Design and analysis of the multi-bent leaf spring considering incomplete insertion in an automatic disc storage system

An automatic disc storage system transfers discs automatically to storage or an optical disc drive using a robotic arm. For example, an optical archive system uses an automatic disc storage system to efficiently handle a large number of discs. The automatic disc storage system commonly uses a multi-bent leaf spring (MBLS) to insert and hold a disc. In the automatic disc storage system, incomplete insertion of the disc can occur if the disc is not moved properly into storage by the robotic arm. Incomplete insertion causes several problems and therefore should be analyzed carefully. This paper examines the dynamic response of the disc during insertion. Using Castigliano’s second theorem, we analyzed the relationship between deformation and the applied forces of the MBLS at the moving contact position between the MBLS and disc. The formula used to describe this relationship also provided the corresponding design parameters of the MBLS. Disc displacement was determined using a one-factor comparative design in transient analysis. An objective function was defined as a distance of the disc to ensure complete disc insertion. The number of variables was reduced based on the objective function. Interaction among variables was investigated in a 3²-full-factorial design. For the MBLS design to prevent incomplete insertion, the objective function increased by 140.4%.