Solar Panel Folding Linkage With Cam Groove Angle Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cam and shaft pin mechanism for plate folding and unfolding devices requires accurate calculation of connecting rod lengths and cam sizes, making it difficult to achieve precise locking at predetermined angles, especially when cam sizes change, necessitating redesign of the entire device.
Innovation Solution
A plate folding and unfolding device featuring a cam with a rotating shaft, a connecting rod with a positioning shaft that moves radially, and an elastic piece that fits closely to the cam's outer surface, allowing the positioning shaft to roll into a groove for accurate locking at various angles without requiring modifications to the device when using cams of different sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the cam and shaft pin mechanism is used with fixed connecting rod lengths, then the structure is simple, but the locking precision at predetermined angles deteriorates when cam sizes change
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rod is transformed from a fixed-length rigid structure to a dynamic structure with adjustable effective length through the addition of a telescopic section. This telescopic section can extend or retract to change the effective length of the connecting rod, allowing the mechanism to adapt to different cam sizes while maintaining precise locking at predetermined angles.
Solution Approach 2:
The effective length of the connecting rod is changed as a variable parameter rather than a fixed value. By adjusting the extension or retraction of the telescopic section, the connecting rod's effective length can be modified to match different cam sizes, thereby maintaining locking precision without requiring complete redesign of the mechanism.
2Ease of manufacture
If the connecting rod length is not calculated accurately in advance, then the design process is simpler, but the shaft pin fails to rotate into the groove, deteriorating the reliability of locking
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic section enables the connecting rod to dynamically adjust its effective length during operation, eliminating the need for precise pre-calculation of fixed lengths. The mechanism can adapt to different cam sizes through the extension or retraction of the telescopic section, ensuring reliable locking without complex advance calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescopic section is pre-configured with the capability to extend or retract to the required length. This preliminary design feature ensures that when the mechanism operates, the connecting rod can automatically achieve the correct effective length for reliable locking, without requiring precise pre-calculation for each specific application.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cam size is changed, then the adaptability of the device improves, but the connecting rod lengths need to be redesigned, deteriorating the productivity of design
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rod with a telescopic section serves multiple functions: it can adapt to different cam sizes by extending or retracting, eliminating the need for multiple specialized connecting rods. This universal design allows a single connecting rod structure to work with various cam sizes, significantly reducing design workload and improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The effective length of the connecting rod is changed as a variable parameter through the telescopic section rather than requiring complete redesign. When cam size changes, only the extension or retraction distance of the telescopic section needs to be adjusted, not the entire connecting rod structure, thereby maintaining high design productivity.
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
Enables easier and more accurate locking of plate pieces at predetermined angles, reducing design workload and allowing the reuse of original components with different-sized cams without modifying the entire device.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic piece, where the elastic piece is disposed on the connecting rod, one end of the elastic piece is connected to the positioning shaft, so that the positioning shaft fits closely to an outer peripheral surface of the cam
Data Source
AI summary
A plate folding and unfolding device and a solar panel structure are provided. The plate folding and unfolding device includes a cam fixed with first plate piece, and a rotating shaft is disposed inside the cam in an axial direction of the cam; a connecting rod, where the connecting rod includes a first end and a second end that are opposite to each other, the first end is connected vertically to the rotating shaft, and the second end is fixed to a second plate piece; a positioning shaft, where the positioning shaft is disposed, on the connecting rod; and an elastic piece, where the elastic piece is disposed on the connecting rod, one end of the elastic piece is connected to the positioning shaft, where a groove that accommodates the positioning shaft is disposed at at least one location of the outer peripheral surface of the cam.