Patent ID: 8490511

Claim:
A manipulator mechanism, comprising: a retractable tape arm, the tape arm formed by plurality of elastic tapes, wherein each tape is windable about a respective reel, and wherein the reels are configured such that the tapes can be unwound to extend substantially parallel to each other to form the tape arm, each of the tapes having a base end connected to the respective reel, and a tip end opposite the base end, the tape arm further including a plurality of bundling members spaced longitudinally along the tape arm between the respective tip ends and base ends of the tapes, the bundling members each comprising an aperture through which the tapes pass; an arm paying out device to which the reels are coupled, the arm paying out device including a reel driving mechanism engaging the reels for winding and unwinding the tapes of the tape arm, wherein a longitudinal open space is formed between the plurality of tapes, wherein each of the plurality of tapes has an arc-shaped cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof, wherein the plurality of tapes are bundled either: with convex curved rear surfaces of all of the plurality of tapes opposed to each other, with concave curved front surfaces of all of the plurality of tapes opposed to each other, or with convex curved rear surfaces of some of the plurality of tapes opposed to each other and concave curved front surfaces of others of the plurality of tapes opposed to each other, wherein the respective apertures of the bundling members each comprise a plurality of guiding grooves extending radially outwardly from a center of the bundling member, the guiding grooves being adapted to allow the plurality of tapes to pass therethrough and to keep a fixed relative position of the plurality of tapes, each of the guiding grooves receiving lateral edges of a pair of adjacent tapes, and wherein the respective apertures of the bundling members each further comprise a plurality of recesses extending radially outwardly from a center of the bundling member and formed circumferentially between adjacent guiding grooves, the recesses each housing a roller, the rollers each engaging one of the plurality of elastic tapes, such that the plurality of elastic tapes move relative to the bundling members.