Enlarging elastic energy storage via a constant force mechanism

Abstract Constant-force mechanisms (CFMs) are attractive for mechanical energy storage owing to their distinctive force–displacement characteristics, particularly under conditions with limited external load capacity and restricted space. However, conventional CFMs often suffer from short constant-force strokes and inefficient space utilization, which hinder their broader application. To address these limitations, this study exploits the buckling of compliant beams and increases the structural degrees of freedom by adopting a less constrained configuration, which extends the constant-force stroke and space utilization while reducing the required external load, thus improving energy storage efficiency for the same stored elastic energy. A novel catapult was developed through NSGA-II multi-objective optimization, achieving a high energy-to-cost ratio and an extended constant-force stroke. This work presents an effective design approach for motion mechanisms that demand high energy-storage efficiency and high-power output.