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MODEL-BASED INVESTIGATIONS OF FORCE DETECTION BY MONITORING THE DEFORMATION STATE OF A COMPLIANT MECHANISM

Authors: A. Griebel, S. Henning, S. Griebel, F. Schale, T. Fröhlich, H. Töpfer, L. Zentner


Abstract:

A strong, long-lasting pressure on the human skin whose effect is increased by shear forces can lead to the development of a pressure ulcer (decubitus). In order to minimize the risk of pressure ulcers developing, critical forces acting between the body and a sitting or lying surface should be detected and eliminated in time. One possibility for detecting critical forces is the actuation of tactile switches. In this article, miniature tactile switches are integrated into a compliant mechanism using the example of a MATF1 mattress spring made by Hartmann Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co. KG. For this purpose, the deformation behavior of the spring is analyzed by means of non-linear analytical and finite elements method (FEM) calculations and the required tactile switches parameters as well as suitable locations for their placement are determined. A functional model is then built and examined.

Keywords: force monitoring; normal and shear forces; mattress spring; compliant mechanism; distributed compliance; pressure ulcer prevention; miniature tactile switches.

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