Translational Detent

Description

The Translational Detent block represents a double-sided, spring-loaded translational detent with a ball and conical notch.

The detent slider slides horizontally over the detent case. These two parts develop a horizontal shear force between them. The inside of the slider is the conical notch. The detent case contains a vertical spring. The detent ball lies between the spring and the conical notch. With the block, you can model ball and angled notch detents with geometric and spring characteristics, peak force and notch width, or a table lookup. The model also includes viscous damping and kinetic friction between the slider and case. You can set the friction to zero.

Translational Detent Model

The geometry of the ball-notch detent is shown in the following figure. As the conical slider slides horizontally over the case, the relative displacement x = x_R – x_C causes a horizontal shear force F to develop.

b	Notch depth
r	Ball radius
α	Notch half angle

Depending on your choice of parameterization, the shear force model is defined by geometric and spring parameters, by the peak force and notch width, or by a table lookup specifying relative displacement versus force.

Geometric and Spring Parameters

The geometric and spring parameterization uses four regions to define the shear force. The following figure displays these regions.

Because the ball is spherical and the notch is symmetric, the horizontal force versus displacement function is symmetric about the origin. (See Peak Force and Notch Width.)

Region	Ball Position and Contact Angle	Shear Force
1	Ball is outside conical notch. Contact angle is vertical.	Viscous damping and kinetic friction only. No spring contribution.
2	Ball is entering notch, in contact with notch corner. Contact angle rotates from vertical.	Spring, viscous damping, and kinetic friction contributions. Peaks at transition from region 2 to region 3.
3	Ball slides along face of notch. Contact angle is constant.	Force decreases as spring extends, but does not go to zero (spring preload force).
4	Ball moves from one face to the other. Contact angle switches direction.	Force switches direction. Shear reversal region width controls how smooth this switch is.

Peak Force and Notch Width

If you choose the peak force and notch width parameterization, the block ensures that the force-relative displacement curve provides a continuous force and force derivative over the detent region. The peak forces are halfway between the detent center and detent edge, as shown in the following figure.

By Table Lookup

With the table lookup parameterization, you can create an arbitrary function relating shear force to relative displacement. If you create such a function, consider the following best practices.

Energy Conservation

If you want to ensure that the detent conserves energy, the total integral of the force-relative displacement curve (area under the curve) must be zero.

Simulation Performance

To stabilize simulation of the detent, avoid discontinuities in the force-relative displacement function. The most important requirement is to have a shear reversal region of nonzero width, analogous to region 4 in the geometric parameterization.

Limitations

The model does not account for inertia. Add mass terms externally to the R and C ports as required.
If you use the peak force-notch width or the table lookup parameterization, the kinetic friction is independent of the detent normal force.

Ports

R and C are translational conserving ports associated with the slider and case, respectively.

Parameters

Detent Characteristics

Parameterization

Select how to specify the detent characteristics. The default is By peak force and notch width.

By peak force and notch width — Specify detent characteristics by the peak shear force and the notch width.
Peak Force and Notch Width
Peak force
The peak shear force developed inside the detent. The default is 10.
From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is newtons (N).
Notch width
The width of the region where the shear force develops. The default is 30.
From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is millimeters (mm).
By table lookup — Define the detent characteristics by one-dimensional table lookup based on the relative displacement between the slider and case. If you select this option, the panel changes from its default option.
By Table Lookup
Relative displacement vector
Specify the vector of input relative displacements that correspond to the values in Force vector. These two vectors must be of the same size. The displacements must be specified in strictly increasing order. The default values are [-15 -12.3 -7.6 -1.1 1.1 7.6 12.3 15].
From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is millimeters (mm).
Force vector
Specify the vector of input values for the shear force that correspond to the values in Relative displacement vector. The default values are [0 0 -8.365 -5.87 5.87 8.365 0 0].
From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is newtons (N).
Interpolation method
Select one of these interpolation methods to approximate the output value when the input value is between two consecutive grid points:
Linear — Select this, default, option to get the best performance.
Smooth — Select this option to produce a continuous curve with continuous first-order derivatives.
For more information on interpolation algorithms, see the PS Lookup Table (1D) block reference page.
By geometry — Define the detent characteristics by ball-notch geometry and dynamics. If you select this option, the panel changes from its default option.
Geometric and Spring Parameters
Ball diameter
Specify the diameter of the ball. The default is 12.
From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is millimeters (mm).
Notch angle
Specify the full angle of the notch. Must be greater than 0 and less than or equal to 179 degrees. The default is 120.
From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is degrees (deg).
Notch depth
Specify the depth of the notch in the slider. Must be greater than zero. The default is 4.5.
From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is millimeters (mm).
Preload force
Specify the force to which the detent spring is preloaded. Must greater than or equal to 0. The default is 15.
From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is newtons (N).
Spring stiffness
Specify the stiffness of the detent spring. Must be greater than 0. The default is 3000.
From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is newtons/meter (N/m).
Shear reversal region
Specify the width of the region where the ball moves from one notch face to the other. Must be greater than 0. The default is 0.1.
From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is millimeters (mm).

Initial relative position

The relative displacement of the slider and case when simulation starts. The default is 0.

From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is millimeters (mm).

Friction

Viscous friction coefficient

Specify the viscous friction coefficient for the ball-notch contact. Must be greater than or equal to 0. The default is 0.1.

From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is newtons/(meters/second) (N/(m/s)).

Friction to peak force ratio

Specify the kinetic friction coefficient for the ball-notch contact. Must be greater than or equal to 0. The default is 0.01.

The kinetic friction is this ratio multiplied by the peak shear force.

Friction velocity threshold

Specify the relative velocity required for peak kinetic friction in the detent. Must be greater than 0. The default is 0.05.

From the drop-down list, choose units. The default is meters/second (m/s).

Documentation

Translational Detent

Library

Description