Magnetic Gears

Summary

This gear belongs to division hinges capable of folding 180 degrees with a bias back to the deployed state (ASME IDETC publication will be posted soon). Using two identical gears, there are two stable and unstable equilibria alternating at 90 degree intervals. Behavior between unidentical gears has not yet been explored.

Depending on the tolerance of a 3D printer, magnets may simply be press-fit in. Otherwise, it can be helpful to adhere them using superglue. BYU CMR uses Gorilla superglue.

The gears were originally intended as a design concept for actuating and stabilizing origami-inspired mechanisms, but they also make a great fidget toy.

Magnets can be found here.

Learn More

This design was developed by the Compliant Mechanisms Research Group (CMR) from Brigham Young University (BYU). Follow us at @byucmr on Instagram or visit the BYU Compliant Mechanisms Research (CMR) website to learn more about compliant mechanisms.

See https://rdcu.be/dnHx0 for an article in Nature Communications about how and why we share these maker resources.

Technical Information 

Bolanos, D., Ynchausti, C., Brown, N., Pruett, H., Hunter, J., Clark, B., ... & Magleby, S. P. (2022). Considering thickness-accommodation, nesting, grounding and deployment in design of Miura-ori based space arrays. Mechanism and Machine Theory, 174, 104904.

Follow us at @byucmr on Instagram or visit the BYU Compliant Mechanisms Research (CMR) website to learn more about compliant mechanisms, or check out these books: Compliant Mechanisms, Handbook of Compliant Mechanisms.

Intellectual Property

The downloadable 3D print files provided here may be used, modified, and enjoyed for noncommercial use. To license this technology for commercial applications, contact:

BYU Technology Transfer Office

3760 Harold B. Lee Library

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT 84602

Phone: (801) 422-6266 

https://techtransfer.byu.edu/contact