igus chain mechanism

[saymo]

Guys, I have an igus chain (basically a cable protector) that when in its free static form is in aC shape. One end (the top of the C shape is attached to a fixed component. the other (the bottom of the c shape) is constrained with a cylinder joint.


When the cylinder joint is moved away from the fixed end, the c shape changes toa straight line.


When it moves back, i need it to take the form of the c shape again, and so on and so on. To get tjhis to work would be great and any help would be much appreciated.


After i get this far, i would also - if possible like to run a datum curve through the igus chain, so that if the chain changes shape, then the datum curve will change shape. the idea being that the curve will be the cable...any mechanism gurus out there that can shine some light on to this to save me some time? TIA

 

[Miko]

hi .. hmm ..if you want to make an animation of the bending of the cable then use transparency in DAO you can make cable in many parts but every part will be a little bended.(for example: cable_1.prt, cable_2.prt, cable_3.prt, and so on)..but every cabel will be a little bit bended (first one will be less and the final one will be totally bended)...then make an assembly from those parts (cables)..go to the DAO (design animation option) and define the "transparency in time" for each one part (cable) in exact time... yes it is little complicated to get it fluent but it is the way.. You can use mentioned technique to simulate the bending of "everything" (solids)..
but if you want to make some mechanism for the bending of connector or cable then PROE is not able to do that .. because PROE doesnt have (like each one CAD system) a module for flexible parts (cable,rubber, wires ...)...

Edited by: Miko

 

[wali]

I have done something similar for a hanging cable.


I constructed a datum curve which is driven by relationships so that as the moving end goes up and down, the radius curve moves at half the speed.


I used the datum curve as a sweep trajectory where the section in the sweep represents the cable.


Assemble the moving bits in mechanism, create snapshots at each end of the travel. then use animation to get it moving. You could represent each end of the IGUS chain with the end brackets.

 

[spikemurphy]

Did you ever solve this?