Woven quadrilateral mesh origami structures and related functional materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12473670-B2
Application number	US-202418650177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2024
Priority date	May 16, 2023
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A woven quadrilateral mesh origami structure includes first linear sections of a foldable material positioned in a first orientation, the first linear sections including first creases formed into the first linear sections that define first quadrilateral segments of the first linear sections; and second linear sections of the foldable material that are positioned in a second orientation that is not the first orientation and placed adjacent to first surfaces of alternating sections of the first linear sections and second surfaces, opposite the first surfaces, of other sections, other than the alternating sections, of the first linear sections. The second linear sections include second creases formed into the second linear sections that define second quadrilateral segments of the second linear sections, and the first quadrilateral segments of the first linear sections and the second quadrilateral segments of the second linear sections form a tessellated mesh structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device, comprising:
first linear sections of a foldable material positioned in a first orientation, the first linear sections comprising first creases formed into the first linear sections that define first quadrilateral segments of the first linear sections; and second linear sections of the foldable material that are positioned in a second orientation that is not the first orientation and woven into the first linear sections, resulting in the second linear sections being placed adjacent to first surfaces of alternating sections of the first linear sections and second surfaces, opposite the first surfaces, of other sections, other than the alternating sections, of the first linear sections, wherein the second linear sections comprise second creases formed into the second linear sections that define second quadrilateral segments of the second linear sections, and wherein the second linear sections being woven into the first linear sections results in the first quadrilateral segments of the first linear sections and the second quadrilateral segments of the second linear sections forming a tessellated mesh structure.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first orientation is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the second orientation.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first linear sections are separated by first gaps, wherein the second linear sections are separated by second gaps, and wherein the first gaps and the second gaps define openings in the tessellated mesh structure.

4 . The device of claim 3 , further comprising:
anchor structures, positioned into the openings of the tessellated mesh structure, that fix respective first ones of the first linear sections to respective second ones of the second linear sections.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the second linear sections are affixed to the first linear sections at first ends of the second linear sections and second ends of the second linear sections that are opposite the first ends.

6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein first notches are formed into respective sections of the first linear sections, wherein second notches are formed into the first ends and the second ends of the second linear sections, and wherein the second linear sections are affixed to the first linear sections via the first notches and the second notches.

7 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the second linear sections comprise end segments located at the first ends and the second ends of the second linear sections, wherein the end segments are reflectively symmetrical to the second quadrilateral segments, and wherein the end segments are wrapped around the first linear sections, resulting in the second linear sections being affixed to the first linear sections.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first creases and the second creases define respective internal vertices on linear sections selected from a group consisting of the first linear sections and the second linear sections.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the tessellated mesh structure is applied to a surface, resulting in the tessellated mesh structure absorbing sound waves impinging on the surface.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the tessellated mesh structure facilitates resistance to a compressive force applied to the device, resulting in increased resilience of the device to the compressive force.

11 . A method, comprising:
folding creases into first strips and second strips of a foldable material, wherein the creases define first quadrilateral segments of the first strips and second quadrilateral segments of the second strips; arranging the first strips in a first orientation; and weaving respective ones of the second strips into the first strips, resulting in the second strips being arranged in a second orientation that is not the first orientation and placed adjacent to first surfaces of alternating sections of the first strips and second surfaces, opposite the first surfaces, of other sections, other than the alternating sections, of the first strips, and further resulting in the first quadrilateral segments of the first strips and the second quadrilateral segments of the second strips forming a tessellated mesh structure.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the arranging of the first strips comprises placing first gaps between respective first ones of the first strips, the weaving comprises placing second gaps between respective second ones of the second strips, and the first gaps and the second gaps define openings in the tessellated mesh structure.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
connecting the first ones of the first strips to the second ones of the second strips via anchor structures inserted into the openings in the tessellated mesh structure.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the weaving comprises:
separating the first strips into a first subgroup and a second subgroup, the first subgroup and the second subgroup being separated by an opening; inserting respective ones of the second strips into the opening, resulting in inserted strips; and moving the inserted strips into the tessellated mesh structure.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
inserting notches into respective ones of the first strips and the second strips; and in response to the weaving being completed, affixing respective first ones of the first strips to respective second ones of the second strips via the notches.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
in response to the weaving being completed, affixing the second strips to the first strips at first ends of respective ones of the second strips and second ends, opposite the first ends, of the respective ones of the second strips.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
affixing the tessellated mesh structure to a surface, resulting in absorption of sound waves impinging on the surface.

18 . A method, comprising:
forming a tessellated quadrilateral mesh structure, comprising:
forming creases into first co-aligned material segments and second co-aligned material segments, the creases defining first quadrilateral regions of the first co-aligned material segments and second quadrilateral regions of the second co-aligned material segments; and
weaving respective ones of the second co-aligned material segments into the first co-aligned material segments, resulting in the second co-aligned material segments being placed adjacent to first surfaces of alternating sections of the first co-aligned material segments and second surfaces, opposite the first surfaces, of other sections, other than the alternating sections, of the first co-aligned material segments, and further resulting in the tessellated quadrilateral mesh structure;
attaching the tessellated quadrilateral mesh structure to a surface; and absorbing, via the tessellated quadrilateral mesh structure, sound waves impinging on the surface.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein respective first ones of the first co-aligned material segments are affixed to respective second ones of the second co-aligned material segments.

20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
applying the tessellated mesh structure to a surface of an object; and distributing, via the tessellated mesh structure, a compressive force applied to the object, resulting in increased resilience of the object to the compressive force.

Assignees

• Univ Hong Kong Science & Tech

Inventors

• Yu Hongyu
• Li Yongkai
• Chen Xingru

Classifications

• D03D7/00

  Woven fabrics designed to be resilient, i.e. to recover from compressive stress · CPC title

• G10K11/36 Primary

  Devices for manipulating acoustic surface waves (electro-acoustic amplifiers H03F13/00; networks comprising electro-acoustic elements H03H9/00) · CPC title

• D03D15/65

  Paper · CPC title

• D03D13/004

  with weave pattern being non-standard or providing special effects · CPC title

• D03D3/08

  Arched, corrugated, or like fabrics · CPC title