Mechanical Adjustable Device

Abstract

A mechanical adjustable device is provided, which is characterized in that it is adapted to enable changing its spatial shape from a first spatial shape to a second spatial shape, and retaining the mechanical adjustable device in its second shape. Preferably, the mechanical adjustable device comprises: a) a spring; b) a plurality of longitudinally extended ribs/wires characterized in that they are capable of being bent, wherein said plurality of longitudinally extended ribs/wires are circumferentially disposed along an enclosure confined by the spring, adjacent to the inner side of the spring; and c) a flexible sleeve/tube disposed longitudinally along the enclosure confined by the spring.

Claims

1.-3. (canceled)

4. A mechanical adjustable device configured to change its spatial shape from a first spatial shape to a second spatial shape and retaining the mechanical adjustable device in its second spatial shape, and comprises: a spring; a plurality of longitudinally extended ribs/wires configured to be bent, wherein said plurality of longitudinally extended ribs/wires are circumferentially disposed along an enclosure confined by the spring, adjacent to an inner side of the spring; and a flexible sleeve/tube disposed longitudinally along the enclosure confined by the spring. and wherein said mechanical adjustable device changes its spatial shape from the first spatial shape to the second spatial shape by in response to an applied external force, and retains the second spatial shape by increasing pressure within the flexible sleeve/tube, thereby expanding the envelope of the flexible sleeve/tube, tightening the ribs/wires to the inner side of the spring, and consequently locking the mechanical adjustable device in its second spatial shape.

5. The mechanical adjustable device of claim 4, wherein the second spatial shape is changeable into any other third spatial shape, by releasing the pressure within the flexible sleeve/tube, applying an external force onto the mechanical adjustable device to bring the mechanical adjustable device to the desired third spatial shape and re-increasing the pressure within the flexible sleeve/tube, thereby locking the mechanical adjustable device in its third spatial shape.

6. The mechanical adjustable device of claim 4, wherein the spring has a varying cross-section.

7. The mechanical adjustable device of claim 4, wherein the spring has a bellow configuration.

8. The mechanical adjustable device of claim 4, comprising at least three longitudinally extending ribs/wires.

9. The mechanical adjustable device of claim 4, wherein the sleeve/tube is made of an elastomeric material.

10. (canceled)

11. A robotic arm comprising the mechanical arm of claim 4.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0029] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a schematic overview of an example of a device according to the present invention, wherein:

[0030] FIG. 1A illustrates the exemplified device at its non-inflatable mode;

[0031] FIG. 1B illustrates the exemplified device after bending and pressurizing it;

[0032] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate cross section views of the device exemplified in FIGS. 1A and 1B, wherein:

[0033] FIG. 2A illustrates the cross section view of the exemplified device at its non-inflatable mode;

[0034] FIG. 2B illustrates the cross section view of the exemplified device after bending and pressurizing it; and

[0035] FIG. 3—demonstrates a cross section view of another exemplified device after bending and pressurizing it.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In this disclosure, the term “comprising” is intended to have an open-ended meaning so that when a first element is stated as comprising a second element, the first element may also include one or more other elements that are not necessarily identified or described herein, or recited in the claims.

[0037] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It should be apparent, however, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

[0038] FIG. 1A illustrates an example of a 1 meter long device 100 (e.g. a cooling water conduit in a CNC machine) comprising an inflatable tube 110, around which a spiral spring 120 is winded. Spring 120 has a winding diameter of 100 mm and a thickness of 5 mm, and a plurality of longitudinal, 2-3 mm thick metal ribs 130, disposed in the annulus confinement created by the outer surface of inflatable tube 110 and spring 120. The device may further comprise a longitudinal flexible sleeve located between the ribs and the spring, and preferably, this sleeve increases the friction otherwise existing between the ribs and the inner spring surface. In addition, valve 115 is connected to the inflatable tube 110, to enable having it inflated, by allowing the introduction of air (in a pneumatic device) or oil (in an hydraulic device) for example to the inflatable tube. Once the non-inflated device is brought (e.g. by bending it) to the desired shape, the pressure building fluid is introduced via valve 125. FIG. 1A illustrates the device in its non-inflated (i.e. non-expanded) position, whereas FIG. 1B illustrates the same device 100 after it was bent to the desired shape and pressurized (i.e. in its expanded position).

[0039] FIGS. 2A and 2B present cross sections of the device at both modes illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, respectively. In these Figs. 210 is the inflatable tube, 220 is the spiral spring winded around it, 230 are the ribs, and valve 215 is connected to the inflatable tube 210. As may be seen from these two Figs, after bending the device to its final desired shape and upon introducing the pressure building fluid, the cross section of the inflatable tube expands, thereby pushing the ribs outwardly towards the winding spring. Once the inflatable tube reaches its maximal diameter as dictated by the dimension of the winded spring and its elasticity constant, the inner pressure built inside the inflatable tube due to the introduction of the fluid thereat, increases substantially the friction between the ribs and the winded spring, thereby locking the ribs and the spring at their positions due the developing shear forces, and consequently ensuring that the device is retained at its final position.

[0040] In other words, the embodiment described herein provides a solution that allows fixating a “snake”-like arm at a certain position. This position is determined by using external means, e.g. manually twisting/bending/distorting the arm to a desired spatial position (i.e. a three-dimensional twisting/bending/distorting). In order to obtain that, after the mechanical arm, which comprises a structure that includes an external spring and thin elastic rods located longitudinally adjacent to the spring inner side, and an inflatable flexible sleeve, located longitudinally within the structure (i.e. within the spring), is twisted/bent to a desired spatial position, thereby causing the spring and the rods to twist/bend accordingly, and to reach a final non-expandable mode of the arm. Once the final non-expandable mode of the arm is obtained, a fluid (e.g. air or hydraulic fluid) is inserted into the inflatable flexible sleeve, causing the sleeve to expand, an action which leads to locking (fixating) the arm in the desired spatial position. This desired spatial position, which was determined prior to inserting the inflating fluid, is essentially the final non-expandable mode of the arm, and its locking is achieved by the rods that have been pressured (pushed) against the spring, while both the spring and rods are in their desired (i.e. non-expandable mode) spatial position.

[0041] FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment wherein the inflatable tube has a non-circular cross section.

[0042] It should be understood that features described with respect to one embodiment may be used with other embodiments and that not all embodiments of the invention have all of the features shown in a particular figure. Variations of embodiments described will occur to persons of the art.