Abstract
In this work, the principle of metamorphic mechanism is optimized for the product design based on variable topological structures. One metamorphic element consisting of kinematic pair and kinematic size is proposed firstly and a configuration synthesis strategy for feed mechanism is performed in term of the translocation, inversion and duplication variation methods. Metamorphic elements are obtained by decomposing the source metamorphic mechanism. A novelty configuration scheme based on constraint variation features is established by the solution of the constraint relationship of metamorphic elements, and three kinds of configurations are synthesized. Comparisons with kinematic performances between source mechanism and developed mechanism configurations are modelled by the kinematic simulation. Results demonstrate that the multiple types of metamorphic mechanisms can be successfully synthesized, and the demands of functional targets are satisfied completely.