Alternating pitch curved maintaining spring structure

Abstract

To solve the problem that conventional hose and cable guidance means have difficulty in maintaining a three-dimensional free curved shape, and require a combination of a plurality of parts, which causes challenges in terms of degree of freedom for design and cost.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a spring structure that can independently maintain a curved shape by alternately providing tightly wound parts and loosely wound parts every half turn in a compression coil spring. Further, desired curvature and rigidity can be obtained by adjusting a pitch interval and a D / d ratio, making it applicable to three-dimensional guidance and maintaining of hoses and cables. An end part shape can be formed integrally using an NC molding machine, making it compatible with a variety of mounting means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a retention mechanism using a spring structure, and more particularly to a guidance structure that can independently retain a three-dimensional curved shape by providing alternating pitch structures in a compression coil spring. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a guide device combining multiple components was required to hold and guide flexible components such as hoses and wires along a predetermined path. In particular, when a three-dimensional path is required, a configuration combining multiple joint components, movable arms, exterior tubes, etc. is common.

[0003] While there are also guides that use spring structures, with typical compression coil springs, all coils are formed at an equal pitch, making it difficult for them to maintain a curve independently, and their applications are limited to transmitting loads in a linear or axially symmetrical direction. As a result, in order to hold hoses, cables, etc. in a specified curved path, separate jigs or fixtures are often required, which increases the number of parts and limits the design freedom, creating issues.

[0004] Furthermore, in most hose guide structures that use springs, the primary purpose is to provide physical protection from the outside, so a spring material with a thin wire diameter and a large average diameter (i.e., a high D / d ratio) is often used. This makes it possible to achieve protective functionality with a minimum outer diameter without restricting the mobility or flexibility of the hose itself.

[0005] On the other hand, there are some coil springs with variable pitch, but these are mainly designed to adjust load characteristics and are not suitable for guiding or holding wires or hoses in three dimensions. Also, because they are structurally designed to be linear, they generally do not have the ability to independently hold a curve. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As mentioned above, conventional guide structures using compression coil springs have difficulty maintaining a curved shape independently, and are therefore not suitable for applications requiring stable guidance of flexible members along three-dimensional paths. Furthermore, spring structures designed to protect the entire hose have a large D / d ratio and a design concept that emphasizes flexibility, which limits their use in applications requiring active shape control and maintenance. Furthermore, when processing using conventional coil spring forming machines, it is difficult to integrally form a hook-shaped structure at the end of the spring that allows it to be fixed with a bolt, and it is common for the spring to require joining to a separate part or additional processing.

[0007] Additionally, in recent years, 3D printing has been used to create three-dimensional wiring and conductor structures, while the traditional method of manually processing wires and other materials has been considered as an alternative. However, these methods lack the restoring force of spring structures, i.e., the elasticity that allows them to return to their original shape after the load is removed, or they only have a very limited ability to do so. While 3D printed conductor guides offer excellent freedom of shape, they lack flexibility, and while wires and other materials are easily deformed, they have a low elastic limit and lack the ability to maintain their shape.

[0008] Furthermore, by using stainless steel such as SUS304 or heat-resistant spring materials as the spring material used in the present invention, it is possible to create a structure with a certain level of heat resistance and durability, which is also a useful difference from other materials. In addition, the spring structure can be NC formed using general-purpose materials, which is also a feature that the manufacturing process and material costs can be kept low. The present invention solves these problems by enabling the spring structure itself to maintain the desired curved shape, providing a structure for guiding hoses, cables, etc. in three dimensions, and making it possible to give the terminal portion an attachment function by integrally molding it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The spring structure according to the present invention is characterized in that the coil spring has alternately tightly wound and loosely wound sections for every half turn (Fig. 4-3, Fig. 4-4). This configuration enables the spring structure to independently maintain a three-dimensional curved shape.

[0010] Furthermore, by using NC-controlled molding, it is possible to integrally attach hook-shaped, square-shaped, or other attachment structures (Fig. 2-6, Fig. 1-7) to the spring end, allowing for flexibility in processing according to the application.

[0011] By using stainless steel spring materials such as SUS304, the structure can be made heat-resistant and environmentally resistant.

[0012] Furthermore, the direction and angle of curvature can be controlled by adjusting the pitch of the non-contact portions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve three-dimensional bending with a single spring, eliminating the need for auxiliary holding members and wiring guides that were previously required, thereby reducing the number of parts, simplifying the installation process, reducing weight, and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0014] Furthermore, the integrated processing of the ends (Fig. 1-7, Fig. 2-6) by NC molding allows for a variety of installation methods, such as hooking, insertion, and bolt-on, improving design freedom and on-site workability.

[0015] By adjusting the D / d ratio depending on the application, for example, a configuration with a wire diameter of 3.0 mm and an average diameter of 19.6 mm (D / d ratio of approximately 6.5) has been confirmed to have good performance in terms of shape retention, fixation, and shape recovery after repeated use.

[0016] In addition, the structural balance between the contact and non-contact areas allows for localized bending control, making it highly practical for guiding and protecting hoses and cables that take complex routes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] Plan view of the structure [Figure 2] Front view of the structure [Figure 3] Side view of the structure [Figure 4] Figure 2-A enlarged view [Figure 5] Perspective view of the structure DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The curved spring structure of the present invention can curve the entire spring three-dimensionally by alternating the tightly wound and loosely wound sections of each half turn (Figs. 4-3 and 4-4) and intentionally shifting the timing of the pitch change (for example, by starting the pitch change halfway through a half turn).

[0019] Specifically, by adjusting the feed amount and additional pitch amount in half-winding increments or midway through winding in the NC spring forming machine, the angle balance between the start and end of winding can be changed, forming any desired curvature in the spring axial direction within a natural winding pattern.

[0020] This molding method allows for the creation of a self-supporting spring structure with a curved section built into the structure, which does not require external force, and also makes it possible to form the curved shape without post-processing, making it suitable for mass production and consistent.

[0021] The spring structure of the present invention can be adapted to hoses and cables of various diameters by changing the wire diameter (d).

[0022] For example, by configuring the wire diameter to be around 1.2 mm for small diameter hoses, 2.5 to 3.0 mm for medium diameter hoses, and 4.0 mm or more for large diameter hoses, the holding force and tracking ability can be adjusted according to the purpose.

[0023] By setting the mean spring diameter (D) according to the wire diameter, it is possible to ensure the desired D / d ratio while providing optimal inductivity and shape retention for the object of use.

[0024] In this way, by combining wire diameter, D / d ratio, and pitch interval, it is possible to have a wide range of applications under the same structural principle, and another advantage of this invention is that it is possible to handle small-lot production of a wide variety of products using a standardized molding process. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 1 Structure front, X axis 2. Front of structure, Y axis 3 Enlarged view of the curved part of the structure, tightly wound part of the curved structure 4 Enlarged view of the curved part of the structure, non-tightly wound part of the curved structure 5 Structure coil outer diameter 6 Side view of structural attachment hook 7 Plan view of structural attachment hook

Claims

1. An alternating pitch spring structure with a curve-retaining function, characterized in that densely wound sections and non-closely wound sections are alternately arranged every half turn in the winding of a coil spring, and the pitch interval of the non-closely wound sections is adjusted so that the entire spring can independently maintain a three-dimensional curved shape.

2. In the alternating pitch spring structure according to claim 1, the ratio of the average diameter D of the spring to the wire diameter d (D / d The spring structure is characterized in that the protection performance for an object, the path guidance performance, and the elastic restoring force are optimized by adjusting the ratio (of the spring force) according to the application.

3. In the alternating pitch spring structure according to claim 1 or 2, a mounting hook is provided at the end of the spring. Alternatively, the spring structure is characterized in that the angular shape is integrally formed by molding under NC control.

4. 4. The spring structure according to claim 1, wherein the spring material is SUS304 or an equivalent heat-resistant stainless steel for springs, thereby providing heat resistance and environmental resistance.

5. In the alternating pitch spring structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A spring structure characterized by a configuration in which a pitch winding portion is provided continuously or selectively in a desired portion, thereby enhancing linear induction or protective function in that portion.

6. In the alternating pitch spring structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The spring structure is characterized in that the mounting hook or angular shape is configured to be compatible with mechanical fixing means such as bolt fastening, and the end structure makes it easy to mount in a desired posture and position.

7. 7. An alternating pitch spring structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the shape of the spring end can be arbitrarily designed by NC-controlled molding processing, and the end is compatible with multiple mounting methods such as hooking, insertion, and bolt fastening.

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