Cross-Blade Flexural Pivot for Large-Angle Reliable Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available flexural pivots face challenges with repeatable performance and reliability, especially in applications requiring high performance and large angular ranges of motion, due to manufacturing difficulties and stress limitations.
Innovation Solution
A flexural pivot design featuring three flexure support members with cantilevered extension portions and cross-configured flexible blades, allowing for rotational coupling without friction, enabling high performance, large angular travel, and reliability, while being cost-effective to produce.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional bearing designs are used to support rotational movement, then structural simplicity is maintained, but friction and lubrication requirements increase, reducing reliability in high-performance applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical bearings with a flexural pivot system that uses elastic flexing of support members instead of contact surface displacement. This substitution eliminates friction and lubrication requirements, directly improving reliability in high-performance applications while maintaining structural functionality through the flexural coupling mechanism
2Adaptability or versatility
If flexural pivots are designed to accommodate large angular ranges of motion, then angular travel is improved, but stress concentrations increase, reducing performance reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating asymmetric stress distribution within the flexure support members. The cross-configured flexible blades are positioned to concentrate flexibility in specific regions while maintaining structural integrity in other areas, allowing large angular travel without excessive stress concentrations that would compromise reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite structural design by combining multiple flexure support members with cross-configured flexible blades. This composite arrangement distributes stresses across multiple elements and configurations, enabling large angular ranges of motion while managing stress concentrations through the collective behavior of the coupled flexural elements
3Ease of manufacture
If manufacturing processes are simplified to reduce costs, then ease of manufacture is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates, affecting repeatable performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flexural pivot into multiple discrete components including separate flexure support members and cross-configured flexible blades. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using cost-effective processes, then assembled with precise positioning features that ensure repeatable performance without requiring excessively complex or expensive manufacturing for the entire assembly
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design provides a frictionless pivot coupling for significant loads during high accelerations, allowing large angular travel with balanced masses and reduced stress concentrations, enhancing reliability and performance.
Implementation Method 1
angular motion is accomplished through flexing of elastic flexural elements
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
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AI summary
A flexural pivot is disclosed. The flexural pivot can include a plurality of flexure support members, each flexure support member having a plurality of flexure openings defined at least partially by a cantilevered extension portion. The flexural pivot can also include at least one flexure to rotatably couple the plurality of flexure support members to one another. The at least one flexure can have first and second flexible blades arranged in a cross configuration. The first and second flexible blades can be disposed in the flexure openings of the flexure support members, and the cantilevered extension portions, at least in part, can couple the first and second flexible blades to the flexure support members.