Synthesis and modelling of one rotational constraint orientated compliant mechanisms

Abstract

This paper proposes dozens of One Rotational Constraint orientated Compliant Mechanisms (ORCCMs), mainly utilizing a newly proposed virtual rigid-body mechanism based replacement method and the existing positon space method. These ORCCMs have four types of configurations, including basic, transformed, parallel and serial configurations. The basic ORCCM has the simplest geometrical structure that forms the constituent component of the other configurations. Parametric kinetostatic (linear) models of these ORCCMs are derived for quick and insightful determinate synthesis/analysis toward optimization of the associated parameters to achieve the intended objectives, which can also promote further nonlinear modelling. The linear analytical results are in reasonable agreement with the FEA simulation results, over an approximate displacement range of ±10% of beam length for translations or ±0.08 rad for rotations. Some of the derived analytical models are also verified through experimental tests on one fabricated prototype of the parallel ORCCMs. The proposed ORCCMs along with the well-known slender wire beams play an important role on the synthesis of multi-DOF kinematic decoupled compliant mechanisms and the design of other instruments and robots such as continuum robots.