Patent Application
20180311925
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 including six lobes that are formed by the shared walls and joined to each other to form a closed loop. Each lobe has three planar sections forming two external corners. Each cell has six internal corners formed by the ends of adjacent lobes.
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 eighteen sides formed by the plurality of walls. The eighteen sides of each cell are joined to each other to form a closed loop and six outward extending lobes.
A cellular 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 including eighteen sides formed by the plurality of walls. The eighteen sides are joined to each other to form a closed loop and six outward extending lobes.
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 eighteen sides of each cell 16 are joined to each other to form a closed loop and six outward extending lobes 20. Each lobe 20 of each cell 16 is formed by three of the eighteen sides. The six lobes 20 of each cell 16 may be radially spaced relative to each other about a center of each cell 16 along the laterally extending plane 18. The six lobes 20 of each cell 16 may be radially spaced substantially evenly about the center of each cell 16 along the laterally extending plane 18. Radially spaced substantially evenly about the center of each cell 16 may refer to adjacent lobes 20 of each cell 16 being spaced at any incremental value that ranges from 55° to 65°, where the sum of the total spacing between the adjacent lobes 20 of the six lobes 20 of each cell 16 is 360°.
Each lobe 20 of each cell 16 is formed by three planar sections 22, the three planar sections 22 being three of the eighteen sides of each cell 16. The plurality of walls 12, which form the eighteen sides of each cell 16, may extending 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 three planar sections 22 of each of the six lobes 20 of each cell 16 also form two external corners 24 that extend outward from a central space (or cavity) 26 defined by the eighteen sides of each cell 16. Each cell 16 also has six internal corners 28 that are formed by the ends of adjacent lobes 20 of each cell 16. The internal corners 28 extend inward toward the central space 26 of each cell 16. The external corners 24 and the internal corners 28 may have various bend radii.
Each cell 16 has a total of eighteen corners (twelve external corners 24 formed by the three planar sections 22 of each of the six lobes 20 and six internal corners 28 formed by the ends of adjacent lobes 20). Testing has indicated that cellular structures having eighteen 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 eighteen 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 eighteen 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 eighteen 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, eighteen 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 eighteen sides of each cell 16 may vary or may be fine-turned independently for desired local or global properties.
The central space 26 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) 30 may also be joined to the outside surfaces (top, bottom and four sides) of the cellular structure. Please note that a plate 30 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 30 that are joined to the outside surfaces (if any), and the internal support ribs 32 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 be 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 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.
