The use of pseudo-rigid-body models in the analysis and design of compliant mechanisms has opened up the possibility of using various types of flexible elements within the same framework. In this paper, an idea for combining initially curved and straight beams within compliant mechanisms is developed to create a set of equations that can be easily used to analyze various designs and topologies. A pseudo-rigid-body model with three revolute joints is derived to approximate the behavior of initially-curved compliant beams, to go with another model previously presented for straight beams. The general kinematic and static equations for a single-loop mechanism are shown. Finally, this setup is used for the early-stage design of a compliant constant force mechanism to illustrate its application and comparisons with Finite Element Analysis for validation.
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