Wave Spring

thingiverse

Wave springs are not only great for creating unique key chains, but they're also fascinating to design. In Solidworks, I crafted an impressive tall one using the equation x = 1sin(t), y = 1cos(t), and z = 0.125sin(3.5t) + 0.075t, where x(t) and y(t) are either radiussin(t) or radiuscos(t), and z(t) is the amplitude of a specific number of waves plus the spacing factor (if desired). The cross-section for this design is rectangular. Alternatively, I used Inventor to create a shorter wave spring with a cylindrical shape, employing the equation r = 1, phi = t360, and z = .25(sin (t360*5)). The cross-section for this design is circular due to Inventor's limitations in controlling sweeps, but at least it results in a closed loop. Check out this video for more information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg1LRE0V7S4