Compliant Basketball Rim Design Project
EDSGN 597 – Compliant Mechanisms Design – Fall 2021
Breakaway basketball rims are the standard for professional gyms but are not easily available to everyone. The objective of this research is to develop breakaway basketball rims in a more affordable way so they can be available to every community and residential space. To do this, the theory behind compliant mechanisms was studied and implemented, providing a lot of the advantages needed to make this task a reality. Several design iterations were done to gather a lot of theoretical and testing data. The idea mainly considered at the end of this paper is that of an initially deflected rim, flexed down to a horizontal position and held in place by a hard-stop. This induces strain in the small-length flexural pivot and thus preloads it, creating the breakaway rim effect. The designs seen here will continue to be improved upon, combined, and tested. This project was worked on in conjunction with the Compliant Mechanisms Design course, with advisor and professor Dr. Jared Butler of The Mechanism Collective. It was a group project worked on by Aaron Rohlfing and Joe Karam.
Compliant Basketball Rim Final Report
Origami Engineering Design Project
EDSGN 597 – Compliant Mechanisms Design – Fall 2021
Compliant Mechanisms Mini Design Project
EDSGN 597 – Compliant Mechanisms Design – Fall 2021
Four Bar Mechanism 3D Printed Design
ME 480 – Mechanism Design & Analysis – Fall 2020
The basis of this ME 480 class project was to get a physical feel for how a rocker-crank mechanism works, and how the input and output motions are affected by the dimensions and placement of the links. I designed each link within SolidWorks, and combined them into an assembly to ensure that the desired motion actually worked. I then had the parts 3D printed, and then worked with various nuts, bolts, and backings to produce the desired physical constraints and motion. Project sketches and info are included, as well as a video of the physical model’s motion and the SolidWorks model’s motion.