Wave Washer Flexible Member for Compact Load-Resistant Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a limit to achieving both load resistance and flexibility while reducing the size of flexible members used in joint functioning parts of robots and manipulators, such as coil springs, which face challenges in minimizing size while maintaining performance.
Innovation Solution
A flexible member comprising a main body of stacked wave washers that can be bent due to elastic deformation, combined with elastically deformable linking members at the ends, where the deformation amount of the linking members is smaller than that of the wave washers, allowing for improved load resistance and flexibility while reducing size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a coil spring is used to achieve high flexibility and load resistance, then the degree of freedom for bending operation is secured, but the size cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible member is divided into multiple wave washers stacked in series along the axial direction. Each wave washer acts as an independent elastic element that can deform individually, allowing the overall structure to achieve flexibility through cumulative deformation of multiple segments rather than requiring a single large coil spring.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple wave washers are stacked and nested along the axial direction, with each washer contained within the structure of the others. This nested arrangement allows the flexible member to maintain a compact cylindrical form factor while achieving extended flexibility through the series deformation of multiple nested elastic elements.
2Volume of moving object
If the size of the flexible member is reduced, then compactness is achieved, but load resistance and flexibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The load resistance is distributed across multiple wave washer segments stacked in series. Each wave washer bears a portion of the total load through its elastic deformation, allowing the structure to achieve high cumulative load resistance without requiring any single element to be oversized, thus maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple wave washers are combined in a stacked configuration where their individual load-bearing capabilities are aggregated. The cumulative effect of multiple elastic elements working together in series provides enhanced overall load resistance and flexibility while maintaining a compact form factor.
3Device complexity
If wave washers are directly joined to end parts, then structural simplicity is maintained, but stress concentration occurs at end parts reducing durability
Solution Approach 1:
Linking members are introduced as intermediary elements between the wave washers and the end parts. These linking members serve as stress-distributing mediators that transfer loads from the end parts across multiple wave washers, preventing stress concentration at the junction points and thereby improving durability without significantly complicating the overall structure.
4Ease of operation
If linking members with large deformation amount are used, then flexibility is enhanced, but stress on wave washers at end parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The linking members are designed with specific local properties (deformation amount characteristics) that differ from the wave washers. By controlling the linking members to have smaller deformation amounts than the wave washers, the design creates a gradient of deformation characteristics along the flexible member, allowing flexibility to be achieved while protecting the wave washers from excessive stress at the end parts.
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
The flexible member achieves excellent load resistance and flexibility with reduced size, enhances durability by alleviating stress on wave washers, and supports reliable bending operations, preventing fatigue fractures.
Implementation Method 1
a main body part that has a plurality of wave washers stacked in an axial direction and joined to each other, and the main body part is able to be bent with respect to the axial direction due to elastic deformation of the wave washers
Implementation Method 2
a linking member that is elastically deformable, the linking member being provided at an end part of the main body part and being linked to other member
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a flexible member that can exhibit excellent load resistance and flexibility while achieving a reduction in size. This flexible member includes: a main body part which has multiple wave washers stacked in an axial direction and joined to each other, and the main body part is able to be bent with respect to the axial direction due to elastic deformation of the wave washers; and a linking member that is elastically deformable, the linking member being provided at an end part of the main body part and being linked to other member. A deformation amount of the linking member is smaller than a deformation amount of the wave washer, when the main body part is bent.