90deg bend after a helix spiral

Feb 22, 2005 6 Replies

Okay - I'm trying to draw a coiled tube around a main cylindar. I've got the coil part done which was easy but I'm trying to figure out what the easiest way of creating 90 deg bends off that coil are. Imagine you've got a coiled bit of copper and you've straightend out the ends to put fittings on them.



Any suggestions?


I'm thinking you could do it with a sweep along a projected curve. Create a cylindrical surface to match the hliex you swept along. Now create a sketch of the bend on a plane parallel to the end of your helix. Project that sketch onto the cylindrical surface, and you should a have a path to sweep your bend along.

I've never tried this myself.

Set up a sweep? In fact you might be able to connect the ends with the helix usnig a composite curve and do the whole thing at once.

I would create the helix, then create the 90 degree bend in a new sketch as a single line. Then create a 3d sketch convert entities and add a fillet were necessary, and sweep along the 3d sketch.

Corey

I have a torsion spring model that I pulled off the SW website some time ago that may be what you are asking for. It is the variety that has the ends of the spring that come off tangentially to the coils, as in wind, wind, wind and then continue in a straight line.

Or, are you desiring the type that gets to the end and then comes out parallel to the central axis, so therefore it has to make a 90° bend at the end of the last coil?

Either way, start with an existing spring model.

WT

I would use a revolve feature. Sketch on the end face, convert the edges, and use the centerline to control the bend radius and direction.

I would use a revolve feature. Sketch on the end face, convert the edges, and use the centerline to control the bend radius and direction.

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