Compression Spring Names and Types
Compression springs offer us stored energy, the release of that stored energy can be coupled to an apparatus, product or device thus giving you an infinite array of choices on how to release their energy. In fact, compression springs are so popular that they go by different names. Today we will discuss both the different names of compression springs and the shape varieties you may find.
They are commonly referred to as coil springs and in some instances also known as helical coil springs. Some of the most popular names are: Basic compression spring, Coil spring, Helical coil spring, compress springs, push springs, etc. They can also be referred to by the category in respect to their size such as: heavy duty coil spring or light coil spring.
The purpose of compression springs is to give force while compressing. When the force or load is released the spring returns back to its original length. All compression springs have the same function but not all have the same shape. Some types of compression springs are: conical, barrel and hourglass springs.
Conical Springs
Conical springs also known as tapered springs are compression springs coiled in increasing or decreasing outer diameters thus making its shape a cone or tapered one. These springs tend to reduce solid height and provide stability.
Due to its tapered cone shape, some cone springs have the diameters adjusted to a point where they’ll perform a telescope effect when compressed thus letting the user compress the spring all the way down so that all the coils of the spring collapse inside itself down to one wire diameter which gives us more travel or deflection.
This is ideal when the inventor of the product needs more distance traveled or more deflection. Conical springs also offer an advantage over basic compression springs in the area of stability. Since the large outer diameter is usually on the bottom, tapered springs give us better stability and are less prone to buckling, and not losing their balance when being compressed.
Barrel or Convex Compression Springs
A barrel spring can also be called a convex spring and it is a type of compression spring used to produce linear force where the top and bottom outer diameter are smaller than the center outer diameter. Barrel springs can be made with many different diameters thus giving you an infinity of designs.
A barrel spring is chosen by end users over a generic compression spring mainly because it may reduce space, prevent buckling, and provide a multitude of shaped configurations to better fit in any designs. Barrel springs can be telescoping or non-telescoping in nature.
Concave or Hourglass Springs
Concave springs, also referred to as hourglass springs or even barbell springs, are compression springs that have an hourglass or barbell shape. A concave spring reduces space, prevents buckling, and it’s design distribution is beneficial to many specialized spaces. A concave spring is wider in the end coils than the center coils, that is how the pressure is distributed differently which allows it to have better stability. There are more options as there are a wide variety of shaped configurations to choose from, to fit in any design.