Tuned Ellipsoid Springs

Pegit, Inc., Dublin, NH, manufactures an ellipsoid spring, a three-dimensional figure that resembles an elliptical toroid. This ring of resilient material is used in restrained and unrestrained fashion to function in a variety of applications. Just apply a force to one axis and the ring will distort; release that force and the ring returns to its original form.

Because the ellipsoid spring can act in both a tension and a compression mode, it can stand alone or be used with other springs, or even included in other articles, such as clips, clamps and cushioning devices. The material from which the spring is manufactured may be any that is form-retaining, but resilient and deformable.

The spring is called an ellipsoid because the primary action is along the major or minor axis of an ellipse (A in the diagram).

There is also an inner aperture with axes that may form the outer aperture (B in diagram). The spring is referred to as tuned because of the large variety of effects that may be obtained by the design of the device and the material used. For example, performance will be dictated by the resilience, hardness or durometer, flexibility, stressed life, etc. of the material. Design factors that affect performance include thickness, shape of the outer periphery, shape and size of an aperture located within the ellipsoid, and the relationship between the axes of the external shape and the internal aperture.

-TP

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