Abstract
The design of the canopy utilizes the conventional rigid body mechanisms which is vulnerable to the presence of backlash, friction of joints or wearing of mechanical parts which lead to short product life. Compliant mechanisms are employed to reduce these mechanical problems, owing to their zero-joint and monolithic structure. A reference design for the conventional canopy was chosen and modified through reviewing different patent designs. Six different configurations of the pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM) were constructed, and the best configuration was selected. Kinematic synthesis with function generation was performed for the chosen PRBM using MATLAB. The obtained results from the kinematic synthesis were then used to calculate the dimensions and stresses of the flexural pivots for the compliant stretcher mechanism. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation was then performed on each of the models and the obtained flexural pivot stresses were compared with that of the PRBM. This research successfully replaces all the rigid joints and links of the stretcher mechanism of the conventional canopy to form a monolithic structure of compliant stretcher mechanism.
Highlights
A conventional canopy mechanism consists of static bodies known as rigid bodies such as a ferrule, runner, ribs that are connected to both the stretchers and the fabric of the canopy, and a main shaft
Since motion of mechanism is transferred through rigid joints and rigid links, the mechanism will be vulnerable to the presence of backlash, friction of joints or wearing of mechanical parts which lead to a shorter product life [1]
The solution obtained from the kinematic synthesis with function generation was concluded to be a satisfactory solution as the percentage errors of obtained results among all three sets of guess values were less than 1%
Summary
A conventional canopy mechanism consists of static bodies known as rigid bodies such as a ferrule, runner, ribs that are connected to both the stretchers and the fabric of the canopy, and a main shaft. The design of the canopy utilizes the conventional rigid body mechanisms that consist of linkages and revolute joints, which connected to transmit motion. Compliant mechanisms can provide a zero-joint alternative as compared to the conventional rigid body mechanisms, which reduce these tedious mechanical problems [2]. Pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM) is a commonly known method for modelling compliant mechanisms due to its convenience in analysing and estimating the mobility of the compliant mechanisms. This method provides a framework identical to the conventional rigid body mechanics which analyses the position and orientation of the compliant body conveniently. Crews et al [5] mentioned that the PRBM is a wellknown method that could accurately predict the deflection of homogenous compliant segments
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
