Study of the workspace of a class of universal joints

Universal joint is a key component which has been widely used in industrial field. Study of the workspace of universal joints is very important since the size of their workspace can directly affect workspace of the mechanisms using them. To explore the workspace of universal joints, a mathematical model was developed, by which the workspace of universal joints can be exactly and conveniently calculated based on their geometric parameters. The relationship between the workspace and geometric parameters of universal joints was explored. In the mathematical model, several parameters such as the wing height, the wing width, the cone angle of the workspace and the maximum operating angle of universal joints are defined to depict their workspace profile, the desired workspace of universal joints can be obtained through changing these parameters. A design example is provided to illustrate the design procedures of a universal joint based on the proposed model. The proposed research can help designers in the process of development of universal joints with desired workspace. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.