Patent ID: 11967910
Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  H | IPC B  H

Claim 15:
16. A method for actuating an artificial muscle, the method comprising:
generating a voltage using a power supply electrically coupled to an electrode pair of an artificial muscle, the artificial muscle comprising:
a housing with an electrode region and an expandable fluid region;
the electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair comprising a first electrode coupled to a first surface of the housing and a second electrode coupled to a second surface of the housing, wherein:
the first electrode and the second electrode each have an outer surface, an inner surface, a first end, a second end, and a lead extending outwardly from the first end, the lead having a first width at the first end, the second end of at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode having a recess formed therein having a first terminus and a second terminus, a second width extending between the first terminus and the second terminus of the recess, the second width being greater than the first width, the first electrode positionable on the second electrode such that the recess of the at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is adjacent the lead of the other electrode; and

a dielectric fluid housed within the housing; and

applying the voltage to the electrode pair of the artificial muscle, thereby actuating the electrode pair from a non-actuated state to an actuated state such that the dielectric fluid is directed into the expandable fluid region of the housing and expands the expandable fluid region.