Abstract
In this paper a method is demonstrated for tuning the stiffness of building blocks for statically balanced compliant ortho-planar mechanisms. Three post-buckled mechanisms are proposed where the flexural rigidity can be manipulated over a part of their length in order to tune the ratio between the first two critical loads. A sensitivity analysis using finite element simulation showed that the best balancing performance is obtained in these mechanisms when this ratio was maximized. The results were validated experimentally by capturing the force-deflection relations.
Highlights
Compliant ortho-planar mechanisms (COMs) are planar mechanisms that allow out-of-plane motion through the deflection of flexible members [1]
At the scale of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) these mechanisms can be applied in accelerometers [3], actuators [4] and micro energy harvesters [5,6]
Any continuous system has an infinite number of critical loads, Pcrit,i, where i denotes the number of the critical load and corresponding buckling mode
Summary
Compliant ortho-planar mechanisms (COMs) are planar mechanisms that allow out-of-plane motion through the deflection of flexible members [1]. At the scale of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) these mechanisms can be applied in accelerometers [3], actuators [4] and micro energy harvesters [5,6]. A disadvantage of miniaturized compliant mechanisms is that a significant part of the input energy is stored as strain energy in the deflecting flexible components [7]. This can lead to a low range of motion, poor mechanical efficiency and high natural frequencies [8]. For micro energy harvesting applications, these drawbacks can greatly reduce the overall efficiency [9]
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