Elucidation of conformation and bistability of a multi-jointed elastic loop structure and its applications

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14115
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Materials/Mechanics of materials
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Hiro 大阪大学, 工学研究科, 講師 (70550143)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 多節環状弾性体 / 立体配座 / 絡み合い構造 / 双安定性 / 形態制御 / 非線形構造力学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated the tangle deformation of a slender loop body connected with elastic tube segments and revolute hinges. We prepared three types of segment geometry: straight, necked, and bellows tubes. Demonstrating the traction-deformation tests for their elastic loop structures, we observed that the bellows-type model only formed a conformation induced by torsional rotation of the discrete hinges while the other models shrank without torsional rotation. According to the mechanics of materials, we discussed the ratio of bending to torsional stiffness, which plays an important role at the conformation. The further traction-deformation tests for the proposed structures with the different numbers of segments revealed multiple bifurcation modes that the large-sized models transit from the initial conformations to the folding behaviors. The image processing and convex hull analyses succeeded to quantify the conformation and transition mechanisms, which bulk solids might not have.

Free Research Field

固体力学