Abstract:
A bi-directional pneumatic actuating unit includes a unitary structure having a central base member, a pair of opposed inflatable pneumatic chambers for applying force in different directions, one mounted on either side of the central base member, and air supply and exhaust access ports connected to each of the pneumatic chambers for selectively supplying air to and exhausting air from each of the pneumatic chambers.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    I. Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    The present invention relates generally to a field including various types of machinery or other devices that can make use of pneumatic actuators for providing deployment and retraction forces during use. More specifically, the present invention relates to a pneumatic actuating system having opposed inflatable pneumatic chambers that enable bi-directional operation. 
         [0005]    II. Related Art 
         [0006]    Pneumatic actuating systems of a variety of types have been associated with the operation of many devices for some time, including mechanical implements of varying kinds. An example of such a concept is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,534,373 B2, which shows the use of multiple airbag units to deploy and retract a variety of field-conditioning implements. It would provide a distinct advantage if a compact bi-directional pneumatic actuating unit could be provided to deploy and retract various devices. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    By means of the present invention, there is provided a pneumatic actuator unit concept which includes a unitary structure that has dual inflatable pneumatic air chambers mounted on and fixed to a common central base member or plate member that provides a base for both of directions with respect to the base member. The operating air may be supplied by way of access ports in the end of the pneumatic chambers remote from the central base member or via access ports located in the central base member which may include trunnions for mounting. The air chambers are preferably airbag devices which may be sleeve-type airbags, single or multiple convoluted airbags or other inflatable apparatuses. 
         [0008]    The pneumatic actuating units of the present invention may be mounted in an arrangement in which the position of each of the remote ends of opposed pneumatic chambers is fixed so that the central base member can be used to apply force and move a load according to the inflation of the opposed pneumatic chambers. The pneumatic actuating unit may also be mounted in a manner that fixes the position. of the central base member and allows the ends of the opposed pneumatic chambers remote from the central base member to apply force based on the inflation of the opposed pneumatic chambers and move a load accordingly. 
         [0009]    It should be noted that inflatable pneumatic operators in the form of conventional airbags have been found to be a preferred type of pneumatic operator, but other such devices could also be used. 
         [0010]    The term “airbag”, as used herein, is defined to mean any type of inflatable pneumatic operator, without limitation, including convoluted and non-convoluted devices with single and multiple air access ports, and ports at different locations. Single and double-acting units are also included. The present invention employs opposed units which may function as lift and down-force airbags. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The foregoing features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments, especially when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals depict like parts: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1A  is a top view of one embodiment of a pneumatic actuating unit in accordance with the invention with outer end air fittings; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 1B and 1C  are elevational views of the pneumatic actuating unit of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 1D  is a sectional view along line d-d of  FIG. 1C ; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are elevational views of another embodiment of a pneumatic actuating unit in accordance with the invention with outer end air fittings; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2C  is a sectional view along line c-c of  FIG. 2B ; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 3A-3D  illustrate views of another embodiment of a pneumatic actuating unit in accordance with the invention in which the air fittings are provided in the central base member; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 4A-4C  illustrate views of yet another modified embodiment of a pneumatic actuating unit of the invention similar to that of  FIGS. 3A-3D , but in which air access is provided through trunnions of the central base member; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 5A-5D  provide views of another embodiment of a pneumatic actuating unit in accordance with the invention which utilizes single convoluted airbags joined together by a central plate member with air access provided through the side of the plate member; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 6A-6C  illustrate an embodiment similar to that illustrated in  FIGS. 5A-5D , but with the air access ports located in the trunnions of the central plate member; 
           [0021]      FIGS. 7A-7D  illustrate an embodiment of the pneumatic actuating unit in accordance with the invention utilizing double convoluted airbags with outer end air fittings; 
           [0022]      FIGS. 8A-8D  illustrate an embodiment similar to that in  FIGS. 7A-7D  with air access through the central plate member; 
           [0023]      FIGS. 9A-9C  depict an embodiment similar to that of  FIGS. 8A-8D  with the air access ports located in the trunnions of the central base member; 
           [0024]      FIG. 10A  is a side view of another embodiment of the invention in which the actuating unit has pneumatic chambers that are not aligned back-to-back with air access ports between the chambers; 
           [0025]      FIG. 10B  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 10A ; 
           [0026]      FIGS. 11A and 11B  are perspective views showing the operation of a pneumatic actuating unit in accordance with the invention in which the central base member is fixed and the remote ends of the chambers are attached to operate a mechanical device; and 
           [0027]      FIGS. 12A and 12B  depict the operation of a pneumatic actuating unit in accordance with the invention in which the remote ends of the pneumatic chambers are fixed in position and the movement of the central base member is utilized to perform a mechanical function. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]    The detailed description of the illustrative embodiments is intended to illustrate representative examples of the inventive concepts and is not intended to exhaust or limit the scope of those concepts. The examples are to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. In the description, relative terms such as “lower”, “upper”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, “above”, “below”, “up”, “down”, “top” and “bottom”, “left” and “right”, as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “downwardly”, “upwardly”, etc,) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms such as “connected”, “connecting”, “attached”, “attaching”, “join” and “joining” are used interchangeably and refer to one structure or surface being secured to another structure or surface or integrally fabricated in one piece, unless expressively described otherwise. 
         [0029]      FIGS. 1A-1D  depict one embodiment of a bi-directional pneumatic actuating unit generally at  20  having an upper pneumatic or air chamber  22 , an opposed lower pneumatic or air chamber  24 , and a central base member which includes opposed trunnions  28  and  30 , The unit may include upper bolt holes or recesses  32  and lower bolt holes or recesses  34  and an upper air chamber air filling port  36  and a lower air chamber filling port  38  located at the outer or remote ends of the air chambers, Upper air chamber  22  is peripherally fixed to the central base or plate member  26  at  40  and the lower air chamber is similarly fixed to the base member  26  at  42 . The air chambers illustrated are sleeve-type airbags. 
         [0030]      FIGS. 3A-3D  and  4 A- 40  illustrate other embodiments of a pneumatic actuating unit, which are of a construction similar to that illustrated in  FIGS. 1A-1D  with certain variations. Thus, in  FIGS. 3A-3D , air access ports for the upper air chamber  22  and lower air chamber  24  are provided in the central base member as at  50  and  52 , respectively. Likewise,  FIGS. 4A-4C  depict views of another embodiment that also differs only in the location of the air ports. In this embodiment, upper air chamber air access port  60  and lower air chamber access port  62  are located in the trunnions of the central base member  26 . 
         [0031]      FIGS. 2A-2C  depict elevation and sectional views of another embodiment of a bi-directional pneumatic actuating unit generally at  70  in which opposed single convoluted upper and lower airbags  72  and  74 , respectively, are fixed to a central base member  76 . In this embodiment, air fitting access ports are located in the top and bottom outward ends of opposed airbags  72  and  74  at  78  and  80 , respectively, As with other embodiments, bolt connection recesses are shown at  82  and  84 . These airbags are fixed to the central base member  76  peripherally at  86  and  88 . 
         [0032]      FIGS. 5A-5D  and  6 A- 6 C depict view of other embodiments that are variations on the embodiment of  FIGS. 2A-2C  in which the air access fillings or ports are located in the central base member. Thus, in the embodiments of  FIGS. 5A-5D , upper and lower air access ports are in the side of central base member  76  at  90  and  92 , respectively. In the embodiment of  FIGS. 6A-6C , upper and lower air access ports  94  and  96  are located in the trunnions of the central base member  76 . 
         [0033]      FIGS. 7A-7D ,  8 A- 8 D and  9 A- 9 C depict views of embodiments that are similar to those of  FIGS. 2A-2C ,  5 A- 5 D and  6 A- 6 C using convoluted airbags that have a plurality of convolutions, In  FIGS. 7A-7D , the unit includes an upper double convoluted airbag  100  and lower double convoluted airbag  102  with central base member includes an upper double convoluted airbag  100  and lower double convoluted airbag  102  with central base member  104 . 
         [0034]    The upper airbag  100  is fixed peripherally to the central base member  104  at  106  and the lower airbag  102  is fixed in a like manner at  108 . In this arrangement, air access ports are provided at the outer extremes of the upper and lower airbags at  110  and  112 , respectively. Attachment recesses are shown at  114  and  116 . 
         [0035]    Similarly constructed arrangements are shown in  FIGS. 8A-8D  and  9 A- 9 C with the exception of the location of the air access ports, which are located in the central base members. In the case of  FIGS. 8A-8D , the air access ports are located in central base member  120  at  122  and  124  as upper and lower access ports, In the embodiment of  FIGS. 9A-9C , the air access ports are provided through the trunnions of central base member  130  at  132  (upper) and  134  (lower). 
         [0036]      FIGS. 10A and 10B  depict another embodiment in which the opposed inflatable pneumatic chambers are not aligned back-to-back, but at an angle determined by the shape of the intermediate mount. Inflatable chambers  140  and  142  are separated by a wedge-shaped intermediate mount  144  which has corresponding air access ports at  146  and  148 , Connection openings are shown at  150  and  152 . 
         [0037]      FIGS. 11A and 11B  illustrate one mounting mode of a pneumatic actuating unit in accordance with the invention. The unit, generally  200 , includes an upper airbag  202 , a lower airbag  204  and a central base member  206 . The central base member  206  is fixed to a structural beam member  208  by gusset plates  210 , as shown. The outer or remote ends of the airbags  202  and  204  are connected to upper and lower operating linkage assemblies  212  and  214 , respectively at  216  and  218 . about an attachment point illustrated at  222 . 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIG. 11A , the airbags  202  and  204  are both collapsed causing the assemblies  212  and  214  to assume a fully separated position. Conversely in  FIGS. 11B , the airbags  202  and  204  are shown fully inflated forcing the assemblies  212  and  214  to assume a closed or closer together position. It will be understood that with the central base member mounted in a fixed position, either or both airbags can be inflated in a controlled position to exert forces away from the central base member. 
         [0039]      FIGS. 12A and 12B  illustrate another mounting arrangement for the pneumatic actuating units of the invention. In that arrangement, an actuating unit is shown with opposed upper and lower airbags  250  and  252  mounted on central base member  254 . A mounting yoke arrangement  256  with arm members  258  and  260  is pivotally attached to plates  262  as at  264 . A wheel  266  is mounted at the other end of the yoke  256 . The members  258  and  260  are further fixed to central base member  254  as at  268 . The unit is fixed to the flanges  270  and  272  of a mount as at  274  so that the ends of the unit cannot move. As can be seen in the drawing figures, inflation of the lower airbag  252  deflated upper airbag  250  and raises the wheel.  266 . Conversely, inflation of the upper airbag  250  collapses the lower airbag  252  and lowers the wheel  266 . Of course, air can be supplied to both bags to adjust the net upward or downward force as desired. 
         [0040]    An important aspect of the present invention is the unitary construction of the bi-directional actuating system that utilizes a common central base to mount opposed pneumatic devices that can apply force in two directions by two modes. The mounting of the unit and the location of the air access ports or fillings can be arranged to best suit the particular application. 
         [0041]    This invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use embodiments of the example as required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different devices and that various modifications can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.