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:
Sep. 19, 2017
Filed:
May. 03, 2012
Applicants:
Steven Keating, Cambridge, MA (US);
Neri Oxman, Brookline, MA (US);
Inventors:
Steven Keating, Cambridge, MA (US);
Neri Oxman, Brookline, MA (US);
Assignee:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
E04F 15/10 (2006.01); F16B 7/00 (2006.01); F16B 9/02 (2006.01); A63C 19/04 (2006.01); F16B 4/00 (2006.01); E01C 13/04 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
A63C 19/04 (2013.01); F16B 4/002 (2013.01); F16B 7/00 (2013.01); F16B 9/02 (2013.01); A63C 2203/16 (2013.01); E01C 13/04 (2013.01); E04F 15/107 (2013.01); E04F 2290/044 (2013.01); Y10T 403/13 (2015.01); Y10T 403/25 (2015.01);
Abstract
A reconfigurable device comprises flexible bladder that encloses a jammable material. The geometry of the device can be altered by unjamming the jammable material (making it flexible), changing the shape of the device while it is flexible, and then jamming the jammable material (making it rigid). In some applications of this invention, a joint connects rigid arms. The ends of the rigid arms are enclosed in the bladder. By varying the stiffness of the jammable material in the bladder, the stiffness of the joint can be controlled.