A Novel Compliant Mechanism for Converting Reciprocating Translation Into Enclosing Curved Paths

2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 667-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilesh D. Mankame ◽  
G. K. Ananthasuresh

This paper introduces a novel contact-aided compliant mechanism that uses intermittent contacts to convert a single translatory reciprocating input into two output curves, which intersect to enclose a two dimensional region. Contact interactions endow contact-aided compliant mechanisms with enhanced kinematic and kinetostatic capabilities. The mechanism described in this paper is designed to undergo large deformations repeatedly, without yielding by avoiding flexural joints and by using contacts to obtain the desired deformation. A single-material, joint-free and planar design makes the mechanism easy and economical to fabricate at the macro or micro scales. The design is validated experimentally by manufacturing and testing macro scale prototypes. Two potential applications that motivated this mechanism are also noted.

Author(s):  
Abhijit A. Tanksale ◽  
Prasanna S. Gandhi

Compliant mechanisms are highly preferred in applications demanding motion with high precision. These mechanisms provide friction-less, backlash-free precise motion obtained through deformation of flexible members. The double parallelogram compliant mechanism (DPCM) is one the most important compliant mechanisms to obtain highly precise straight-line motion. DPCM when operated in horizontal plane yield high precision straight-line motion (even with large deformations) useful in several engineering applications. However, constraints such as space, dead loads, etc. may demand DPCMs to be used in the vertical plane. For DPCMs operating in a vertical plane, the axial load due to gravity causes tension and compression in flexible beams which get coupled to bending under large deformations. This ultimately affects the parasitic error of straight-line motion. This paper presents a coupled analysis, along with experimental validation, of DPCM operating in vertical plane considering gravity effects with large deformation.


Author(s):  
David J. Cappelleri ◽  
Girish Krishnan ◽  
Charles Kim ◽  
Vijay Kumar ◽  
Sridhar Kota

In this paper, we present three designs for a decoupled, two-dimensional, vision-based μN force sensor for microrobotic applications. There are currently no reliable, off-the-shelf, commercially-available force sensors to measure forces at this scale, that can be easily integrated into standard microrobotic test-beds. In our previous work, we presented a design consisting of a planar, elastic mechanism with known force-deflection characteristics. It was inspired by the designs of pre-existing MEMS suspension mechanisms. A CCD camera is used to track the deformation of the mechanism as it is used to manipulate objects in a micro/meso-scale robotic manipulation test-bed. By observing the displacements of select points in the mechanism, the manipulation forces can be estimated. Here, a building block approach for conceptual synthesis of compliant mechanisms methodology is used to design for decoupled displacements for the tracking points when the tip is subjected to forces in the XY-plane. By designing mechanisms with circular compliance and stiffness ellipses along with zero magnitude compliance and stiffness vectors, we are able to achieve our design requirements. Validation of this approach with macro-scale prototypes and recommendations for scaling the designs down for microrobotic applications are offered along with a sensitivity analysis of the final designs yielding insights for microfabricating such designs.


1997 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Frecker ◽  
G. K. Ananthasuresh ◽  
S. Nishiwaki ◽  
N. Kikuchi ◽  
S. Kota

Compliant mechanisms are mechanical devices that achieve motion via elastic deformation. A new method for topological synthesis of single-piece compliant mechanisms is presented, using a “design for required deflection” approach. A simple beam example is used to illustrate this concept and to provide the motivation for a new multi-criteria approach for compliant mechanism design. This new approach handles motion and loading requirements simultaneously for a given set of input force and output deflection specifications. Both a truss ground structure and a two-dimensional continuum are used in the implementation which is illustrated with design examples.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Yar Khan ◽  
Yan Liu ◽  
Tao Wang ◽  
Hu Long ◽  
Miaogen Chen ◽  
...  

AbstractMonolayer MnCX3 metal–carbon trichalcogenides have been investigated by using the first-principle calculations. The compounds show half-metallic ferromagnetic characters. Our results reveal that their electronic and magnetic properties can be altered by applying uniaxial or biaxial strain. By tuning the strength of the external strain, the electronic bandgap and magnetic ordering of the compounds change and result in a phase transition from the half-metallic to the semiconducting phase. Furthermore, the vibrational and thermodynamic stability of the two-dimensional structure has been verified by calculating the phonon dispersion and molecular dynamics. Our study paves guidance for the potential applications of these two mono-layers in the future for spintronics and straintronics devices.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juqing Liu ◽  
Zhengdong Liu ◽  
Yuhang Yin ◽  
Mustafa Eginligil ◽  
Laiyuan Wang ◽  
...  

Two-dimensional conjugated microporous polymers (2D CMPs) are the sheet/film-like CMPs with amorphous, permanent porous and π-conjugated structures, which have attracted considerable attention over the past few years. Owing to the...


Author(s):  
Adarsh Mavanthoor ◽  
Ashok Midha

Significant reduction in cost and time of bistable mechanism design can be achieved by understanding their bistable behavior. This paper presents bistable compliant mechanisms whose pseudo-rigid-body models (PRBM) are four-bar mechanisms with a torsional spring. Stable and unstable equilibrium positions are calculated for such four-bar mechanisms, defining their bistable behavior for all possible permutations of torsional spring locations. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and simulation is used to illustrate the bistable behavior of a compliant mechanism with a straight compliant member, using stored energy plots. These results, along with the four-bar and the compliant mechanism information, can then be used to design a bistable compliant mechanism to meet specified requirements.


Author(s):  
Femke M. Morsch ◽  
Just L. Herder

The objective of this paper is to design a generic zero stiffness compliant joint. This compliant joint could be used as a generic construction element in a compliant mechanism. To avoid the spring-back behavior of conventional compliant joints, the principle of static balancing is applied, implying that for each position of the joint the total potential energy should be constant. To this end, a conventional balanced mechanism, consisting of two pivoted bodies which are balanced with two zero-free-length springs, is taken as an initial concept. The joint is replaced by a compliant cross-axis flexural pivot and each spring is replaced by a pair of compliant leaf springs. For both parts an analytic model was implemented and a configuration with the lowest energy fluctuation was found through optimization. A FEA model was used to verify the analytic model of the optimized design. A prototype was manufactured and tested. Both the FEA model and the experiment confirm the reduction of the needed moment to rotate the compliant joint. The experiment shows the balanced compliant joint is not completely balanced but the moment required to rotate the joint is reduced by 70%. Thus, a statically balanced compliant generic joint element was designed which bears great promise in designing statically balanced compliant mechanisms and making this accessible to any designer.


1999 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 535-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Saggere ◽  
S. Kota

Compliant four-bar mechanisms treated in previous works consisted of at least one rigid moving link, and such mechanisms synthesized for motion generation tasks have always comprised a rigid coupler link, bearing with the conventional definition of motion generation for rigid-link mechanisms. This paper introduces a new task called compliant-segment motion generation where the coupler is a flexible segment and requires a prescribed shape change along with a rigid-body motion. The paper presents a systematic procedure for synthesis of single-loop compliant mechanisms with no moving rigid-links for compliant-segment motion generation task. Such compliant mechanisms have potential applications in adaptive structures. The synthesis method presented involves an atypical inverse elastica problem that is not reported in the literature. This inverse problem is solved by extending the loop-closure equation used in the synthesis of rigid-links to the flexible segments, and then combining it with elastic equilibrium equation in an optimization scheme. The method is illustrated by a numerical example.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 392-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Saxena ◽  
S. N. Kramer

Compliant members in flexible link mechanisms undergo large deflections when subjected to external loads. Because of this fact, traditional methods of deflection analysis do not apply. Since the nonlinearities introduced by these large deflections make the system comprising such members difficult to solve, parametric deflection approximations are deemed helpful in the analysis and synthesis of compliant mechanisms. This is accomplished by representing the compliant mechanism as a pseudo-rigid-body model. A wealth of analysis and synthesis techniques available for rigid-body mechanisms thus become amenable to the design of compliant mechanisms. In this paper, a pseudo-rigid-body model is developed and solved for the tip deflection of flexible beams for combined end loads. A numerical integration technique using quadrature formulae has been employed to solve the large deflection Bernoulli-Euler beam equation for the tip deflection. Implementation of this scheme is simpler than the elliptic integral formulation and provides very accurate results. An example for the synthesis of a compliant mechanism using the proposed model is also presented.


Author(s):  
Girish Krishnan ◽  
Charles Kim ◽  
Sridhar Kota

Visualizing load flow aids in conceptual design synthesis of machine components. In this paper, we present a mathematical framework to visualize load flow in compliant mechanisms and structures. This framework uses the concept of transferred forces to quantify load flow from input to the output of a compliant mechanism. The key contribution of this paper is the identification a fundamental building block known as the Load-Transmitter Constraint (LTC) set, which enables load flow in a particular direction. The transferred force in each LTC set is shown to be independent of successive LTC sets that are attached to it. This enables a continuous visualization of load flow from the input to the output. Furthermore, we mathematically relate the load flow with the deformation behavior of the mechanism. We can thus explain the deformation behavior of a number of compliant mechanisms from literature by identifying its LTC sets to visualize load flow. This method can also be used to visualize load flow in optimal stiff structure topologies. The insight obtained from this visualization tool facilitates a systematic building block based design methodology for compliant mechanisms and structural topologies.


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