Rotational Joint Assembly with Integrated Flexure for Hand Controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hand controllers with rotational joints require significant arm movement and are prone to unintended actuation in high-vibration or high-g-force situations, due to pivot points located outside the handle, leading to complex mechanisms and reduced useful life of flexures.
Innovation Solution
A rotational joint assembly with a first and second rotational component and a deflectable flexure member, where the flexure member opposes rotation, reducing arm movement requirements and minimizing unintended actuation by integrating the rotational axes through the handle, using a single integral flexure member and secondary flexure members to provide stiffness and resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pivot points are located outside the handle, then the hand controller can be actuated, but significant arm movement is required and unintended actuation occurs in high-vibration situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the pivot points from an external location to inside the handle, effectively changing the spatial dimension and configuration of the rotational joint assembly. This internal placement allows the rotation axis to pass through the handle, reducing the lever arm and minimizing the arm movement required while preventing unintended actuation during vibration or high-g maneuvers
2Ease of operation
If pivot points are located outside the handle, then the hand controller can be actuated, but complicated mechanisms and flexures are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components into an integrated rotational joint assembly where the first and second rotational components, flexure members, and pivot points are merged into a single compact unit located within the handle. This integration eliminates the need for separate external mechanisms and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining full actuation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational joint assembly is nested within the handle, with the first rotational component containing the second rotational component, which in turn contains the pivot points and flexure members. This nested configuration allows complex functionality to be packaged within a compact space, reducing external complexity
3Ease of operation
If flexures are repeatedly compressed and expanded, then stiffness is provided to the user, but the useful life of the flexures is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The flexure members are pre-compressed during assembly to a predetermined force before operation. This preliminary compression establishes a baseline stiffness for user feedback while preventing the flexures from undergoing repeated full compression-expansion cycles, thereby extending their useful life
4Productivity
If mechanical components are interconnected to provide movement in one axis, then actuation is achieved, but actuation in other axes is caused and complex signal processing is required
Solution Approach 1:
The rotational joint assembly is segmented into distinct rotational components, each responsible for a specific axis of rotation. The first rotational component handles rotation about a first axis while the second rotational component handles rotation about a second axis, with each component independently detectable. This segmentation eliminates cross-axis coupling and simplifies signal processing
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
This design improves control precision, reduces arm movement, minimizes accidental actuation, and extends the life of flexure members by maintaining constant compression, simplifying signal processing and reducing the overall complexity and cost of the hand controller.
Implementation Method 1
a flexure member, being deflectable in first and second deflection directions, coupled to at least one of the first and second rotational components such that when the second rotational component is rotated relative to the first rotational component in each of the first and second rotational directions about the axis, the flexure member is deflected in the first deflection direction and exerts a force on the second rotational component opposing the rotation
Data Source
AI summary
A rotational joint assembly and a method for constructing a rotational joint assembly are provided. The rotational joint assembly includes a first rotational component, a second rotational component coupled to the first rotational component such that the second rotational component is rotatable relative to the first rotational component in first and second rotational directions about an axis, and a flexure member, being deflectable in first and second deflection directions, coupled to at least one of the first and second rotational components such that when the second rotational component is rotated relative to the first rotational component in each of the first and second rotational directions about the axis, the flexure member is deflected in the first deflection direction and exerts a force on the second rotational component opposing the rotation.