Mating a U-Bolt into a Sloted Plate 1

[quest4k]

Good afternoon, I have a plate and in the plate, I have a standard slot thru the plate. The slot has a radius at the top and the bottom of the slot. I have au-bolt going thru the slotand I have mated the u-bolt between the sides alright
using width, but I can not get the width to work with the top and bottom radiuses. Is there a way to use something like width only with the radiuses, so the u-bolt won't side thru the top or bottom of the slotted plate? Thanks you in advance for any ideas or assistance.

 

[ctopher]

Have you tried creating a plane in the u-bolt part and thru the slot? Mate the planes.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

 

[quest4k]

Thanks for the response, Chris. That is what I was afraid of and I kind of thought that was what I wouold eventually have to do. Thanks.

 

[ctopher]

You're welcome.
This is why I always model my parts with the default planes going through the center of the part. Makes it easier to mate them in assemblies, especially if there are holes or slots.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

 

[quest4k]

I do that pretty much also. I have it 90% there and now I have one last little problem to fix. I used a plane and the limitDistance to keep it in the slot, but I was hoping to be able to set a distance from the top with in the slot and the only thing I get when I add the distance mate is an over define warning and the it blipes me out and yesI did check the checkbox for positioning only, which is "supposed" to prevent that warning. You would happen to have any suggestion on this would you. Thanks again for the help.

 

[ctopher]

Sorry, I'm having a little problem following. Can you show a pic of your assy?

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

 

[jistre]

I don't remember for sure, but could you create a width mate using the lines created through the thickness of the part in the slot feature where the radii and the flat part of the slot are tangent. If you can do that, you can create a midplane in the u-bolt or use an existing one and the tangent lines from the two radii and it should snap to the center.

Alternately, if at least one radius of the slot is concentric with one legs of the u-bolt in the configuration you're modelling, you could put a concentric mate on one leg of the bolt and the radius it is concentric with and be done with it.

 

[quest4k]

Good morning, thanks for the response. I am not sure about how to do the picture, but all it is is a u-bolt going throuogh a slot in a plate. The u-bolt is 1-1/2 " wide made out of .250 rod and the slot in the plate is about 3" long. So the u-bolt slides up and down the slot and if it is inportant, it hold a pipe in place. I have the u-bolt staying in the slot, but I can not position the u-bolt inside the slot, which places the pipes that run through the u-bolt. Is that kind of clear?

 

[jistre]

Crystal clear. If you need to center it, a plane defined by the two tangent lines of one radius in the slot will be perpendicular to the straight part of the slot. Do this on both sides, and you've defined the endpoints of the flat portion of the slot and given yourself two planes to use for width mates.

There are a million ways to do this, but I tend to use planes defined by feature geometry for things like this because it doesn't involve any numerical definition and preserves my geometry when changes are made. I'm sure there are those who won't agree that it's the most efficient way, but it works for simple assemblies fairly well.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

To post an image see faq559-1100.

Can you not use a tangent mate between the U-bolt and the pipe it is clamping to?

 

[quest4k]

I finally got the image, I think.

http://img289.imageshack.us/img289/2083/gmf3611ho9.jpg

The u-bolt slides inside of the slot alright, I just need to lock the distance from the top down when I put it in an assembly, so it won't move. Does this make it look clearer?

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Horizontal?

or ...

Vertical?

 

[quest4k]

Thanks for the response. Actually it is both, but I have the horizontal already working, it is only the vertical I need to control inside of the slot. Basically the distance from the top of the black part to the top of the silver part. I am hoping not to have to have several configurations, but I do have several similar assemblies to do this to, so I decided to play wiht this one first. I hope this is all clear. Thanks again.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Best way is to add or use suitable Planes in the U-bolt and mate them to the bracket ... or planes in the bracket.

 

[quest4k]

Thanks for the response, I will give that a try. Have a good one.