Vine-Inspired Twining Actuator: Cylindrical Hyper-Form-Closure Envelopment by Single Actuated Linkage

Linkage mechanisms with fewer closed loops exhibit limited enveloping angles, whereas multi-loop designs increase complexity, compromise reliability, and introduce structural interference issues. This paper establishes the kinematic general formula of the N-layer Reverse Four-Bar Linkage, whose spiral enveloping mechanism is inspired by the twining growth of climbing plants. It reveals the variation law of the envelope angle with the closed-loop layer number <i>N</i>, and explores the influence of structural parameters on the configuration. It is found that when the symmetric length conditions of the two sets of opposing links are satisfied and the three-pair links meet the internal-angle constraint α1=α2, the mechanism exhibits self-similar topological characteristics, allowing the mechanism to maintain kinematic stability during multi-layer expansion. In terms of prototype implementation, the multi-link interference issues were successfully addressed by adopting slotted shaft-thrust bearing composite joints and a stepped arrangement design, leading to the development of an N=6 six-layer Reverse Four-Bar Linkage prototype. The prototype achieves a theoretical envelope angle of 450°, enabling hyper form closure grasping. It can stably grasp objects such as cylindrical objects with diameters ranging from 35 mm to 110 mm, effectively adapting to the grasping requirements of targets with various sizes and shapes. This provides a highly versatile and reliable grasping solution for industrial automation scenarios.