Autodesk Inventor

[#1]

Hello,

I have one problem and I would like to get your opinion how I could solve this.

I can't share models I have problem with, but I made another with the same problem.

Sorry for my English, but I don't know all the terms so it might be not correct.

I have two parts - one with slot, another with "pin". How to constrain the "pin" to always move in slot?

I had some ideas but non of them worked for me:

1. Use the Transitional constrain came first in mind, but it gives unsuspected results in this situation. Pin part is jumping around and ends up contrained in another place ir should be.

2. Contact solver kind of do the job, but it works quite bad. I gives no control or accuracy (i can not control how much pin is moved out)

3. I even thought of point on 3d sketch constrain, but it can not be done

How you would suggest to constrain the movement?

I hope I stated problem clear enaugh.

P.S.: I attached model files. I use Inventor 2013

[#2]

Look at the beginning and end of your sweep - doesn't look correct to me.

I would use Transistional, but do not drag the motion with mouse as sometimes the computer cannot keep up with calculations and the position gets messed up.  I would move by Drive Constraint on an offset Mate

or

use Joints in Dynamic Simulation for better motion behavior. (if you have Inventor Professional).

[#3]

This model is only for showing the problem, I do not bother about details too much.

I figured out why Transistional constrain do not work well in this case. It is bad choise for curved surface like that, because my pin can not be tangent to the surfaces at all possitions.

I never though of Dynamic Simulation actualy, it works better than Transistional constrain in this case, but I can not use it for Possition representations for example (if I would need drawings in different positions).

Contact solver would work fine, but it do not try to find possiton where parts is not intersecting, and just do not let constrain to drive.

I just guess there is no perfect solution for this situation.

Thank you for the reply.

[#4 · Accepted solution]

Another possible solution is to create a path surface in the slot centerline and a follower surface for the pin, and then use transitional constraint between them.

Sam B
Inventor 2012 Certified Professional

Please click "Accept as Solution" if this response answers your question.
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Inventor Professional 2013 SP1.1 Update 1
Windows XP Pro 32-bit, SP3
HP EliteBook 8730w; 4 GB RAM; Core™ 2 Duo T9400 2.53 GHz; Quadro FX2700M
SpaceExplorer/SpaceNavigator NB, driver 3.7.18
still waiting for a foreshortened radius dimensioning tool in Drawing Manager

[#5]

This is what I was looking for. Somehow I didn't figured out that I can constrain surface to surface with Transisional constrain. I wanted to constrain point to surface, but it is actualy the same.

So I made centerline surface on slot centerline. Than I created small surface sphere in center of the follower and I constrained tham with transistional constrain, thats it. Thank you sbixler.