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Publication No: US20240309891 [USA] Application No: US18604087A
Title: TWO-STAGE PNEUMATIC SUPPLY ARCHITECTURE FOR LIGHT-WEIGHT UNTETHERED PNEUMATIC ACTUATION SYSTEMS
Publication Date: 19-09-2024 File Date: 13-03-2024
Inventor(s): Arora, Aman, Sarkar, Debadrata, Sen, Soumen
IPC Classification: A61K 31/341, A61K 31/4015, C07D 207/44, C07D 207/444, C07D 307/66
Abstract:
A two-stage accumulator based pneumatic supply architecture (TAPSA) is provided for rapid actuation of multiple compliant pneumatic actuators simultaneously for their potential applications in wearable robotic assistive and rehabilitative devices, serving as light-weight and untethered actuation systems. The TAPSA comprises Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles serving as primary accumulators and secondary accumulators connected in series. Individual targeted levels of pneumatic pressures are achieved in actuators of the TAPSA within targeted durations of time for the rapid actuation of the actuators by the action of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) controlled solenoid valves supplying pressurized air from the secondary accumulators which are in turn pressurized in prior to predetermined levels based on system performance model developed by a data driven approach utilized in the TAPSA. Rejuvenation of pressure in the secondary accumulators occurs through a pressure feedback based PD control scheme executed in between consecutive actuation cycles.
Startup Options: Advantages:
  • 1. The innovative usage of two-stage pneumatic accumulators makes possible pressurized air supply of different levels to multiple actuators simultaneously inspite of a continuously decreasing supply pressure in primary reservoir.
  • 2. It is quite difficult to achieve precise control in a fast acting pneumatic system where the supply pressure in the primary reservoir(source) continuously changes due to consecutive usage. Thus, the implementation of a data driven system performance based model has enabled to maintain the specific pre-determined pressures in the individual secondary accumulators, making possible the simultaneous operation of multiple actuators, achieving the required targeted pressure in required targeted time durations with the help of solenoid valves controlled by PWM signals.
  • 3. The replenishment of the secondary reservoirs can be done over a greater duration of time (in between consecutive fast actuations). Thus, it can be accomplished using a simple PD control system with pressure feedback from the secondary reservoirs, thus ensuring sufficient numbers of iterations of the control system.
  • 4. The use of PET bottles as accumulators make the entire system economic and light-weight especially for untethered wearable assistive robotic applications.
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Industrial Applications Agricutltural Tools [Agriculture] Instrumentation, Appliances, Devices Applications [Instrumentation, Appliances, Devices] Robotics [Computers and Electronic Data Processing]