Leaf spring

Abstract

A leaf spring formed of sheet elastic material comprises a plurality of at least three elastic structures connecting a central and peripheral portions of the leaf spring to one another, wherein each elastic structure is substantially identically shaped, and is azimuthally equiangularly spaced and equiradially located around and relative to a center of the central portion of the leaf spring. Each elastic structure incorporates at least one pair of serpentine profiles, wherein each serpentine profile of the pair defines a corresponding edge of a common portion of the sheet elastic material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A leaf spring, comprising:
 a structure formed of a sheet elastic material comprising, in plan view:
 a first plurality of at least three radially-extending elastic beam portions, wherein for each corresponding annularly-bounded sector of a first plurality of annularly-bounded sectors, at least one radially-extending elastic beam portion extends outward from a central portion of said sheet elastic material, each radially-extending elastic beam portion of said first plurality of at least three radially-extending elastic beam portions is centered in said corresponding annularly-bounded sector, and each said corresponding annularly-bounded sector of said first plurality of annularly-bounded sectors is located within an annular region between said central portion and a peripheral portion of said structure, wherein each said corresponding annularly-bounded sector of said structure comprises: 
 a. first and second radially-extending elastic beam portions at corresponding first and second aziumthal boundaries of said corresponding annularly-bounded sector, wherein said first and second radially-extending elastic beam portions extend inwards from said peripheral portion of said structure; 
 b. a first serpentine elastic structure extending between a radially-inward portion of said first radially-extending elastic beam portion of said corresponding annularly-bounded sector and a first radially-outward portion of said at least one radially-extending elastic beam portion of said first plurality of at least three radially-extending elastic beam portions centered in said corresponding annularly-bounded sector; and 
 c. a second serpentine elastic structure extending between a radially-inward portion of said second radially-extending elastic beam portion of said corresponding annularly-bounded sector and a second radially-outward portion of said at least one radially-extending elastic beam portion of said first plurality of at least three radially-extending elastic beam portions centered in said corresponding annularly-bounded sector, wherein each of said first and second serpentine elastic structures each comprise a plurality of radially-extending elastic beam portions, each interconnected with corresponding azimuthally-extending torsional elastic portions at alternate radially-inner and radially-outer regions of said corresponding annularly-bounded sector. 
   
     
     
         2 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each radially-extending elastic beam portion of said first plurality of at least three radially-extending elastic beam portions extends radially outward from said central portion of said sheet elastic material, and said first and second radially-extending elastic beam portions extend radially inwards from said peripheral portion of said structure. 
     
     
         3 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 1 , wherein different annularly-bounded sectors of said first plurality of annularly-bounded sectors are substantially similar to one another. 
     
     
         4 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first and second serpentine elastic structures are substantially mirror-image symmetric to one another relative to said radially-extending elastic beam portion of said first plurality of at least three radially-extending elastic beam portions centered in said corresponding annularly-bounded sector. 
     
     
         5 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 1 , wherein for at least one said corresponding annularly-bounded sector, said at least one radially-extending elastic beam portion comprises one said radially-extending elastic beam portion. 
     
     
         6 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 1 , wherein for at least one said corresponding annularly-bounded sector, said at least one radially-extending elastic beam portion comprises two said radially-extending elastic beam portions adjacent to one another. 
     
     
         7 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first and second serpentine elastic structures each comprise an odd number of one or more radially-extending elastic beam portions. 
     
     
         8 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said first and second serpentine elastic structures each comprise three radially-extending elastic beam portions. 
     
     
         9 . A leaf spring, comprising:
 a structure formed of a sheet elastic material comprising, in plan view:
 a plurality of at least three elastic structures connecting a central portion of said structure to a peripheral portion of said structure, wherein each elastic structure of said plurality of at least three elastic structures is substantially identically shaped, each said elastic structure of said plurality of at least three elastic structures is azimuthally equiangularly spaced and equiradially located around and relative to a center of said central portion of said structure, each said elastic structure of said plurality of at least three elastic structures comprises at least one pair of serpentine profiles, and, for each pair of serpentine profiles of said at least one pair of serpentine profiles, each serpentine profile of said pair of serpentine profiles defines a corresponding edge of a common portion of said sheet elastic material. 
   
     
     
         10 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said common portion of said sheet elastic material comprises a plurality of substantially azimuthally-extending elastic beam portions of a corresponding serpentine elastic structure along said elastic structure. 
     
     
         11 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 10 , wherein each substantially azimuthally-extending elastic beam portion of said plurality of substantially azimuthally-extending elastic beam portions has substantially the same radial width. 
     
     
         12 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 10 , wherein at least two substantially azimuthally-extending elastic beam portions of said plurality of substantially azimuthally-extending elastic beam portions have different radial widths, said different radial widths comprise a first radial width for a corresponding first substantially azimuthally-extending elastic beam portion at a first radial position and a second radial width for a corresponding second substantially azimuthally-extending elastic beam portion at a second radial position, and said first radial width is greater than said second radial width for said first radial position radially outwards of said second radial position relative to said center of said central portion of said structure. 
     
     
         13 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said common portion of said sheet elastic material comprises a plurality of substantially radially-extending elastic beam portions of a corresponding serpentine elastic structure along said elastic structure. 
     
     
         14 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 13 , wherein each substantially radially-extending elastic beam portion of said plurality of substantially radially-extending elastic beam portions has substantially the same azimuthal width. 
     
     
         15 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 13 , wherein at least two substantially radially-extending elastic beam portions of said plurality of substantially radially-extending elastic beam portions have different azimuthal widths. 
     
     
         16 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 15 , wherein a width of said serpentine elastic structure increases with distance along said serpentine elastic structure from said central portion of said structure to said peripheral portion of said structure. 
     
     
         17 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 9 , wherein each said elastic structure comprises a pair of serpentine elastic structures that are azimuthally symmetric with respect to one another. 
     
     
         18 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said pair of serpentine elastic structures are azimuthally symmetric with respect to a common radially-extending elastic beam structure that is relatively central with respect to said pair of serpentine elastic structures. 
     
     
         19 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 18 , wherein a radially inboard end of said common radially-extending elastic beam structure is connected to said central portion of said structure, and a radially outboard end of said common radially-extending elastic beam structure is connected to each of said pair of serpentine elastic structures. 
     
     
         20 . A leaf spring as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said pair of serpentine profiles are substantially azimuthally symmetric with respect to one another, and each elastic structure comprises a plurality of azimuthally arcuate cut-out regions within said common portion of said sheet elastic material, wherein said sheet elastic material is removed from each azimuthally arcuate cut-out region of said plurality of azimuthally arcuate cut-out regions.