Patent ID: 11949349
Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  B  F | IPC B  F  H

Claim 10:
11. An artificial muscle system comprising:
a plurality of initiating actuators;
an artificial muscle comprising:
a housing comprising an electrode region and an expandable fluid region;
an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode fixed to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode fixed to a second surface of the housing, at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprising a central opening defining the expandable fluid region; and
a dielectric fluid housed within the housing;

a first power supply configured to provide power to each initiating actuator;
a second power supply configured to provide power to the artificial muscle; and
a controller configured to operate the first power supply to provide power to each initiating actuator prior to operating the second power supply to provide power to the artificial muscle,
wherein each initiating actuator of the plurality of initiating actuators is actuatable between a non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state applies a force against the electrode region of the artificial muscle.