Microstructured phase interfacial device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12554354-B2
Application number	US-202217833976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2022
Priority date	Nov 1, 2017
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to gripping surfaces and devices comprising the same, wherein the gripping surface comprises a shape tunable surface microstructure, wherein the height, width and spatial periodicity of the microstructures corresponds to an integer multiple of Schallamach wave amplitudes and wavelengths of a target surface, wherein the device microstructures and induced Schallamach waves are entrained by applying strain to the device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device having a gripping surface comprising a first array of deformable microstructure features, wherein the gripping surface is disposed on a substrate, the substrate having a thickness from 20 microns to 1000 microns, wherein one or more features of the first array of deformable microstructure features includes a height from 10 microns to 100 microns, a width from 10 microns to 100 microns, and a pitch from 50 microns to 200 microns, wherein the first array of deformable microstructure features are configured to contact a target surface and wherein a shear stress applied to the deformable microstructure features causes the features to deform such that the deformation corresponds to an integer multiple of Schallamach wave amplitude and wavelength of the target surface and wherein the deformable microstructure features and Schallamach waves are entrained.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein said first array of deformable microstructure features develops capillary action between said microstructure features and said target surface, wherein liquids present between said target surface and gripping surface are drawn into one or more spaces between the deformable microstructure features, and wherein said capillary action is maintained when a strain is applied to said gripping surface.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein said device is comprised of two or more layers wherein a first layer comprises a first Young's modulus and a second layer comprises a second Young's modulus, wherein the first Young's modulus is different than the second Young's.

4 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a second array of microstructure features wherein the second array of microstructure features are disposed about the gripping surface adjacent the first array of deformable microstructure features, wherein the second array of microstructure features comprise a height that is less than the height of the one or more features of the first array of deformable microstructure features.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first array of microstructure features comprise pillars.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein upon deformation of the first array of deformable microstructure features, the pitch between adjacent microstructure features is greater than 200 microns.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein said first array of deformable microstructure features comprises a first microstructure feature disposed about the gripping surface and a second microstructure feature disposed about the first microstructure.

8 . The device of claim 7 , wherein said first array of deformable microstructure features are self-similar such that a ratio of feature dimensions of the first microstructure and second microstructure scale by a constant factor.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein said first array of deformable microstructure features is resistant to wear due to sliding interfaces by said gripping surface and targe surface, wherein a kinetic oscillation induced on the first array of deformable microstructure features is configured to maximize the kinetic oscillations with respect to a shape of the microstructure features.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein said first array of deformable microstructure features are configured to deform when the shear stress exceeds 1%, wherein said first array of deformable microstructure features in combination with the shear stress causes the gripping surface to buckle into a plurality of wrinkles wherein one or more wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths having an aspect ratio of an amplitude to a wavelength being inversely quadratic with respect to shear stress in a range of from about 0.01 to 0.20.

11 . The device of claim 7 , wherein said first array of deformable microstructure features comprises the first microstructure feature having a first Young's modulus and the second microstructure feature comprising a second Young's modulus different than the first Young's modulus.

12 . The device of claim 11 wherein the first array of microstructure features comprises a elastic polyurethane or silicone.

13 . The device of claim 12 wherein the polyurethane includes a polyester urethane having a lactide diol.

14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first array of microstructure features comprise a plurality of flutes or ridges disposed about a vertical orientation along an outer surface of the microstructure feature.

15 . The device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of flutes or ridges are disposed concentrically around the outer surface of the microstructure feature.

Assignees

• Bvw Holding Ag

Inventors

• Bluecher Lukas
• Milbocker Michael

Classifications

• B32B3/26

  characterised by a particular shape of the outline of the cross-section of a continuous layer; characterised by a layer with cavities or internal voids {(foam layer B32B5/18; layer of synthetic resin characterised by fillers that create voids or cavities B32B27/205); characterised by an apertured layer} · CPC title

• C09J2301/31

  the adhesive effect being based on a Gecko structure · CPC title

• B29C2059/023

  Microembossing · CPC title

• C09J7/00

  Adhesives in the form of films or foils · CPC title

• B32B2307/744

  Non-slip, anti-slip · CPC title