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US 2017/0007023 A1Published application
Spring assembly
AssigneeSteelcase Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Battey, Todd T. Andres, Gary Lee Karsten, David Allen Bodnar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of assembling a spring inside of a tube includes providing a coil spring and a tube having a first retaining structure at a first end of the tube. The method includes positioning a rod in the tube. The spring is positioned in the tube, and a second retaining structure is attached to the rod with the spring positioned between the first and second retaining structures. A force is applied to the spring, and the second retaining structure is fixed at a position wherein the spring provides a desired preload.
Claims14
An energy mechanism, comprising:
- a spring generating a spring force upon deformation of the spring;
- an enclosure housing at least a portion of the spring therein;
- an actuator having a first portion disposed inside the enclosure and operably engaging the spring, and a second portion extending out of the enclosure to transmit a spring force outside the enclosure, the actuator being movable in a first direction from an initial position wherein the spring is deformed an initial amount and generates an initial spring force acting on the actuator, to a second position wherein the spring is deformed a second amount and generates a second spring force that is greater than the initial spring force;
- a stop that prevents movement of the actuator in a second direction that is opposite the first direction when the actuator is in the initial position;
- and
- wherein the spring is supported in a partially stressed condition within the enclosure after being prestressed to deform the spring to the initial amount of deformation to generate the initial spring force, such that an applied force acting on the actuator must be at least as great as a predetermined initial force to shift the actuator in the first direction from its initial position.
3 more elements
An energy mechanism, comprising:
- a spring;
- an enclosure housing the spring;
- an actuator movable in a first direction from an initial position to at least one displaced position, the actuator extending to the coil spring to transmit a spring force outside of the enclosure;
- and
- the spring being supported in a preselected preloaded state within the enclosure after being preloaded to a predetermined spring force, such that an initial spring force required to move the actuator from the initial position correlates to the predetermined force amount, and wherein the initial spring force is fixed such that the initial spring force cannot be adjusted.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.