Bellows Spring Element Geometry for High Deflection and Low Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spring elements with bellows in the shape of truncated pyramids or cones suffer from reduced spring deflection and accelerated mechanical wear when compressed, leading to a shortened service life.
Innovation Solution
The spring element features bellows folds where inner tips extend into the lower bearing surface and outer tips are parallel, allowing maximum spring deflection without mutual loading, resulting in a lightweight component with optimized service life and adjustable spring rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the bellows is compressed very strongly, then the spring deflection is reduced, but the mechanical wear and destruction of the spring element occur
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows folds are arranged with outer tips in a plane parallel to the lower bearing surface instead of stacking vertically. This spatial reconfiguration from vertical stacking to lateral arrangement in parallel planes allows the folds to compress without overlapping, maintaining reliability while preserving spring deflection capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows structure utilizes curved, tapered folds with specific geometric shaping where outer tips extend further than inner tips. This curved geometry enables the folds to deform and compress along their natural curvature, allowing maximum compression without mutual interference between adjacent folds.
2Force
If the bellows folds are arranged in parallel planes, then the spring deflection is increased, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows is divided into multiple discrete folds, each acting as an independent spring element. These segmented folds are arranged in parallel planes with outer tips extending further than inner tips, allowing each fold to deform independently without interfering with others, thus increasing spring deflection while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
3Force
If the outer tips of bellows folds extend further than inner tips, then the spring rate is optimized, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each bellows fold is designed with asymmetric geometry where the outer tip extends further from the central axis than the inner tip. This asymmetric configuration optimizes the spring rate by distributing deformation forces more effectively across the fold structure, allowing greater deflection while maintaining structural integrity. The asymmetric design is consistently applied to all folds, creating a predictable and manufacturable pattern.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration maximizes spring deflection while preventing mechanical wear, offering excellent spring properties and a long service life, suitable for various applications including mattresses and upholstered furniture.
Implementation Method 1
made of a rubber-elastic circular or mirror-symmetrical bellows
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
The spring element, especially for installing in mattresses, is in the form of a rubber-elastic bellows (2), the internal points (5) of the folds (7) of which, with the spring element in its maximum compressed state, extend into the region of the lower support surface (4) or are supported there, and as a result of which the external points (6) of the folds are arranged in a plane lying above it and parallel to it. The maximum distance of the plane from the lower support surface corresponds to the width measurement of a completely compressed fold.