So I want my drone to fly out of an enclosure which is a wooden crate. I've made a drawing of how Im thinking the door at the top of the crate should open:



So basically it would open either in or out. I'm going for OUT at the moment because it seems there would be less of a chance of the door snagging anything.

I picked this over a door that slides horizontally due to space considerations.

In this case my door would have a couple of hinges. What options do I have to make the door open?

I have a crate whose door opens vertically due to a pneumatic cylinder but a cylinder doesn't seem like an option. So I thought of some kind of arm pushed up by a motor?

 

An inward falling door would be much easier ..

But if you want an outward opening door , I would have the door fitted with a door spring , there are many ways to do this , eBay search "door spring" so you push the door closed against the spring , a solenoid catch holds the door closed , when a current is passed to the solenoid the catch releases and the door springs open .....

I've been watching drone races on TV ... they should fix them with small lasers that hit sensors on the opponent ... have two teams and have drone wars ...dog fights

 

If the door were to fall inwards what would the mechanism be?

 

If the door were to fall inwards what would the mechanism be?

something like this ....

The metal latch sticking out stops the door falling , when current is applied the latch is pulled in allowing door to fall .... you would use the same device if the door was spring loaded ..... many different types , put "solenoid lock" in eBay search

 

An inward falling door would be much easier .

Easier, but how would you keep it from fouling the drone? To do that the box would have to be taller than if the door opened upward.

 

I have a crate whose door opens vertically due to a pneumatic cylinder but a cylinder doesn't seem like an option.

A linear actuator? Just for example they are on Ebay too - https://www.actuatorzone.com/

 

That would work the same as a pneumatic cylinder wouldn't it?

 

That would work the same as a pneumatic cylinder wouldn't it?

Yes but no need for a air compressor. You don't really give much to go on in this. You could also use an extension spring and manually close the door and then use a solenoid latch like oz showed to open it.

 

Oh ok, good point! Thanks

 

OK so I looked at actuators and at my small wooden crate and I think 250 mm stroke actuator would work well. I have been wondering about the speed and I think that 20 or 30 mm/s would be good enough. My lingering doubt is how the actuator will connect to the lid. I was thinking about connecting the actuator at an angle possibly 45° "near" the pivot point.

I'm no engineer but it looks stressed! I need help with the mechanism.

 

Not how I would do it. Look at "bell cranks". One arm attached to the lid rotating around a pivot point mounted on the side of the box, and the other arm attached to the actuator.

 

Oh OK I need these:

 

Those are what is used to attach the ends of the actuator to what it is that you moving. What you show isn't a bell crank.

You never said if this has to be opened and closed by an actuator. If it can be closed manually and only opened by a remote electrical controlled system there are other ways of doing this.

This is similar to what I'm talking about for a bell crank, except he is pulling what he calls load and you would be pushing it.(image from;

) If you want I can make a sketch of it.