controller 300 may calculate the force required to bend the wearer's arm, and calculate the target force to be output from the flexible actuator 10 . And, to implement this, the control unit 300 may control the current supplied from the electricity supply unit 310 to the thermal reaction driving element so that the calculated target force is output.

On the other hand, the control unit of the flexible actuator according to the present invention, when the thermally responsive driving element is changed to a relaxed state, the power supply to the thermally responsive driving element is cut off and the power to the cooling unit can be controlled so that the power is supplied. According to such a configuration, the power supply to the thermally responsive driving element is cut off and the temperature starts to decrease, and the thermally responsive driving element begins to relax. At the same time, power to the cooling unit is supplied to operate a cooling air input device such as a fan, and as the temperature decrease of the thermal reaction driving element is accelerated, the relaxation rate of the thermal reaction driving element may be increased. According to the operating environment of the flexible actuator, the cooling air supply may always be kept on.

wearable robot

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 8, a wearable robot (or a muscle augmentation prosthetic robot) including a flexible actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the wearable robot according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a clothing body 20 and a cloth-type flexible actuator 10 connected to the clothing body 20 . Since the cloth-type flexible actuator 10 has been described above, a redundant description thereof will be omitted.

The clothing body 20 is a part that forms the base of the clothing for muscle strength enhancement. Here, the upper is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be applied to the lower portion.

The garment body 20 may include an endothelium and an outer skin, and the cloth-type flexible actuator 10 may be provided, for example, between the endothelium and the outer skin. In particular, the cloth-type flexible actuator 10 may be disposed in the vicinity of a position corresponding to the joint of the wearer's body on the clothing body.

The garment body 20 may include first and second body fixing parts. The first and second body fixing parts may be respectively disposed on opposite sides of each other based on the position of the joint in the clothing body 20 . For example, when the joint is an elbow, the first body fixing part may be a part corresponding to the upper arm, and the second body fixing part may be a part corresponding to the lower arm.

In this case, one side of the flexible actuator may be fixed to the first body fixing unit, and the other side of the flexible actuator may be fixed to the second body fixing unit of the clothing body.

Meanwhile, the first and second body fixing parts may include a band, and the band wraps around the wearer's arm, so that the artificial muscle is in close contact with the wearer's arm, or the first and second body fixing parts do not move on the wearer's body. can be made to be fixed.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the wearable robot of the present invention includes a sensor 320a or 320b configured to detect a motion of a wearer, and the control unit 300 of the wearable robot detects a relaxation motion of the wearer by the sensor. The electric power supply unit 310 may be controlled so that the power supply to the reaction driving element is cut off and the power supply to the cooling unit is supplied.

A wearable robot according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a pair of first and second cloth-type flexible actuators. When the wearer wears the wearable robot, the first and second cloth-type flexible actuators may be disposed to face each other so that the first and second cloth-type flexible actuators are positioned inside and outside the arm (or leg).

Here, when the control unit of the wearable robot of the present invention detects a preset motion of the wearer, for example, a bending motion of the arm (or leg), the first cloth-type flexible actuator contracts, and/or the second cloth The mold flexible actuator may be configured to relax. That is, the control unit controls the electric supply unit so that power is supplied to the thermal reaction driving element of the first cloth-type flexible actuator, and/or the power supply is cut off to the thermal reaction driving element of the second cloth-type flexible actuator, and at the same time, the second cloth The electric power supply unit can be controlled so that power is supplied to the cooling unit of the type flexible actuator.

massage device

Hereinafter, a massage device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 . It corresponds to a massage device that connects both ends of a cloth-type actuator to tighten and release the calf, wrist, and waist.

The massage device 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include at least one elastic band (610, 620) and a cloth-type flexible actuator 10 connected to the elastic band. Since the cloth-type flexible actuator has been described above, a redundant description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 9 , each of the first and second elastic bands 31 and 32 may be respectively connected to one side and the other side of the main body of the flexible actuator 10 . Here, a control unit and/or a power supply unit 33 may be connected to one side of the first elastic band 31 . In addition, a power connector (33b) is formed on one side of the second elastic band (32), which may be coupled to another connector (33a) formed in the power supply unit (33). That is, according to this structure, when the power connectors 33a and 33b are connected, power can be supplied from the power supply unit 33 to the thermal reaction driving device 100 .

10 (a) and (b) respectively show the state of relaxation and contraction according to the operation of the massage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The controller of the device regulates the contraction force of the SMA spring by controlling the supply current while controlling the temperature through the temperature measuring sensor of the SMA spring inside the cloth-type actuator to adjust the tightening force of the massage part.

And, the controller may adjust the on-off of the current supply to the SMA spring fabric and the on-off of the cooling air supply according to the tightening-loosening timing of the massage device. Exemplarily, ① the current supply of the SMA spring fabric is turned off, the cooling air supply is turned off in the massage release state, ② the current supply of the SMA spring fabric is turned on, the cooling air supply is turned off when switching from the massage loosening to the tightening state, ③ When switching from tightening to loosening of massage, turn off the current supply of the SMA spring fabric and turn on the cooling air supply. Depending on the operating environment or method, the cooling air supply may always be kept on.

As described above, although the embodiments have been described with reference to the limited embodiments and drawings, various modifications and variations are possible by those skilled in the art from the above description. For example, the described techniques are performed in a different order than the described method, and/or the described components of the system, structure, apparatus, circuit, etc. are combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or other components Or substituted or substituted by equivalents may achieve an appropriate result.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are also within the scope of the following claims.

10 Flexible actuator
100 thermal actuator/SMA spring fabric
101 SMA Wire/Spring
102 base wire/core wire
103 wire
200 electrodes/conductive pad
300 control
400 Relaxation length limiting part (sheath/wire)
500 extra cloth
600 SMA Spring Yarn Manufacturing Equipment
20 Clothing for wearable devices
30 massage device

Claims (16)

A spring-type thermal response driving element configured to function as one of the warp and transverse threads; and
a wire configured to function as the other of the warp and transverse threads;
fabric.
The method of claim 1,
The spring-type thermal reaction driving element is an SMA spring,
fabric.
3. The method of claim 2,
the SMA springs are flexible and woven in close contact with each other within the fabric;
fabric.
Using a spring-type thermal reaction driving element wire as one of the warp and weft, and using a separate wire as the other of the warp and weft, weaving into a fabric composed of the warp and the weft,
Fabric manufacturing method.
manufacturing a thermally responsive driving element with a spring-shaped wire;
preparing a separate wire; and
Including the step of weaving into a fabric using the spring-type thermal reaction driving element wire and the separate wire,
Fabric manufacturing method.
6. The method according to claim 4 or 5,
The step of manufacturing the thermal reaction driving element with a spring-shaped thread,
Continuously winding the thermal reaction driving element wire around the core wire to be removed later in the form of a spring; and
Comprising the step of heat-treating the thermal reaction drive element wire in the form of a spring wound around the core wire and storing it in the form of a spring,
Fabric manufacturing method.
7. The method of claim 6,
The fabric weaving step,
Using a spring-type thermally responsive driving element wire wound around the core wire as one of the warp and weft, and using the separate wire as the other of the warp and weft, using the conventional weaving technique, weaving into a fabric composed of a warp and a weft Steps to do: and
removing the core wire from the woven fabric;
Fabric manufacturing method.
8. The method of claim 7,
The core wire is dissolved and removed by acid,
Fabric manufacturing method.
A drive unit comprising a fabric manufactured by the manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, or claim 4 or 5; and
a control unit configured to control the supply of power to the driving unit;
flexible actuator.
10. The method of claim 9,
wherein the drive unit is configured to contract and relax in the longitudinal direction in which the springs in the fabric are arranged.
flexible actuator.
11. The method of claim 10,
Further comprising a relaxation length limiting part configured to limit the relaxation length of the driving part,
flexible actuator.
12. The method of claim 11,
The relaxation length limiting unit, including a sheath configured to wrap the length limiting wire or the driving unit installed on one side or both sides of the fabric therein,
flexible actuator.
10. The method of claim 9,
The driving unit,
a current supply line configured to supply a current by the power supply; and
and a conductive pad configured to serve as an electrode forming a path for the current to flow to a spring in the fabric.
flexible actuator.
10. The method of claim 9,
Further comprising a support fabric configured to transmit an externally applied force,
flexible actuator.
a garment body, and
It includes a flexible actuator according to claim 9 connected to the garment body or formed integrally,
One side of the flexible actuator is disposed on the first body fixing part, and the other side of the flexible actuator is disposed on the second body fixing part opposite to the first body fixing part based on the position of the joint in the clothing body. felled,
wearable robot.
elastic band, and
Comprising one or more flexible actuators according to claim 9 connected to the elastic band,
massage device.

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