Patent Application
20180311927
The present disclosure relates to cellular structures.
Cellular structures are utilized in several industries to improve structural integrity of a given product and/or to protect individuals that may be using or operating a given product.
A cellular structure includes a web of cells having shared walls. The cells each include two end walls joined at four end corners with two expanded fan-fold sidewalls that extend between the two end walls. Each sidewall has six planar sections forming three external corners and two internal corners.
A cellular structure includes a plurality of walls extending in a longitudinal direction and forming a plurality of cells adjacently arranged along a laterally extending plane. Each cell has a cross-section along the plane that includes fourteen sides formed by the plurality of walls. The fourteen sides of each cell are joined to each other to form a closed loop and six outward extending protrusions.
A cell structure includes a plurality of walls extending in a longitudinal direction and forming a cross-sectional area on a laterally extending plane. The cross-sectional area includes fourteen sides formed by the plurality of walls. The fourteen sides are joined to each other to form a closed loop and six outward extending protrusions.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.
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The fourteen sides of each cell 16 are joined to each other to form a closed loop and six outward extending protrusions 20. Each protrusion 20 of each cell 16 is formed by two of the fourteen sides. An angle 21 between the two of the fourteen sides that form each protrusion 20 of each cell 16 may be an obtuse, right, or acute angle. A first set of three protrusions of the six protrusion 20 of each cell 16 may extend outward in a first direction 22 along the laterally extending plane 18 and a second set of three protrusions of the six protrusions 20 of each cell 16 may extend outward in a second direction 24 along the laterally extending plane 18. The second direction 24 may be opposite relative to the first direction 22 along the laterally extending plane 18 (i.e., the second direction 24 may be oriented 180° relative to the first direction 22 along the laterally extending plane 18).
Each cell 16 also includes two end walls 26 formed by two of the fourteen sides that are joined to two expanded fan-fold sidewalls 28 at four end corners 30. The two end walls 26 may be substantially parallel to each other. Substantially parallel may refer to any incremental value between plus or minus 5° from exactly parallel. The expanded fan-fold sidewalls 28 of each cell 16 extend between the two end walls 26 and are formed by six planar sections 32, the six planar sections 32 being six of the fourteen sides of each cell 16. The two end walls 26 and the two expanded fan-fold sidewalls 28 may extend in one direction (i.e., the longitudinal direction 14), which may be a direction in which the cellular structure 10 is expected to receive an impact (i.e., an expected impact direction). The cross-section of each cell 16 may be oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 14 and the expected impact direction. Substantially perpendicular may refer to any incremental value that ranges from 85° to 95°. The protrusions 20 of the first and second sets of three protrusions of each cell 16 may be formed by the first and second expanded fan-fold sidewalls 28 of each cell 16, respectively.
The six planar sections 32 of each expanded fan-fold sidewall 28 of each cell 16 also form three external corners 34 that extend outward from a central space (or cavity) 36 defined by the fourteen sides of each cell 16 and two internal corners 38 that extend inward toward the central space 36 of each cell 16. The external corners 34 and the internal corners 38 may have various bend radii.
Each cell 16 has a total of fourteen corners (four end corners 30, six external corners 34, and four internal corners 38). Testing has indicated that cellular structures having fourteen cornered cells absorb more energy and require an increased force to displace the cellular structure along an expected impact direction when compared to cellular structures having either four or six cornered cells. Testing has further indicated that cellular structures having fourteen cornered cells absorb more energy and require an increased force to displace the cellular structure along an expected impact direction, while also having more regular crush patterns, smaller folding lengths, smaller dimensions, less material, a lower total mass and a lower total number cells, when compared to cellular structures having either four or six cornered cells.
Under quasi-static loading testing conditions, cellular structures having fourteen cornered cells were able to withstand higher quasi-static forces without exhibiting plastic or permanent deformation when compared to cellular structures having either four or six cornered cells. Under quasi-static loading conditions where plastic or permanent deformation occurred, the deformation of the cellular structures having fourteen cornered cells was less severe and more concentrated or localized when compared to cellular structures having either four or six cornered cells, resulting in a condition that was easier and less costly to repair when compared to cellular structures having either four or six cornered cells. To achieve similar performances in quasi-static loading conditions when compared to cellular structures having either four or six cornered cells, fourteen cornered cellular structures require a smaller design space, smaller dimensions, lower total number of cells, less material, and a lower total mass.
The plurality of walls 12 of each cell 16 may have a longitudinal length, L, and a thickness, T. A ratio between the longitudinal length, L, and the thickness, T, i.e., L/T, may be at least 1 to 100 (small L to large T ratios may be utilized in products such as shoe insoles, protective skins for phones or mobile devices, and/or backing or reinforcing ribs for molding or casting parts). The ratio between the longitudinal length, L, and the thickness, T, i.e., L/T, may be as great as 10,000 to 1 (Large L to small T ratios may be utilized in products such as composite or honeycomb materials). The plurality of walls 12 may maintain a constant or variable thicknesses, T, along the longitudinal length, L, of each cell 16 to control local or global properties (in-plan or out-of-plan stress, strain, stiffness, peak load, crush force, crush energy, deformation pattern) based on the desired application and/or in anticipation of expected loads whether they be local or global. Furthermore, the thickness of each individual side of the fourteen sides of each cell 16 may vary or may be fine-turned independently for desired local or global properties.
The central space 36 of one or more cells 16 of the cellular structure 10 may be filled with deformable structures or foam materials. The deformable structures or foam materials may increase the structural integrity of the cellular structure 10, increase the ability to absorb energy during an impact, or may be utilized for other desirable functions, such as thermal or sound insulation. Plates (or sheets) 40 may also be joined to the outside surfaces (top, bottom and four sides) of the cellular structure 10. Please note that a plate 40 is not shown on the top surface in
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The plurality of walls 12 that form the cellular structure 10, the plates 40 that are joined to the outside surfaces (if any), and the internal support ribs 42 may be made from steel alloys, titanium alloys, aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, nylons, polymers, plastics, composites, fiber-reinforced composites, silicone, semiconductor materials, paper, carboard, shape-memory materials, rubber, foam, gel, hybrid materials (i.e., combinations of dis-similar materials), or any other suitable materials.
Each cell 16 size may be adjusted and can be optimized to meet different local or global property requirements. Layers and blocks of cellular structures with different cell sizes or materials can be also joined together to obtain different local or global properties based on the desired application and/or in anticipation of expected loads whether they are local or global. The same or different layers of cellular structures may be layered and adhered together with or without plates in between the layers. The cross-section can be tapered along the vertical axis (i.e., the longitudinal direction 14 or expected impact direction), as shown in
The cellular structure 10 may be produced by stamping, bending, press forming, hydro-forming, molding, casting, extrusion, uniform or non-uniform roll forming, machining, forging, 3-D printing, or any other suitable manufacturing processes.
The cellular structure 10 may be utilized in the automotive industry to construct (1) integrated cellular structures such as crush cans, front rails, mid rails, side rails, or rear rails (e.g. extruded aluminum rails, molded carbon fiber reinforced polymer/composite rails, etc.); (2) structural internal inserts and/or external energy absorbing devices such as rockers, A/B/C/D-pillars, shutguns, roof rails, bows, panels, cross-members, doors, floors, hoods, deck-lids, lift-gates, or any other load carrying/occupant protection device; (3) protective structures surrounding electric batteries; (4) plastic trim backing/reinforcement ribs or molding/casting parts that form backing/reinforcement ribs for components such as center consoles, HVAC systems, air ducts, arm rests, utility boxes, door trims, headliners, etc.; (5) energy absorbing devices for high performance and racing vehicles; or (6) deformable barriers.
The cellular structure 10 may be utilized in the aerospace, aeronautical, and defense industries to construct panels, floors, hulls, sub-structures for military or commercial aircrafts, space vehicles, space telescopes, space stations, or rockets.
The cellular structure 10 may be utilized in the train, locomotive, or high speed rail industries to construct interior linings, cab walls, interior doors, floors, roofs, or energy absorbing devices.
The cellular structure 10 may be utilized in the military, commercial, high speed vessel, and high-performance racing watercraft industries to construct components such as interior linings, cab walls, interior doors, floors, roofs, wing sails, or energy absorbing devices.
The cellular structure 10 may be utilized in the wind and solar energy industries to construct laminated skins for wind turbine blades, inserts for wind turbine blades, or backing structures for solar panels.
The cellular structure 10 may be utilized in various sporting good industries to construct snow boards, surf boards, skate boards, paddle boards, paddles, surfing fins, skis, gym floor cushions, seat cushions, fitness cushions, baseball/softball bases or plates, shoe insoles, shoe outsoles, shoe uppers, body impact protection, lightweight motor sport body armors (including inserts, protectors, pads), ping-pong and pickleball paddle pads, etc.
In the shipping and packaging industry, the cellular structure 10 may be utilized to construct paperboards or plastic boards used in package boxes, cushions, or pallets.
The cellular structure 10 may be utilized to construct furniture such as light weight furniture used in commercial and private aircrafts, high speed watercrafts, and recreational vehicles.
The cellular structure 10 may be utilized to construct home products such as mattresses, pillows, bath and floor cushions, and lightweight plastic shelving.
The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics may be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. As such, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the disclosure and may be desirable for particular applications.
