The Necessity of a Lift Brace
funrobotics
Entry ID #: 5766
Created: Sat, Jan 5, 2019 8:15 PM
Hello, my name is Neil Griffin and am part of team 6446C in the middle school division. As part of the VEX Robotics Competition, I saw some teams with unstable lifts that would twist and turn. Since lifts are so high off from the main chassis, teams often have to create overbuilt structures that waste time and space. Angled one - bar mechanisms don't provide much support. Originally, our team had to create a whole back brace system which took up the whole back of the robot which wasted precious resources. The solution? A dedicated device which has the ability to provide structural integrity in all sides of the lift that is versatile and easy to use, while taking up as little space as possible. I would like to introduce you to the Lift Brace. The Lift Brace is a simple and relatively small device which minimizes play, resulting in more points and increases competitiveness. Slots were used to decrease trouble installing the device. The Lift Brace would be mounted on sides of the lift that have play in order to have the most effectiveness. I've used Fusion 360 (Education License) version 1.45.2 to design this piece. I sketched the outline of the device by using 3 rectangles, two of which are angled 45 degrees. I extruded the main body upwards. I then sketched one slot measuring 0.182 inches wide and extruded it upwards. I moved the two slots into the main body and angled them corresponding to the main body's winglets. I then copied and pasted the body and used the "combine" tool with the main body and the two slots and used the "cut" feature inside the tool to carve out the spaces for the screws. In conclusion, I've learned lots about CAD design by sketching in two dimensions and extruding in 3D. I will hope to pioneer more functional items to add effectiveness and efficiency in VEX Robotics and other items alike. Thank you for your cooperation.
