Arduino controlled automatically actuated grill block

[Ardent]

Originally Posted by Daox

I happened to already have the door lock actuator, so all I needed was an h-bridge.

Options are always good though!

[Daox]

I worked on the grill block a bit over the weekend. If I do say so, I think its turning out pretty nice.







The first thing I did was tweak the side angle pieces lengths so they were very close (about 1/32nd difference). You don't have to do this, since you could just cut the slats to adjust, but I wanted to. Next, I drilled the holes in the side angles for the rods to go through. I positioned these as close to the angle wall as I felt comfortable so the block doesn't have a big recess in it.





Next up was to cut out the coroplast grill slats. The only trick to doing this is cutting them large and trimming them down to fit nice.







One of the slats will overlap the other. This will help seal things a bit better while they are closed. So far it seems to fit together pretty good.







The next step was getting the steel rods bent up. I calculated with 1" of linear throw (which is what the door lock actuator provides), I would need the arm length (from centerline to centerline of the steel rod) to be .7" in length to get 90 degrees of rotation. I got it pretty close.







The last thing I worked on was the plate that connects the two rods. I just took a leftover piece of the aluminum angle and cut it up into a rectangle. Then I drilled two holes the same distance apart as the holes on the side angles. This plate is what the pushrod will attach to, and the pushrod will then attach to the actuator.

[WD40]

Awesome .. I am looking forward to see the end result, so I can copy it.

[Daox]

Haha, thanks. I'm very happy with it thus far.

There is one thing I'd appreciate some help with though. The rods are a little loose in the coroplast. So, they have to be fixed to it somehow. It would be great if that method was adjustable so you could more easily get everything setup, slats to seal better, etc.

My initial thought was to cut a groove in the back side of the coroplast in a couple spots. Just a short 1/4" cut or so to expose the metal rod. In that slot I could put some glue into the groove to lock the rod to the coroplast. However, this isn't adjustable, so you'd have to be sure its where you want it before you glue it.

My second thought was to take another small piece of aluminum and tap it for a setscrew. Then, I'd cut a groove in the coroplast to expose the rod like the above idea. The aluminum piece could be glued to the coroplast and then you could tighten the setscrew against the rod to lock it in place. I'm just not sure what kind of glue would work all that great to hold aluminum to plastic. It also requires a tap which not everyone probably has laying around.

Ideas are welcome.

[nemo]

Originally Posted by Daox

Haha, thanks. I'm very happy with it thus far.

My second thought was to take another small piece of aluminum and tap it for a setscrew. Then, I'd cut a groove in the coroplast to expose the rod like the above idea. The aluminum piece could be glued to the coroplast and then you could tighten the setscrew against the rod to lock it in place. I'm just not sure what kind of glue would work all that great to hold aluminum to plastic. It also requires a tap which not everyone probably has laying around.

Ideas are welcome.

Would it be possible to mount it like a carburetor throttle plate, putting the screws through the metal tab and in to the rod. If the rod was ground down in those areas it would make a no slip mount.

PS
To avoid tapping the rod , it might be possible to just drill it and put a screw with lock washer and nut. If the one side needs to be smooth , it could be counter sunk on one side.

[bestclimb]

have you the ability to center drill a couple holes through the steel rods? If so 2 holes in each (at the 1/3 and 2/3 of the coroplast lenghts) then smaller rod insertend through the holes and then zip tie the corplast to the smaller rods.


If you can not center drill use the same diameter rod, use a file to make interlocking notches, then drill from the flat side on each and use a small bolt or stainless wire to "Lash" them together.

to centerdrill with out a jig you can file a small flat (slightly smaller than the size of the drill bit) then centerpunch on the flat.

[mort]

Originally Posted by Daox

Haha, thanks. I'm very happy with it thus far.

There is one thing I'd appreciate some help with though. The rods are a little loose in the coroplast. So, they have to be fixed to it somehow. It would be great if that method was adjustable so you could more easily get everything setup, slats to seal better, etc.

My initial thought was to cut a groove in the back side of the coroplast in a couple spots. Just a short 1/4" cut or so to expose the metal rod. In that slot I could put some glue into the groove to lock the rod to the coroplast. However, this isn't adjustable, so you'd have to be sure its where you want it before you glue it.

My second thought was to take another small piece of aluminum and tap it for a setscrew. Then, I'd cut a groove in the coroplast to expose the rod like the above idea. The aluminum piece could be glued to the coroplast and then you could tighten the setscrew against the rod to lock it in place. I'm just not sure what kind of glue would work all that great to hold aluminum to plastic. It also requires a tap which not everyone probably has laying around.

Ideas are welcome.

If it were me, I'd glue the coroplast to the actuator rods to provide the best range of movement. I'd make adjustments in the linkage to the lock actuator. The length of a connecting rod can be adjusted, like by bending a kink more or less sharply, to get exactly the right action.

Also this looks beautiful!

-mort

[Daox]

Unfortunately, the steel rods are only 1/8" in diameter. I don't think I'll be tapping or drilling into them.

[WesternStarSCR]

My thought was to keep your 'axle' and your bent linkage separate. This way, you can glue the axle to your plastic.

You leave some space at the linkage end, to slip one side of a double coupler to it. Now you attach the other end of set screw coupler to your bent rod.

This way, the axis of the shutter and the continuation of it are adjustable and can separate.



Your Axle of each shutter can then be glued good, with no worry about linkage position, it can be rotated and locked into place as needed.

The coupler would be like a small bit of round hollow aluminum, with a 2 set screws, one towards each end, to lock upon the steel rod.

Set Screw Shaft Couplers

Like this but you can make your own or find them cheap?



Hence, micro size decoupling "Smart shutter axle thing..."

---

My reference theory

Picture an anti-sway bar. Now picture the straight center of it versus the bends that mount it. You want to be able to rotate the 2 of them independently but lock them at correct spot.

Decoupled for off road use, coupled for on road stability. American Axle calls it a Smart Bar.

SmartBar™ Electronic Stabilizer System | Chassis System Components | Product Portfolio | American Axle & Manufacturing

[nemo]

Great frame design, so simple. Looking forward to seeing the progress.

I am toying with the idea of build a set of these my car (will need right and left), but I think here in the south they would need to run in the open position a significant amount of the time. From a drag stand point would it be better to pivot the slats from the top or bottom edge, so when open the slat doesn't extend out past the front edge of the frame?