Six degrees of freedom compliant flexure and autonomous assembly using same
| DWPI Title: Coupling mechanism for mounting engines in automobiles, has grip provided with jaw, jaw actuator for actuating jaw, coupler provided with handle, and six degrees-of-freedom flexure mechanically connected to hand |
| Abstract: A flexure having six degrees of freedom is disclosed. The constraint and compliance of the flexure in all six degrees of freedom may be independently tuned for an application. The flexure may include various combinations of sections including, for example, straight arm and curvilinear sections. The constraint and compliance of the flexure is determined by the geometry, cross-sectional area, cross-sectional shape, and material used to form the various sections. A coupling mechanism and a corresponding method for using the coupling mechanism for automated or autonomous assembly of elements using tuned flexures is disclosed. The automated or autonomous assembly of elements employs a coupling mechanism having a motor driven grip and a coupler, in which the coupler includes a six degrees of freedom flexure. The motor driven grip and coupler may optionally include electrical or optical interconnections and self-aligning features. |
| Use: Coupling mechanism for mounting engines in automobiles. |
| Advantage: The mechanism facilitates the autonomous assembly of the multiple panel assemblies. |
| Novelty: The mechanism has a grip provided with a jaw. A jaw actuator is mechanically connected to the jaw. The jaw actuator actuates the jaw. A coupler is provided with a handle, where the handle is adapted to be engaged by the jaw upon operation of the jaw actuator. A six degrees-of-freedom flexure (100) is mechanically connected to the handle. A second mounting block (110B) is fixed opposite to a first mounting block (110A). A first section is connected to a second section, where the first section and the second section are a curvilinear section ( 130A, 130B, 140A, 140B), a straight arm section (150A, 150B), an angle section, a ball-and-socket, a hinge and a spring. |
| Filed: 4/30/2020 |
| Application Number: US16862697A |
| Tech ID: SD 14845.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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