Patent ID: 8904919

Claim:
A contractile fluidic muscle actuator, comprising: a resilient bladder having two opposing open ends, a braided reinforcing mesh surrounding said resilient bladder and having two opposing open ends corresponding to said opposing open ends of said resilient bladder, said braided reinforcing mesh comprising filaments wound with a predetermined initial braid angle to produce extension between said first end fitting and said second end fitting upon internal fluid pressurization, a first end-fitting sealingly affixed to one open end of said resilient bladder and braided reinforcing mesh; a second end-fitting sealingly affixed to the second open end of said resilient bladder and braided reinforcing mesh; a stationary seal housing attached to the second end fitting and adapted for attachment to a supporting structure; a pushrod attached to said first end fitting and slidably passing through said second end fitting and seal housing; a sealing element seated in said seal housing and providing a pressure tight seal circumferentially around the pushrod; and a port for allowing a flow of pressurized fluid into and out from said resilient bladder; whereby when an internal pressure within said resilient bladder is increased, said pushrod retracts; whereby said pushrod effectively becomes a pullrod; and wherein said pushrod comprises multiple discrete parts.