Hollow Body Arrangement and Method for Producing Same

Abstract

A building element 1 consists of several individual layers 2, 3, 4 and is designed as a honeycomb construction with partial hollow bodies 26, 27 protruding over the basic construction 16. Surfaces 10, 11 of adjoining individual layers 2, 3, 4 together form a wall of a small thickness. Individual surfaces 10, 11 of the individual layers 2, 3, 4 have a pre-stressing for improving the connection with adjoining surfaces.

Description

The invention concerns a building element consisting of several individual layers and designed as a honeycomb construction with partial hollow bodies protruding over the basic construction, whereby surfaces of adjoining individual layers together form a wall of a small wall thickness.

Such elements are known from DE 100 22 742 A1. In order to bring the different layers together to form a building element, they must be connected. The starting point of any layer having a hollow body is a thin film or membrane, from which such a wall is then created. After any layer is deformed, the surfaces of the hollow body arrangements and their edges result. At the point when two layers are put together, the edge of the hollow body arrangement shows a stable behaviour. On the other hand it has proven problematic that the surfaces of the hollow body arrangement can turn out to be unstable; they are more or less borne by the edges.

The present invention therefore sets itself the task of creating a particularly homogeneous building element consisting of several individual layers and designed as a honeycomb construction.

This task is performed through surfaces of the individual layers having a pre-stressing for improving the connection with adjoining surfaces.

The goal of such a honeycomb arrangement is to create a static/dynamic honeycomb construction, in which materials such as plastics, metals or fibrous composites are interconnected in as stable and lastingly a manner as possible. Here, a number—geared to claim and purpose—of individual surfaces of the individual layers are specifically placed under pre-stressing in order to obtain a connection of the otherwise unstable surfaces.

One embodiment of the invention intends for the pre-stressing to be applied through the way in which surfaces of the individual layers are designed. In other words, according to this first alternative, the pre-stressing is created to a certain extent from the design of the surfaces, whether through their geometry, or through a design different from a smooth-walled profile.

According to a proposal for the geometry of the surfaces, the consideration is to apply the pre-stressing in the form of a convex deformation pointing inwards or outwards. In the surfaces of the hollow body arrangements, the necessary energy connection zones are formed within a welded connection for the purpose of stabilisation and pre-stressing. These energy connection zones are recesses or bulges of the hollow body surfaces as appropriate, which transport the energy flow of the customised welding method accurately into the zones of fusion. Apart from the pre-stressing for stabilising the surfaces for a welding connection, the deformations also assume the task of carrying energy thanks to targeted welded connection zones with the purpose of making precise sub-sections of the surfaces connectable. This solution is particularly helpful for purposes where large welding gaps have to be bridged.

Alternatively or as an addition to this deformation of the surfaces, it is possible for surfaces of the individual layers to be designed as profiled. Built-in components or raisings with a pimple or fine stick structure are what are in mind here. Here, the surfaces also receive the pre-stressing via the convex deformations if necessary. The carrying of energy and the welding connection zone however are executed via the pimple or fine stick structure until joining finally takes place. These built-in components or raisings can be designed to be chaotic or orderly. A preferred application is in the case of small surfaces and the bridging of small joining gaps.

A particularly suitable profiling can be recognised in the case of surfaces having a lamella-like structure. With this design, an average joining gap is bridged and a targeted carrying of energy effected to the lamellas via the energy edge. The surface structures given here form a targeted welding connection zone. The number, shaping and arrangement of such lamellas are dependent on the surfaces (their size in particular) as well as on the joining gap, on the zones to be joined and on the energy flow of the welding method employed. The lamellas perform the task of targeted energy carrying right up to the fusion of the tops of the surfaces, where they act as a compensation for the joining gap. They are preferably used when bridging medium-sized joining gaps.

In addition to the proposal of generating the pre-stress from the surface of the individual layer, it is intended for the pre-stress to be applied through a connecting medium introduced between adjoining surfaces of the individual layers. If the pre-stressing of the surfaces is effected by means of an appropriate connecting medium, the unstable surfaces become stressed and the energy flows via this medium. While the zones of fusion of the medium merge, the pre-stressed surfaces relax and connect up in the zones of fusion with the surfaces of the hollow body contour arrangements.

If different materials are interconnected, so-called bonding bridges or bonding supplements are required. Within the intended connections, these agents are prepared for the more difficult surface to handle, and a preparation on both sides may also be necessary. The bonding bridges of the individual layers may be pre-reactive and expand under warmth or the influence of moisture for example.

It is also conceivable for the bonding bridge to be profiled or contribute to the profiling of the existing surfaces, for example in the form of a pimple or fine stick structure on the layers. In this case the bonding bridge pre-stresses the surfaces in order to ensure stability within the pressure exerted for joining. In this context, the bonding bridge causes the individual layers stacked one into the other to join via the hollow bodies or partial hollow bodies.

In order to form a particularly close connection between individual layers of the same or different material, one measure intends for a flowing net construct to serve as an externally applied connecting medium. Such connecting media are understood as a thin net which leaves behind an orderly rough surface. In its raisings, this rough surface determines the zones of fusion of the honeycomb arrangements to be connected. Such a net can in turn be profiled. This net is designed depending on the requisite energy to be introduced, which is necessary for fusing on the connecting medium in the welding zones.

In order to achieve a sound distribution of the connecting medium between the surfaces or on them, it is intended for a connection support introduced as liquid to serve as a connecting medium. After the connection has been established, the connecting medium should reach the planned solidity. It is important that the medium is either volatile and that, within the connection, the surfaces of the hollow body arrangement lying one on top of the other are caused to relax, or that the walls merge into one another completely, which leads to higher mass portions however. It is to be understood by an ideal chemical connection here that the surfaces are lying pre-stressed one on top of the other. The pre-stressing points can be stick-shaped or pimple-like bulges or convex or lamella-like deformations lying one on top of the other. It goes without saying that sufficient space must be remaining in order to accurately displace the chemical connecting medium by way of the joining pressure and to at the same time develop the intended connecting gap and thus a connection.

Pre-stressing surface structures can also be attached for the purpose of stabilisation. To this effect, it is recommended for a chemically reactive connection support to serve as a connecting medium.

A favourable case is when the chemically reactive connecting medium has expanding characteristics.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is planned for the connection of adjoining individual layers to essentially take place via their edges, their coupling element, their pyramid point and/or the supporting edges created. The surfaces do not have to receive a connection here, but the connection can essentially be realised via the interlocking of the individual layers and the associated hollow bodies and partial hollow bodies. It is even conceivable here to not bother applying the pre-stress.

In order to improve the interconnection quality of the surfaces of the individual layers, it is also practicable for the individual layers to be manufactured from a liquid-absorbing material.

A further measure plans for individual layers to have air pockets or for individual layers to have a surface equipped with small bubble-like air pockets. This contributes to increasing the pre-stressing of the surfaces in such a way that they withstand the joining pressure, in order to be able to interconnect the hollow bodies or partial hollow bodies.

The building element according to the invention offers a great number of further possible uses, including when individual layers are designed to be electrically conductive, either in their complete profile or at least in the area of their surface.

In this way the cells can be used as air conditioning cells, shock absorbers, insulators, separators, as ion carriers through the support of compounds or for comparable processes for the use of energy storage. The key advantage of the building element according to the invention is the favourable relationship between maximum surface and minimum space thanks to the nesting. If a battery case is assumed, the subsequent layers of the construction in the space can be extended at will. The connection of greatest possible contact surfaces offered by the entire building element is crucial here.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is planned for individual layers to be made of doughy or liquid moulding material and/or for adjoining individual layers to merge into a so-called wet-on-wet connection or dry-wet connection.

The stability of the building elements according to the invention can be increased considerably through at least the upper-edge-side individual layer and/or the lower-edge-side individual layer having a reinforcement. This can be formed for example by way of a V-shaped strip, and it is also conceivable for this reinforcement to be used as a contact strip for electrical connections. The reinforcement is inserted in the form of spacer strips for example, in order to ensure a greater, sandwich-like surface loading by the bending forces over the edge-side inserts.

The proposal for adjoining individual layers to be designed to be linkable with one another is along the same lines. The individual layers partly interlock in this case, and an immobilisation in the form of undercuts is also possible. On the one hand, an insulator can be represented using a levelling compound. On the other hand, this can offer the exact opposite. It is thus conceivable for the compound to be used as an ion transporter in a battery at the same time.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is planned for adjoining individual layers to be designed as insulated from one another. Through the separation of individual layers, cell or layer gaps are separately and individually controllable here, in order to ensure the above mentioned uses e.g. in the form of air conditioning cells, shock absorbers, insulators or separators. The connection of greatest possible contact surfaces offered by the entire building element is crucial here. The individual layers can be merged into different requisite materials and they can be insulated from one another outstandingly in doing so. In the surfaces of the individual layers, conductive fibres or other composites can be introduced, which are needed in the modern development of nanocells. The supply of oxygen and special requisite cells and the isolation from oxygen at an immediately adjoining space within such a cell is possible by way of this cell separation.

As regards the proposal mentioned, it is appropriate for a sealing ring and/or a sealing lip to serve as insulation. The hollow bodies can be held and insulated from one another via such an all-round sealing ring or an accordingly designed sealing lip.

In addition, the invention concerns a procedure for the production of a building element built up of several individual layers and in the form of a honeycomb construction with partial hollow bodies protruding over the basic construction, where surfaces of adjoining individual layers form a common wall of a small wall thickness and where surfaces of the individual layers are joined, under pre-stressing, with surfaces of adjoining individual layers.

This pre-stressing can on the one hand be generated from individual surfaces of the layers, through a perhaps convex deformation pointing inwards or outwards being applied to these. A profiling is also a suitable measure, e.g. by way of lamella-like structures or suitable built-in components and raisings on the surfaces. As an alternative or addition to these procedure steps, an external connecting medium can be introduced between adjoining surfaces of the individual layers, by which both a net construct and a chemical connecting medium inserted as a liquid, with expanding characteristics if necessary, are understood.

In other words, surfaces of the individual layers are placed under pre-stress through their arrangement and/or design, or surfaces of the individual layers are placed under pre-stress through a connecting medium.

A further measure intends for the individual layers to be sealed in the joining process via the edge-side individual layer and the lower-edge-side individual layer and for the honeycomb construction to be placed under a vacuum until the joining process is complete.

A particularly useful variant of the invention intends for the appropriate surfaces of adjoining individual layers to be interconnected by means of ultrasonic welding. Such a procedure makes a particularly precise, lasting and effective connection possible for the individual layers, and the energy expenditure is comparatively low.

In the course of ultrasonic welding, it is to be noted that very thin film layers are welded with one another. A welding energy source that is set too high would inevitably lead to welding burns, and too low a welding energy source setting would lead too incomplete welds. Depending upon the connection zone, constantly changing welding resistances are to be reckoned with, due in particular to the manufacturing tolerance compensation at the honeycombs of the invention in the form of convex surfaces or other surface pre-stressing. In such a case, each welding resistance where different connecting tolerances may develop should be calculated before the welding is made.

For this purpose, it is suggested that the resistances of the surfaces to be welded be measured before welding. In the context of this so-called primary measurement welding, the energy welding source adjusts to the determined value after measurement, in order to avoid welding burns or faulty connections of the individual surfaces. Thanks to the primary measurement welding, it is also taken into consideration in particular that different materials of different densities can be interconnected. Bonding or connecting bridges must ultimately be created, in which both materials connect. If different masses have different coefficients of expansion in addition, the materials must be interconnected in such a way that one of these materials always adapts to the movement of the other one, without it becoming fatigued or destroyed. In order to now perform large-scale welding, the interconnections are either calculated or the manufacturing or expansion tolerances that arise are taken into account before the continuous manufacturing process and these tolerances are transferred to the manufacturing process.

According to a further proposal, it is planned for a sonotrode to be applied to the surfaces of the individual layers before ultrasonic welding takes place. This sonotrode acts on the surfaces to be welded with a prescribed force. That is to say, an appropriate tool is brought into high-frequency mechanical oscillation, which is then transferred to the surfaces to be welded. The sonotrode must act on the surfaces to be welded with a given force before this ultrasonic welding takes place. Since the surfaces may already be pre-stressed one beside the other, the surfaces are reinforced by pressing one down on the other, so that there is no hollowness between them at the time of welding pressing. Since all plastics ultimately have an elastic structure, the surfaces slacken a little after welding. In order to calculate this beforehand, a special convex sonotrode is used for each individual material. This convexity depends on the material, on the size of the surface to be processed, the material thickness and/or the material executions. Such sonotrodes can therefore be used for the surface welding of things such as paper, fibres, metals, non-ferrous metals or plastics.

Further details and advantages of the object of invention are given in the following description of the associated drawing, in which a preferential execution example with the necessary details and components are shown:

FIG. 1 Shows a building element with an interior honeycomb construction,

FIG. 2 Shows a hollow body in the form of a double pyramid from the side,

FIG. 3 Shows the double pyramid-shaped hollow body from above,

FIG. 4 Shows a perspective view of the interior of an edge-side individual layer,

FIG. 5 Shows an exploded drawing of a five-part building element,

FIG. 6 Shows a partial hollow body partly under pre-stress,

FIG. 7 Shows a hollow body with a lamella-like structure,

FIG. 8 Shows a modification to FIG. 7,

FIG. 9 Shows a building element where the individual layers interlink,

FIG. 10 Shows a sectional view of the picture in FIG. 9,

FIG. 11 Shows a variant of FIG. 9,

FIG. 12 Shows a variant of FIG. 9,

FIG. 13 Shows a sectional view of the picture in FIG. 12,

FIG. 14 Shows a single cell of a building element

FIG. 15 Shows a variant of FIG. 14.

FIG. 1 shows a building element 1 in its final state. The upper edge-side individual layer 2 is partly opened in order to make the honeycomb construction 3 visible, which is supported on the one hand at the upper edge-side individual layer 2 and on the other hand at the lower edge-side individual layer 4. The honeycomb construction 3 is shown here in a simplified manner. The side edge 5 of the building element 1 is shown in the form of a smooth plane, as is also the edge-side individual layer 2.

The honeycomb construction consists of a great number of individual layers with hollow bodies and partial hollow bodies. Both the edge-side individual layer 2 and the edge-side individual layer 4 with the honeycomb construction 3 joined in between consist of honeycomb part plates 17 of a small wall thickness.

The individual hollow bodies 7, 8, 9 according to FIG. 2 usually form pyramids 14, 14′ or mirror-image double pyramids 19, whereby the individual segments serve 20, 21 serve for achieving and securing an altogether flat support of the individual elements of the honeycomb construction against one another. The pyramids 14 or mirror-image double pyramids 19 are particularly well-suited for a so plane support of the individual elements, since surfaces 10, 11, accordingly offset to one another, are available and are also large enough for the forces acting on the building element 1 to be reliably absorbed and passed on. The two pyramids 14, 14′ are connected with one another via the coupling element 22; the central axis 30 separates both building elements or they are connected with one another along this central axis 30. At the points 12 of the individual pyramids 14, 14′ flattenings 13 are intended in order to make an additional sound support of the individual parts or individual elements possible on the edge strips 31 or the spacer strips 18 or the basic construction 16.

While the separation line shown in FIG. 2 joins the two pyramids 14, 14′ into a mirror-image double pyramid 19, according to FIG. 3 the central axis 30 is the separation line at the same time, which leads through the flattened points 12. It is not clear however that the edges 15, 15′ can be designed as perforated or cut open in order to make bending the relevant individual layer as well as the entire building element 1 possible without all too great forces having to be applied.

An edge-side individual layer 2 and 4 is represented in FIG. 4, which has hollow bodies 7, 8 and pyramids on its interior 28 respectively. The individual pyramids 14 all have the same dimensions and are connected with one another via the basic construction 16. The latter forms the spacer strips 18 at the same time, which ensure on the one hand that the individual pyramids 14 are each arranged at the same distance from one another and which also ensure that the partial hollow bodies 26, 27 and 7, 8, 9, created when each of the individual layers are pushed together, can support themselves on this spacer strip 12 with their points 12.

FIG. 5 shows a building element which is built up of five individual layers 2, 4, 23, 24, 25 altogether. It is well illustrated here how, using the building element 1 according to the invention, an enormous surface can be realised which has a minimal space requirement thanks to the arrangement of the individual cells. Uses as a battery case for example are therefore quite an obvious choice. The edge-side individual layers are designated with the references 2 and 4, while the middle individual layer 25 serves, with its partial hollow bodies 26 and 27 protruding on both sides, as a coupling link for the individual layers 23, 24 and the edge-side individual layers 2, 4 at the same time. It can be seen that the middle individual layer 25 has protruding pyramids 14 and 14′ towards both sides, in order to make the interlocking or connection with the accordingly designed individual layers 23 and 24 possible, during which additional hollow bodies 7, 8, 9 and partial hollow bodies 26, 27 are then also created.

In FIG. 6, a hollow body is represented on the surfaces 10, 11 of which pre-stressing deformations are indicated with the reference 41 and 42. These serve for the pre-stressing for the surfaces 10, 11 that come into contact with one another of the hollow bodies 7, 8, 9 and partial hollow bodies 26, 27. The design of the contact surfaces with regard to the pre-stressing deformations 41, 42 on the surfaces 10, 11 depend on the one hand on the size of these surfaces 10, 11 in terms of their supporting characteristics, and on the other hand on the kind of joining and the energy to be expended.

In the representation according to FIG. 7, surface structures 39, 40 are shown in the form of lamellas on the hollow body 7—on its surfaces 10, 11 to be more precise. These are particularly suitable in the case of inaccessible welding methods. The energy edge is designated as 43.

In FIG. 8, a hollow body with surfaces 10, 10′ is represented with a profiling in the form of a pimple structure 36 and a stick structure 37, as they are used for bridging small joining gaps and in the case of small surfaces. Both surface structures can be formed in the shaping of the hollow bodies and partial hollow bodies. They can however also be applied later on via a flowing net-like connection support. Such surface structures are used in the gap displacement principle with liquid or solid connecting media. They have the task of reinforcing smaller surfaces in order to stabilise these after the joining contact pressure. They form the zones of fusion and energy for the welding method and also determine the connection zones in doing so.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a building element where the individual layers 23, 24′ and 24 interlink. A V-shaped strip 45 forms a reinforcement 44. It is also conceivable for the reinforcement 44 of the V-shaped strip 45 to be used as a contact strip for electrical connections. In this way the cell 52 can be used as a separator and the V-shaped strips 45, 45′ can be used as electrical conductors or poles.

A building element 1 is represented in FIG. 11 where the individual layers 23, 24 interlink. The individual layers 23, 24, 24′ can also be immobilised via the undercut 46. The individual layers 23, 24 can be insulated and separated well by means of a sealing lip or a sealing ring 47.

A five-layer building element 1 is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, where the individual layers 23, 24′, 24 and 33 interlink. The pole 48 connects these individual layers, which can be extended at will here by interconnecting them loosely or as laminated individual layers 50. In the separator 52, any masses 49 can be introduced, which are suitable for various uses.

Thanks to the separation of individual layers, the cells of the spaces between layers can be controlled separately and individually, for example in connection with the use of a battery case. Owing to the support of the masses 49 and 51, the cells can also be used as ion carriers or for comparable processes, which are needed for the use of energy storage. The connection of greatest possible contact surfaces offered by the entire building element is crucial here. The individual layers can be merged into different requisite materials here and can be insulated from one another outstandingly in this way.

Finally, FIGS. 14 and 15 show a single cell of a building element. The pole 48 offers a connecting latch in which the individual layers 23 and 24′ are held and connected. The individual layers 23, 24′ and 24 form an insulator here with the individual layer 33, which can also assume electrical conduction functions at the same time. The levelling compound 51 can represent this insulator on the one hand, but the exact opposite is also conceivable. For example, the mass 51 can be used as an ion transporter in a battery at the same time.

Claims

1. Building element (1), which consists of several individual layers (2, 3, 4) and is designed as a honeycomb construction with partial hollow bodies (26, 27) protruding over the basic construction (16), whereby surfaces (10, 11) of adjoining individual layers (2, 3, 4) together form a wall of a small thickness and have a pre-stressing for improving the connection with adjoining surfaces, wherein at least the upper edge-side individual layer (2) and/or the lower edge-side individual layer (4) have a reinforcement (44) that is designed as a contact strip for electrical connections.

2. Building element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pre-stressing is applied by the design of surfaces (10, 11) of the individual layers (2, 3, 4).

3. Building element in accordance with claim 2, wherein the pre-stressing is applied in the form of a convex deformation pointing inwards or outwards (41, 42).

4. Building element in accordance with claim 2, wherein surfaces (10) of the individual layers (2, 3, 4) are designed as profiled.

5. Building element in accordance with claim 4, wherein surfaces (10) have a lamella-like structure.

6. Building element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pre-stressing is applied through a connecting medium introduced between adjoining surfaces (10) of the individual layers (2, 3, 4).

7. Building element in accordance with claim 6, wherein a flowing net construct serves as an externally applied connecting medium.

8. Building element in accordance with claim 6, wherein a connection support introduced as a liquid serves as connecting medium.

9. Building element in accordance with claim 6, wherein a chemically reactive connection support serves as a connecting medium.

10. Building element in accordance with claim 7, wherein the chemically reactive connecting medium has expanding characteristics.

11. Building element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the connection of adjoining individual layers is essentially made via the edges (15) of the latter, their coupling element (22), their pyramid point (12) and/or the resulting support edges.

12. Building element in accordance with claim 1, wherein individual layers (2, 3, 4) are manufactured from a liquid-absorbing material.

13. Building element in accordance with claim 1, wherein individual layers (2, 3, 4) have air pockets.

14. Building element in accordance with claim 1, wherein individual layers (2, 3, 4) are designed to be electrically conductive.

15. Building element in accordance with claim 1, wherein individual layers (2, 3, 4) are made of doughy or liquid moulding material and/or that adjoining individual layers (2, 3, 4) merge into a so-called wet-on-wet connection or a dry-wet connection.

16. (canceled)

17. Building element in accordance with claim 1, wherein adjoining individual layers (23, 24) are designed to be linkable with one another.

18. Building element in accordance with claim 1, wherein adjoining individual layers (23, 24) are designed to be insulated from one another.

19. Building element in accordance with claim 18, wherein a sealing ring (47) and/or a sealing lip serves as insulation.

20-26. (canceled)