Claims
- 1. A composite material, comprising:
a matrix material; a body disposed within the matrix material, the body comprising an internal space configured to change volume when the composite material is subjected to a force; and a fluid within the internal space, whereby fluid may flow into or out of the internal space when the force changes the volume of the internal space.
- 2. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises a viscous fluid having a viscosity for dissipating energy when the force changes the volume of the internal space.
- 3. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises a substantially incompressible fluid.
- 4. The composite material of claim 1, further comprising a reservoir for receiving fluid from or adding fluid into the internal space in response to the predetermined force.
- 5. The composite material of claim 4, wherein the body comprises a first body comprising a first internal space, and wherein the reservoir comprises a second body disposed within the matrix material, the second body comprising a second internal space configured to change volume when the composite material is subjected to a force, the second internal space communicating with the first internal space.
- 6. The composite material of claim 5, wherein the first internal space is configured to increase in volume and the second internal space is configured to decrease in volume in response to the force.
- 7. The composite material of claim 5, wherein the first and second internal spaces define a substantially closed system.
- 8. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the body comprises an elongate tubular member defining a longitudinal axis and a cross-section, the cross-section being configured to change shape in response to the force, thereby changing the volume of the internal space.
- 9. The composite material of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bodies disposed within the matrix material, each body comprising an internal space configured to change volume in response to the force.
- 10. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the matrix material is substantially nonporous.
- 11. A composite material, comprising:
a matrix material; an elongate tubular member disposed within the matrix material, the tubular member comprising a cross-section defining an internal space, the cross-section changing shape when the composite material is subjected to a force, thereby changing a volume of the internal space; and a fluid within the internal space having a viscosity, whereby, as the volume of the internal space changes in response to the force, the fluid moves within the internal space, thereby damping the force.
- 12. The composite material of claim 11, wherein the tubular member comprises an array of elongate tubular members arranged within the matrix material.
- 13. The composite material of claim 12, wherein the tubular members are arranged in a plane.
- 14. The composite material of claim 13, wherein the tubular members are deflectable substantially transverse to the plane.
- 15. The composite material of claim 13, wherein each tubular member comprises a pair of opposing planar portions arranged substantially parallel to the plane, the opposing planar portions being moveable relative to one another within the matrix material.
- 16. The composite material of claim 15, wherein each tubular member further comprises a pair of connecting portions extending between the opposing planar portions, the connecting portions limiting relative movement of the opposing planar portions within the matrix material.
- 17. The composite material of claim 16, wherein the connecting portions comprise transverse portions extending between the opposing planar portions, thereby defining a generally “z” shaped cross-section.
- 18. The composite material of claim 16, wherein the connecting portions comprise curved portions extending between the opposing planar portions, thereby defining at least one of an hourglass cross-section and an apple cross-section.
- 19. The composite material of claim 12, wherein each of the tubular members comprises generally cylindrical members arranged substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis.
- 20. The composite material of claim 19, wherein a plurality of the cylindrical members maintain substantially constant cross-sections when subjected to a tensile force directed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein a plurality of the cylindrical members decrease in cross-section when subjected to the tensile force.
- 21. The composite material of claim 11, wherein the fluid comprises a compressible bubble suspended within a substantially incompressible fluid.
- 22. The composite material of claim 21, wherein the compressible bubble comprises one or more bubbles dividing the internal space into a plurality of regions of incompressible fluid.
- 23. A composite material, comprising:
a matrix material; a first body disposed within the matrix material, the first body comprising a first internal space, the first internal space changing shape when the composite material is subjected to a force, thereby increasing a volume of the first internal space; a second body disposed within the matrix material, the second body comprising a second internal space, the second internal space communicating with the first internal space, the second internal space changing shape when the composite material is subjected to a force, thereby decreasing a volume of the second internal space; and a fluid within the first and second internals space having a viscosity, whereby, as the volumes of the first and second internal spaces change in response to the force, fluid moves between the first and second internal spaces, thereby damping the force.
- 24. The composite material of claim 23, wherein the first and second bodies comprise first and second tubular members.
- 25. The composite material of claim 24, wherein the first and second tubular members are disposed adjacent one another substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis, thereby defining a plane.
- 26. The composite material of claim 25, wherein each of the first and second tubular members comprises opposing planar portions arranged substantially parallel to the plane, the opposing planar portions being moveable relative to one another within the matrix material.
- 27. The composite material of claim 24, wherein each of the first and second tubular members further comprises a pair of connecting portions extending between the opposing planar portions, the connecting portions limiting relative movement of the opposing planar portions within the matrix material.
- 28. The composite material of claim 27, wherein the connecting portions comprise transverse portions extending between the planar portions, thereby defining a generally “Z” shaped cross-section.
- 29. The composite material of claim 28, wherein the transverse portions comprise hinged connections with the planar portions such that the planar portions may move towards or away from one another in response to a shear force parallel to the plane, thereby increasing or decreasing the volume of the first and second tubular members, respectively.
- 30. The composite material of claim 27, wherein the connecting portions comprise opposing curved portions extending between the opposing planar portions, the curved portions configured to increase and decrease the first and second internal spaces, respectively, in response to a tensile/compressive force directed substantially transversely to the plane.
- 31. The composite material of claim 24, wherein the first tubular member comprises a first cylindrical member that does not decrease in cross-section when subjected to a tensile force directed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the second tubular member comprises a second cylindrical member that decreases in cross-section when subjected to the tensile force.
- 32. A method for damping energy within a composite material comprising a pair of bodies disposed within a matrix material, the bodies being filled with a viscous fluid, the method comprising:
subjecting the composite material to a force such that the bodies change volume, thereby causing the fluid to move into or out of the bodies to dampen displacement of the composite material due to the force.
- 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the force comprises a vibrational force.
- 34. The method of claim 32, wherein the bodies are disposed in a substantially planar arrangement within the matrix material, and wherein the force comprises at least one of a shear force directed substantially parallel to the plane, a compressive/tensile force directed substantially transverse to the plane, and a compressive/tensile force directed substantially within the plane.
- 35. The method of claim 32, wherein the bodies are connected to one another by a channel, and wherein fluid moves between the bodies when the composite material is subjected to the predetermined force.
- 36. The method of claim 32, wherein the pair of bodies comprise complementary bodies, wherein one of the bodies increases in internal volume in response to the force and the other of the bodies decreases in internal volume in response to the force.
- 37. A method for making a composite material, comprising:
providing a body comprising an internal space; introducing a viscous fluid into the internal space; and encapsulating the body within a matrix material.
- 38. The method of claim 37, wherein the filling step comprises:
introducing a compressible bubble into the internal space, the compressible bubble dividing the internal space into two regions; and introducing an incompressible fluid into each of the regions.
- 39. The method of claim 37, wherein the body comprises a tubular extrusion.
- 40. The method of claim 39, further comprising sealing ends of the tubular extrusion.
- 41. The method of claim 37, wherein the providing step comprises providing a plurality of bodies in an array, and wherein the filling step comprises filling each of the bodies with a viscous fluid.
- 42. The method of claim 37, wherein the providing step comprises providing first and second bodies, wherein the first body is configured to increase in interior volume when subjected to a force and the second body is configured to decrease in interior volume when subjected to the force.
- 43. The method of claim 42, further comprising attaching a manifold to the first and second bodies, the manifold comprising a channel communicating between the interior volumes of the first and second bodies.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/407,039, filed Sep. 28, 1999, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09407039 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
10103333 |
Mar 2002 |
US |