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Flexible Plastic Part

8 REPLIES 8
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Message 1 of 9
SteveFrey
1484 Views, 8 Replies

Flexible Plastic Part

I'm designing a flexible plastic clip that in essence will compress under pressure as the top rail comes down over it.  Once in place it will prevent the rail from being removed.  I've never done this before but what I would like to do is to be able to design the part and see it bend as it comes in contact with the other surfaces, sort of like a spring.  How would I go about this?  See attached.

Steve Frey
Inventor 2021
Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
HP ZBook 17 G6
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9880H CPU @ 2.30GHz
Memory: 80 GB
NVIDIA Quadro RTX5000
3D Connexion SpaceMouse Wireless
8 REPLIES 8
Message 2 of 9
JDMather
in reply to: SteveFrey

Can you attach the assembly here?

Is the top part the rail?
Image 3 doesn't look right to me as isn't there some feature to limit the depth of penetration of the cantalevers?

 

If inserted from bottom up in your image and a limit to depth I think it can be done - cantalevers will bend in and then back to vertical, but if the bend out that is a change in direction of bend arc that I don't think will be possible to simulate.


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Message 3 of 9
SteveFrey
in reply to: JDMather

See attached for the file.

Steve Frey
Inventor 2021
Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
HP ZBook 17 G6
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9880H CPU @ 2.30GHz
Memory: 80 GB
NVIDIA Quadro RTX5000
3D Connexion SpaceMouse Wireless
Message 4 of 9
SteveFrey
in reply to: JDMather

JD:

 

The top rail is the MSD-38H or rounded header.  I'm basically trying to simulate the header comind down over the clip (compressing the tabs) and then snapping into place so they would hold the header in place once the clip was screwed into the wall.

Steve Frey
Inventor 2021
Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
HP ZBook 17 G6
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9880H CPU @ 2.30GHz
Memory: 80 GB
NVIDIA Quadro RTX5000
3D Connexion SpaceMouse Wireless
Message 5 of 9
JDMather
in reply to: SteveFrey

If you have the clips bend only one way - inward to allow the rail to pass over, and then back to vertical (actually near vertical) then I can see it as doable.  But in your image they go past vertical and bend in the other direction.  This presents a problem.

 

My idea, if they only need to come back to "vertical" is to do the sides as a very very large arc that appears to be a straight line over the relatively short segment we see. (kind of like the earth)  The radius of the arc would be varied to bend in and then straighten out.


See the Scissors example in the Samples/Tutorials folder for something similar.


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Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


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Message 6 of 9
SteveFrey
in reply to: JDMather

Okay.  The scissors example explains a lot.  I wanted to design the part with a little bit of outward pressure on the tabs when at rest.  I will play around with it and see what I need to do.  Thanks!

Steve Frey
Inventor 2021
Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
HP ZBook 17 G6
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9880H CPU @ 2.30GHz
Memory: 80 GB
NVIDIA Quadro RTX5000
3D Connexion SpaceMouse Wireless
Message 7 of 9
harco
in reply to: SteveFrey

As JD said you can use very large radius curve to simulate leg of tab and this will allow bend in one direction.

If it needs to bend both ways you will need 2 curves connected in an "S" shape, although the radii will be very large.

The difficulty comes in allowing the curves to flex but still maintaining constraints to hold the shape.

You would also need to minimise the length of the "straight!?" curve when the bend direction is opposing it, and maximise the length of the bending curve.

It gets very complicated, I can just about manage it by dragging the sketch of the tab but couldn't manage to drive adaptively in the assembly.

Hope you have better luck.

 

 

 

Message 8 of 9
SteveFrey
in reply to: harco

Thanks for the input.  I've been playing with it a little and I think I'm thinking too much.  Just going to bite the bullet and rapid prototyping the part.  It should be okay.  I was just trying to show it in motion, etc. 

Steve Frey
Inventor 2021
Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
HP ZBook 17 G6
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9880H CPU @ 2.30GHz
Memory: 80 GB
NVIDIA Quadro RTX5000
3D Connexion SpaceMouse Wireless
Message 9 of 9
JDMather
in reply to: SteveFrey

There might be something useful here (I haven't watched this one).

 

http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=class&session_id=2754


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Autodesk Inventor 2019 Certified Professional
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


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