Rear Panel Hinge

Overview

The rear panel will be hinged off the chassis to allow access to the battery boxes and other power electronics. Having the rear array attached to this panel will also allow for better charging when the sun is low in the sky.

Members

The hinge is a six bar linkage made of aluminum. The three members shown in blue are made of 1/4in aluminum plate and can be water jet cut. The top member is 1½in T extrusion with holes added in the flange to serve as adhesive anchors. This member will be bonded to the rear aerobody panel. The remaining member extending at the back of the hinge mechanism has a jog half way through which helps to align the extrusion with the other members of the assembly. The 3D geometry in this part is simple and should not be overly difficult for us or a sponsor to manufacture.

Joints

All joints in the assembly are in single shear. Double shear joints should not be necessary as it is a relatively light load application. Each joint has one set of 8mm ID bushings pressed into the 1/4in plate to reduce radial friction

The three joints shown in blue are Flanged pins from Misumi with a snap ring retaining the opposite side.

The remaining four joints (excluding the gas spring) are made with shoulder screws. The shoulder screws will be fastened into a tapped hole in the top member or the mounting tab on the chassis and will have a lock nut securing it on the opposite side.  The combination of the nut and tapped hole can be used to tune the preload and thus the friction in the joint.

A gas spring is attached below the chassis to help compensate for the weight of the panel and make it easier for the panel to stand upright.

Locking Mechanism

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