Spatial large-stroke compliant hinge with hybrid structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745334-B2
Application number	US-201917265763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2019
Priority date	Feb 26, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A spatial large-stroke compliant hinge with hybrid structure, which includes a rectangular planar unit for implementing an out-of-plane torsion function and a crossed-shaped planar unit for achieving an in-plane rotation function. The crossed-shaped planar unit is formed by two flexible straight beam thin sheets intersecting into a crossed-shaped structure with an angle, and the rectangular planar unit and the crossed-shaped planar unit are connected through an external connection or an embedded connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spatial large-stroke compliant hinge with hybrid structure, the hinge comprising a rectangular planar unit connected to a crossed-shaped planar unit, the rectangular planar unit used to realize an out-of-plane torsion function, the rectangular planar unit formed by a rectangular structure surrounded by two flexible long straight beams and two flexible short straight beams, wherein a center of a first long straight beam is a fixed section, two ends of the first long straight beam are a first torsion section; and a center of a second long straight beam is a second torsion section, two ends of the second long straight beam are a third torsion section, the cross-shaped planar unit used to realize an in-plane rotation function, the crossed-shaped planar unit is a crossed-shaped structure formed by two flexible and intersecting straight beam thin sheets, an outer side of the crossed-shaped structure and the second torsion section connected by an external connection to form a triangular structure with a high stiffness and a stable structure, the triangular structure used to connect the crossed-shaped structure and the rectangular structure, and to transmit torque.

2. The spatial large-stroke compliant hinge with hybrid structure according to claim 1 , wherein the rectangular planar unit is a narrow rectangular structure having a length-to-width ratio of the long straight beams and the two flexible short straight beams so that a torsional stiffness of the long straight beams is reduced, and a range of bending deformation outside a plane of the rectangular planar unit is achievable, and a ratio of a width of the two long straight beams to a thickness of the entire compliant hinge does not exceed 0.35, an angle between the crossed-shaped structure formed by the two straight beam thin sheets facing the second long straight beam is 30 to 90 degrees, and a width of the two straight beam thin sheets is similar to the width of the two long straight beams, and a ratio of the width of the two straight beam thin sheets to the thickness of the entire compliant hinge does not exceed 0.31, so that a torsional flexibility of the rectangular planar unit is comparable to a rotational flexibility of the crossed-shaped planar unit.

3. The spatial large-stroke compliant hinge with hybrid structure according to claim 2 , wherein a length of the first torsion section is greater than a length of the two flexible short straight beams, and a width of the first torsion section is less than a width of the two flexible short straight beams, a ratio of the width of the first torsion section and a thickness of the entire compliant hinge is 0.1 to 0.35, a length of a straight beam thin sheet of the two straight beam thin sheets is equal to a length of the fixed section and a length of the second torsion section, and a deformation length is not more than 1.414 times the length of the fixed section, a ratio of the width of the two straight beam thin sheets to the thickness of the entire compliant hinge is 0.1 to 0.25.

4. The spatial large-stroke compliant hinge with hybrid structure according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the torsional flexibility of the rectangular planar unit to a bending flexibility of the crossed-shaped planar unit is 0.2 to 1.

5. A spatial large-stroke compliant hinge with hybrid structure, the hinge comprising a rectangular planar unit connected to a crossed-shaped planar unit with connecting beams; the rectangular planar unit used to realize an out-of-plane torsion function, the rectangular planar unit formed by a rectangular structure surrounded by two flexible long straight beams and two flexible short straight beams, wherein a center of a first long straight beam is a fixed section, two ends of the first long straight beam are a first torsion section; and a center of a second long straight beam is a second torsion section, and two ends of the second long straight beam are a third torsion section, the crossed-shaped planar unit with connecting beams used to realize an in-plane rotation function, the crossed-shaped planar unit is a crossed-shaped structure formed by two flexible and intersecting straight beam thin sheets, the connecting beams connect two ends of the crossed-shaped structure close to a side of the rectangular structure, a center of the connecting beams is a fourth torsion section, two sides of the cross-shaped structure are a fifth torsion section, an inner side of the crossed-shaped structure, that is, the fourth torsion section and the second torsion section connected through embedded connection to form a triangular structure, and an outer side of the crossed-shaped structure is not connected to any structure, the triangular structure used to connect the crossed-shaped structure and the rectangular structure and to transmit torque, and a portion of the triangular structure on the straight beam thin sheets provide ability to realize in-plane bending deformation, and its portion connected with the rectangular structure realize out-of-plane torsion deformation.

6. The spatial large-stroke compliant hinge with hybrid structure according to claim 5 , wherein the rectangular planar unit is a narrow rectangular structure having a length-to-width ratio of the two flexible long straight beams and the two flexible short straight beams so that a torsional stiffness of the long straight beams is reduced, and a range of bending deformation outside a plane of the rectangular planar unit is achievable, and a ratio of a width of the two flexible long straight beams to a thickness of the entire compliant hinge does not exceed 0.35, an angle between the crossed-shaped structure formed by the two straight beam thin sheets facing the second long straight beam is 30 to 90 degrees, and a width of the two straight beam thin sheets is similar to the width of the two flexible long straight beams, and a ratio of the width of the two straight beam thin sheets to the thickness of the entire compliant hinge does not exceed 0.31, so that a torsional flexibility of the rectangular planar unit is comparable to a rotational flexibility of the crossed-shaped planar unit.

7. The spatial large-stroke compliant hinge with hybrid structure according to claim 6 , wherein a length of the first torsion section is greater than a length of the two flexible short straight beams, and a width of the first torsion section is less than a width of the two flexible short straight beams, a ratio of the width of the first torsion section and a thickness of the entire compliant hinge is 0.1 to 0.35, a length of the straight beam thin sheet is equal to a length of the fixed section and a length of the second torsion section, and a deformation length is not more than 1.414 times the length of the fixed section, a ratio of the width of the two straight beam thin sheets to the thickness of the entire compliant hinge is 0.1 to 0.25.

8. The spatial large-stroke compliant hinge with hybrid structure according to claim 5 , wherein a ratio of the torsional flexibility of the rectangular planar unit to a bending flexibility of the crossed-shaped planar unit is 0.2 to 1.

Assignees

• Univ South China Tech

Inventors

• Zhang Xianmin
• Zhang Hongchuan
• Zhu Benliang

Classifications

• B25J9/10 Primary

  characterised by positioning means for manipulator elements · CPC title

• B25J17/00

  Joints · CPC title

• F16C11/12

  incorporating flexible connections, e.g. leaf springs · CPC title

• B25J9/0015 Primary

  Flexure members, i.e. parts of manipulators having a narrowed section allowing articulation by flexion · CPC title

• F16F7/1028

  the inertia-producing means being a constituent part of the system which is to be damped · CPC title