2:41
Kitchen cabinet flap
Set the tension springs on a six-bar hinge so that a 2–8 kg flap opens by itself from about 15–20°. ASOMmini shows the manual force curve.
Example · Consumer goods · ASOMmini
Kinematics of an umbrella
An umbrella opens by itself by means of a pressure spring. In ASOMmini, you see how the spring determines the manual force and joint forces.
3:57
The task
An everyday product, precisely calculated
The frame of an umbrella can be modeled as a planar multi-bar linkage with two movable sliders. A pressure spring between them opens the umbrella by itself. How much force the hand has to apply at the lower slider and how heavily individual joints are loaded depends on the spring.
What ASOM shows here
- The manual force at the lower slider appears in a diagram, as do the joint forces at critical revolute joints.
- All joint forces are also shown as arrows on the canvas; their length shows how the force changes during the motion.
- Change the characteristic of the pressure spring, and all displays respond in real time.
Your benefits
Design the spring correctly before a prototype is built
You immediately see how the spring characteristic changes the manual force and joint loads, and you quickly find a suitable spring.
Ease of operation in view
You see whether the manual force at the slider remains comfortable. More on force calculation
Dimension joints correctly
The joint forces show which joints carry the highest loads.
Present vividly
Imported DXF drawings replace some of the links and move along with the model – making the frame look more realistic. More on evaluation and presentation
More examples
All example videos
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Four-bar linkage with manual force
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Four-bar linkage step by step
From a blank sheet to a fully rotating four-bar linkage with bearing forces and friction – the whole process in ASOMmini.
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