Terminology, Structural design of

mechanism, Degrees of
Freedom/Mobility

PHAM HUY HOANG

I. Terminology: Machine element and Link

4-stroke internal combustion engine

 1. Machine element:
smallest machine
part detached from a
machine.

2. Link: one or several

machine elements
assembled and fixed
together into a rigid body
and having motion
relative to other rigid
bodies.
(4-piston-and-)4-cylinder engine
2-link group: Piston and connecting rod
2-link group: Piston and connecting rod
 Crank shaft and 9 connecting rod

Crank shaft and

connecting rod

Piston and crankshaft - V engine

Piston and crankshaft - V engine

Prototype of 4-stroke internal combustion engine

Crankshaft – 4-cylinder engine

3. Joint / Kinematic pair:
a/ Mobility / Number of Degrees of freedom (DOF) of a link - defined as
the number of independent movements it has.
b/ Constraint - a simulation rule limits the movement of two links relative
to each other. A constraint restricts the DOF of a link relative to another
link.
c/ Mating surfaces - surface of a link contacts to surface of another link
to create constraint.
d/ Joint / Kinematic pair - Set of 2 mating surfaces of 2 links that
contact together and create constraints.
Spherical joint with 3 or 4
constraints (3 or 2 DOF)
 Translational / prismatic /sliding
Pin joint / revolute joint joint (5 constraints, 1 DOF)
(5 constraints, 1 DOF)
e/ Joint classification:

- Based on number of constraints: k-type joint has k constraints

- Based on contact type:

higher pair – point / line contact.

lower pair – surface contact

Screw joint
Convention presentation of link and joint
Simplified
Using kinematic size – size relating to kinematics and
dynamics, not considering on strength of material.
4. Kinematic group of links, Mechanism and Machine:
a/ Kinematic group of links: set of links connected together
by joints.
- Closed

- Opened
b/ Mechanism: a kinematic group of links with
(1) a fixed link,
(2) one or more links that are provided independently motions (controlled
independently) – driving links,
(3) the remained links moving following the driving links – driven links.
Mechanism is used to transmit or transform motion and force/moment.

planar

spatial
Quick return
Ratchet mechanism
Slider and crank

Spatial cam
Planar cam
Ratchet-mechanism based freewheel
c/ Machine: one or more mechanisms
combined together to transmit or transform
energy.

Engine Shaping machine

II. Degrees of freedom / Mobility:
The number of independent relative motions among links
The number of independent inputs required to control the
position of all links of the mechanism
1. Spatial mechanism:
n: number of moving links;
pk: number of k-type joints (joint with k constraints);
rth: number of redundant constraints;
rtr: number of duplicated constraints;
wth: number of unnecessary DOF
 5 
W  6.n    k . pk  rth  rtr   wth
 
 k 1 
Duplicated constraint:
2 links connect together in a joint restricting the links' DOF
what is limited before the connecting.

Ex: 3 duplicated
constraints
- Sliding in z axis.
- Rotating around x axis.
- Rotating around y axis.

•Recognition: exist at joint connecting

2 links to form a closed planar group in
spatial mechanism
Redundant constraint:
“Negative” DOF of a
redundant kinematic
group of links and
joints.
Ex.
Redundant group {link 3
and joints C, D} has
DOF of “ – 1”.
• Recognition: strictly
require a special
condition of size and
shape.
Unnecessary DOF in kinematics:
Unnecessary independent motion of one link.

Ex.
Rotating motion of
roller in cam
mechanism.
Recognition:
Independent motion
of one link does not
affect motions of
other links, such as
rotation of roller.
2. Planar mechanism:
- Planar mechanism: links moves on one or parallel
planes. Plane of mechanism xoy.
- Planar DOF: sliding along x-axis, sliding along y-axis and
rotation around z-axis.
- Planar constraints: limited DOF in plane.
- Do not consider constraint out of mechanism plane
(xoy): sliding along z-axis, rotating around x-axis and
rotation around y-axis.
There are only 4-type and 5-type joints in planar mechanism.

4-type joint: {1 planar constraint and 3 spatial constraint}

gear meshing, cam,

5-type joint: {2 planar constraint

and 3 spatial constraint} - revolute, prismatic joint
n: number of moving links;
p4: number of 4-type joints;
p5: number of 5-type joints;
rth: number of redundant constraints;
wth: number of unnecessary DOF

W  3.n   p4  2. p5  rth   wth

n = 7; p4 = 4; p5 = 8; rth = 0; wth = 0
W=1
 III. Transform a Higher-pair mechanism into Lower-pair
mechanism:
- Define higher pair
- Determine
curvature centers of
mating surfaces of
higher pair.
- Put revolute joints
at curvature centers
- Connect 2 centers
using a link.
- Remove higher pair.
IV. Planar mechanism without higher pair:
3-bar mechanism, slider and crank mechanism, quick
return mechanism, Whitworth quick return mechanism,
Scotch yoke mechanism, Rapson’s slide mechanism
2. Working coefficient

t lv 180  
k 
t ck 180  
 t lv 180  
k 
t ck 180  
3. Crank or rocker

l 2  l3  l1  l 4
l 2  l 3  l 4  l1
V. Special mechanisms:
Ratchet mechanism
Ratchet mechanism
Cardan coupling
Oldham coupling
Geneva drive
Geneva drive
Mechanism Tour