Compliant Rolling-Contact Element Mechanisms

This paper presents three planar mechanisms capable of performing the functions of a bearing and a spring: the compliant rolling-contact element (CORE), the CORE bearing, and the elliptical CORE bearing. The designs use compliant rolling-contact joints to achieve low friction rotation and to bear high in-plane lateral loads. A model for predicting the behavior of the designs is presented, and manufacturing considerations are discussed for the macro, meso, and micro scales. A case study is presented, and the designs are shown to be capable of meeting the demanding design constraints of the study.