Design of large deployable networks constructed by myard linkages

This paper investigates the possibilities of building large deployable mechanical network based on Myard linkage, a 5R overconstrained linkage. The motion configurations of a Myard linkage is first briefly introduced, and the results show that the linkage is a good candidate for forming large spatial deployable structures which can be deployed to a planar configuration and folded to a compact bundle. Three kinds of assembly ways of Myard linkages are introduced. Afterwards, two types of large spatial deployable networks based on Myard linkages with different twist angles are developed. © (2011) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.