Abstract

A thin fibre or sheet curled into a circular container has a detached region whose shape and force ratios are independent of material properties and container radius. We compute this shape and compare it with experiments. The discrete forces acting at either end of the detached region have a ratio that depends only on the length of the fibre or sheet relative to the circle radius. We calculate this force ratio in three regimes of circle radius. © 2008 IOP Publishing Ltd.