Assembly Configurations of Planar Multi-Loop Mechanisms With Kinematic Limitations

Abstract

This paper examines the problem of identifying the assembly configurations (ACs), also called circuits, of planar multi-loop mechanisms with kinematic limitations, such as joint limits, link interference, collision with stationary obstacles, and constraint regions. First, a technique is given to describe numerically the satisfaction or violation of these kinematic limitations, and then it is applied to find the ACs of mechanisms with kinematic limitations. The method is valid for planar mechanisms with one or two degrees of freedom, and is illustrated with two examples.