JPH11241744A - Resin spring and resin spring assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] To easily attach a spring to a member or the like,
Moreover, the present invention provides a spring having a compact size and shape, which can be easily manufactured. A resin spring (A) includes a resin body (11), and a resin body (B) formed integrally with the body 11 and extending outward from the body 11. When the direction of the external force applied to the spring portion 12 is the X direction, the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the direction including the axis of the pair of spring portions 12 is the Y direction, When an external force is applied to the spring portion 12, the spring portion 12 is displaced in the X direction and the Y direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a resin spring and a resin spring assembly.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Metal leaf springs and coil springs are often used to dispose certain members and components in a state of being urged against other members and components. If the size of the spring is small, the work of attaching the spring to a member
Sometimes it is a complicated task. In addition, the work of attaching a plurality of springs individually to a member or the like is also a complicated work.

[0003]

As a method for avoiding such a complicated operation, a spring assembly in which one end of a metal spring is attached to a small piece of resin, for example, by using a screw is manufactured. A method of attaching the assembly to a member or the like is conceivable. However, not only the number of assembling steps is required, but also the manufacturing cost is increased, and it is difficult to say that the method is optimal.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a spring which can be easily attached to a member or the like, has a compact size and shape, and can be easily manufactured.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a spring assembly using such a spring.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a resin spring according to the present invention for achieving the above object, comprising: (a) a resin main body; and (b) integrally formed with the main body. A pair of opposed plate-like spring portions made of resin extending outward of the portion, wherein the direction of the external force applied to the spring portions is the X direction, the direction perpendicular to the X direction, and includes the axes of the pair of spring portions. When the direction is the Y direction, the spring portions are displaced in the X direction and the Y direction when an external force is applied to the pair of spring portions.

[0006] In the resin spring of the present invention, the tip of the spring portion is provided with an engaging portion provided on an article to which a force generated by displacement of the spring section is applied (the article may be any article). (For example, a locking portion having a shape such as a convex portion, a projecting portion, or a concave portion). When an external force is applied to the pair of spring portions, the distal end of the spring portion is not displaced in the Y direction. It is preferable that the portion is displaced in the X direction and the Y direction from the viewpoint of restricting a spatial range in which the spring portion is displaced. That is, the spring portion can be displaced without changing the position in the Y direction of the portion of the spring portion joined to the main body portion and the position in the Y direction of the tip of the spring portion. The spring made can be stored.

[0007] The Y direction in which the spring portion is displaced includes both the direction in which the tip of the spring portion moves away and the direction in which it approaches. Further, the X direction and the Y direction need not be strictly orthogonal.

[0008] The resin spring of the present invention can be easily manufactured based on, for example, a well-known injection molding method because the main body and the spring are integrally formed as described above. It has a size and shape. Further, since the spring portion is not displaced in the width direction (the Z direction and the height direction) of the plate-shaped spring portion, the thickness of the entire resin spring can be reduced, and the resin spring is applied to a thin article. Can be mounted or stored. Moreover, since the main body may be attached to a member or the like to which the resin spring is to be attached,
The resin spring can be easily attached to a member or the like.

In one embodiment of the resin spring of the present invention,
Each of the pair of opposed spring portions includes a base extending linearly from the main body in the substantially X direction, and a tip portion extending from the base in the X direction and the Y direction. Here, the fact that the base extends linearly from the main body in the substantially X direction means not only when the base extends strictly parallel to the X direction from the main body, but also
It also means that the base extends from the main body at a certain angle with respect to the X direction. Further, that the distal end portion extends from the base in the X direction and the Y direction means that the distal end portion extends from the base in the X direction and also extends in the Y direction.
In this case, the respective distal end portions of the pair of opposing spring portions may extend linearly from the base in a direction away from each other, or the respective distal end portions of the pair of opposing spring portions may extend in the direction away from each other. And may extend in a curved line. Alternatively, the respective distal end portions of the pair of opposed spring portions may extend linearly from the base in a direction approaching each other, or the respective distal end portions of the pair of opposed spring portions may have the base portions approaching each other. And may extend in a curved line.

In still another embodiment of the resin spring of the present invention, each of the pair of opposed spring portions extends in a curved line from the main body portion.

The shape of the corner between the spring portion (root portion) extending from the main body portion and the main body portion is at least from the viewpoint of preventing stress from being concentrated at the root portion of the spring portion and causing breakage. It is preferable to use a curved surface having a radius of 0.1 mm or more, that is, to add “R”.

When the tip of the spring has a shape extending linearly from the base, the tip of the spring preferably forms an obtuse angle with the base extending linearly from the main body. Further, when the tip portion of the spring portion or the spring portion has a shape extending in a curved line, such a shape includes:
Such as a circle, ellipse, hyperbola, or a parabola, a shape obtained by cutting out a part of a curve derived from a polynomial of degree 3 or higher,
It includes a shape obtained by cutting out a part of a smoothly changing curve.

A resin spring assembly according to the present invention for achieving the above object comprises a resin spring and a support member. The resin spring comprises (a) a resin main body having an engagement portion formed therein. ,
And (b) a pair of resin-made opposed plate-like spring portions formed integrally with the main body portion and extending outwardly of the main body portion, wherein a direction of an external force applied to the spring portion is an X direction, When the direction perpendicular to the X direction and including the axis of the pair of spring portions is defined as the Y direction, an external force is applied to the pair of spring portions, and the spring portion is displaced in the X direction and the Y direction. The member comprises: (A) a spring supporting portion provided with an engaging portion;
(B) A state in which the engaging portion provided on the main body of the resin spring and the engaging portion provided on the spring supporting portion of the supporting member are engaged with the spring supporting portion. The resin spring slides in the X direction in a state where the tip of the spring portion of the resin spring is in contact with the holding portion of the support member.

In order to arrange a certain member or the like in a state of being urged against another member or the like, for example, the main body of a resin spring is attached to a certain member or the like by an arbitrary method, and the supporting member is attached to another member or the like. It may be attached to any member or the like by any method.

In the resin spring assembly of the present invention, the holding portion of the support member is provided with a locking portion, and the engaging portion provided on the main body of the resin spring and the spring support of the support member are provided. The resin spring moves in the X direction in a state in which the engaging portion provided in the portion is engaged, and in a state in which the tip of the spring portion of the resin spring is locked in the locking portion of the holding portion of the support member. A sliding mode may be adopted. By adopting such an aspect, a spatial range in which the spring portion is displaced can be regulated. That is, the spring portion can be displaced in the X direction and the Y direction without changing the position of the spring portion joined to the main body portion in the Y direction and the position of the tip of the spring portion in the Y direction. The resin spring can be stored in the space defined.

The shape of the engaging portion can be, for example, a convex portion, a projecting portion, a concave portion, or the like. In some cases, a corner portion formed by the spring support portion and the holding portion may be used as the locking portion. In the case where the spring portion is displaced in a direction in which the tip of the spring portion approaches, when the locking portion is formed of a projection, two or one projection may be provided.

With regard to the engaging portion, an engaging portion may be provided on the outer side surface of the main body portion and an engaging portion may be provided on the inner side surface of the spring support portion. Alternatively, the engaging portion may be provided on the inner side surface of the main body portion. It is good also as a mode which provides a part and provides an engaging part in the outer side surface of a spring support part. Further, the engaging portion may be provided on the upper surface of the main body portion and the engaging portion may be provided on the lower surface of the spring support portion. It is good also as a mode which provides an engagement part in. The point is that an appropriate design may be made depending on what kind of article or the like incorporates the resin spring assembly. The respective engaging portions of the main body and the spring support extend in the X direction.

The various structures and shapes of the spring portion described in the resin spring of the present invention can be applied to the structure and shape of the spring portion in the above-described resin spring assembly of the present invention. The shape of the resin body or the outer shape of the support member may be appropriately determined depending on the shape of the resin spring or the member to which the support member is to be attached.

It is preferable to use a resin having excellent fatigue resistance and excellent slidability as a raw material resin for producing a resin spring. A polyamide resin, a polyacetal resin, a polybutylene terephthalate resin, a polypropylene resin, ABS resin and the like can be exemplified. Using these resins, a resin spring can be formed by, for example, an injection molding method. Further, it is preferable that the support member is also made of resin, and it is preferable to use a resin having excellent fatigue resistance and excellent slidability as a raw material resin for manufacturing the support member. The support member can be formed by, for example, an injection molding method using the same resin, the same kind of resin, or a different kind of resin as the resin for manufacturing the resin spring.

The size of the resin spring of the present invention is essentially arbitrary, and is not limited to the following numerical range.
The length of the spring portion (length along the X direction) is 5 mm to 50 mm
mm, preferably 10 mm to 30 mm, and the thickness of the spring portion is 0.2 mm to 5 mm, preferably 0.2 mm to 3 mm.
mm, the width (length in the Z direction) of the plate-shaped spring portion is desirably 1 mm to 10 mm, preferably 2 mm to 5 mm. Note that it is desirable to make the thickness of the spring portion at the tip thinner than the thickness of the spring portion near the main body. Further, it is desirable to make the width (height) of the distal end spring portion narrower than the width (height) of the spring portion near the main body portion. Further, the thickness (height) of the main body is set to be 1 to 2 times the width (height) of the spring near the main body.
It is desirable to double. If the thickness of the spring portion is too large, a large stress may be generated in the spring portion, and the resin spring may be damaged. On the other hand, if the thickness of the spring portion is too thin, the deformation of the spring portion does not fall within the allowable deformation range,
A desired reaction force may not be obtained, or molding may be difficult. Also, a desired reaction force can be obtained by optimizing the width (height) of the spring portion.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings based on embodiments (hereinafter abbreviated as embodiments) of the invention and examples.

(Embodiment 1) Embodiments 1 to 3 relate to a resin spring of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a schematic plan view of the resin spring according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a schematic perspective view. The resin spring 10 according to the first embodiment includes, for example, a resin main body 11 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a pair of resin-made plate-shaped spring portions 12 opposed to each other. The spring portion 12 is formed integrally with the main body portion 11 and extends outward from the main body portion 11. still,
The main body 11 may be solid, may have a hollow portion, may have a frame-like shape ("b" shape), and may have an opening or a thin portion in a part. It may be provided in a rib shape. When the direction of the external force applied to the spring portion 12 is the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and including the axis of the pair of spring portions is the Y direction, the pair of spring portions 12
When an external force is applied to the spring portion, the spring portion moves in the X and Y directions (specifically, in the first embodiment, the spring portion 12
Are displaced in a direction in which the tips of the springs 12 approach the main body 11 and in a direction in which the tips of the springs 12 move away from each other. In the resin spring shown in FIG. 1, each of a pair of opposed and arranged spring portions 12 has a base portion 13 extending linearly in the X direction from the main body portion 11 and a X and Y direction. And each of the tip portions 14 extends linearly from the base 13 in a direction away from each other, and the tip portion 14 and the base portion 13 form an obtuse angle (angle: θ ₁ ). The base 13 extends substantially vertically from the main body 11. Further, the base portion of the base portion 13 of the spring portion 12 extending from the main body portion 11 and the main body portion 11
"R" is attached to the corner portion between them to prevent the stress from being concentrated on the base portion of the base portion 13 and causing breakage.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic plan views of modifications of the resin spring shown in FIG. In the modification shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the respective distal end portions 14 of the pair of opposed spring portions 12 extend from the base portion 13 in an arc in a direction away from each other. In the modification shown in FIG. 3, unlike the resin spring shown in FIG. 1, the extending direction of the base 13 forms an acute angle (angle: θ ₂ ) with the X direction.

By forming a screw hole (not shown) in the main body 11, the main body 11 can be easily attached to a member to which the resin spring 10 is to be attached.
Alternatively, a portion to be fitted with the main body 11 may be provided on a member or the like to which the resin spring 10 is to be attached. In some cases, the resin spring 10 may be kept in contact with a member or the like.

(Second Embodiment) FIGS. 4 and 5A and 5B are schematic plan views of a resin spring according to a second embodiment. In the resin spring shown in FIG. 4, each of a pair of opposing spring portions 12 includes a base 13 extending linearly from the main body 11 substantially in the X direction and a base 13 extending in the X and Y directions. Further, the distal end portions 14 of the pair of opposed spring portions 12 linearly extend from the base in a direction approaching each other. In the resin spring of the second embodiment, when an external force is applied to the pair of spring portions 12, the spring portions 12 are displaced in directions in which the tips of the spring portions 12 approach each other. In the resin springs shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the respective distal end portions 14 of the pair of opposed spring portions 12 extend in an arc from the base in a direction approaching each other. Note that, similarly to the modified example shown in FIG. 3, the direction in which the base 13 extends may form an acute angle with the X direction.

(Third Embodiment) FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic plan views of a resin spring according to a third embodiment.
In the resin spring according to the third embodiment, each of a pair of opposing and juxtaposed spring portions 12 extends in an arc from the main body portion 11. In the resin spring shown in FIG. 6A, when an external force is applied to the pair of spring portions 12, the spring portions 12 are displaced in directions in which the tips of the spring portions 12 are separated from each other. On the other hand, in the resin spring shown in FIG. 6B, when an external force is applied to the pair of spring portions 12, the spring portions 12 are displaced in a direction in which the tips of the spring portions 12 approach each other.

In general, when there is no restriction on the displacement of the spring portion 12, it is better to adopt a shape in which the distal ends of the spring portions 12 are displaced away from each other when an external force is applied to the pair of spring portions 12. The distance between the twelve tips becomes longer,
The spring portion 12 having high sliding stability can be obtained. On the other hand, if there is a limit in the spatial range in which the spring portion 12 is displaced due to assembly, that is, for example, if there is another component near the space in which the spring portion 12 is displaced, the spring portion 1
It is necessary to design the resin spring so that the spring portion 12 does not come into contact with such other parts when the member 2 is displaced. In consideration of such a point, the resin spring described in the first to third embodiments may be appropriately selected. Further, in the resin spring described in each of the above embodiments, the pair of spring portions 12 is arranged so that the tips of the pair of spring portions 12 do not come into contact with each other when the spring portions 12 are maximally displaced. Is preferred.

Embodiment 4 Embodiment 4 relates to a resin spring assembly according to the present invention. FIG. 7A is a schematic plan view of the resin spring assembly according to the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 7B is a schematic perspective view of the resin spring assembly, and FIG. FIG. 7C shows a schematic cross-sectional view along the arrow CC of FIG. The resin spring assembly according to the fourth embodiment includes a resin spring 10 and a support member 20.
Is the same as the resin spring shown in FIG. However, the main body 11 of the resin spring 10 is provided with an engaging portion. In the fourth embodiment, the engagement portion is specifically a protrusion 15 provided on the outer side surface of the main body 11 and extending in the X direction.

The support member 20 includes a spring support portion 21 provided with an engagement portion, and a holding portion 23 formed integrally with the spring support portion 21 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the spring support portion 21. In the fourth embodiment, the engagement portion is specifically a concave portion 22 provided on the inner side surface of the spring support portion 21 and extending in the X direction. Also, the support member 2
The protrusion 24 which is a locking portion is provided on the inner side surface of the
Are provided at two locations. An engaging portion (convex portion 15) provided on the outer side surface of the main body 11 of the resin spring 10
And the engagement portion (recess 22) provided on the inner side surface of the spring support portion 21 of the support member 20 is engaged, and the tip of the spring portion 12 of the resin spring 10 holds the support member 20. In the fourth embodiment in a state in which the spring portions 12 of the resin spring 10
The resin spring 10 slides in the X direction in a state where the tip of the spring is locked to the projection 24 of the holding portion 23 of the support member 20.

[0030]

EXAMPLE 1 A resin spring and a support member 20 shown in FIG. 7 were replaced with a polyacetal resin (trade name: Iupital) manufactured by Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics Corporation.
F20-54) and by an injection molding method.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view of one of the spring portions 12 of the resin spring. 9, 13, and 16, the values in parentheses indicate the resin in a state where no displacement occurs when the corner of the protrusion 24 of the holding portion 23 of the support member 20 is set as the origin. Each part of each spring (each corner)
, Where the vertical direction in the figure is the X axis and the horizontal direction is the Y axis. The dimensions of each part of the spring part 12 were as shown in Table 1 below.

[0031]

Table 1 Length (L ₁ ) of base 13 along X direction: 11.25 mm Thickness (T ₁ ) of base 13: 0.50 mm (constant) Width (W ₁ ) of base 13: 3.14 mm Length (L ₂ ) of linear tip portion 14: 7.87 mm Thickness (T _2A ) of joint portion between tip portion 14 and base 13: 0.69 mm Thickness (T _2B ) of tip of tip portion 14 : 0.20 mm Width (W _2A ) of the junction of the tip portion 14 with the base 13: 3.14 mm Width (W _2B ) of the tip of the tip portion 14: 0.20 mm

In a state where the tip of the spring portion 12 of the resin spring 10 is engaged with the projection 24 of the holding portion 23 of the support member 20,
In addition, a state where the main body 11 was moved by 0.875 mm toward the holding portion 23 of the support member 20 from a state where no reaction force was applied to the resin spring 10 was set as an initial state.
A state in which the main body 11 has moved 3.4 mm toward the holding portion 23 of the support member 20 from this initial state is defined as a maximum displacement state. When the reaction force of the resin spring 10 in the initial state was measured using a load cell, it was 70 gf. The resin spring was displaced between the initial state and the maximum displacement state, and a fatigue test of the resin spring was performed. For the fatigue test, a dynamic characteristic tester “Shimadzu Servo Pulser EHF-FD05-4LA” manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation was used. As measurement conditions, the number of displacements per second was twice, and the test temperatures were −30 ° C., 23 ° C., and 80 ° C. 100,000 displacements were applied to the resin spring, but no damage occurred to the resin spring at any of the test temperatures.

When the resin spring used in the first embodiment is in the maximum displacement state, the stress value (v
on Mises equivalent stress. The unit is kgf /
The mm ² at a) and Y-direction displacement amount distribution obtained in the simulation. The stress of Iupital F20-54
FIG. 8 shows the distortion curve. Iupital F20-54 has an initial elastic modulus of 274 kgf / mm ² and a Poisson's ratio of 0.38. Fig. 1 shows the displacement distribution in the Y direction of the resin spring.
0, and the von Mises equivalent stress distribution is shown in FIG. From FIG. 11, von Mi generated in the resin spring is shown.
The maximum value of the ses equivalent stress was about 4.7 kgf / mm ² , which was not a value that would cause damage to the resin spring. 11, 15, and 18, the von M is the highest among the places where the tensile stress is considered to be generated.
The portion where the value of the ises equivalent tensile stress is large is indicated by “A”.

In the displacement amount (unit: mm) in the Y direction shown in FIGS. 10, 14, and 17, the area within the range of the displacement amount is sequentially filled with a black-out area and a white-out area. Indicated. In addition, the alphabet attached to the scale of each displacement corresponds to the alphabet attached to the Y-direction displacement distribution diagram. Furthermore, von Mi
The scale in FIGS. 11, 15, and 18 showing the ses equivalent stress distribution indicates the stress (unit: kgf / mm ² ) expressed by the von Mises equivalent stress, and the area within the range of the stress is shown in each of FIGS. In the case of, a black-out area and a white-out area are sequentially shown. The alphabet beside the scale of each displacement is von Mi
ses corresponds to the alphabet attached to the equivalent stress distribution diagram.

Example 2 The resin spring and the support member 20 shown in FIG. 7 were manufactured by the same injection molding method as in Example 1. FIG. 12 shows a schematic plan view of the resin spring assembly according to the second embodiment. The support member 20 according to the second embodiment is different from the support member 20 according to the first embodiment in that the locking portion is not provided on the holding portion 23.
That is, the tip of the spring portion 12 slides on the holding portion 23, and the tip of the spring portion 12 can move freely within a range of 1 mm in the Y direction. When the spring portion 12 is displaced by 1 mm in the Y direction,
The tip of the spring portion 12 abuts on a corner portion of the holding portion 23 and the spring support portion 21. The dimensions of each part of the spring part 12 are as shown in Table 2 below. Also, the spring portion 12 of the resin spring
13 is an enlarged plan view of one of them. Then, a fatigue test was performed in the same manner as in Example 1. As a result, no damage occurred to the resin spring at any of the test temperatures. In addition, when the reaction force of the resin spring 10 in the initial state was measured using a load cell, it was 33 gf.

[0036]

Table 2 Length (L ₁ ) of base 13 along X direction: 10.23 mm Thickness (T ₁ ) of base 13: 0.72 mm (constant) Width (W ₁ ) of base 13: 3.14 mm Length (L ₂ ) of linear tip portion 14: 9.45 mm Thickness (T _2A ) of joint portion between tip portion 14 and base 13: 1.00 mm Thickness (T _2B ) of tip of tip portion 14 : 0.20 mm Width (W _2A ) of the junction of the tip portion 14 with the base 13: 3.14 mm Width (W _2B ) of the tip of the tip portion 14: 0.20 mm

When the resin spring of Example 2 was in the maximum displacement state, the stress value generated in the resin spring was determined by simulation. FIG. 14 shows the Y direction displacement distribution of the resin spring, and FIG. 15 shows the von Mises equivalent stress distribution.
Shown in From FIG. 15, it is found that von M generated in the resin spring
The maximum value of the ises equivalent tensile stress is 5.2 kgf / mm ²
The von Mises equivalent tensile stress generated in the resin spring was higher than that in Example 1, but was not a value that would cause a problem in practical use.

Example 3 The resin spring shown in FIG. 6A and the support member 20 shown in FIG. 7 were produced by injection molding in the same manner as in Example 1. FIG. 16 is an enlarged plan view of one of the spring portions 12 of the resin spring. Incidentally, the outer springs 12 and the inner radius of curvature (r _{OU T,} r _IN)
And r _OUT = 10.00 mm and r _IN = 9.8, respectively.
1 mm, and the length (L) of the arc of the spring portion 12 is 18.3.
2 mm (the length in the X direction is 16.0 mm), the thickness (T ₁ ) of the joint portion of the spring portion 12 with the main body portion 11 is 0.5 mm, the thickness (T ₂ ) of the tip is 0.3 mm, and the spring Main body part 1 of part 12
2. The width (the distance in the Z direction, W ₁ ) of the joint portion with ₁ .
0 mm, and the width of the tip (the distance in the Z direction, W ₂ ) is 0.
6 mm.

In a state where the tip of the spring portion 12 of the resin spring 10 is engaged with the projection 24 of the holding portion 23 of the support member 20,
In addition, a state where the main body 11 was moved by 0.875 mm toward the holding portion 23 of the support member 20 from a state where no reaction force was applied to the resin spring 10 was set as an initial state.
A state in which the main body 11 has moved 3.4 mm toward the holding portion 23 of the support member 20 from this initial state is defined as a maximum displacement state. When the reaction force of the resin spring 10 in the initial state was measured using a load cell, it was 31 gf. The resin spring was displaced between the initial state and the maximum displacement state, and a fatigue test of the resin spring was performed. As measurement conditions, the number of displacements per second was twice, and the test temperatures were −30 ° C., 23 ° C., and 80 ° C. 100,000 displacements were applied to the resin spring, but no damage occurred to the resin spring at any of the test temperatures.

When the resin spring shown in FIG. 6A is in the maximum displacement state, the stress value generated in the resin spring was obtained by simulation. FIG. 17 shows the displacement distribution in the Y direction of the resin spring, and FIG. 18 shows the von Mises equivalent stress distribution. From FIG. 18, the maximum value of the von Mises equivalent tensile stress generated in the resin spring is 4.9 kg.
f / mm ² , which was not a value that would cause damage to the resin spring.

Although the present invention has been described based on the embodiments and the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these. The shape and structure and size of the resin spring and the shape and structure of the support member described in the embodiments and examples of the invention are mere examples, and the design can be changed as appropriate. The used resin is also an example. The shape and dimensions of the resin spring can be essentially any shape, including the conditions of use, the required displacement, the required fatigue resistance, the reaction force required in the set state, and the state of displacement. In consideration of the reaction force required in the above, considering the characteristics of the resin material used, a shape that satisfies the performance required for the spring,
The size may be used. In some cases, the resin spring and a member for attaching the resin spring may be integrally formed,
The support member and the member to which the support member is attached may be integrally formed. With the tip of the spring portion of the resin spring in contact with the holding portion of the support member, the tip of the spring portion may freely slide in the Y direction, or after sliding in the Y direction for a certain distance, The structure may be such that the tip of the portion is locked in the locking portion of the holding portion of the support member.

In the resin spring assembly of the present invention, a concave portion 15A as an engaging portion is provided on the inner side surface of the main body portion 11,
An aspect in which the convex portion 22A serving as the engaging portion is provided on the outer side surface of the spring support portion 21 may be adopted. FIG. 19A shows a schematic plan view of such a resin spring assembly, and FIG. 19B shows a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the arrow BB of FIG. 19A. Shown in

The resin spring of the present invention can of course be used alone. In this case, when it is necessary to regulate the spatial range in which the spring portion is displaced, the tip of the spring portion is locked by a locking portion provided on an article or the like to which a force generated by the displacement of the spring portion is applied, and By applying an external force to the spring portion, the spring portion may be displaced in the X direction and the Y direction without displacing the tip of the spring portion in the Y direction.
Note that the main body of the resin spring may be attached to or brought into contact with an article different from the article.

The resin spring or the resin spring assembly of the present invention can be applied to any industrial field, for example, an open / close button for an electric kettle pot, an open / close button for a lid of an electronic jar, and various switches in a television. And push buttons, various switches and push buttons in audio equipment, various switches and push buttons in video tape recorders, various switches and push buttons in air conditioning devices, and various switches in remote control devices for televisions, audio equipment, and video tape recorders And push buttons, various switches and push buttons in video game operating devices, telephone hook buttons, telephone push buttons, personal computer lid open / close buttons, computer mouse pointer push buttons , Computer keyboard and key stem spring, automotive hazard push button, automotive defroster push button, automotive ashtray open / close button, automotive console box open / close button, automotive passing switch button, automotive air conditioner and audio equipment, etc. Various switches and push buttons, push buttons and switches for automobile window washer, room lamp switch for automobiles, springs installed on the mirror stay mounting part for automobile interior, horns for motorcycles, etc. Switches and push buttons for machines and printers, various push buttons and switches for facsimile machines, push buttons for desk lamps, open and close buttons for jump umbrellas, springs and toiletries built into the toilet paper holder Le, various switches and push buttons in the elevator, mention may be made of the application to the alarm clock alarm button, the push of the mechanical pencil button, and the like.

For example, the resin spring assembly of the present invention can be incorporated in a buckle device for a seat belt mounted on an automobile. In this case, the support member 20 may be fixed to the release button, and the main body 11 of the resin spring may be engaged with the base frame. When the seat belt is used, the latch claws provided on the base frame of the buckle device engage with the locking openings of the tongue plate, and the latch state of the tongue plate is maintained. At this time, with the latching operation of the latch claw, the main body 11 is
To generate a reaction force (for example, 50 to 170 gf) on the resin spring. as a result,
Since the release button is biased in the direction away from the base frame, the release button has no play.

[0046]

According to the resin spring of the present invention, since the main body and the spring are integrally formed, the resin spring can be easily manufactured and has a compact size and shape. Springs can be manufactured. Furthermore, since the spring portion is not displaced in the width direction of the plate-shaped spring portion, the thickness of the entire resin spring can be reduced. In addition, the resin spring can be easily attached to the member or the like. In addition, the number of parts of the resin spring or the resin spring assembly can be reduced as compared with the conventional spring, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the spring can be manufactured based on the injection molding method. In addition, mass production can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view and a perspective view of a resin spring according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a modification of the resin spring according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of another modification of the resin spring according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a resin spring according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a modification of the resin spring according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of a resin spring according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view, a schematic perspective view, and a schematic cross-sectional view of a resin spring assembly according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing a stress-strain curve of a polyacetal resin used in Examples.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view of one of spring portions of the resin spring according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a Y-direction displacement amount distribution in the resin spring of the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 shows von M in the resin spring of the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an equivalent stress distribution.

FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view and a schematic cross-sectional view of a resin spring assembly according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged plan view of one of spring portions of a resin spring according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a Y-direction displacement amount distribution of the resin spring according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 shows von M in the resin spring of the second embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an equivalent stress distribution.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged plan view of one of spring portions of a resin spring according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a Y-direction displacement amount distribution of the resin spring of the third embodiment.

FIG. 18 shows von M in the resin spring of the third embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an equivalent stress distribution.

FIG. 19 is a schematic plan view and a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the resin spring assembly of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Resin spring 11 ... Body part 12 ... Spring part 13 ... Base part 14 ... Tip part 15, 15A, 22, 22A ... Engagement part 20 ... Support member 21 ... Spring support part 23 ... Holding part 24 ... Protrusion

Claims (16)

[Claims] (A) a resin-made main body; and (b) a pair of resin-made opposed plate-shaped spring portions formed integrally with the main body and extending outward from the main body. When the direction of the external force applied to the spring portion is the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and including the axis of the pair of spring portions is the Y direction, the external force is applied to the pair of spring portions. A spring made of resin, wherein the spring portion is displaced in the X direction and the Y direction. 2. A tip end of the spring portion is locked to a locking portion provided on an article to which a force generated by displacement of the spring portion is applied, and an external force is applied to the pair of spring portions, thereby causing the spring portion to be closed. The resin spring according to claim 1, wherein the spring portion is displaced in the X direction and the Y direction without displacing the tip in the Y direction. 3. Each of the pair of opposed spring portions includes:
The resin spring according to claim 1, comprising a base extending linearly from the main body in a substantially X direction and a tip end extending from the base in the X and Y directions. 4. The resin spring according to claim 3, wherein each of the tip portions of the pair of opposed spring portions extends linearly from the base in a direction away from each other. 5. The resin-made spring according to claim 3, wherein the tip portions of the pair of opposed spring portions extend in a direction away from each other in a curved manner from the base portion. 6. The resin spring according to claim 3, wherein the tip portions of the pair of opposed spring portions linearly extend from the base in a direction approaching each other. 7. The resin spring according to claim 3, wherein the tip portions of the pair of opposed spring portions extend in a curved line from the base in a direction approaching each other. 8. Each of the pair of opposed spring portions includes:
The resin spring according to claim 1, wherein the resin spring extends in a curved manner from the main body. 9. A resin spring assembly comprising a resin spring and a support member, the resin spring comprising: (a) a resin main body having an engagement portion formed therein; and (b) the main body. A pair of opposed plate-shaped spring portions made of resin, which are formed integrally with the portion and extend outward of the main body portion,
When the direction of the external force applied to the spring portion is the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the direction including the axis of the pair of spring portions is the Y direction, the external force is applied to the pair of spring portions.
The support member comprises: (A) a spring support portion provided with an engagement portion; and (B) a holding portion integrated with the spring support portion. In a state in which the engaging portion provided on the main body portion and the engaging portion provided on the spring supporting portion of the support member are engaged, the tip of the spring portion of the resin spring contacts the pressing portion of the supporting member. The resin spring assembly slides in the X direction in a state where the resin spring is set. 10. An engaging portion provided on a main body of a resin spring, and an engaging portion provided on a spring supporting portion of the supporting member. The resin spring slides in the X direction in a state in which the spring is engaged, and in a state where the tip of the spring portion of the resin spring is locked to the locking portion of the holding portion of the support member. Item 10. A resin spring assembly according to item 9. 11. Each of the pair of opposing spring portions comprises a base extending linearly in the X direction from the main body, and a tip portion extending from the base in the X and Y directions. The resin spring according to claim 9 or 10, wherein 12. The resin spring according to claim 11, wherein each of the tip portions of the pair of opposed spring portions extends linearly from the base in a direction away from each other. 13. The resin spring according to claim 11, wherein the tip portions of the pair of opposed spring portions extend in a direction away from each other in a curved line from the base portion. 14. The resin spring according to claim 11, wherein the tip portions of the pair of opposed spring portions extend linearly from the base in a direction approaching each other. 15. The resin spring according to claim 11, wherein each of the tip portions of the pair of opposed spring portions extends in a curved line from the base in a direction approaching each other. 16. The resin spring according to claim 9, wherein each of the pair of opposed spring portions extends in a curved line from the main body portion.