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CONSTANT FORCE SPRINGS
Although there are a number of different types of Constant Force
springs by far the most common are the ones, which are made from
steel strip. Those
constant force springs made from round wire have specialist
applications. The most familiar
function of a flat strip constant force spring of course is the
tape rule which everyone knows. You pull out the tape and no
matter how much you pull out it doesn’t need any more effort to
do it.
Constant force flat strip springs are generally manufactured
from either texture rolled carbon steel or high strength
stainless steel depending on the application. Sometimes people
confuse them with Power Springs (commonly called Clock Springs)
or Spiral Springs, which appear to have a similar construction.
However the Constant Force spring is created from a
coiling
operation that prestresses the strip, which exerts a near
constant resistance to uncoiling, and when pulled out exhibits
constant force because the radius of curvature is constant.
Constant force springs are seen in many applications the most
common of which are retractor mechanisms (as seen in car seat
belts), brush springs for motors, counterbalance springs for
sash windows, cable retractors and timers to name but a few.
Although not cheap to produce there functionality often out ways
the unit cost. They are currently seeing resurgence in some
children’s toys as the desire to get away from the use of
batteries grows.
Kato-Entex would be delighted to look at any application you
have for a constant force spring.
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