MODELING AND PARAMETER STUDY OF BISTABLE SPHERICAL COMPLIANT MECHANISMS

The Bistable Spherical Compliant Mechanisms (BSCM) is a novel device capable of large, repeatable, out-of-plane motion, characteristics that are somewhat difficult to achieve with surface micro-machined MEMS. An improved pseudo-rigid-body model to predict the behavior of the BSCM is presented. The new model was used to analyze seven different versions of the device, each with a different compliant joint length. The new model, which adds torsion, is compared with a Finite-Element beam model. The new model more closely approximates the results yielded by FEA than previous models used to analyze the BSCM Future work is needed to quantify stress-stiffening interactions between bending and torsion. Both FEA and the current model show that increasing the length of the compliant segment decreases the amount of force required to actuate the device.