Pressing Structure With Overlapping Spring Centers For Uniform Pressure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional pressure structures with leaf springs concentrate surface pressure distribution on the center portion, leading to deviations and non-uniform pressure application.

Innovation Solution

The pressure structure alternately arranges first and second spring members in their width directions, allowing center portions to overlap and arm portions to be narrower than center portions, ensuring even pressure distribution across the surface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Force

If multiple leaf springs are arranged side by side in parallel, then the pressure structure can apply force to the pressed body, but the surface pressure distribution becomes concentrated on the center portion only, causing non-uniform pressure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure application capabilityVSAvoidsurface pressure distribution uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The pressure structure segments the single center pressure application point into multiple distributed contact points by using multiple spring members with offset centers. Each spring member applies pressure at its own center location, and by arranging them with offset centers, the pressure is distributed across multiple locations on the pressed body, achieving uniform surface pressure distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Stress or pressure

If the number of spring members is increased to improve pressure distribution, then pressure uniformity may improve, but the load per unit area may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface pressure distribution uniformityVSAvoidload per unit area
Core Design Contradiction:
Stress or pressureVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The spring members are designed with different local characteristics - specifically, the center portions have larger width for pressure distribution while the arm portions have narrower widths. This local quality variation allows the structure to maintain both pressure uniformity and sufficient load capacity by optimizing different regions for different functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Stress or pressure

If spring members are arranged to overlap center portions, then pressure distribution improves, but arm portions may interfere with each other

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure distribution uniformityVSAvoidstructural interference
Core Design Contradiction:
Stress or pressureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The spring members are designed with asymmetric width distribution - the center portions are wider to enable overlapping for pressure distribution, while the arm portions are narrower to avoid interference. This asymmetric design allows the center portions to overlap effectively for uniform pressure while the narrower arm portions pass through the overlapping region without interfering with adjacent spring members.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

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 achieves uniform surface pressure distribution without reducing the load per unit area, even when increasing the number of spring members, thereby improving pressure uniformity and maintaining load integrity.

Implementation Method 1

a first spring member and a second spring member which are alternately arranged in width directions to allow a part of center portions 31, 41 to overlap each other when seen from a first pressed body 201 or a second pressed body 102, and have shapes in which arm portions 32, 42 do not interfere with each other at least without a load

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic force: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3065170B1Pressing structure and pressing unit
Publication Date: 2018.12.19 NHK SPRING CO LTD
  • EP3065170B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3065170B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3065170B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

A pressure structure which is arranged between a first pressed body and a second pressed body facing the first pressed body and applies a pressure to the first pressed body and the second pressed body includes: a first spring member including a center portion which is in contact with the first pressed body, two end portions, each of which is in contact with the second pressed body, and two arm portions which extend from the center portion toward the different end portions; and a second spring member including a center portion which is in contact with the second pressed body, two end portions, each of which is in contact with the first pressed body, and two arm portions which extend from the center portion toward the different end portions.