Leaf Spring Package Geometry for Vibration Welding Load Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spring packages for vibration welding devices have inefficiencies in stress and load distribution, leading to increased manufacturing costs and reduced lifespan, while maintaining quality and characteristics is a challenge.
Innovation Solution
A spring package design featuring a first and second longitudinal bar with leaf springs, where the leaf springs have a concave first portion transitioning into a convex second portion, which then transitions into a center portion with the lowest thickness, optimizing load distribution and reducing manufacturing costs by potentially using fewer springs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional leaf spring design with oblong gap shape is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but stress distribution is inefficient and lifespan is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The leaf spring is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, where the thickness varies along the length of the spring. Specifically, the spring has a first portion with greater thickness and a second portion with lesser thickness, creating local variations in mechanical properties. This local quality variation optimizes stress distribution in different regions of the spring, allowing the thinner portion to flex more easily while the thicker portion provides structural support, thereby extending the overall lifespan of the spring package.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the traditional oblong gap shape with a curved gap configuration. The gap between adjacent leaf springs is formed with a curved profile rather than straight edges, creating a more favorable stress distribution pattern. This curvature eliminates stress concentration at sharp corners and distributes loads more evenly across the spring package, improving reliability while the curved geometry can be manufactured using standard forming processes.
2Stress or pressure
If more leaf springs are used to improve load distribution, then stress distribution improves, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the leaf springs, specifically the thickness distribution and gap configuration. By optimizing these parameters, the spring package achieves superior stress distribution with fewer components. The non-uniform thickness profile and curved gap shape allow each spring to bear load more efficiently, reducing the total number of springs needed while maintaining or improving stress distribution characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved gap configuration improves the mechanical efficiency of each individual spring, allowing better load distribution across the spring package. This geometric optimization enables the use of fewer springs to achieve the same or better stress distribution performance, thereby reducing manufacturing costs associated with purchasing, assembling, and maintaining multiple spring components.
3Stress or pressure
If uniform thickness leaf springs are used, then manufacturing is easier, but load distribution is suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The leaf spring is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, where the thickness varies along the length of the spring. Specifically, the spring has a first portion with greater thickness and a second portion with lesser thickness, creating local variations in mechanical properties. This local quality variation optimizes stress distribution in different regions of the spring, allowing the thinner portion to flex more easily while the thicker portion provides structural support, thereby extending the overall lifespan of the spring package.
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 design reduces the overall load experienced by the spring package, increases its lifespan, and allows for a reduction in the number of leaf springs while maintaining stress distribution within the range of prior art, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while preserving quality.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of leaf springs each of which is connected with a first end to the first longitudinal bar and with a second end to the second longitudinal bar
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention is related to a spring package (100; 200; 300; 400; 500) for a vibration welding device. The spring package (100; 200; 300; 400; 500) comprises a first longitudinal bar (110; 210; 310) for a fixed connection to a frame of the vibration welding device and a second longitudinal bar (120) being parallel to and movable with respect to the first longitudinal bar (110; 210; 310) as well as for a connection to a tool. A first axis (103; 203) of the spring package (100; 200; 300; 400; 500) extends halfway between and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first (110; 210; 310) and second longitudinal bar (120). Further, the spring package (100; 200; 300; 400; 500) comprises a plurality of leaf springs (130; 230) each of which is connected with a first end to the first longitudinal bar (110; 210; 310) and with a second end to the second longitudinal bar (120), wherein a second axis (105) of the spring package (100; 200; 300; 400; 500) extends perpendicular to the first axis (103; 203) as well as, in an inactive state of the spring package (100; 200; 300; 400; 500), parallel to the plurality of leaf springs (130; 230) so that a spring center line (132) extends, in the inactive state of the spring package (100; 200; 300; 400; 500), parallel to the second axis (105) in the middle of the leaf spring (130; 230). Each of the plurality of leaf springs (130; 230) comprises adjacent to the first (110; 210; 310) and/or second longitudinal bar (120) a first portion (134; 234) consisting of at least one radius (136; 236, 238; 340) so that the first portion (134; 234) is formed concave with respect to the spring center line (132). This first portion (134; 234) transitions continuously into a second portion (142; 242; 342) which is formed convex with respect to the spring center line (132), and the second portion (142; 242; 342) transitions continuously into a center portion (144; 244) arranged adjacent the first axis (103; 203) so that a thickness of the respective leaf spring (130; 230) is at the lowest in the center portion (144; 244), especially at the first axis (103; 203).