A Pseudo-Rigid-Body Model for Rolling-Contact Compliant Beams
This paper presents a pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM) for rolling-contact compliant beams (RCCBs). The loading conditions and boundary conditions for the RCCB can be simplified to an equivalent cantilever beam that has the same force-deflection characteristics as the RCCB. Building on the PRBM for cantilever beams, this paper defines a model for the force-deflection relationship for RCCBs. The definition of the RCCB PRBM includes the pseudo-rigid-body model parameters that determine the shape of the beam, the length of the corresponding pseudo-rigid-body links and the stiffness of the equivalent torsional spring. The behavior of the RCCB is parameterized in terms of a single parameter defined as clearance, or the distance between the contact surfaces. RCCBs exhibit a unique force-displacement curve where the force is inversely proportional to the clearance squared.