Automated shutter

[stk2008]

Hi all as you can tell I am new here.

I have little electronic experience though my mechanical skills are very good.
I have dabbled with electronics and really enjoy it. I have a project on the go at the moment but have hit a wall.

What I want to do is make a box that will have a perspex window that when I press a button it will lower then when I press it again it will raise back to its original position.

I was going to use a PC CD drive it would work great if it had a little more power but it don't so it struggles to lift it and then hold it in position. I would like this device to work from 12v or 5v as it will be ran off a PC power supply.

Please help in building and designing as I have no idea how or where to start now.

P.S

Must be cheap to build and safe as the power supply will not be turned off.

Thanks in advance

D.Roberts

 

[Externet]

Your CD tray mechanism is good approach. If it works, just add a counterweight and it will have little or no effort to lift it.

 

[stk2008]

Hi there thanks for the very fast reply

The cd drive I have is old and not strong at all I could get hold of a few old ones and use the most powerful one then use the counter weight idea (great idea btw).
I may look into this and then test the counter weight idea.

But lets say I wanted to build some thing how on earth would I and what components would you use.

Thanks again

 

[stk2008]

Hi all well I have had a go at the counter weight though it may work with messing around I would really like other options please could some one give me an idea of what other way I could do this please?.

thanks

P.S

I would all so like to make some thing any way as I love making things plus gives me a chance to use me CNC machine I made then

 

[Externet]

Automobile door glass mechanism from the wreck yard.
Or if your shutter window is large enough, choose the entire car door that better fits your needs and saw-off the unneeded lower portion. Will have nice finish, riding channels, felts, seals, even choice of color
Some rear doors windows have a neatly squared shape, will run perfect on a 12V PC supply. Time for a long walk at the boneyard.

 

[stk2008]

hahahaha.

I think I would rather make something a little less ummmmm how can I put it.....? hahahaha.

Thanks for the idea but I was hoping to make something a little more compact and neater plus I don't actually need that much power.

Basically its a box 1100x1100x340mm it will have a perspex window say 1000x150x10mm
it will be smoked and behind it will be

Xbox
Wii
Virgin box

I am going to make a unit basically to hold all of this and inside I will all so put a PC in.

So any other ideas on how and what I would need to make it would be great as I was hoping to get the parts tomorrow.

Thanks

 

[Externet]

1 metre x 15 cm is not thaaaat far from a car door, but you can always use a motor with a string wound on its shaft to pull this door closed, spring force opening if you do not want to use the old style open-by-hand method. :

----> **broken link removed**
(available ready-made at your nearby SalvationArmy) Box included for the price, not only the smoked tint shutter window, and with better finish than perspex !

Sorry I did not find a picture with the gadgets you listed already in.

 

[stk2008]

Thanks for the help and advice.

I was after making some thing tho based on like an old DVD/CD drive from a PC.

I suppose I can continue to look for one that suites my needs better or find some kind of drawing showing me how to make some thing close.

 

[lilimike]

You can use a long screw and a stepper motor with a micro-switch at the top and another one at the bottom.

Mike

 

[stk2008]

Hi there I had thought of stepper motors but then I would need to made/purchase a driver board for it.
I could use a normal motor and then use micro switches at top and bottom to kill power at the right time.

I am not very good at putting electronics into practice tho so would need drawings etc to help along.

Is there some kind of electrical diagram made all ready that could do what I need just like the DVD/CD drives I was or may still use

Thanks

 

[Boncuk]

Hi stk2008,

you didn't post in which direction you want the window to move.

If it's vertical I suggest to build something similar to a guillotine.

Boncuk