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Purdue Research Foundation

Delco Electronics Corporation

Ashok Midha

Morgan Daniel Murphy

Steven C Visser

A compliant mechanism is configured to generate a substantially constant output force in response to an input in the form of a linear displacement. The compliant mechanism is a slider mechanism whose members and their interconnects cooperate to generate a biasing force that causes the slider mechanism to generate a substantially constant output force that is substantially parallel to the linear path of a reciprocable member in response to the displacement of the reciprocable member along the linear path. To achieve the above functional characteristics, the slider mechanism is composed of structural elements, one or more of which is compliant.

Compliant constant-force mechanism and devices formed therewith

The pliers include an endless loop, a top jaw appended to the endless loop, and a bottom jaw appended to the endless loop. The endless loop includes in series a top grip handle, a spring segment, a bottom grip handle and a compliant strip interconnecting the top and bottom grip handles. A rolling surface on the top grip handle rolls on a contact portion of the bottom grip handle. The rolling action causes the compliant strip to flex which causes the top and bottom jaws to move toward one another. The endless loop provides a built-in automatic spring and enhances lateral stability.

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West Lafayette, IN, United States of America

Ashok Midha