Spring assembly

Abstract

In a spring assembly (1) having a deformable spring element (2), a first receiving region (3) of the spring element (2) is mounted in a first receiving bearing (5) and a second receiving region (4) of the spring element (2) is mounted in a second receiving bearing (6). When the first receiving bearing (5) is displaced along a predetermined displacement path, a spring force counteracting the resulting deformation of the spring element (2) is generated. An influencing element (10, 16) arranged between the first receiving bearing (5) and the second receiving bearing (6) and fixed outside the spring element (2) influences the deformation of the spring element (2) and thus the spring force generated by the spring element (2) during the displacement of the first receiving bearing (5) along the displacement path.

Description

[0001] Spring device

[0002] The invention relates to a spring device with a deformable spring element, in which a first receiving area of ​​the spring element is mounted in a first receiving bearing and a second receiving area of ​​the spring element is mounted in a second receiving bearing, wherein upon a displacement of the first receiving bearing along a predetermined displacement path, a spring force is generated which counteracts the deformation of the spring element caused thereby.

[0003] Such spring devices with a deformable spring element are known in numerous different designs and are used in many different fields of application. The deformable spring element can be made from different materials, each of which has different deformation properties. In many cases, spring elements made from metal, in particular spring steel, or from a fiber-plastic composite material are suitable. By selecting a suitable material and by specifying the shape of the spring element and its mounting in the spring device, the properties of a spring device relevant to the respective intended use can be specified over a wide range.In practice, it is therefore known and customary to adapt a spring device to the respective intended use and to specify it in terms of spring properties, such as the spring characteristic curve, which describes the relationship between a forced deformation of the spring element and the force required for this.

[0004] Different types of springs, such as spiral springs, torsion springs or disc springs, have been developed for completely different purposes and are now known in numerous different designs. While in many spring devices the spring characteristic curve has a linear profile within the deformation range relevant for the application in question, spring devices with a non-linear spring characteristic curve are also known, which can, for example, have a progressive or degressive profile. In addition, it is known from practice that a deformable spring element can be mounted in the spring device in a pre-loaded manner, so that already at the beginning of a predetermined displacement path of a first receiving bearing relative to a second receiving bearing, a spring force that can be predetermined by the pre-load counteracts further displacement along the displacement path.

[0005] If the requirements for a spring device change and different spring properties are desired or required, a correspondingly modified spring device is usually used. It is also known that, for example, by changing the mounting of the deformable spring element, the spring properties of the spring device can be changed and adapted without having to replace the spring element or the entire spring device.

[0006] For example, DE 42 10 598 A1 describes a buckling spring with a buckling rod that is mounted between two bearing devices. If a compressive force is exerted on the buckling rod in its longitudinal direction, the spring force counteracting the compressive force initially increases sharply with only slight deformation in the longitudinal direction until the buckling rod buckles and breaks sideways after the buckling force exerted on the buckling rod is exceeded. The spring force counteracting further deformation then remains almost constant until the buckling rod breaks. The magnitude of the buckling force, upon exceeding which the buckling rod buckles and breaks sideways, can be changed by moving a bearing along the longitudinal axis of the buckling rod and can be specified within a range.

[0007] It is considered to be an object of the present invention to design a spring device with the features mentioned at the outset in such a way that the spring force can be influenced and changed over the largest possible range using the simplest possible structural means.

[0008] This object is achieved according to the invention in that the deformation of the spring element and thus the spring force which is generated by the spring element during the displacement of the first receiving bearing along the displacement path is influenced by an influencing element which is arranged between the first receiving bearing and the second receiving bearing and fixed outside the spring element. The influencing element can be designed and arranged in such a way that the desired influencing and changing of the spring force can be made possible as efficiently as possible and over a large area. Depending on the design and arrangement of the influencing element, for example for a section of the spring element extending along a longitudinal axis of the spring element, a deformation of the spring element in this section can be prevented or influenced.The deformation of the spring element is always influenced when the spring element deforms differently due to the influencing element than when the first receiving bearing is displaced due to the application of a force and the spring element is thereby forced to deform without any influence from the influencing element. Any formation of the associated receiving area of ​​the spring element or any bearing device which receives the relevant receiving area of ​​the spring element in a force-transmitting manner and by means of which or via which a force acting on the spring element from the outside can be transmitted to the relevant receiving area of ​​the spring element is regarded as a receiving bearing. Any change in the position of the first receiving bearing relative to the second receiving bearing is regarded as a displacement of the first receiving bearing.The influencing element is located outside the spring element if it is not exclusively connected to the spring element and is not exclusively attached to the spring element. By using an influencing element, it is not necessary to change the design or arrangement of the first receiving bearing or the second receiving bearing in order to change or adapt the spring properties. The displacement path of the first receiving bearing, which determines the displacement of the first receiving bearing when a force is applied and thus the resulting forced deformation of the spring element, can also be left unchanged.

[0009] In this case, it is fundamentally possible for the influencing element to influence the deformation of the spring element during the displacement of the first receiving bearing over the entire displacement path. It is also conceivable for the influencing element to influence the deformation of the spring element within an influencing path section of the displacement path, wherein the displacement path is made up of an influencing path section influenced by the influencing element and at least one displacement path section not influenced by the influencing element. In this way, it can be specified, for example, that the influencing element influences the deformation of the spring element and thus in particular the spring characteristic curve only at the beginning of the displacement path or only towards the end of a maximum displacement path.For example, an increased or reduced spring action could be specified at the beginning or toward the end of the displacement path. It is also conceivable for the influencing element to influence the spring action only in a central region of the displacement path or only in a centrally located displacement path section, while an uninfluenced displacement path section of the displacement path is specified both at the beginning and toward the end of the displacement path.

[0010] Optionally, it can also be provided that several influencing elements influence the deformation of the spring element during a displacement of the first receiving bearing along the displacement path in non-overlapping influencing path sections or in partially or completely overlapping influencing path sections of the displacement path. In this way, very complex spring characteristics can be specified and modified as needed, even with simply designed spring elements.

[0011] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the inventive concept, it is provided that the influencing element has a retaining element to which the spring element is fixed at a retaining section of the spring element and which is detachably mounted in a retaining bearing of a retaining device, so that the retaining element counteracts an uninfluenced deformation of the spring element when the first receiving bearing begins to be displaced, and that the retaining element is detached and released from the retaining bearing as soon as the spring force generated during a displacement of the first receiving bearing along the displacement path corresponds to a predeterminable release force. In this way it can be achieved that at the beginning of a force application an increased spring effect is predetermined by the retaining element, which counteracts the deformation, until the retaining element is detached and released from the retaining bearing.It can then be provided that the released retaining element no longer influences further deformation of the spring element, or at least no longer influences it significantly. It can also be provided that the retaining element is released from the retaining bearing, but is hindered or influenced in its movement along a retaining displacement path, so that the retaining element released from the retaining bearing continues to exert an influence on the deformation of the spring element, which, however, differs from the influence during the fixing of the retaining element in the retaining bearing.

[0012] It can also be provided that the retaining element is permanently fixed in the retaining bearing of the retaining device and is detachably connected to the spring element at a retaining section of the spring element. The retaining element can, for example, be a slotted ring which is fixed in the retaining bearing and engages around the spring element, wherein the spring element can deform the slotted ring when the spring element is deformed and emerge from the slotted ring with the retaining section through the slot. Other structural implementations are also conceivable in which the retaining element is permanently fixed in the retaining bearing and, when the deformation or deformation force of the spring element is sufficiently great, releases the spring element and no longer influences its further deformation.

[0013] According to an advantageous embodiment of the

[0014] Inventive concept is optionally provided that the

[0015] The restraint device has a force sensor for determining the spring force which is exerted by the spring element via the restraint element on the restraint bearing of the restraint device during a displacement of the first receiving bearing within the influencing path section, and in that the restraint element is detached and released from the restraint bearing as soon as the spring force determined by the force sensor corresponds to a predeterminable triggering force during a displacement of the first receiving bearing along the displacement path. In this way, a length of the influencing path section can be individually predetermined during the displacement of the first receiving bearing. Alternatively, the force sensor can also be used to detect a spring force exerted by the spring element on the first receiving bearing or on the second receiving bearing, and the restraint element can be detached and released from the restraint bearing as a function of this.In this way, the spring characteristic curve of the spring element can be influenced in a wide range and changed very precisely.

[0016] When using a retaining element that is detachably fixed in the retaining bearing, it can optionally also be provided that the release force can be variably specified. The retaining element can, for example, be mechanically retained and released in the retaining bearing. For example, the retaining element can be retained in the retaining bearing by a flexible retaining tongue, which is deformed when a sufficiently large release force is applied and releases the retaining element, so that the retaining element can be moved out of the retaining bearing. By changing the position or the orientation of the retaining tongue, the release force required to release the retaining element from the retaining bearing can be changed and specified.

[0017] Retaining element can also be replaced by a

[0018] The retaining spring device can be retained in the retaining bearing, and the retaining spring force of the retaining spring device can be varied and specified within a range. It is also conceivable that, when using a force sensor, the threshold value for the triggering force that can be specified for releasing the retaining element from the retaining bearing can be specified with a control device and adjusted as needed.

[0019] According to a likewise very advantageous embodiment of the inventive concept, it can be provided that the influencing element has a stop element which, when the first receiving bearing begins to be displaced, is at a distance from the spring element, so that only after a deformation of the spring element, uninfluenced by the stop element, during a displacement of the first receiving bearing over an uninfluenced deformation path section does a stop section of the spring element come into contact with the stop element, so that the stop element counteracts a further uninfluenced deformation during a further displacement of the first receiving bearing over an influencing path section influenced by the stop element. The stop element can, for example, have a stop surface which is arranged immovably at a distance from the undeformed spring element.At the start of deformation of the spring element, the stop element is still at a distance from the spring element, so that initially a deformation of the spring element takes place that is unaffected by the stop element. As soon as a force acting on the spring element causes the first receiving bearing to be displaced sufficiently far along the displacement path and the spring element is deformed to such an extent that the stop section of the spring element rests against the stop surface of the stop element, the stop element counteracts further deformation of the spring element in the region of the stop section and forces at least a deformation that differs from the unaffected deformation. In this way, the spring effect can be influenced and changed.

[0020] Typically, the spring effect can be increased by a stop element in that the stop section bears against the stop element, thereby reducing an effective spring length of the spring element, in that the deformability of the spring element is divided between two sections of the spring element arranged opposite the stop section and still freely deformable, the length of which is each less than the length of the spring element between the first and the second receiving bearing.

[0021] It can also optionally be provided that a distance between the stop element and the contact section of the spring element can be changed when a displacement of the first receiving bearing begins. In this way, the proportion of the displacement path section not influenced by the stop element at the beginning of a deformation of the spring element and the influencing path section influenced by the stop element along the displacement path can be changed and individually specified in a simple manner. It is also possible for a distance between the stop element and the first receiving bearing to be changed when a displacement of the first receiving bearing begins. By specifying the position of the stop section along the course of the spring element, the effect of the stop element on the deformation and thus also on the spring action and the spring characteristic curve of the spring element can be influenced and adjusted.

[0022] Both the retaining device and the stop element each form an influencing element. Both the retaining device and the stop element can be provided independently of one another, individually, or in combination with one another in a spring device. It is also possible to provide a plurality of retaining devices or a plurality of stop elements. With the inventive use, design, and arrangement of an influencing element or, if appropriate, a plurality of similar or different influencing elements, the spring properties of almost any differently designed spring element can be advantageously influenced and specified in such a way that the respective requirements for the spring device are met as best as possible.In many cases, for example, leaf spring-like spring elements, spiral or helical spring elements or S-shaped or meander-shaped spring elements are suitable for the respective application.

[0023] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the inventive concept, it is provided that the spring element between the first receiving area and the second receiving area is rod-shaped, that the first receiving bearing and the second receiving bearing receive the first and second receiving areas in a pivotable manner, and that the displacement path of the first receiving bearing is directed towards the second receiving bearing, so that the spring element buckles when a buckling force exerted on the spring element is exceeded during the displacement of the first receiving bearing and a further displacement of the first receiving bearing and a resulting further deformation of the buckled spring element is counteracted by a spring force significantly lower than the buckling force.A spring element designed and mounted in this way is usually referred to as a compression rod spring element and, without the combination with an influencing element, has a spring characteristic curve which initially increases sharply with a comparatively very slight compression of the spring element, until a force acting in the opposite direction on the two receiving bearings exceeds the buckling force predetermined by the shape and material of the rod-shaped spring element. As soon as the buckling force is exceeded, the rod-shaped spring element buckles and bulges laterally between the two receiving bearings. If the two receiving bearings are shifted further towards each other, the rod-shaped spring element bends continuously further, with further bending only being counteracted by a spring force which is considerably less than the buckling force.With a suitable design and choice of material for the spring element, the rod-shaped spring element can be bent further and further against a substantially constant spring force until the distance between the two receiving bearings becomes smaller and smaller and the two receiving bearings come into contact with each other.

[0024] With a rod-shaped spring element designed in this way, a displacement of the first receiving bearing up to a very high buckling force can be counteracted at the beginning of a force acting on the spring element and displacement can be largely prevented until the buckling force is exceeded, when the rod-shaped spring element buckles sideways, bulges sideways and then a further displacement of the first receiving bearing is counteracted by an almost constant and significantly lower spring force than the buckling force. By using a retaining element, the buckling force required for lateral buckling can be changed and increased almost as desired. By using a stop element, the spring effect can be influenced and increased towards the end of the deformation path of the first receiving bearing of the spring element.In this way, almost all sections of the deformation path and thus all areas of the spring characteristic curve can be influenced by the design and arrangement of a retaining element and a stop element and can be specified in a manner that is advantageous for the respective requirements.

[0025] In order to be able to specify a lateral deformation direction, particularly when using a rod-shaped spring element which bends laterally and bulges laterally after a buckling force is exceeded, it can optionally be provided that the spring device has a deformation direction specification device with which a directional range which does not encompass all directions or a direction can be specified in which the retaining section and / or the contact section of the spring element is displaced during a displacement of the first receiving bearing along the displacement path. The deformation direction specification device can have a positive guide device with which a deformation of the spring element is positively guided and thus specified during the entire displacement of the first stop element along the displacement path.It can also be provided that the deformation direction specification device only acts on the spring element at the beginning of a deformation of the spring element brought about by the displacement of the first stop element and only specifies a deformation direction of the spring element at the beginning of a deformation of the spring element. This can be brought about, for example, by a flat or curved contact surface of the deformation direction specification device, which is arranged and aligned such that the spring element rests against the contact surface of the deformation direction specification device in a rest position in which no force acts on the spring element or in which the first receiving bearing is in an initial position and, when deformation begins as a result of an increasing force acting on the spring element, limits the direction of deformation to one area or to a single direction of deformation.

[0026] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the inventive concept, the spring element can be made of a fiber-reinforced plastic composite material. A spring element made of a suitable fiber-reinforced plastic composite material has a significantly lower weight than a metal spring element while offering comparable spring properties and is typically less sensitive to environmental influences, particularly to moisture.

[0027] Particularly when combining a rod-shaped spring element with a retaining element that is releasably secured in a retaining bearing, it can optionally be provided that the retaining device has a retaining spring device that counteracts release of the retaining element from the retaining bearing as long as the spring force does not exceed the trigger force predetermined by the retaining spring device. In this way, the spring characteristic of the spring element at the onset of a deformation caused by an acting force can be influenced and individually adapted over a wide range using exclusively mechanical components and without an energy-consuming control device.The retaining spring device can have a manually or automatically operable adjusting device with which the retaining force exerted by the retaining spring device on the retaining element in the retaining bearing and which retains the retaining element can be changed and adapted to the respective specifications.

[0028] It can also be expedient and therefore optionally provided that the restraint device has an actuatable restraint locking device which, when not actuated, prevents release of the restraint element from the restraint bearing and only releases the restraint element from the restraint bearing when the restraint locking device is actuated. The restraint locking device can be actuated manually or automatically. The restraint locking device can, for example, have a locking bolt which, in a locked position, prevents displacement of the restraint element from the restraint bearing and which, when actuated, can be moved into a release position such that it releases the restraint element and the restraint element can be released from the restraint bearing and moved unhindered.

[0029] Regardless of the respective design of the influencing elements as a retaining device or as a stop element, the influencing elements themselves do not have any appreciable spring properties when influencing the spring element. The influencing elements fixed outside the spring element can be designed to be variable and can be changed before or after a proper use of the spring device in order to specify the desired properties of the spring device for a subsequent use of the spring device. For example, in a spring device of a processing machine in which the spring device is intended to act on different processing objects, the spring properties of the spring device can be changed between two processing operations with the help of variable influencing elements such as a movable stop element and adapted to the next processing object.

[0030] It is also conceivable that the influencing elements can be changed during use of the spring device or depending on a determined load on the spring device and that the properties of the spring device can be changed and adapted accordingly.

[0031] Below, some exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept are explained in more detail, as shown in the drawings. It shows:

[0032] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a spring device in an unloaded state with a spring element designed as a compression spring, which is mounted between a first receiving bearing and a second receiving bearing, wherein a retaining device with a retaining element and a stop element are each mounted outside the spring element and an incipient deformation of the spring element is influenced by the retaining element fixed in a retaining bearing of the retaining device,

[0033] Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of the spring device shown in Fig. 1, wherein the first receiving bearing is displaced in the direction of the second receiving bearing and, due to a deformation of the spring element forced thereby, a release force is exceeded and the retaining element is released from the retaining bearing,

[0034] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of the spring device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 during a further displacement of the first receiving bearing in the direction of the second receiving bearing, wherein a stop section of the spring element rests against the stop element and thereby influencing further deformation of the spring element, Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of the spring device shown in Figs. 1 to 3 during a further displacement of the first receiving bearing in the direction of the second receiving bearing, wherein the stop section of the spring element rests against the stop element and thereby increasingly influencing further deformation of the spring element,

[0035] Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of a spring characteristic curve for the spring device shown in Figs. 1 to 4,

[0036] Figs. 6 to 9 each show a schematic representation of a spring device with a spring element designed as a bending spring element and with a differently designed and arranged retaining device for displacements of the first receiving bearing relative to the second receiving bearing comparable to Figs. 1 to 4,

[0037] Fig. 10 is a schematic representation of a spring characteristic curve for the spring device shown in Figs. 6 to 9,

[0038] Fig. 11 is a schematic representation of the various possibilities of influencing the spring characteristic curve by changing the arrangement of the retaining device and the stop element relative to the spring element and the two receiving bearings, and

[0039] Fig. 12 is a schematic representation of a spring characteristic curve for a spring device which differs but is designed according to the invention in comparison with a conventional spring device which has a constant spring effect over a displacement path. A spring device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 4 has a rod-shaped spring element 2 with a first receiving area 3 and with a second receiving area 4 arranged at an opposite end. The first receiving area 3 is mounted in a first receiving bearing 5 in a manner which is fixed against displacement. The second receiving area 5 is mounted in a second receiving bearing 6 in a manner which is fixed against displacement. The two receiving bearings 5, 6 are each mounted so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis 7, 8. The first receiving bearing 5 can be displaced in the direction of the second receiving bearing 6 along a displacement path which runs in a straight line towards the second receiving bearing 6 by means of an external force 9.This causes a displacement of the first receiving area 3 in the direction of the second receiving area 4 of the spring element 2 and forces a corresponding deformation of the spring element 2. The deformation of the elastically designed spring element 2 is counteracted by a spring force generated by the spring element 2 and generates a spring effect of the spring element 2.

[0040] The spring device 1 has two influencing elements with which the deformation of the spring element 2 and the spring action of the spring element 2 generated thereby can be influenced. A retaining device 10 is arranged approximately centrally between the first receiving area 3 and the second receiving area 4 of the spring element 2 and is fixed outside the spring element 2. The retaining device 10 has a retaining element 11 which is detachably mounted in a retaining bearing 12. The retaining element 11 engages around the spring element 2 in a retaining section 13 between the two receiving areas 3, 4 of the spring element 2. The retaining bearing 12 has two retaining clamping jaws 14 which are pressed together by a retaining spring device 15 and engage around and hold the retaining element 11 in the retaining bearing 12.

[0041] The spring device 1 further comprises a stop element 16, which is arranged at a distance from the spring element 2, which is not deformed in a rest position, and has a stop surface 17 facing the spring element 2. The retaining device 1 and the stop element 16 each form an influencing element.

[0042] Fig. 1 shows a state of the spring device 1 at the beginning of a displacement of the first receiving bearing 5. The spring element 2, designed as a compression rod spring, counteracts a compressive deformation of the spring element 2 with a very rapidly increasing spring force. If the spring element 2 were not influenced by the retaining device 10, the spring element 2 would buckle laterally between the two receiving areas 3, 4 and bend as soon as the force 9 acting on the spring element 2 via the first receiving bearing 5 exceeds a buckling force FK. The retaining device 10 additionally counteracts a lateral buckling of the spring element 2 and lateral buckling of the spring element 2 is only made possible when the force 9 acting on the spring element 2 exceeds a triggering force FA, which is predetermined by the design of the retaining device 10.The release force FA can be set to be greater than the buckling force FK over a wide range. Fig. 2 shows an example of the state of the spring device 1 in which the force 9 acting on the spring element 2 generates a release force FA, by which the retaining element 11 of the retaining device 10 is released from the retaining bearing 12. After this, the spring element 2 is no longer influenced by the retaining device 10 upon further deformation.

[0043] Fig. 3 shows a state of the spring device 1 in which a stop section 18 arranged between the two receiving areas 3, 4 of the spring element 2 comes into contact with the stop surface 17 of the stop element 16 and bears against the stop surface 17 of the stop element 16. This counteracts further deformation of the spring element 2 and generates a spring force that counteracts further deformation and is greater than the spring force of the spring element 2 not influenced by the stop element 16.

[0044] In Fig. 4, a state of the spring device 1 is shown by way of example, in which the first receiving bearing 5 is displaced even further towards the second receiving bearing 6 by the external force 9 and thus an even greater deformation of the spring element 2 is forced.

[0045] The laterally bent or bulged spring element 2 acts like a spiral spring element. Without the influence of the stop element 16, the spring force generated by the spring element 2 approximately corresponds to the spring force of a spiral spring element with a spiral spring length which corresponds to the distance between the two receiving areas 3, 4. With the influence of the stop element 16, the spring force generated by the spring element approximately corresponds to the spring force of two spiral spring elements with a respective spiral spring length from the first receiving area 3 to the stop section 18 or from the stop section 18 to the second receiving area 4 and is thus generally greater than the spring force of the uninfluenced spiral spring element.

[0046] In Fig. 5, a profile of a spring characteristic curve 19 of the spring device 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is shown schematically. The spring characteristic curve 19 corresponds to the spring force generated by the spring device 1 during a displacement s of the first receiving bearing 5 along a predetermined displacement path in the direction of the second receiving bearing 6. The spring characteristic curve 19 is defined as the amount of a spring force F over a displacement path s with a maximum permissible displacement path s m standardized displacement s of the first receiving bearing 5 along a given displacement path.

[0047] At the beginning of a force action 9 on the spring element 2, the spring force 19 generated thereby increases sharply. While a spring element 2 not influenced by the restraint device 10 would, for example, buckle laterally and bend if the external force 9 exceeds a buckling force FK of, for example, 20,000 N, the restraint device 10 prevents lateral buckling until the external force 9 exceeds a trigger force FA predetermined by the restraint device 10 of approximately 50,000 N. The state of the spring device 1 shown in Fig. 1 corresponds to a section I of the spring characteristic curve 19 in Fig. 5. As soon as the restraint device 10 no longer influences the deformation of the spring element 2, as shown in Fig. 2, a further deformation of the spring element 2 is counteracted by a significantly lower spring force. Such a state according to Fig. 2 corresponds to a section II of the spring characteristic curve 19 in Fig . 5 .

[0048] As soon as the spring element 2 rests with the stop section 18 against the stop element 16, the spring force counteracting further deformation increases more strongly than in the case of an unaffected spring element 2. Such a state according to Fig. 3 corresponds to a section III of the spring characteristic curve 19 in Fig. 5. A state according to Fig. 4 corresponds to a section IV of the spring characteristic curve 19 in Fig. 5.

[0049] With such a spring device 1, for example, an overload spring device of an impact crusher with very advantageous properties can be provided. An impact plate mounted with the overload spring device is held in an operating position during trouble-free operation of the impact crusher up to a very high triggering force FA. As soon as a fault occurs and a force greater than the triggering force FA acts on the impact plate, the overload spring device enables the impact plate to pivot into a fault position. The subsequent pivoting of the impact plate is then counteracted by only a very slight spring force and enables rapid pivoting close to an end stop for the pivoted impact plate.Shortly before reaching the end stop, the spring action of the overload spring device of the impact crusher increases again due to the influence of the stop element and prevents an otherwise unbraked impact of the pivoted impact plate on the end stop.

[0050] Numerous other application examples for a spring device 1 designed according to the invention are also known and conceivable.

[0051] 6 to 9 show an example of a different embodiment of the spring device 1. The spring element 2 is designed like a bending spring element and is mounted in a torque-resistant manner with the second receiving area 4 in a second receiving bearing 6, which is fixed in place. The first receiving area 3 is mounted in a displacement-resistant manner in the first receiving bearing 5, wherein the first receiving bearing 5 is freely displaceable in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the spring element 2. The external force 9 acts on the first receiving bearing 5 and brings about a displacement, transverse to the longitudinal direction of the spring element 2, of the first receiving bearing 5 and of the first receiving area 3 of the spring element 2 mounted therein relative to the torque-resistant and fixed in place second receiving area 4 of the spring element 2.

[0052] The retaining device 10 has a magnetic field generating device 20, with which a predeterminable magnetic force FM can be exerted on a magnetic ring 21, which is fixed to the spring element 2 in the retaining section 13 of the spring element 2. As long as the external force 9 does not exceed the magnetic force FM predetermined by the magnetic field generating device 20, which corresponds to the triggering force FA, the spring element 2 can be deformed by the external force 9 only in a very short section 22 between the retaining section 13 and the first receiving area 3, so that a very strongly increasing spring force is generated, which counteracts the deformation. This state of the spring device

[0053] 1 is shown schematically in Fig . 6 .

[0054] During a further deformation as shown in Fig. 7, the spring element 2 is no longer influenced by the retaining device 10 and not yet by the stop element 16. In this case, the uninfluenced deformation of the spring element 2 generates a spring force which counteracts the deformation and which approximately corresponds to a spring force of a spiral spring with a spring length L, the spring length L extending from the first receiving area 3 to the second receiving area 4.

[0055] As soon as the spring element 2 rests with the stop section 18 on the stop element 16, the stop element 16 prevents further deformation of the spring element 2. Apart from the non-torque-resistant mounting of the spring element 2 on the stop element 16, in contrast to the second receiving area 4 which is torque-resistantly mounted in the second receiving bearing 6, the spring element 2 resting on the stop element 16 acts approximately like a bending spring element with a spring length 1 which extends from the stop section 18 to the first receiving area 3, so that the deformation of the spring element

[0056] 2 generated spring effect increases more than before.

[0057] In Fig. 10, the course of a spring characteristic curve 23 of the spring device 1 shown in Figs. 6 to 9 is shown schematically. The spring characteristic curve 23 is shown as the course of a spring force F over a displacement s of the first

[0058] receiving bearing 5 , where the spring force F is set to a maximum spring force F m which is normalized at a maximum displacement s m of the first receiving bearing 5 along the displacement path, and wherein the displacement s is limited to the maximum permissible displacement s m of the first receiving bearing 5 along the displacement path. Sections VI, VI I, VI II and IX of the spring characteristic curve 23 essentially correspond to sections I to IV of the spring characteristic curve 19 in Fig. 5.

[0059] Fig. 11 schematically shows various possible changes to the two influencing elements shown as examples, or to the retaining device 10 and to the stop element 16. The arrangement of the retaining device 10 along the spring element 2 and thus the arrangement of the retaining section 13 between the first receiving area 3 and the second receiving area 4 can be specified in almost any way. Furthermore, the amount of the release force FA that is required to release the retaining element 11 from the retaining bearing 12 can be changed and can be specified. The retaining device 10 can have a force sensor 24 with which the force exerted by the retaining element 11 on the retaining bearing 12 can be detected. Furthermore, a distance of the stop element 16 from the spring element 2 or from the stop section 18 of the spring element 2 can be changed.Likewise, the arrangement of the stop element 16 along the spring element 2 and thus the arrangement of the stop section 18 relative to the first receiving area 3 and the second receiving area 4 can be changed and specified.

[0060] Fig. 12 shows a schematic comparison of two spring characteristic curves 25 and 26 of two differently designed spring devices, the spring force F generated in each case being plotted for both spring characteristic curves 25, 26 for a displacement s within a maximum displacement path of approximately 100 mm. This spring force F must be exerted on the spring device by an external force in order to displace the first receiving bearing in the direction of the second receiving bearing by the respective displacement s. In the process, spring energy is stored in the spring device and can be represented by the area below the spring characteristic curve 25, 26. When the external force is stopped, the first receiving bearing can be displaced back into an initial position by the stored spring energy, the stored spring energy being released again and converted into kinetic energy.For many applications, not only the maximum spring energy that can be stored with a spring device is relevant, but also the change in the spring energy for a given displacement s of the first receiving bearing either in the direction of the second receiving bearing in order to store additional spring energy in the spring device, or in the direction of the starting position of the first receiving bearing in order to release stored spring energy again.

[0061] The spring characteristic curve 25 shown in dash-dotted lines describes the spring properties of a spring device designed as a buckling bar spring, which has an influencing element according to the invention in the form of a retaining device. The influencing element can be used to predetermine the triggering force FA which has to be overcome by an externally acting force when the first receiving bearing is displaced in the direction of the second receiving bearing, before the spring element designed as a compression bar spring buckles laterally and then bends. Up to the lateral buckling, the spring force of the compression bar spring increases sharply with a slight displacement of the first receiving bearing up to a triggering force FA of 25,000 N, which is represented by a section I in the spring characteristic curve 25. After the compression bar spring buckles, the force required for further deformation of the spring element is reduced significantly to around 12.000 N and increases only slightly during the further displacement of the first receiving bearing within the displacement path up to a displacement of slightly more than 100 mm, which is represented by a section II in the spring characteristic curve 25 .

[0062] The spring characteristic curve 26, shown with a two-dotted line, describes the spring properties of a conventional coil spring, in which the force required to displace the first support bearing is proportional to the displacement. Important properties of such a spring device can be simplified using Hooke's law. Starting with a very low force applied at the beginning of a displacement of the first support bearing, the spring force increases to 25,000 N up to the maximum displacement s of approximately 100 mm.

[0063] For both spring characteristics 25, 26, the respective stored spring energy is represented by the respective area under the spring characteristic 25, 26 up to the respective displacement s of the first receiving bearing, which in the diagram shown in Fig.

[0064] 12 shown diagram are hatched differently. For both spring characteristic curves 25, 26 the spring energy stored in the respective spring device at a maximum displacement s of 100 mm is approximately the same. However, for the displacement of the first receiving bearing of the spring device according to the invention with the spring characteristic curve 25, with the exception of the beginning over the displacement path only an almost constant force of approximately 12,000 N had to be applied, whereas in a conventional spring device the force required to displace the first receiving bearing is very low at the beginning, but increases linearly up to the maximum displacement s = 100 mm up to a value of 25,000 N.In the same way, when the first receiving bearing is displaced from the maximum displacement in the direction of the starting position, the previously stored spring energy in a spring device according to the invention with the spring characteristic curve 25 is released largely constantly or with a constant amount, whereas the previously stored spring energy of a conventional spring device with the spring characteristic curve 26 is initially released at a very high rate at the beginning of the displacement back to the starting position and then becomes increasingly lower until, towards the end of the displacement of the first receiving bearing into the starting position, hardly any spring energy can be released.

[0065] There are numerous known applications where a

[0066] Spring device with the spring characteristic 25 has particularly advantageous properties and advantageous

[0067] opens up possibilities for use.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS 1. Spring device (1) with a deformable spring element (2), in which a first receiving area (3) of the spring element (2) is mounted in a first receiving bearing (5) and a second receiving area (4) of the spring element (2) is mounted in a second receiving bearing (6), wherein upon displacement of the first receiving bearing (5) along a predetermined displacement path, a spring force counteracting the deformation of the spring element (2) caused thereby is generated, characterized in that with a between the first receiving bearing (5) and the second receiving bearing (6) and fixed outside the spring element (2), the deformation of the spring element (2) and thus the spring force is influenced, which during the displacement of the first receiving bearing (5) along the displacement path is generated by the spring element (2).

2. Spring device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the influencing element (10, 16) influences the deformation of the spring element (2) within an influencing path section of the displacement path, wherein the displacement path is composed of an influencing path section influenced by the influencing element (10, 16) and at least one displacement path section not influenced by the influencing element (10, 16).

3. Spring device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the influencing element (10, 16) has a retaining element (11) on which the spring element (2) is fixed to a retaining section (13) of the spring element (2) and which is detachably mounted in a retaining bearing (12) of a retaining device (10), so that the retaining element (11) counteracts an uninfluenced deformation of the spring element (2) when the first receiving bearing (5) begins to be displaced, and that the retaining element (11) is detached and released from the retaining bearing (12) as soon as the spring force generated thereby corresponds to a predeterminable triggering force FA when the first receiving bearing (5) is displaced along the displacement path.

4. Spring device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the retaining device (10) has a force sensor (24) for determining the spring force which is exerted by the spring element (2) via the retaining element (11) on the retaining bearing (12) of the retaining device (10) during a displacement of the first receiving bearing (5) within the influencing path section, and in that the retaining element (11) is detached and released from the retaining bearing (12) as soon as the spring force determined by the force sensor (24) corresponds to a predeterminable triggering force FA during a displacement of the first receiving bearing (5) along the displacement path.

5. Spring device (1) according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterized in that the triggering force FA can be specified in a variable manner.

6. Spring device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the influencing element (10, 16) has a stop element (16) which, when the first receiving bearing (5) begins to be displaced, is at a distance from the spring element (2), so that only after a deformation of the spring element (2) uninfluenced by the stop element (2) during a displacement of the first receiving bearing (5) over an uninfluenced deformation path section does a stop section (18) of the spring element (2) come into contact with the stop element (16), so that the stop element (16) counteracts a further uninfluenced deformation during a further displacement of the first receiving bearing (5) over an influencing path section influenced by the stop element (16).

7. Spring device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that a distance of the stop element (16) to the contact section (18) of the spring element (2) can be changed upon a beginning displacement of the first receiving bearing (5).

8. Spring device (1) according to claim 6 or claim 7, characterized in that a distance of the stop element (16) to the first receiving bearing (5) at a beginning Relocation of the first receiving warehouse (5) is variable.

9. Spring device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring element (2) between the first receiving area (3) and the second receiving area (4) is rod-shaped, that the first receiving bearing (5) and the second receiving bearing (6) pivotally support the first and second receiving areas (3, 4) stored, and that the displacement path of the first receiving bearing (5) runs towards the second receiving bearing (6), so that the spring element (2) buckles when a buckling force exerted on the spring element (2) is exceeded during the displacement of the first receiving bearing (5) and a further displacement of the first receiving bearing (5) and a resulting further deformation of the buckled spring element (2) is counteracted by a significantly lower spring force than the buckling force.

10. Spring device (1) according to one of the preceding claims 3 to 9, characterized in that the spring device (1) has a deformation direction specification device with which a directional range not comprising all directions or a direction can be specified in which the retaining section (13) and / or the contact section (18) of the spring element (2) is displaced during a displacement of the first receiving bearing (5) along the displacement path.

11. Spring device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring element (2) is made of a fiber-plastic composite material.

12. Spring device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the retaining device (10) has a retaining spring device (15) which counteracts a release of the retaining element (11) from the retaining bearing (12) as long as the spring force does not exceed the release force FA predetermined by the retaining spring device (15).

13. Spring device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the retaining device has an actuatable retaining locking device which, when not actuated, prevents release of the retaining element (11) from the retaining bearing (12) and only releases the retaining element (11) from the retaining bearing (12) when the retaining locking device is actuated.

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