The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 10, 2021
Filed:
Sep. 10, 2019
GM Global Technology Operations Llc, Detroit, MI (US);
The Regents of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Wonhee M. Kim, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Paul W. Alexander, Ypsilanti, MI (US);
Jonathan E. Luntz, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Diann Brei, Milford, MI (US);
Noah Luntzlara, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Yun Ju Kim, Yongin-si, KR;
Zining Zhang, Zhuozhou, CN;
Laura Alejandra Giner Munoz, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Koray Benli, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US);
THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Abstract
An inflatable structure includes a top end cap, a bottom end cap, a bladder, a plurality of tethers, and an adjustment mechanism. The bladder is attached to the top and bottom end caps and configured to hold pressurized air therebetween. The plurality of tethers are disposed within the bladder. Each tether in the plurality of tethers has a first end coupled to the top end cap and a second end coupled to the bottom end cap. When the bladder is inflated, the plurality of tethers restrict a number of degrees of freedom of the inflatable structure and a type of the degrees of freedom. The adjustment mechanism is operable to move the second end of at least one tether in the plurality of tethers to adjust at least one of the number of the degrees of freedom and the type of the degrees of freedom.