A coupling element is provided for an electric switching device wherein the coupling element includes a first switching contact for opening and closing an electric contact by a second switch contact. The coupling element has an oblong winding body having two ends that are opposite in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal axis thereof, wherein the first switch contact is arranged on one end. The coupling element furthermore includes a rotation body through which the winding body extends and that is provided for coupling to a drive to carry out a rotation movement by the drive, wherein the rotation body includes two sides of which one faces one end (of the winding body and the other faces the other end of the winding body.

The present invention relates to a twisted string actuator. The present invention may comprise: a drive source; driving parts for receiving power from the driving source; driven parts installed in conjunction with the driving parts and receiving power; strings coupled to the ends of the driving parts and the driven parts so as to be twisted or untwisted, and a driving compensation part installed at the ends of the strings to compensate for uneven actuation of each of the strings.

A twisted string transmission for converting a rotational motion to a linear motion is provided, comprising a motor (1) and a string (2) to be connectable to a load (3). The string (2) has a variable diameter along its length.

This disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses of employing belts for an angular drive. A twisted geometry is applied to a first free span of the belt. A sheave supports the first free span of the belt at a first extremity of the first free span and sheave is at least one of positioning and orienting the rotating sheave or the driven sheave so as to misalign a geometric centerline of the first free span of belt at a given fleet angle with respect to a second extremity of the first free span.

A transmission is presented, including a spool having a bore. An outer member disposed on the spool, and a cord is configured to at least partially wrap around the outer member. The outer member is configured to constrict and unconstrict to a force applied to the outer member. In this way, rotation of the spool causes a tension force to be applied to the cord, and a greater tension force in the cord will cause the outer member to constrict more than a lower tension force in the cord.

This disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses of employing belts for an angular drive. A twisted geometry is applied to a first free span of the belt. A sheave supports the first free span of the belt at a first extremity of the first free span and sheave is at least one of positioning and orienting the rotating sheave or the driven sheave so as to misalign a geometric centerline of the first free span of belt at a given fleet angle with respect to a second extremity of the first free span.

An actuator device that includes a first actuating segment of an artificial muscle fiber, where one end of the first actuating segment is connected to a first terminal and the other end of the first actuating segment is connected to a second terminal. The device also includes a second actuating segment of an artificial muscle fiber, where one end of the second actuating segment is connected to a third terminal and the other end of the second actuating segment is connected to a fourth terminal. The device also includes a paddle disposed on both the first and second actuating segments and a heating provision disposed on the first and second actuating segments. The heating provision independently provides energy in the form of heat to the first and second actuating segments, and the actuator device moves rotates the paddle to a desired position through activating the first or second actuating segments.

A twisted string transmission for converting a rotational motion to a linear motion is provided, comprising a motor (1) and a string (2) to be connectable to a load (3). The string (2) has a variable diameter along its length.

A muscle-like actuator comprises a motor with a rotatable drive shaft and a string with a shear thickening fluid (STF) embedded therein. One end of the string is attached to the drive shaft and the other end is connected to a load to form a twisted string actuator (TSA). By controlling the speed and current of the motor, the characteristics of the actuator can be changed. Multiple strings may be located in a flexible soft tube to improve the mechanical properties of the actuator.

A transmission is presented, including a spool having a bore. An outer member disposed on the spool, and a cord is configured to at least partially wrap around the outer member. The outer member is configured to constrict and unconstrict to a force applied to the outer member. In this way, rotation of the spool causes a tension force to be applied to the cord, and a greater tension force in the cord will cause the outer member to constrict more than a lower tension force in the cord.