Unified pneumatic and electrical connector system and method
An exoskeleton system including one or more unitary cables comprising at least a first unitary cable configured to extend from an exoskeleton device to a first actuator unit, the first unitary cable comprising: one or more power lines, one or more fluid lines, one or more communication lines, and a cable connector that includes a first connector side and a second connector side.
1 . An exoskeleton system comprising:
a left and right leg actuator unit configured to be respectively coupled to a left and right leg of a user, the left and right leg actuator units each including:
an upper arm and a lower arm that are rotatably coupled via a joint, the joint adapted to a knee of the user with the upper arm adapted to an upper leg portion of the user above the knee and with the lower arm adapted to a lower leg portion of the user below the knee, and
a fluidic bellows actuator that extends between the upper arm and lower arm; and
an exoskeleton device that includes:
a fluidic system, and
a processor and memory, the memory storing instructions, that when executed by the processor, are configured to control the fluidic system to introduce fluid to the bellows actuators of the left and right leg actuator units; and
a plurality of unitary cables, comprising a first unitary cable extending from the exoskeleton device to the right leg actuator unit and a second unitary cable extending from the exoskeleton device to the left leg actuator unit, the first and second unitary cables each comprising:
one or more electrical power lines configured to convey electrical power from the exoskeleton device to the left or right leg actuator unit,
one or more fluid lines configured to convey the fluid from the exoskeleton device to the respective bellows actuators of the left or right leg actuator unit,
one or more communication lines configured to convey communication signals from the exoskeleton device to the left or right leg actuator unit,
a sheath that surrounds and encloses the one or more electrical power lines, the one or more fluid lines, and the one or more communication lines, and
a cable connector comprising:
a first connector side having a release button and a first coupling face that includes a first pin array and a fluidic connector surrounded by a first cylindrical magnet,
a second connector side having a second coupling face that includes a second pin array configured to operably couple and de-couple with the first pin array, a fluid stem surrounded by a second cylindrical magnet, the fluid stem configured to operably couple and de-couple with the fluidic connector of the first connector side, the second cylindrical magnet configured to couple and de-couple with the first cylindrical magnet of the first connector side, and
a first and a second cable portion extending respectively from the first and second connector sides,
wherein actuating the release button causes the first and second coupling faces to disengage, including causing the first and second cylindrical magnets to decouple, causing the first and second pin arrays to de-couple, and causing the fluid stem and fluidic connector to de-couple.
2 . The exoskeleton system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises air and wherein the one or more fluid lines comprise one or more tubes configured to convey the air from an air source at the exoskeleton device to the respective bellows actuators of the left or right leg actuator units to cause selective inflation of the respective bellows actuators of the left or right leg actuator units.
3 . The exoskeleton system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second cable portions consist essentially of:
a single fluid line defined by a tube configured to convey air from an air source at the exoskeleton device;
a single power line configured to convey the electrical power; and
a plurality of communication lines, including at least five communication lines.
4 . The exoskeleton system of claim 1 , wherein the cable connectors are configured for a safety disconnect function that allows the cable connectors to disengage when the cable connectors experience a sufficient pulling force to cause, without the actuation of the release button, the first and second coupling faces to disengage, including causing the first and second cylindrical magnets to decouple, causing the first and second pin arrays to de-couple, and causing the fluid stem and the fluidic connector to de-couple.
5 . An exoskeleton system comprising:
one or more actuator units that comprise one or more fluidic actuators;
an exoskeleton device that includes:
a fluidic system, and
a device configured to control the fluidic system to introduce fluid to the one or more fluidic actuators of the one or more actuator units; and
one or more unitary cables, comprising at least a first unitary cable extending from the exoskeleton device to a first actuator unit, the first unitary cable comprising:
one or more electrical power lines configured to convey electrical power from the exoskeleton device to the first actuator unit,
one or more fluid lines configured to convey the fluid from the exoskeleton device to a first fluidic actuator of the first actuator unit,
one or more communication lines configured to convey communication signals from the exoskeleton device to the first actuator unit, and
a cable connector comprising:
a first connector side having a first coupling face that includes a first pin array, a fluidic connector, and a first magnet, and
a second connector side having a second coupling face that includes a second pin array configured to operably couple and de-couple with the first pin array, a fluid stem configured to operably couple and de-couple with the fluidic connector of the first connector side, and a second magnet configured to couple and de-couple with the first magnet of the first connector side.
6 . The exoskeleton system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more actuator units are configured to be coupled to one or more of a left and right leg of a user.
7 . The exoskeleton system of claim 5 , wherein the first unitary cable comprises a sheath that surrounds and encloses the one or more electrical power lines, the one or more fluid lines, and the one or more communication lines.
8 . The exoskeleton system of claim 5 , wherein the first connector side comprises a release button and wherein actuating the release button causes the first and second coupling faces to disengage, including causing the first and second magnets to decouple, causing the first and second pin arrays to de-couple, and causing the fluid stem and fluidic connector to de-couple.
9 . The exoskeleton system of claim 5 , wherein the first magnet comprises a first cylindrical magnet that surrounds the fluidic connector, and wherein the second magnet comprises a second cylindrical magnet that surrounds the fluid stem.
10 . The exoskeleton system of claim 5 , wherein the cable connector is configured for a safety disconnect function that allows the cable connector to disengage when the cable connector experiences a sufficient pulling force to cause, without the actuation of a release button, the first and second coupling faces to disengage, including causing the first and second magnets to decouple, causing the first and second pin arrays to de-couple, and causing the fluid stem and the fluidic connector to de-couple.
11 . An exoskeleton system comprising:
an exoskeleton device;
a first actuator unit; and
one or more unitary cables comprising at least a first unitary cable configured to extend from the exoskeleton device to the first actuator unit, the first unitary cable comprising:
one or more power lines,
one or more fluid lines,
one or more communication lines, and
a cable connector comprising:
a first connector side having a first coupling face that includes a first pin array, a first fluidic connector, and a first magnet, and
a second connector side having a second coupling face that includes a second pin array configured to operably couple and decouple with the first pin array, a second fluid connector configured to operably couple and decouple with the first fluidic connector of the first connector side, and a second magnet configured to couple and decouple with the first magnet of the first connector side.
12 . The exoskeleton system of claim 11 , wherein the first actuator unit comprises a fluidic actuator.
13 . The exoskeleton system of claim 11 , wherein the exoskeleton device includes:
a fluidic system, and
a device configured to control the fluidic system to introduce fluid to a fluidic actuator of the first actuator unit via the one or more fluid lines.
14 . The exoskeleton system of claim 11 , wherein:
the one or more power lines are configured to convey electrical power from the exoskeleton device to the first actuator unit,
the one or more fluid lines are configured to convey a fluid from the exoskeleton device to a fluidic actuator of the first actuator unit, and
at least one of the one or more communication lines are configured to convey a communication signal from the exoskeleton device to the first actuator unit.
15 . The exoskeleton system of claim 11 , wherein the second fluid connector is a fluid stem.
16 . The exoskeleton system of claim 15 , wherein:
the first unitary cable further comprises a sheath that surrounds and encloses the one or more power lines, the one or more fluid lines, and the one or more communication lines;
the first magnet comprises a first cylindrical magnet that surrounds the first fluidic connector;
the second magnet comprises a second cylindrical magnet that surrounds the fluid stem; and
the cable connector further comprises first and second cable portions extending respectively from the first and second connector sides.
17 . The exoskeleton system of claim 11 , wherein the first connector side comprises a release button and wherein actuating the release button causes the first and second connector sides to disengage.
18 . The exoskeleton system of claim 17 , wherein causing the first and second connector sides to disengage includes causing the first and second magnets to decouple, causing the first and second pin arrays to decouple, and causing the first fluidic connector and the second fluid connector to decouple.
19 . The exoskeleton system of claim 11 , wherein the cable connector is configured for a safety disconnect function that allows the cable connector to disengage when the cable connector experiences a sufficient pulling force to cause the first and second connector sides to disengage.
20 . The exoskeleton system of claim 11 , wherein the first actuator unit is configured to be coupled to one or more of a left and right leg of a user.