U.S. patent number 3,818,487 [Application Number 05/283,523] was granted by the patent office on 1974-06-18 for soft control materials.
Invention is credited to Warren M. Brody, Avery R. Johnson.
United States Patent |
3,818,487 |
Brody , et al. |
June 18, 1974 |
SOFT CONTROL MATERIALS
Abstract
Soft control material usable as an interactive device with a
user, or as a medium of communication between users on the tactile
and least complex level. The material is self organizing; it uses
distributed, self referent, and majority control of regions of the
material, which allows greatly reduced amounts of information to be
transmitted between units for communication therebetween. In its
simplest form the change in total surface area of two adjacent
bladders filled with Freon is detected as the individual bladder
temperatures of the Freon increase or decrease to the boiling or
condensing points.
Inventors: |
Brody; Warren M. (Milford,
NH), Johnson; Avery R. (Milford, NH) |
Family
ID: |
23086446 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/283,523 |
Filed: |
August 24, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
340/407.1;
137/247.17; 137/271; 137/468; 417/474 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F03G
7/06 (20130101); Y10T 137/5283 (20150401); Y10T
137/4486 (20150401); Y10T 137/7737 (20150401); H01H
2215/046 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F03G
7/06 (20060101); G08b 001/00 (); G08b 001/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;340/407,365A ;178/17D
;235/21PF,21R,21ME,2R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Habecker; Thomas B.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Pascal; Edward E.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A soft control structure comprising:
a. a multiplicity of bladders disposed adjacent each other in a
three dimensional array,
b. a multiplicity of tubes passing through the array for carrying
cooling or warming fluid for the bladders,
c. a compressible, porpous medium surrounding and supporting the
bladders and the tubes in position,
d. low boiling point fluid contained within each of the
bladders,
e. pressure sensing, heat sensing, and heating means interspersed
among the (a), (b), and (c) elements
f. self organizing control means having a multiplicity of command
input ports and control signal output ports, a predetermined number
of command input ports connected to said sensing elements within a
predetermined volume of said array extending through the array to
one surface thereof, the remaining command input ports being
connected to said sensing elements disposed in a second volume of
said structure coaxial with the first volume, decreasing in
connection frequency radially outward from the centre of the
surface of said predetermined volume; a predetermined number of
control signal output ports being connected to said heating
elements in said predetermined volume of said array extending
through the array to the surface, the remaining control output
ports being connected to said heating elements disposed in the
second volume of said array, decreasing in connection frequency
radially outward from said predetermined volume.
2. A soft control structure as defined in claim 1, in which the
elements are arranged with the smallest bladders in a surface
cutaneous layer, and larger bladders in a subcutaneous layer
disposed under the cutaneous layer, each of the bladders containing
a predetermined amount of low boiling point fluid.
3. A structure as defined in claim 2, in which the compressible
porous medium in the cutaneous layer is comprised of elastic,
porous foam material, and the compressible porous material in the
subcutaneous layer is comprised of loose, fibrous, generally
nonelastic foam material.
4. A structure as defined in claim 3, in which said tubes extend
through both the cutaneous and subcutaneous layers to the surface
of the cutaneous layer, branching into a larger number of tubes in
the cutaneous layer than in the subcutaneous layer, and further
comprising means for pumping air through the tubes to the surface
of the cutaneous layer.
5. A structure as defined in claim 4, further comprising a muscle
layer disposed under the subcutaneous layer, having predetermined
numbers of muscle means, each of said numbers being disposed under
said predetermined volume, adapted to expand against and pulse the
subcutaneous layer within said predetermined volume; a gill layer
disposed under the muscle layer adapted to supply air to said tubes
and to cool the muscle means; pump means adapted to pump air
through the gill layer connected to the gill layer; and a
compressible porous material disposed between the muscle means, and
filling the gill layer.
6. A structure as defined in claim 5, in which the pressure and
heat sensing and heating elements are disposed adjacent and on the
surface of predetermined numbers of bladders and tubes, and on the
surface of the cutaneous layer in a regular array.
7. A soft control structure as defined in claim 6, in which the low
boiling point fluid is comprised of Freon.
8. A soft control structure as defined in claim 1, further
comprising a second structure isolated from the first
comprising:
a. a second multiplicity of bladders arranged in a second three
dimensional array,
b. a second multiplicity of tubes passing through the array for
carrying cooling or warming fluid,
c. a compressible porous medium surrounding the bladders and the
tubes,
d. low boiling point fluid contained within the bladders,
e. pressure sensing temperature sensing, and heating means
interspersed among the latter (a), (b), and (c) elements,
f. the predetermined and remaining numbers of command inputs being
connected in parallel to the sensing elements in the predetermined
and second volumes of the first structure and respective similar
predetermined and second volumes of the second array in a similar
manner, and the predetermined and remaining numbers of control
signal outputs being connected in parallel to the heating elements
disposed in said predetermined and second volumes of the first and
respective similar predetermined and second volumes of the second
structure, in a similar manner.
9. A soft control structure as defined in claim 8, further
including rigid structural support means disposed against and
holding the surface of said structure opposite the cutaneous layer,
whereby a person may be supported upon the surface of the cutaneous
layer, heat and pressure from his body being applied and blocking
air flow on the surface of the structure, thereby interacting with
the structure.
10. A soft control structure comprising:
a. a pair of housings
b. a multiplicity of bladders containing an expandable fluid, less
than 1/2 inch in diameter when expanded, generally filling each of
the housings,
c. a multiplicity of heat and pressure sensing elements regularly
disposed among and on the surface of the bladders,
d. a self organizing control means having a multiplicity of command
input and control signal output ports, having its command input
ports connected to individual heat and pressure sensing elements in
parallel with corresponding ones of said elements in each of the
housings,
e. means connected to the control signal output ports for causing
expansion of said bladders as determined by said control means in
parallel duplication in each of said housings.
11. A soft control structure as defined in claim 10, in which the
expandable fluid is comprised of Freon, and in which the (e) means
is comprised of heating elements disposed among said bladders in
parallel correspondence in each of said housings.
12. A soft control structure comprising:
a. a first bladder,
b. a second flexible-walled bladder disposed contiguous with the
first bladder,
c. low boiling point fluid held within the first and second
bladders,
d. means for applying heat or cold to the fluid, whereby the fluid
above its boiling point will be caused to condense and the fluid
below its boiling point will be caused to boil, the first and
second bladders thus individually contracting or expanding and
acting against each other, and
e. means for sensing the combined surface change of both said
bladders.
13. A soft control structure as defined in claim 12 in which the
low boiling point fluid is comprised of Freon.
14. A soft control structure as defined in claim 13, further
including a flexible pipe-shaped and inexpandable member, a
multiplicity of alternating donut shaped second bladders coaxially
and contiguously disposed inside said pipe-shaped member, each of
said bladders containing predetermined amounts of low boiling point
fluid; a carrier fluid contained within the inner regions of said
pipe-shaped member within the donut holes of said bladders, and
means for applying heat to limited lengths of said pipe-shaped
member for transmission to the low boiling point fluid, whereby the
underlying bladders are caused to expand and constrict inwardly,
forcing the carrier fluid to flow away from the constricted
region.
15. A soft control structure as defined in claim 14, in which the
pipe-shaped member is comprised of flexible material adapted to
form coaxial bulges when said bladders are expanded; further
including erectile flaps having one edge of each attached to said
pipe-shaped member along a line on it's periphery to one side of
the peak of the bulges, said flaps being adapted to erect when the
second bladders are inflated, and to lie flat upon the surface of
the pipe-shaped member when the second bladders are not
inflated.
16. A soft control structure as defined in claim 15, in which the
flaps are disposed on the surface of the pipe shaped member facing
the means for applying heat or cold; the outer surface of the flaps
having an upper surface of heat absorbing material, and an under
surface of heat reflecting material.
17. A soft control structure as defined in claim 12, in which the
first and second bladders and additional numbers thereof are in the
form of closed tubes connected so as to form a sheet of tubes, the
sheet being storable in a flat, folded or rolled configuration,
which upon being raised in temperature, is adapted to erect into a
self supporting structure predetermined in shape by the physical
relationship and location of said bladders.
18. A soft control structure as defined in claim 12, in which the
first and second bladders are in the form of closed tubes connected
in parallel along their respective edges so as to form a sheet of
tubes, further including a first erectile group of flaps having one
of each of their edges connected to the tubes along similarly
facing sides of the tubes adjacent the line of connection between
each of the tubes, and a second group of flaps connected along one
of their edges to the tubes adjacent the line of connection between
the tubes, and connected along the other edges to the other edges
of the first group of flaps, the second set of flaps being apapted
to stretch taut upon erection of the first group of flaps by
inflation of the second bladder, and fold under the first group of
flaps upon recumbence thereof, the first or second group of flaps
having an outer surface of heat absorbing material, and the
remaining second or first group of flaps having an outer surface of
heat reflecting material.
19. A soft control structure as defined in claim 18, in which the
surface of the tubes opposite the sides covered by the first and
second flaps forms a continuous membrane, and further including
means for interconnecting the junctions between the flaps so as to
define a predetermined plane area supported by the flaps in their
erected mode, the predetermined plane being larger in area than the
area of the continuous membrane, such that when the flaps are in
their erected mode, the entire second bladder structure forms a
bowed shape due to the differential bending thereof.
20. A soft control structure as defined in claim 12 further
including a narrow opening between the first and second bladders of
predetermined size such as to allow passage of the fluid in its
gaseous phase at a predetermined rate, the (d) means comprising
means for heat or cold pulsing each said bladder in sequence.
21. A soft control structure as defined in claim 12, in which the
second bladder is of the form of a fluid-carrying compressible tube
passing through two walls of the first bladder, the walls of the
first bladder being comprised of non-elastic material.
22. A soft control structure as defined in claim 21, further
including fluid heating means disposed within the first
bladder.
23. A soft control structure as defined in claim 12, in which the
first bladder is of the form of a thick hollow-walled cylinder,
comprised of an inner cylindrical wall joined and sealed at its
ends to an outer cylindrical wall, and in which the second bladder
is in the form of a narrow fluid-carrying tube passing through the
sealed ends of said cylinder between the inner and outer walls,
whereby fluid at one temperature can pass through said cylinder
within the inner cylindrical wall, and fluid at another temperature
through said tube.
24. A soft control structure as defined in claim 12, in which the
first bladder is in the form of a tube, and the second bladder is
in the form of a Klein Bottle disposed contiguous with the tube,
further comprising means for applying fluid pressure to the mouth
of the Klein Bottle.
25. A structure as defined in claim 24, further including a fluid
outlet valve connected through the wall of the larger diameter
section of the Klein Bottle.
Description
This invention relates to a novel class of soft controlled
structures which may be used to interact with a user as a medium of
communication, as well as to perform controlling functions.
It is usual, when designing a medium of communication, to determine
an objective, to choose materials, then to construct a structure to
fulfill the objective. Normally the materials are hard, in the
sense that a gear may be cast, a frame for a machine may be
constructed to a definite shape, an electrical circuit may pass
current through a hard wired circuit, etc.
One step removed from the hard structure is the programmed
structure, involving computers, in which functions to be performed
may be changed at will through programming. A large number of
programs may be stored in the computer, giving the appearance of
great versitility, but the operation of the computer is still
limited by the programs stored, and their function in relation to
the data fed to it. In this sense the programs, or software, are
used to control hard materials.
A step removed from the programmed computers is the self organizing
control system, which, in application to a computer-like control
system, learns to provide output signals related to the success or
failure of earlier output signals to bring the controlled system to
a previously defined, or externally defined, set of objectives. The
present invention is concerned with a self organized control system
as applied to soft materials. The preferred embodiments involve
decentralized control, as opposed to the more usually encountered
central control.
It has been found that as the amount of information one wishes to
transmit in a given time from one operating entity to another
grows, the wider the transmission bandwidth required. For this
reason, many modern control systems, such as computer communication
systems, utilize some measure of local processing, after which only
reduced amounts of information need be transmitted from one
communicating entity to another.
We have found, however, that by providing completely localized
control loops, a description of the information that need be
communicated may be obtained by monitoring the operation of the
loops themselves, rather than by monitoring the information
processed by them. To give a simplistic analogy to a computer
circuit, it is enough to know that a flip-flop in a ring counter
has operated to deduce that a bit of information has been
processed, and it is not necessary to know precisely what bits of
information each segment of the counter has stored, at all
times.
This invention is concerned not with monitoring the stimulae and
information processed in each local unit, but with monitoring the
response of the local unit to stimulae and its own information
processing.
Thus it will be seen that in this invention a multiplicity of
localized loops will be provided, interacting in an unprogrammed
mode. Communication between localized units, and groups of units,
will be at the level of sensing response, rather than of
information processed.
Another factor involving the control structure of this invention
relates to complexity of communication. Consider a scale of
increased complexity of information transfer between persons, or
between persons and machines: (a) the least complex or immediate;
as in touching, between mother and child, or child and pet; (b)
more complex, communal; as between two individuals pulling taffy,
the hands-on or manipulative instruction; (c) still more complex,
adjacent; as between two persons tuning a radio transmitter
together; (d) still more complex, metaphorical; as between a
computer operator and a light-pen graphic display, or a teacher
drawing on a blackboard; (e) to the most complex, symbolic;
including speech, computer programming, etc. Conventional control
systems require interface and communication at the most complex of
the above levels, which required, in correspondence, the most
complex communication in terms of data to be transmitted to have a
message sent and received.
The present invention provides for greatly reduced complexity of
communication, since communication is provided at the least complex
level of the aforementioned scale. This level is related to
tactility. It will be seen that communication is obtained via
pressure, texture, temperature, and movement.
In summary, this invention in its most complex form is directed to
a communication system, as between units and a user, or units with
each other, which has a large degree of localized control, and
which transmits data from one unit to another or to a user, related
to its own response to the information processed, rather than to
the information itself; the system may be said to be both
self-organizing and self-referent. While communication between
units, or units and a user may be via electrical or electromagnetic
interface, it is preferred but not limited to communication via
heat, cooling, and/or application of pressure.
To construct this invention a new class of components has been
invented, and as a group they will be referred to in this
specification and Soft Control Materials (S.C.M.). It will be
appreciated that each component may be used as a part of the
system, or as a device with its own utility. To give an easier
understood description of this invention, examples of many of the
components will be described (additional ones becoming immediately
obvious) followed by a system structure.
The basic structural units of S.C.M. are bags of gas, some sealed,
some valved, some having holes or slits in their walls.
Alternatively, foamed material having either open or closed cell
construction may be used, the material chosen being dependent on
its application. While the gas used may be air or nitrogen, it has
been found that Freon provides advantages of particular utility,
and hence is preferred. Freon may be made to boil at convenient
temperatures such as room temperature and temperatures not far
therefrom. Hence only a small amount of heat need be added or
removed, or pressure applied or released from a given volume, and
exceedingly large changes in volume in changing from liquid to gas
or gas to liquid are observed. Similar external effects may be
obtained by fluidic valving, using either well-known hard fluidic
valves, or S.C.M. valves as will be described herebelow. The latter
form of the invention is also within the spirit and scope, as
described and defined.
A more detailed description of the invention will be given with
reference to the drawings referred to below, in which:
FIG. 1 is a graph of vapor pressure of mixtures of two types of
Freon gases at various temperatures;
FIG. 2 is a crossection of a piston pump according to one
embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 2A is a portion of the crossection shown in FIG. 2, showing an
alternative means for suppling heat;
FIG. 3 shows the crossection of the basic elements of a portion of
a self-pumping pipeline;
FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.3,
which is driven by the sun;
FIGS. 5A to 5E show the basic elements of various structural and
textural components of S.C.M.;
FIGS. 6A TO 6E shows the crossection of the basic elements of a
heat driven flip-flop component of S.C.M.;
FIGS. 7 and 8 show the crossection of two types of valves for use
in S.C.M. systems;
FIG. 9,10, and 11 show the crossections of 3 types of valves for
use in S.C.M. systems; FIG.
FIGS. 12A, 12B and 12C show in plan different stages in the
operation of two types of torous valves;
FIGS. 13A and 13B show in crossection two examples of another form
of valve;
FIG. 14 shows in crossection an example of a cusp valve;
FIGS. 15A and 15B shows an unique valve in the form of a Klein
Bottle;
FIG. 16 shows how FIGS. 17 and 18 should be placed and viewed
together;
FIGS. 17 and 18 together show in crossection a schematic of an
example of a portion of an S.C.M. system;
FIG. 19 shows an enlargement of the gill portion of the S.C.M.
system, and
FIG. 20 shows a schematic of a two way communication system using
an S.C.M. system.
As noted above, the preferred gas to use within the gas bladders or
bags is Freon, or more specifically, mixtures of different types of
Freon. For instance, a mixture of 30% Freon 11 and 70% Freon 113 in
liquid form, by weight, will provide a liquid which is stable to
98.5 degrees Farhenheight at 14.7 pounds per square inch absolute
(normal air pressure at sea level) and will boil at higher
temperatures, or lower pressures, or combinations thereof. It will
be appreciated that the change from liquid to gas provides
tremendous expansion volume ratios. A heater, selectively operated
in a bag of liquid Freon of proper composition, can cause a quart
sized bladder holding 1/2 ounce of Freon to inflate rigidly.
FIG. 1 is a graph of vapor pressure of Freon 11 - Freon 113
solutions at various temperatures. From this graph, a proper Freon
solution for a specific application may be selected. It is believed
that other graphs may be obtained from E.I. Dupont De Nemours &
Co. Inc., Freon Products Division, Wilmington, Delaware, 19898. It
is preferred that Freons similar to Dupont Freon No. 114B2 and No.
114 should be used, since their toxicity is low.
Since Freon is a superfluid, the bladders carrying it in both
liquid and gas form must be sealed perfectly, as any pore will
cause loss of virtually all the fluid. It has been found that
bladders made of the material Capron, tradename of the
aforementioned E.I. Dupont De Nemours have utility in this respect,
as the material appears to hold Freon reliably. Some prototypes of
the invention, however, were made of a laminate of Saran, Mylar,
polyurethane and polyvinyl alcohol.
A simple motor as shown in FIG. 2 forms one type of component of
the invention. The motor is comprised of a sealed bladder in the
form of a bellows 1, within a cylinder 2 made of hard material. The
cylinder 2 shown can have one end open, and the other end closed
except for an annular opening 3. A heat conductive disc 4 of about
the inner diameter of the cylinder 2 is placed therewithin, upon
which the end of the bellows may bear. A small amount of Freon is
held within the bellows, the amount dependent on the size of the
bellows and the amount of desired expansion thereof.
It may be seen that as heat, shown by the arrows, is applied to the
bottom of the cylinder, disc 4 conducts the heat to the bottom of
the bellows, transferring it to the liquid Freon held inside. As
the Freon is raised in temperature above its boiling point, it
begins to change to its vapor phase, greatly expanding, causing the
bellows to expand and extend within the cylinder 2.
As the heat is removed, the Freon will be caused to revert to its
liquid phase, greatly contracting and pulling the bellows
closed.
While the structure just described appears very simple, it forms a
very useful component of S.C.M. systems. For instance the heat
applied from the sun, the motor being used as a pump to raise
levels of water, or do other useful work with diurnal or a multiple
thereof periodicy. Alternatively, and more directly to the point of
this invention, cylinder 2 may be a cylindrical gas bag which
itself may be caused to expand or contract, narrowing or expanding
the inside diameter wherein the bellows is caused to move. By
selecting the inside diameter at will the inside volume is caused
to change, and the bellows may be caused to expand to longer or
shorter distances along the axis of the cylinder, presuming a
predetermined amount of heat is applied thereto.
As a further alternative, two bellows may be placed head to head,
so to speak, in a cylinder, containing the same, or different,
boiling point Freons. By applying the same or differing amounts of
heat to their ends, they can provide flip-flop or differential
operations and the positions of their head junctions can be
monitored as an output.
Singly or in the aforementioned combinations, movement of the
bellows can provide either pressure on another component of the
system or useful "hard" work by means of well known leverage
systems.
An alternative method of supplying heat to the bellows is shown in
FIG. 2A. Here a heating element, usefully electrical in structure,
is disposed within the bellows at a location preferably where the
Freon in the liquid phase is expected to pool. The wires will cause
the heating element to heat up, locally boiling the Freon, causing
the described expansion.
As an example, a coil of Nichrome resistance wire, having a
resistance of 6 ohms per foot, made up of 1 foot of wire wound into
a narrow helix 3 inches long, which was in turn wound into a 1/2
inch helix of approximately 3/8 inch diameter to which a voltage of
12 volts was applied, boiled 2 ounces of liquid Freon having a
75.degree. F boiling point.
Another form of pump component according to this invention is shown
in FIG. 3.
In FIG. 3, donut shaped bags 5 holding a small quantity of liquid
of low boiling point, such as Freon are axially disposed about the
inner periphery of a cylinder or bladder in the shape of pipe 6. It
is preferred but not essential, that an inner linear 7 forms a
flexible inner pipe within the holes of the donuts. The pipe-shaped
bladder preferable is flexible, but not expandable.
Upon application of heat or pressure to the liquid in the
cylindrical bags 5, the bags are caused to expand inwardly,
narrowing their holes, as the three shown as reference 5A in FIG.
3. The resulting reduced diameter of the inner liner 7 causes
displacement of any fluid inside to either side of the narrowed
portion.
It will be obvious that if the heat source is moved along the pipe,
in a cyclical and sequential manner, fluid inside the inner liner
will be impelled in a single direction.
Accordingly if, for instance, donut shaped bags labelled A,C,E,G,
etc. were pulsed sequentially, as the fluid flowing past bag A is
impelled to the right, once it passes through the hole central of
bag C, the constriction of the inner walls of bag C will impel the
fluid also to the right, at least to the degree required to
overcome friction acting to stop the fluid flow. Similarly, bags
E,G, etc will expand in sequence, further impelling the fluid to
the right.
There is no special reason that only every second bag be caused in
sequence. Once a pulse of fluid is past a particular bag, it may
then be allowed to contract in order to expand again in proper
time. While the already expanded bags are contracting, the
alternate bags B,D,F,H, etc. also are caused to expand sequentially
and further aid the pumping action.
Of course, each single bag, or groups of bags may be caused to
expand sequentially as required by the specific application.
When operated and pulsed properly as described above, the inner
portion of the pipe appears to constrict as an organism in
peristalsis, constrictions in the pipe passing down as in an
intestine.
It will be obvious that the gas bags will also inflate under
pressure controlled by a fluidic control system of well known
design, as a sequence of ring counter elements.
However, the use of Freon as the fluid within the bags, with no
external fluidic controls has particular utility. In one
embodiment, a heater may be inserted within each gas bag to be
inflated. The heaters can be controlled from an external electronic
control system of conventional design.
In order to reduce the external control required with a view to
approaching the principles of localized control discussed earlier
in this specification, one heater may be inserted in a single donut
having a predetermined boiling point Freon, an adjacent cylinder in
one direction having a lower boiling point Freon; successive donuts
in the same direction having successively lower boiling point
Freons in order. When the first heater causes the first donut to
expand, it will transfer heat to the second donut, as well as exert
pressure. The small amount of heat transferred will cause some of
the Freon in the second donut to expand, ballooning it. This
sequence will carry on to each successive bag, each expansion
triggering the next in a self-propagating wave to the lowest
boiling point Freon bag. At this point, the heat pulse to the first
bag must be repeated.
The above-described self-pumping pipeline may be used in certain
types of hostile environments without external maintenance. One
typical environment is a desert in which the prime power available
is the heat from the sun. In this environment, the necessary
pumping action may be very slow as compared with conventional
pumps, since one pulse may be in time cycle with the sun. Such a
system is shown in FIG. 4.
The pipeline is constructed similar to that of FIG. 3, except that
the outer pipe 6 should be constructed of a flexible membrane. The
purpose of the flexible membrane is that when each of the bags 5
are expanded, they will form a bumpy surface along the bladder 6
caused by the bulges of each of the inflated donut shapes. Attached
to each of the segments is a stiff erectile flap 8 having an upper
heat absorbing surface. Since each of the flaps 8 is attached to
the pipe membrane at approximately the side of the cylindrical bags
5, expansion of one of the bags such as the one labelled D will
cause the flap 8 to move substantially from its rest position as
shown, since it lies at the side of the inflated, bulging, donut
shape. With none of the bags expanded, the heat absorbing surfaces
8 will lie approximately flat upon the surface of the pipe 6.
Each successive bag is filled respectively with low, medium, and
high boiling point Freon; for instance 60 degree boiling point
Freon in bag A, 80 degree boiling point Freon in bag B, and 100
degree point Freon in bag C (all temperatures Fahrenheit).
Therefore bags A,D,G, etc contain 60 degree Freon, bags B,E, and H
will contain 80 degree boiling point Freon, and bags C,F, and I
will contain 100 degree Freon. Of course other arrangements and
Freons having other values of boiling points may be used, as long
as the lowest boiling point Freon can be expanded without
disturbing the next.
As the desert sun rises over the pipeline, as the day progresses,
first the most easterly 60 degree Freon is caused to boil.
Therefore, the morning sun will be found to trigger bags A,D, and G
into expansion. As the gas bags expand, the heat absorbing surfaces
will rise, turning their dark faces away from the sun.
Once the heat absorbing surfaces have turned away from the sun, the
bags will cool, contracting, and lowering the heat absorbing
surfaces to the position eventually to an equilibrium position.
Since the sun does not stay in the same place, however, the cycle
will be continuously repeated until the sun is in a position to
heat the heat absorbing surfaces to the erected state even when the
heat absorbing surfaces have risen. A highly directional flap face,
such as a prismatic lens as used in a traffic stop-light, can be
used to cause oscillation at multiple diurnal oscillation and
pumping frequencies.
As an example, assume that when the sun is in its 10 o'clock
position, the heat-absorbing surfaces attached to bags B,E, and H
which hold 80 degree Freon will absorb enough heat to cause the
movement as described above, the 60 degree Freon bags having
already cycled to the equilibrium point and being fully expanded.
Similarly, the noon sun will trigger the 100 degree boiling point
bags C,F, and I into a cycling mode.
Since with a long pipeline many hundreds or thousands of miles long
the sun will reach the most eastern end of the pipeline at an
earlier stage than the most western, a slow pumping action as
between segments of the entire pipeline will be found to occur. As
the sun begins shining in the east, the most easterly gas bags
holding the 60 degree boiling point Freon will begin to pulse, and
as the sun travels westward, the 60 degree bags down the pipeline
will provide a pumping action as described earlier.
As the sun rises in the east to a greater extent, the gas bags
holding 80 degree Freon will begin a pulsing pumping action in a
similar manner, as between themselves and their counterparts in a
westerly direction down the pipe. Later the 100 degree boiling
point Freon bags will function.
It will of course be realized that while the above described
pipeline may be usefully employed in such locations as deserts,
etc., tubes constructed similarly of millimeter diameter may be
used to control fluids in communication systems, and of course the
slow response time can be substantially altered. The heat supplied
may not necessarily be provided from the sun, but may be warmth
from parts of a human body, heat control pulses derived from
peripheral soft control mechanisms, or heat given off from various
hard machines such as adjacent motors, friction devices, etc. The
pipeline pump may be used to constrict or to provide fluid flow as
a logical element. Monitoring of the element may be provided by
sensing which bag in a sequence is expanded, by obtaining a
reflectivity index from the heat absorbing surfaces 8, or by
obtaining a surface texture reading; monitoring need not requuire
measuring of the fluid flow itself.
It may be seen that the surfaces 8 need not be individually
monitored in order to obtain information as to that is transpiring
within the pipe. If the surfaces 8 carry reflective means on them,
a reflectivity index may be calibrated and used to obtain velocity
and volume of fluid flow. With the pipe pulsing and pumping at
either a diurnal or higher rate, ripples of light will appear to be
transmitted down the pipe. The frequency thereof may be used to
control additional logical elements.
As an example, a pipe of capillary tube size can usefully be used
to reflect or absorb heat from adjacent logical soft control
materials. Alternatively, parts of the human body may be interfaced
directly therewith (as the hand). A human can obtain a tactile
indication of what is happening within the pipe. The eye can
similarly gain an impression of what is happening within the pipe
without resorting to a count of specific elements or frequency of
movement.
The surfaces 8 can also be painted various colors, and color
changes and textural changes may usefully be used as output
indicators in monitoring activity of the pipe.
FIGS. 5A and 5B show more specific applications of the use of
surfaces 8.
In FIG. 5A the ends of stiff surfaces 8 not attached to the bags of
Freon are connected by second flexible flaps to another part of the
surfaces of the bags 9. This also illustrated in FIG. 5B, which
shows surfaces 8 connected to the junctions of individual bags 9.
The bags shown in FIG. 5B are, of course, in their inflated
mode.
By way of example, surface 8 is black and surface 8A is reflective,
for instance, painted with aluminum paint, silvered, etc. In FIG.
5A, with the bags collapsed, the application of heat to the
surfaces 8 will cause heat to be absorbed because the black
surfaces face the source of heat. The heat source may be the sun,
an electric heater, any radiant or conductive body, etc. which may
be nearby or touching.
Once heat is absorbed, it is transmitted by reradiation or
conduction to the bags full of Freon, causing the Freon to boil,
inflating the bags. Since the surfaces 8 and 8A are connected to
opposite sides of the bags 9 as shown, once the bags are inflated,
they will begin to erect into the position shown in FIG. 5B.
A number of very useful applications result from this structure.
Once the bags 9 are inflated, less of the black heat absorbing
surface is exposed to the heat source, and since a proportion of
the heat will be reflected by the reflecting surface 8A, the amount
of heat absorbed by the bags 9 will be regulated; the structure
thus performs a regulating action.
Secondly, the texture of the surface changes from being virtually
flat, with the surfaces folded as shown in FIG. 5A, to a roughness
as shown in FIG. 5B. The structure can be fabricated into rolls of
material fabricated with ribs of bladders containing small amounts
of liquid Freon. Upon unrolling the material, the Freon may be
allowed or caused to absorb heat, causing the bladders to expand
and stretch, forming relatively firm ribs to a predefined
structural shape. Accordingly, such structures as baby bottles and
light furniture can be stored flat and in dispensing rolls, forming
it's well known shape after unrolling and absorbing heat.
In addition, it will be seen that the thickness of the structure
increases substantially, thus changing its insulating qualities. If
a pair of conducting planes are attached across the peaks of the
surfaces, the capacitance of the structure between the planes can
change. Various additional applications can be made with the basic
structure, from changing electrical conductivity by the increased
dispersion of a carbon colloid which is disposed on the surfaces,
to changes in color or design, having different surfaces painted as
desired, and different structural strengths, flexibility, etc.
It may be seen that the above noted variations may be used to good
advantage for controlling and monitoring purposes.
It will also become obvious that the size of the structure can vary
from capillary size, for example, in which the gas bags are
microcapsules, to the size of housing structures or larger. For
instance, FIG. 5C shows a self regulating housing structure in the
form of a dome, which uses surfaces 8 and 8A between a pair of
transparent and flexible membranes 10 and 10A. Heat, for instance
from the sun, will be conducted by the surface 8 to the air inside
the hollow of the structure, causing it to inflate through the
"hothouse effect." With inflation, the surfaces 8 and 8A expand to
their triangular configuration, automatically regulating the amount
of heat applied to the inside of the structure, as well as
maintaining structural shape.
Of course, the spaces within the structure of the dome of FIG. 5C
can be filled with Freon, for faster and more positive inflation.
The entire dome can also be made extremely small, for example 1/2
inch in diameter or smaller. Thus the structure can be used to
obtain changes in texture, capacitance, electrical conductivity,
color, etc. as described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B.
The structure of FIG. 5D is similar to the one of FIG. 5C except it
is in flat configuration. Surfaces 8, instead of being stiff, are
flexible, while upper and lower planes 11 and 11A are inflexible.
Movement of plate 11 parallel to 11A will cause more or less of the
black or reflective surfaces 8 and 8A to be exposed to a heat
source. Accordingly, differential movement of plates 11 and 11A can
alter the point of equilibrium of the entire system.
Turning now to FIG. 5E, a flat plate is shown on which is attached
a multiplicity of the elements described with reference to FIGS.
5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D. For instance, element D is a device similar to
FIG. 5D; elements B are those similar to FIG. 5B, and elements C
are small domes of the type described with reference to FIG. 5C.
Elements F are small cylindrical pipes with air or Freon disposed
within, which expand or contract with the amount of heat conducted
to their interior.
The embodiment shown in FIG. 5E may be used for a variety of
purposes. For instance, repeated in various configurations it can
form a pleasing and changing wallpaper, which changes it's texture,
reflectivity, color, etc., as heat or light is applied to various
portions thereof. As used in a restaurant, for instance, body heat
can be amplified and made to change the texture of the portion of
the wall material next to a customer, for a pleasing effect.
Changes in electrical conductivity, capacitance, reflectivity,
etc., can be used to control useful external circuits which can
interface another person or other control systems located nearby or
connected thereto.
FIGS. 6A to 6E show schematically a soft control material
oscillator or flip flop. A pair of flexible and resilient bags 12
and 13 are connected together through a narrow tube or opening 14
therebetween. The tube 14 allows pressurized gas to flow from bag
12 into bag 13, or vice versa.
Within bag 12 a small quantity of Freon is held, in its liquid
form, while bag 13 is empty. Liquid form Freon is symbolized as a
rectangle within the bag, while gaseous Freon is shown as a
circle.
Turning now to FIG. 6B, it may be seen that a first pulse of heat
(depicted by the arrows) is applied to the structure. The freon
will boil, turning to a gas, expanding bag 12 until the gas is
under considerable pressure. The gaseous Freon will begin to escape
into bag 13 through tube 14.
FIG. 6C shows by the arrow the flow of gaseous Freon through the
tube 14 into bag 13, whereby bag 12 deflates. However, as the Freon
gas flows through the valve into bag 13, it suddenly expands,
cooling it. In the stage of the cycle shown in FIG. 6C a small
amount of gas is left in bag 12 while the Freon which has entered
bag 13 has condensed to a liquid. The bag 12 has contracted to a
size just sufficient to maintain gas pressure through tube 14,
whereupon it ceases contraction. Therefore, it may be seen that bag
12 gas gone from a contracted stage in FIG. 6A to an expanded stage
in FIG. 6B, and back to a mostly-contracted stage in FIG. 6C.
A second pulse of heat is then applied to bag 13, shown by the
arrows in FIG. 6D.
In FIG. 6D the heat pulse has begun to heat up the liquid Freon in
bag 13. The Freon then boils, expanding bag 13 until the gas
pressure is sufficient to force the Freon through tube 14 into bag
12. At this stage, bag 13 is inflated while bag 12 is only
inflated. As the gaseous Freon flows through tube 14, it suddenly
expands, causing it to liquify through condensation. This will also
cause some of the remaining Freon in bag 12 to become cooled,
helping to liquify part of it. Thus it may be seen that from a
contracted stage in FIG. 6C, bag 13 has expanded in FIG. 6D,
whereupon it is completely contracted in FIG. 6E.
In FIG. 6E and additional external heat pulse has caused the
liquidified Freon in bag 12 to expand, forcing the now-gaseous
Freon into bag 13 as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C. The cycle will now
continuously repeat itself as alternately applied pulses of heat
are repetitively applied to each bag in succession. Accordingly, an
expansion oscillator has been provided using the soft control
material principles of this invention.
The heat pulses may also be applied in inverse, as pulses of cold,
in a reciprical inverse structure. One method of applying a pulse
of cold is by spraying the bag or bladder with liquid Freon which
will quickly evaporate, drawing heat out of the bag. Alternatively
hot gaseous Freon can be sprayed on the surface of a bag, and upon
condensing, releases its heat to the condensed Freon within the
bag, providing a heat pulse.
The resulting oscillation, vibration, or flip-flop action may be
used to stimulate parts of the human body for communication or
sensing purposes, may be used to apply pressure upon other tubes in
order to constrict or change fluid flow wherethrough, or may be
used a valves, etc, within other tubes. Variations of the described
systems may utilize different types of Freon within different
chambers, allowing the construction of monostable or other types of
flip-flops, three level logic devices, etc. The various chambers
may be connected by elastomers or additional bags may be connected
to the assembly in a now obvious manner to one skilled in the art
understanding this invention, in order to produce ring counters,
more complex vibratile devices, etc.
Other useful soft control devices are classes of valves, a number
of which will now be described.
Turning now to FIG. 7, a first valve is shown which comprises a
first compressible fluid-carrying tube 16. The arrow within the
tube is intended to depict movement of a fluid therethrough. A
capsule 17 of non-elastic material, houses an impermeable bag 18
filled with Freon chosen to be liquid at a preferred temperature.
The temperature, of course, will be determined by the
specifications of the system, and can be determined by one skilled
in the art understanding this invention having a specific
application. If the capsule 17 is impermeable, bag 18 may be
deleted.
The tube 16 passes through two walls of the capsule 17, and is
sealed at the entry and exit points.
A heating means, which preferably is a heating wire of coil 19, is
disposed within the Freon, within the solid caplule 17.
In operation, fluid flows through the first tube 16. Upon
application of an electric current to heating coil 19, the Freon
within the solid capsule or impermeable bag turns to a gas and
begins exerting pressure on the walls of the first tube 16. After
enough pressure has been applied, the walls of the first tube 16
colllapse upon themselves, cutting off the flow of fliud
therethrough.
It may therefore be seen that the application of electric current
to the heating coil 19 will cause the device to act as a valve,
cutting off fluid flow through the first tube 16.
Alternatively, the solid tube 16 can be made of heat obsorbent or
conductive material and be in physical, radiant, or convectional
contact with an external source of heat. The presentation of heat
to the body will cause the Freon to expand, cutting off fluid flow
through the same mechanism as described above.
Turning now to FIG. 8, an alternate type of valve is shown, which
can operatue as a flip flop valve.
A first cylinder 20 of heat insulating resilient material is
comprised of inner cylindrical wall 21 and outer cylindrical wall
22. The space between the two walls is filled with Freon. The ends
of the tubes 20 and 21 should be joined in order to form a
container for the Freon.
A second cylinder or tube 23, usefully of about the same diameter
as the tub e formed by inner wall 21, but not necessarily of that
diameter, is disposed between inner and outer walls 21 and 22,
emerging at the ends of the first cylinder 20. The ends of the
walls 21 and22 are sealed around the second tube 23.
Freon fluid A, or indeed any fluid in liquid phase, is caused to
flow through the first cylinder 20 within the tube formed by the
inner wall 21. Freon fluid B is caused to flow through tube 23.
When fluid A is heated, the Freon encapsulated between walls 21 and
22 will begin to expand, eventually causing enough pressure between
the walls to pinch tube 23, cutting off flow therethrough.
Alternatively fluid B, becoming hot, will cause expansion of the
Freon between the walls 21 and 22, causing enough pressure to
collapse the tube formed by wall 21.
When Freon fluid A is hot, it will exert considerable pressure, and
therefore will counteract the pressure exerted by the Freon
encapsulated between the walls 21 and 22, avoiding collapse of tube
21. In the second case, when Freon fluid B is hot, it will
similarly exert enough pressure to avoid collapse of tube 23.
Accordingly, it may be seen that by flowing heated Freon through
either pipes 23 or 20, a simple flip-flop is produced whereby the
flow of fluid through one or another pipe may be cut off.
Turning now to FIG. 9, another extremely useful form of valve is
shown. In this structure a large diameter tube 24 is joined to a
smaller diameter tube 25 as shown to form a wide angled funnel, or
a venturi.
A heating means, for instance an electric heating coil 26, is
disposed within the large diameter tube 24 adjacent the opening
into the small diameter tube 25.
Freon fluid A is caused to flow in the direction shown by the arrow
from the large diameter tube 24 into the small diameter tube 25.
With the application of heat, for instance by applying a current to
the heating coil 26, Freon surrounding the coil is caused to boil,
causing turbulence at the junction of the two tubes. The turbulence
effectively closes the small diameter tube 25 to fluid flow,
effecting valve action.
With this form of valve, shutting off efficiency of over 85 percent
has been observed.
FIG. 9A shows an alternative form of this type of valve, in which
the expanded portion of the pipe 24 exists only for a short
length.
FIG. 10 shows the structure of a variation of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 9. Here large diameter tube 24 and small diameter tube 25
are disposed coaxially within an encompassing pipe 27. However, in
this embodiment, large diameter tube 24 has an expandable flute
containing flaccid bladders 24A containing Freon, the former which,
when expanded under the pressure of fluid in the pipe, reaches to
the inner periphery of pipe 27. Fluid thus flows down pipe 25,
pressing the flute against the inside of pipe 27.
With the application of current to heating coil 26, turbulence and
boiling is produced, causing the shutting off of fluid flow down
pipe 25, as described with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 9.
Also, the bladders 24A in the flute become erect, pulling the flute
away from pipe 27. The fluid is thus caused to flow down pipe 27,
and its pressure causes the flute to close in on itself at the
centre of the pipe. This structure can be used to redirect the flow
of fluid from small diameter tube 25 down large diameter pipe 27.
Once the heat is shut off, and the flute becomes flaccid, its own
resiliency, coupled with abberations in the stream of fluid, will
cause it to open against the walls of pipe 27, and redirect the
flow down pipe 25 again.
FIG. 12A shows a donut 32 made of a resilient and elastomeric
material such as rubber, molded plastic, or other like material. It
is filled with Freon or another expandable gas.
FIG. 12B shows the donut or torus 32 in it's operated position as a
choke valve. In this structure the outside periphery of the torus
32 is considerably less expandable material than the inner
periphery adjacent the hole of the torus. It may thus be
constructed of plastic about the outside of the torus, and of
rubber membrane adjacent the inside.
In operation, with the torus 32 heated, the Freon inside will
expand substantially, and since the outer periphery of the torus
cannot expand, the torus is forced to expand inwardly, effectively
closing the hole. Should a tube carrying fluid have passed through
the hole of the torus, it obviously would have been pinched
closed.
Turning now to FIG. 12C, torus 32 is shown containing Freon which
utilize a nonexpandable or limited expandable material for its
structure over the surface adjacent the torus aperture, an an
expandable material around the remainder thereof.
Accordingly with heating of the Freon, or other expandable fluid
contained therein, the outside periphery of the torus will be found
to expand subltantially, while the hole remains constant in
size.
The utility of an expanding torus may be applied to other complex
structures. For instance, it may be used to pinch off a
multiplicity of tubes passing between it and another surface. In
addition, it may be used to effect movement, pressure, etc. both as
a controlling means or as an output device.
Turning now to FIG. 13A, a tube 33 is shown which contains a
blister 34 of resilient material attached to the inside wall
thereof. Within the blister is disposed a small amount of Freon or
other highly expandable fluid. A heating means 35 such as an
electric heating coil is disposed within the blister in order to
impart heat to the Freon.
With the application of heat from the heating means 35, the Freon
will immediately boil, causing increased gas pressure within the
blister 34, causing it to swell up and effectively block tube 33,
cutting off any fluid flow which may exist therein.
Of course heating means 35 may be deleted, and simply the heat of
fluid simply flowing through tube 33 may be used to cause blister
34 to swell.
As an example of an application of use, one,two, or a larger number
of blisters may be disposed peripherally around the inside of tube
33. Tube 33 can be used to carry water, as in a bath supply. An
appropriate temperature Freon such as one which boils at
103.degree. F. may be used within the blisters. Should the water
passing therethrough become hotter than 103.degree. F.; the
blisters will be caused to swell, effectively choking F., flow of
hot water therethrough. Whould the temperature decrease, the
blisters will contract, opening the passage to a larger flow. With
a valve of this nature in a hot water pipe in addition to a pipe
carrying cold water, both connected to a mixing chamber, and if
desired a feedback tube carrying a sample of the mixed water back
to the blister valve, automatic control of temperature of water
flowing into a bath can be obtained.
Turning now to FIG. 13B, a variation of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 13A is shown. Pipe 33 contains blister 34 as described
earlier, but instead of a source of heat to inflate blister 34, a
pair of tubes 36A and 36B communicate through the wall of tube 33
to the inside of blister 34.
A flow of fluid through tube 36A into blister 34, and out through
tube 36B can provide the same inflation ability to blister 34 as in
FIG. 13A. With considerable pressure of control fluid through tube
36A, blister 34 will be caused to inflate, blocking tube 33.
This pressure may be obtained by, for example attaching a torus
valve 32 such as described with reference to FIG. 12B around tube
36B. Closure of valve 32 will stop release of pressure of the fluid
flowing through tube 36A, causing blister 34 to expand and to block
tube 33. Release of torus valve 32 releases the pressure in blister
34, allowing a free flow of fluid from tube 36A through tube
36B.
Of course other types of valves may be used instead of torus valve
32, such as additional soft control logic elements deep within a
system. However, the example described above shows how the
application of heat to, for example, torus valve 32 can cause
closure of pipe 33.
Of course, tube 36B may be deleted if pressure of fluid to tube 36A
is externally controlled through one pipe alone as will be readily
apparent to one skilled in the art understanding this
invention.
FIG. 14 shows the structure of a one way valve useful in soft
control technology. Tube 37 contains within it a resilient, but
directionally disposed cusp 38. Movement of fluid through the tube
37 will cause opening of the cusp 38, allowing fluid to traverse
therethrough. However, fluid attempting to flow through tube 37 in
the opposite direction will cause the sides of the cusp to close
upon themselves with increasing pressure, whereby the valve is
positively held closed.
The cusp can be constructed of resilient, but formed plastic in the
shape of a horn, where the bell of the horn is fastened around the
inside periphery of tube 37. Of course, the tube need not be of
circular crossection; the horn need only configure to the inside
shape of tube 37.
The narrow opening of the horn may be constructed of a pair of
flaps, normally biased against each other. Alternatively, the lips
of the horn may be formed of reed material or blisters of Freon or
the like.
Turning now to FIG. 15A, a more complex form of valve is shown. The
structure of this valve is basically a Klein Bottle, formed of a
tube which has one end turned back upon itself through a wall
thereof, joining the other end from the inside. The entrance
through the wall of the tube through which the end is drawn is
shown as aperture 39. The sides of the tube are sealed to the sides
of the aperture.
As gas such as Freon enters the mouth of the Klein Bottle in the
direction shown by the arrow, the stomach of the bottle begins to
expand. Since the end of the stomach is sealed against the junction
between the two ends of the tube, the gas cannot escape.
With enough gas pressure, the stomach expands to the point at which
the neck of the tube at the aperture is pinched off. This is shown
in FIG. 15B, wherein it is clear that stomach 40 is full of gas,
the pressure thereof having pinched off the inlet. Accordingly, it
cannot escape and the Klein Bottle remains full. This demonstrates
the operation of a self-limiting pressure valve.
In order to utilize the valve in a simple way, tube 41 having
resilient walls and carrying a fluid, is disposed next to the
stomach 40 of he Klein Bottle. As the stomach expands, it exerts
pressure on tube 41, collapsing its walls and blocking the flow of
fluid. When the stomach is full and the inlet valve blocked, tube
41 will remain shut to fluid flow.
In order to allow release of the inlet valve, fluid outlet valve 42
is connected through the stomach 40 wall. This may take the form of
a valve having narrow diameter which acts as a choke, releasing the
pressure relatively slowly.
Accordingly, with gas pressure filling the stomach 40 at a higher
rate than is released through outlet valve 42, stomach 40 will
grow, and when the input gas pressure is off, as well as tube 41.
Accordingly, the input of now pressurized gas will cease, but the
outflow of gas through valve 42 will resiliently take it's previous
form, allowing gas to pass through. When a further amount of gas
has been released through the relief valve 42 from stomach 40, the
valve at aperture 39 will open, allowing another pulse of input gas
to expand stomach 40, and the cycle repeats itself.
One can see that with a cyclically reinforcing pulsating input
source of gas under pressure, the Klein Bottle cyclically closes
and opens, responsively causing tube 41 to block and pass fluid
therethrough. Stomach 40 in holding a quantity of gas thus can act
as a transmission delay device.
It is obvious that combinations of tubes and Klein Bottles may be
provided to form sophisticated logical and lively structures which
may be used for control purposes, sensory input and output devices,
etc.
FIG. 16 shows the manner of arranging FIGS. 17, 18, 19, and 20.
FIG. 17, 18, 19, and 20 show a cross section of an embodiment of
soft control material which forms the self-referent, self-organized
structure first referred to in this specification, and uses
components as described above.
The material is made up of four layers, (a) a top cutaneous layer
100 and a subcutaneous layer 101 underlying the cutaneous layer,
(b) a muscle layer 102 underlying the subcutaneous layer, (c) a
gill layer 103 underlying the muscle layer, and (d) an air storage
layer 104, underlying the gill layer. A control layer may be
imbedded within the air storage layer may be imbedded within the
air storage layer or distributed within the other layers. The
controllers 105 of the control layer are shown as electronic in
structure, but of course fluidic or other types of control
structures may be used.
Turning first to the cutaneous layer 100, this layer is about 3
inches in thickness, constructed of a tough, elastomeric, porous
foam, permeable to air, and soft to the touch, such as
polyeurethane foam.
Randomly distributed within the cutaneous layer are small nodules
106, constructed of Freon-impermeable material, having a small
amount of Freon therein. The nodules are of such quantity as to
expand and stretch when heated with the Freon boiling. It is
preferred that the Freon used within the nodules boil at about 75
degrees Fahrenheit, so as to be marginally liquid stable at room
temperature. The nodules should be nominally 1/4 inch or smaller in
diameter with the Freon in liquid phase, and expand to about 3/4
inch in diameter when the nodule is swelled to a blister with the
Freon vaporous. The nodules should be in quantity about 4 per cubic
inch, when whrunk, and dispersed regularly within the foam
material. The nodules can also usefully take the form of FIG. 5C
earlier described.
It may be seen that as the hand of a person touches or strokes the
surface of the cutaneous layer, his body warmth will cause the
Freon in the nodules 106 to rise in temperature above normal room
temperature (about 72.degree.), and also above the boiling
temperature of the Freon, causing the nodules to expand, in many
cases expanding against each other. This causes the surface of the
cutaneous layer 100 to rise where the body heat is retained,
leaving a welt.
It may also be seen that the longer the hand (or other source of
heat) rests on the cutaneous layer, the deeper the heat will flow
therein, causing more of the nodules deeper in the material to
expand and causing the surface of the material to rise to a greater
extent. Since the polyeurethane foam is elastic, it will
resiliently move with the expanding nodules. The firmer the hand is
pressed into the material, the better the heat coupling will occur
between the material and the hand, causing greater pressure back
against the hand by the expanding nodules.
Further interspersed within the cutaneous layer are pore tubes 107
having outlets at the top surface of the material. The pore tubes
extend directly through the cutaneous layer 100 and meander so that
they may expand in length as the cutaneous layer 100 expands in
thickness, and as welts and undulations are formed. The pore tubes
107 extend completely through the acutaneous layer. It is preferred
that there should be about 15 pore tubes for 1 square inch of
surface, having an inner diameter of typically 1/32 of an inch. The
figures show a considerably smaller number of pore tubes and
nodules, and the dimensions are distorted, for the sake of clarity
in this specification.
At the upper neck of each of the pore tubes torus valves 108, such
as those described with reference to FIG. 12, are disposed. These
valves are of both types: type A being closed when warn and open
when cool, and type B being closed when cool and open when warm.
Accordingly, in a random manner when warmth is applied to the
surface of the cutaneous layer 100, some of the torus valves will
be caused to close, cutting off air traversing the pore tubes 107
to the surface, while others will open. Thus approximate
equilibrium is obtained. With the presence of a hand or other body
on the surface, the pores will be closed through blockage.
In addition it will be seen that the gas or air flowing through
pore tubes 107 can be of different temperatures. If cool air is
traversing through the pore tubes, these will tend to cool the
adjacent nodules, decreasing any welt appearing at the surface
which may have been formed due to the passing of a hand over the
surface. If warm air is passing through the pore tubes, it will
tend to cause the adjacent nodules to expand, increasing the welt
size at the surface, increasing the pressure on a hand or body
pressing on the surface above the welt, which may have caused the
welt in the first place.
It is preferred that those pore tubes having torus valves which are
open when cool should be coupled to a source of cool air, and those
having torus valves which are open when hot should be coupled to a
source of warm or hot air.
In addition, at the surface of the cutaneous layer 100, the surface
may be caused to change in roughness, permeability, reflectivity or
color in a manner described earlier in this specification. This
will give additional response information to the body interfacing
the surface of the cutaneous layer 100.
Strips of electrically thermoresistive material 109 lie along the
surface of the cutaneous layer, each about 1/8 inch in width,
negligible thickness, and 1 inch long or longer, depending on the
desired resolution of the desired response at a particular location
on the surface. Of course they may also be of different shapes or
sizes as well, depending on the desired response characteristics.
With the dimensions described, they should be spaced approximately
3 per inch of surface length. The resistive strips may be made of
colloidal carbon mixed in a fluid Freon base, within a plastic
Freon impermeable housing, material which changes it's electrical
characteristics with stretching or compression, or a well known
thermistor selected for the specific application desired. In
addition, instead of electrical thermoresistive material,
light-sensitive resistors may be used, which can be interspersed
between strips of thermoresistive material in order to make the
surface light responsive. A well known type of photoresistor which
is suitable is trademarked Raysistor, available from Raytheon
Corporation. The material of the cutaneous layer itself is
suitable, not cut into strips according to the desired
application.
The aforementioned resistors will be coupled to the controlling
means and to other components, in a manner to be discussed later in
this specification.
Under and abutting the cutaneous layer 100 is the subcutaneous
layer 101, preferably about 11/2 inches in thickness. The
subcutaneous layer 101 is made of fibrous foam or similar material,
minimally or not elastomeric, but expandable due to its fibrous
quality.
Interspersed within the subcutaneous layer are larger nodules than
those previously described, but of similar type, which are
expandable to about 1 inch in diameter when activated. These
collapsed nodules 110 contain a small amount of Freon 75.degree.
and take up very little space when the Freon is in its liquid
phase. Nodules 110 give a much larger (in terms of displacement)
response than nodules 106, but since it takes a considerably larger
amount of time for heat to penetrate to them, or to dissipate, they
act with time delay with respect to nodules 106. They should be
placed within the subcutaneous layer at a frequency of about three
for every 2 inches of surface area.
Also within the subcutaneous layer, pore tubes 107, are joined to a
fewer in number but larger pore tubes, so that a source of air may
be more efficiently distributed throughout the material and within
the individual pore tubes in the cutaneous layer 100. The pore
tubes within the subcutaneous layer are placed very close to the
nodules 110 so as to be easily kinked by expansion and undulation
of the subcutaneous layer, whereby the air traversing through the
tubes may be cut off.
It may be seen that air flow through the pore tubes, when
increased, requires that additional heat must be applied to the
torus valves 108 in order to cause the tubes to be pinched closed.
Heat from adjacent areas or layers may cause the torus valves 108
to close, but they will tend to close more readily if air flow to
the surface through the pore tubes is obstructed, for example by
the hand of a user being applied to the surface. The warmth and
moisture of this hand, however, affects the conductivity of the
surface and the thermoresistive material 109 causes additional
electrical effects to be transmitted into deeper regions of the
soft control material. In a manner to be described later, this
affects the surface as well.
It is important to note that the cutaneous layer sections each
alter the environment of adjacent sections, affecting the behaviour
thereof, causing a spread of effect to adjacent regions of the
cutaneous layer and other layers. The user is able to adjust his
behaviour so as to obtain a behaviour of the surface which is of
interest and predictability to him, but in doing so, he interacts
with it in a manner determined by the total soft control material
complex. The rich diversity of behaviours, and their spread, and
their meaningfulness given to the user requires that each small
region have a local structural control with self referent
parameters to be described at length below.
In summary, it may be seen that the cutaneous layer 100 and the
subcutaneous layer 101 are both affected by the flow of air through
the pore tubes and through the foams, under pressure, around the
Freon filled nodules. This air has been heated or cooled by
underlying layers as will discussed below, in order to cause
expansion of the nodules, and so form welts at the surface of the
material. This may alter the color and texture of the surface, as
will expansion of the nodules caused by stroking, touching, or
pushing of the surface by the hand.
Underlying the subcutaneous layer, about 11/2 inches thick, is the
muscle layer 102. The muscle layer is characterized by relatively
large (about 3 inches in diameter when expanded) outer muscle
sheathes enclosing a group (for instance of about seven per muscle)
inner muscle sacs of about 1 inch in diameter. The sacs and
sheathes are constructed of non-elastomeric, impermeable, flexible
membranes within the inner muscle sacs 75.degree. Freon is
held.
The outer muscle wall is pierced by three tubes, 38.degree. Freon
entry tube 112, 114.degree. Freon entry tube 113, and exhaust tube
114. The entry port of entry tubes 112 and 113, each have spray
nozzles such that 38.degree. Freon in liquid form may be sprayed
over the surface of the inner muscle sacs 115, and 114.degree.
Freon in gas form may be sprayed over inner muscle sacs 115. The
spent mixture of 114.degree. and 38.degree. Freons exit through
exhaust tube 114.
When completely expanded the muscle wall 116 will take up
approximately 2 to 3 cubic inches due to the expansion of the inner
muscle sacs. When all the Freon within the muscle is in liquid
form, the entire muscle will be an almost two dimensional laminate
of sheets due to the small amount of liquid Freon required and the
small thicknesses of the walls of the muscle: of the order of a few
mils in thickness. Accordingly, it may be seen that great
expansion, and hence, undulation of the soft control material may
be obtained by expansion of the muscle sheath.
Since the Freon within the inner muscle sacs is 75.degree. Freon,
boiling at slightly above ambient room temperature, additional
amount of heat added over room temperature swells the muscle sac;
additional cooling turns it to a nearly two dimensional sheet.
Within the 38.degree. Freon entry tube is located Freon valve 117,
which is similar to the one described with reference to FIG. 9.
This valve controls the entry of 38.degree. Freon passing through
tube 112. Consequently, with the inner muscle sacs 115 expanded,
when 38.degree. Freon is valved and sprayed onto the surface of the
inner muscle sac, within the outer muscle sac, it rapidly turns to
gas, taking up its heat of vaporization from the 75.degree. Freon
within the inner muscle sacs 115, causing the 75.degree. Freon to
turn to liquid and collapsing the inner muscle sacs rapidly.
114.degree.
Within the 114.degree. Freon entry tube 113, 114.degree. Freon is
valved utilizing constriction valve 118, which is similar to the
one described with reference to FIGS. 13A or 13B.
The 114.degree. Freon in its hot, vapor form is pumped and valved
through entry tube 113 and sprayed within the outer muscle sac 116
over the collapsed inner muscle sacs 115. The 114.degree. Freon is
rapidly condensed by the temperature of the 75.degree. Freon which
takes on heat of vaporization from the condensing 114.degree.
Freon, rapidly swelling the inner muscle sacs.
The mixture of 38.degree. Freon and 114.degree. Freon in mixed gas
and liquid form exit through exhaust tube 114. Of course a
multiplicity of exhaust tube exit ports may be placed around the
muscle sac in order to accommodate different orientations of the
soft control material and muscle layer.
Surrounding all the muscle sheaths is loose fibrous foam material.
The outer muscle wall may be made of elastomeric material in order
to forcibly collapse the inner muscle sacs when the Freon is
cooled, in order to more rapidly condense and collapse it.
It may be seen, therefore, that the muscle layer performs two
functions: rapid expansion and contraction, which causes movement
from below the cutaneous and subcutaneous layers, and also rapid
heating and cooling, which is transferred to the nodules in the
overlying layers, causing them to expand or contract. In addition,
the pore tubes 107 traverse through the muscle layer and may be
pinched off by expansion thereof, decreasing the cooling
transferred to the overlying layers and consequent enhancement of
the warming and expansion of a particular volume thereof.
Over the region of exhaust tube 114 adjacent its aperture into
muscle wall 116, a conductive strip is wound, which increases its
resistance with expansion, usefully imbedded in vinyl. Freon valve
heating coil 117 (corresponding to element 26 in FIG. 9), is
connected through the resistive strip 119 to a source of current
and to the controller. Accordingly, when the sheath 116 is fully
swollen and expanded, the aperture of the exhaust tube 114 will be
stretched, increasing the exhaust, which in turn stretches the
conductive vinyl strip carrying electricity to the heater of Freon
valve 117. The strip, in expanding, increases its resistance,
reducing electrical energy to the heater. Since the amount of
current to the heater is reduced, the amount of boiling within the
valve is reduced, increasing the amount of Freon 38.degree. passing
into the outer muscle sheath 116, which increases the cooling
thereof. Accordingly, the muscle undergoes contraction which
increases the construction through exhaust tube 114, causing a
reduction in the amount of Freon by the same mechanism described
earlier. Accordingly it may be seen that the muscle undergoes
rhythmed expansion and contraction cycling, (assuming proper
operation of the mechanism for pumping and separating the Freon
into the muscle layer, and assuming a flow of air through the pore
tubes and fibrous material which conducts heat away from the entire
muscle).
The layer below the muscle layer is the gill layer. The purpose of
the gill layer is to provide heat exchange for the Freon of the
muscles, and also to provide a source of air to flow through the
bore tubes 107. FIG. 22 is an enlarged view of a gill segment.
Each of the gill segments are individual to the muscle units.
Consequently the gill segments will be impermeable to air or Freon,
except at certain apertures to be described below.
Apertures in the gill wall are: one for the exiting of 38.degree.
Freon, another for the exiting of 114.degree. Freon, another for
the inleting of the exhaust Freon from the muscle wall, and a
multiplicity through which the pore tubes are connected.
Air is pumped through the gill, which is filled with porous
resilient foam such as polyeurothane foam, and exits through the
pore tubes. As the air within the gill is heated or cooled through
heat exchange, the temperature of the air flowing through the pore
tubes is changed accordingly, as described earlier, resulting in
profound influence on the nodules 110 and 106 in the cutaneous
layer. It is preferred that the gill layer is about 2 inches in
thickness in its idle state.
Looking at the diagrams in conjunction with FIG. 19, it may be seen
that the heart of the gill layer segment is compressor 120, which
is divided down its middle by an impermeable flexible membrane 121.
On one side of the membrane within the compressor is a heating coil
122, which has its heat controlled by an external controller.
The exhaust tube 114 is also connected to that side of the
compressor 120; within the termination thereof there being disposed
a one-way valve 123, which is similar to the valve of fFIG. 14.
Also communicating with exhaust tube 114 is tube 114A vertically
disposed above a larger diameter storage length of the exhaust tube
114.
It may be seen that as the liquid 114.degree. Freon mixed with
vaporous 38.degree. Freon passes down the exhaust tube, the liquid
Freon will flow along the bottom of the tube, through one way valve
123 into one side of the compressor 120. The gaseous portion of the
mixture, 38.degree. Freon, will exit the tube 114A. Tube 114A is
connected to the side of compressor 120 on the other side of
membrane 121.
An exit tube 113, communicating with the side of the compressor
which holds the 114.degree. Freon, leads out of the gill and is
connected to the muscle 116 as described earlier.
However, the Freon tube 112 is connected to the compressor 120 on
the 38.degree. Freon side of the membrane 121 through cooling tubes
124 which are disposed within the gill foam medium. Air traversing
the foam past the cooling tubes cools the 38.degree. Freon below
its condensing temperature, allowing it to be valved via valve 117
as a liquid.
Freon entry tube 113 is connected to the compressor 120 via a
stretch valve 125, which simply consists of an elastically closed
slit which opens when the compressor wall is under a predetermined
amount of gas pressure. Accordingly, elastic membrane 121, under
compression, will stretch so as to push out the 38.degree. Freon
from its side of the compressor, wrapping itself over the entire
inside surface side of the compressor 120 which held the 38.degree.
Freon.
It may be seen that 114.degree. Freon enters via one way valve 123
to its side of the compressor 120. An electric current is then
caused to operate the heating coil 122, which begins boiling the
114.degree. Freon. In the meantime, the other side of the
compressor 120 has filled with 38.degree. Freon gas.
As the 114.degree. Freon expands into gas, membrane 121 is pushed
progressively along the inner wall of the compressor 120, forcing
the 38.degree. Freon outwardly into cooling tubes 124, through one
way valve 126. Exit of the 38.degree. Freon gas back into tube 114A
is stopped by one way 127 disposed within the exhaust tube
114A.
Once the pressure of the 114.degree. Freon within the compressor
120 has increased to a predetermined point, stretch valve 125
opens, allowing the 114.degree. Freon to escape through tube 113
into muscle 116, drawing elastic membrane 121, which brings in
another portion of 38.degree. Freon gas on the other side of the
compressor 120. At this point, heating coil 122 is caused to heat
up again, again expanding the 114.degree. Freon which enters
through one way valve 123, and the cycle is repeated.
Accordingly it may be seen that there may be obtained repetitive
pulses of 38.degree. and 114.degree. Freons through tubes 112 and
113 into muscle wall 116, causing alternate expansion and
contraction thereof. This imparts an underlying throbbing, pulsing,
and undulating to the entire structure. In addition, a movement of
air is caused to flow through pore tubes 107, which serves to cool
the Freon through cooling tubes 124.
While one type of cooling tube in a foam medium has been described,
it is preferred that the cooling tubes be constructed of
Freon-impermeable foam, which is completely interspersed but
interconnected within air-permeable foam through which air may pass
in large volumes; the Freon-permeable foam being isolated from the
air permeable foam by an impermeable (to both air and Freon)
membrane. It is accordingly preferred that the structure thereof be
similar to that of human lung tissue, branches and leaves of a
tree, or sea sponge, in elemental form it may be constructed of
rods, pipes, or slabs of foam in a comb-like structure through
which Freon may flow, sealed from, and surrounded by ordinary
polyeurethane foam which has been poured and formed
therearound.
Underlying the gill layer is air storage and pumping layer 104,
which, for instance, may be 2 inches in thickness. This layer
provides a source of air, and folds the pumps which causes the air
to flow through the foam of the upper layers.
The air storage layer basically consists of air sacs, sealed from
each other, directly underlying each gill segment. The air sacs 128
communicate with the gill layers through one way valves leading to
the gill layers, and to the ambient through one way valves leading
to the air sacs 128.
Within each of the air sacs are a quantity of air pumps 129, which
can usefully be of the form of simple motors, to the one shown in
FIG. 2. These air pumps may act either indepdently or in unison,
and alternately contract and expand air bags 128 under control of
the controlling means in order to pump air through the foam of the
gill layers, and through the pore tubes 107. The pumps 129 have
been described adequately earlier in this specification and may be
activated directly from electric heating coils therein, or may be
connected through heat or moisture sensitive strips on the surface
of the soft control material which modifies the amount of
electricity transmitted to the pumps (not shown).
With the air pumps 129 operating in unison within air sacs 128, it
may be seen that they alternately compress and expand the air sacs.
Upon expansion, one way valve 130 in the outside wall thereof is
caused to open, and air is drawn in from the ambient into the air
sac. One way valve 131, communicating between air sac 128 and the
gill 103 is forced closed. With the air pumps 129 operating in the
opposite direction, i.e. drawing the air sac walls closer together,
one way valve 131 opens and air from the air sac is forced into the
gill. Since each gill is surrounded by an impermeable membrane,
with the exception of the aforementioned pore tubes, etc.,
subsequent cycling of the air pumps continuously pumps fresh air
into the gills from the air sacs.
The pumps may operate in unison with those in the other air sacs,
or in an undulating fashion whereby the entire soft control
material receives air passing therethrough in an undulating,
cyclical or noncyclical and nonlinear form. As will be seen below,
air pumps 129 are operated responsively to what is happening in the
section of the soft control matrial immediately thereabove, and
also with respect to its adjacent areas.
For a gill of the dimensions shown, that is, approximately two
inches to a side, it is preferred to utilise a pair of air pumps in
order to provide an air flow into the gill 103 of about 5 cubic
feet per minute. Accordingly, enough one way valves are required to
be used in the outside surface of the air bags, as well as between
the air bags and gill layer as may allow the aforementioned amount
of air to pass. We have found that three sets of valves per
surface, having an annulus of diameter 1/2 inch is suitable.
We have thus far described a layered structure which is responsive
to pressure, heat, cold, etc. Control has been manifest by an
external application of the heat, cold, and pressure, as well as
internal transfer thereof from an adjacent region. Internal control
has been described basically as responsive to controlled valves,
which, for the sake of this discussion, have been reduced to simple
heating coils, sometimes effected by resistance changes in an
adjacent, or remote regions of the material. The heater inputs
therefore constitute a suitable place at which controllers may
input.
In addition, on each nodule of the subcutaneous layer, on each
torus valve at the neck of each port tube, on the surface of each
muscle 116, there is placed a resistive strip 132 which reacts to
expansion. This may be the previously described vinyl strip having
resistive material imbedded therein, or may be a painted resistive
layer.
The resistive strips 132, upon expansion, increase in resistance,
providing an indication of the degree expansion of the ajacent
layer. In addition, resistive strips 109 and similar ones placed
throughout the cutaneous and subcutaneous layers in a regular order
may be used with resistive strips 132, to provide response
information of the condition of the soft control material at those
specific locations. Accordingly, we have defined control input
terminals, and response terminals to the soft control material.
The self-organizing control system of U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,096 to
R.L. Barron, issued Aug. 5, 1969, sold by Adaptronics Inc., of
McLean Virginia is preferred to be used as the control 105 in this
invention. This system obtains information regarding the
performance of a section of the soft control material, including
peripheral regions, predicts what must be done to enhance the trend
of the function, and provides output control signals in order to
operate individual components in order to enhance that trend.
Due to the complexity of the aforementioned Barron patent, we will
not elaborate here on its structure. Suffice to say that the
multiple input embodiment of the patent described with reference to
FIG. 15 therein should be used, it having a multiplicity of command
inputs and control signal outputs.
The resistors of the aforementioned resistive strips, responsive to
moisture, pressure, and temperature, are used in bridge circuits
(not shown), the outputs of which are connected directly to the
command input terminals of the self-organized control system
reference 133 in the Barron patent. Output commands are connected
to amplifier circuits which control electric current to the heater
elements (the electronic circuits being well known to anyone
skilled in the art, and hence are not shown).
The control system 105 should have as many input terminals as there
are sensing elements within a vertical cylinder (not necessarily
round in section) through the soft control material above a gill.
Similarly, there should be as many output terminals as there are
response receiving heaters within the material within the same
section.
However, it is additionally desireable to increase the number of
input and output terminals by two-thirds so as to receive
information from adjacent vertical cylinders. One third of the
input terminals should be connected to one third of the response
terminals of one adjacent vertical cylinder, and the other third of
the input terminals should be connected to one third of the
response terminals in another adjacent vertical cylinder. The
aforementioned adjacent vertical cylinder preferentially is coaxial
with the first cylinder, and the density of interconnection should
increase closer to the internal vertical cylinder.
A vertical cylinder standing next to the first should also have a
separate controller, with its input and output terminals connected
in a manner similar to the first. The coaxial peripheral cylinder
will thus overlap the cylinder controlled by the first
controller.
It will be noted that Barron has encapsulated his complete
conditioning logic stage in a module approximately 3 inches high, 3
inches wide, and 4 inches deep, using discrete components. Since
there are a multiplicity of logic stages and units in Barron, it
will be seen that the entire system takes up a large volume,
compared to the thickness of the thickness of the soft control
materials. It is therefore preferred that the entire Barron self
organizing control system be manufactured using large scale
integration on a single semiconductor slice, many slices having of
the order of 6,000 active devices per chip being available today.
Accordingly, it is preferred that the entire controller 105 should
be housed either within the air bag 128 below the figurative
cylinder which each control, or alternatively and preferably,
individual controllers should be scattered throughout the entire
soft control material in a way which is most efficient from a
connection standpoint. However, air bag 128 is a particularly
usefull location, since it provides automatic cooling of the
semiconductor controller.
In operation, it will be seen that in the idle state, there will
exist regular pulsing of the muscle sheath and random rippling of
the surface of the entire soft control material (specifically
manifested at the surface of the cutaneous layer). As variations in
temperature, such as when a breeze crosses the room containing the
material is exerted on the material, the rippling will take on a
particular type characteristic, and welts, possibly in the form of
waves, will appear on the surface of the soft control material.
However, this rippling will be random and of little consequence
unless an external stimulus remains.
Assuming now pressure of a user's hand on the surface of the
material, certain of the pores 107 will become closed, and moisture
and heat will be transmitted to the cutaneous layer, and to the
subcutaneous layer after a period of time. With continued pressure
of the hand, certain of the pore tubes will be distended, and
certain of the pore tubes kinked and blocked at positions remote
from the placement of the hand.
With the heat and blockage of the pores (blocking localized cooling
of the nodules 106 and 110), the cutaneous and subcutaneous layers
will swell under the hand, causing a welt in the surface of the
material to appear. In addition, with heat transmitted to the
material, with blockage of the cooling air which traverses the pore
tubes through the cutaneous and subcutaneous layers, the amount of
cooling and heating balance with respect to the muscle lying below
and adjacent will be changed, causing the cycle to be biased into a
constant swelling or constant collapsing thereof, depending on its
location. Cycling may be enhanced to greater amplitudes in remote
locations due to the imbalance of the heating and cooling, and the
unstable nature of each segment. The details of the operation of
the muscle have already been described.
Information as to the state of distension of the nodules 110, as
well as pressure, heat, and moisture is also sent to the controller
105. Since the controller is basically an averaging and consensus
enhancement machine, its output signals will also activate the
appropriate valves within its sphere of influence in order to
further enhance the pressure exerted back to the hand exerting the
initial pressure. In addition, it senses what is happening
peripherally to the hand, and acts to enhance the differential.
Should the hand not simply exert pressure at one position, but
exert a stroke over the surface, the entire mechanism will act to
raise a welt over the place where the hand has been, until the heat
is dissipated therefrom. Indeed, depending on the stability, i.e.
the localized temperatures and states of adjacent regions of the
material from where the hand is stroking, the controller may
anticipate the position toward which the hand is moving, and raise
a welt in anticipation of the hand moving there.
Again, depending on the condition of the peripheral regions to what
has just transpired at a particular region, oscillating ripples may
be sent out in the surface of the material from the position of the
hand in unexpected directions.
A certain amount of time after which a user coacts with the
material, he learsn the general characteristics of the material,
and can communicate with it in a tactile mode. Earlier in this
specification it was described that the tactile mode is one of the
lowest orders of information transfer which utilises the smallest
amount of bandwidth in order to transmit and receive a large amount
of information. It is this goal which the above-described structure
has thus achieved.
Because each controller 105 only controls a localized section of
the soft control material, it may be seen that the material is
entirely self referent, and self organizing.
We have thus described the soft control material with regard to
interaction of the material with a single user. However, two or
more users may communicate in a tacile manner using this
invention.
Turning to FIG. 20 shown is a pair of transmit-receive terminals
133 which are lined with the above-described soft control
materials. For the sake of this description, controller 105 is
shown external to the terminals. The controller 105 is comprised of
response input terminals 134 and control output terminals 135.
Accordingly, a user may insert his hand 136 into the terminal 133
and interact with the soft control material as described earlier.
However, a second terminal is connected exactly in parallel with
the first terminal, utilizing the same controller 105. This
structure is called "Telegrasp."
Accordingly, it will be seen that with the first user exerting
pressure on the soft control material in his terminal, responses
and control signals will be transmitted from controller 105 to that
terminal for control thereof. However, identical responses will be
provided to the other terminal 133, and a user who has his hand
within the latter terminal will be able to feel the response.
Similarly, in a real time and interactive mode, the hand 136 within
the second terminal transmits tactile information to the hand in
the first terminal.
Of course, the signals transmitted to and from controller 105 may
be multiplexed and transmitted over telephone lines, radio links,
and the like. Tactile information may thus be transmitted
electrically, and studies indicate that the amount of information
required to be transmitted is sustantially less than that which
would be required for sensing and control of a high resolution
three dimensional array of points within each of the terminals
133.
The soft control material may be applied to a large multiplicity of
applications. For instance, the seat used by an aircraft controller
may be lined with the material; input information to the controller
may arrive from the scanned radar screen. Airplanes arriving on
schedule and in a controlled manner will provide a regular known
tactile pattern to the aircraft controller, while airplanes
deviating therefrom, and therefore which require special attention,
will provide an early indication to the controller that he must
become alert to the deviations. The unusual behavior of the deviate
airplanes will be found to provide an unusual lump or series of
ripples to the aircraft around controller, since it causes a
tactile pattern which feels unusual.
Other applications of the soft control material are as mattresses
(a sophisticated improvement to the water bed) lounge chairs, toys,
etc.
While a specific structure of the invention has been described, it
will become immediately obvious that, for instance, the torus
valves, one way valves, nodules, etc. may be replaced or enhanced
by the addition of other types of valves, pumps, tubes, etc.
described earlier in this specification. The The larger the
variety, and the larger the quantity thereof in a given space
(reduction of size assumed) the richer will be the resolution of
the tactile experience given to a user. For instance, the pore
tubes 107 may be tube 16 described with reference to FIG. 7, which
may be pinched off by the use of a heater 19. In addition, the
valves of FIG. 8, FIG. 15, etc. may be used as the soft control
material designer wishes. The invention is therefore limited only
by the scope of the claims attached hereto, since variations of the
invention therewithin will become immediately apparent to one
skilled in the art.
* * * * *