Kinematics 1

[windsurferm]

How do I create a sliding joint in a channel, similar to the sliding door runners on a van side door. I have the shaped channel, but seem to be unable to get a cylindrical bar to slide along it, what kinematic joint should I be using? There was a specific joint in V4 for this type of application and am sure it is still there but I am hoping is named in a way that I am just not getting. Can anyone help?

 

[mcintya]

If the channel follows a curve you can use the point curve joint, or the slide curve joint.

 

[windsurferm]

Still having problems

Have created 2 parts track and follower, created product of the two, created a slide curve joint between the 2 created track as fixed part, and it asks for at least one command on a joint. It seems impossible to insert a command on this type of joint, or am I missing something?

Have tried all of the following with no improvement. adding planar sliding joint to restrain it
adding point curve joint
redoing whole mechanism as point curve only and with planar too.

All to no avail. By using the axis to pull the component I know the follower is not physically restrained to the track. HELP.

 

[mcintya]

You are correct, you can't insert a command on a slide curve joint, you will need to control the motion with another joint in your mechanism.

If you are using a point curve joint, you will be able to control it by the length along the curve. However you need to restrain the rotation of the follower in two axes, one of them is the rotation about the curve (you accomplished this with the planar joint) and the other is a rotation about the center axis of the follower (you could possibly use a rolling contact joint).

Usually the rotation of the follower is restained by other components in your mechanism (i.e. you need the part that the follower is attached to and it's joints).