Energy absorbing truss structures for mitigation of injuries from blasts and impacts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016160952-A1
Application number	US-201414198323-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 5, 2014
Priority date	May 10, 2007
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Architected materials with superior energy absorption properties when loaded in compression. In several embodiments such materials are formed from micro-truss structures composed of interpenetrating tubes in a volume between a first surface and a second surface. The stress-strain response of these structures, for compressive loads applied to the two surfaces, is tailored by arranging for some but not all of the tubes to extend to both surfaces, adjusting the number of layers of repeated unit cells in the structure, arranging for the nodes to be offset from alignment along lines normal to the surfaces, or including multiple interlocking micro-truss structures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for protection from impulsive loads as generated by impacts and explosions, the system comprising a first micro-truss architecture, wherein the first micro-truss architecture comprises:
a first surface and a second surface parallel to each other with a distance therebetween defining a thickness of the micro-truss architecture; a plurality of angled struts extending along a plurality of non-vertical directions each having a first end on the first surface and a second end; a plurality of nodes where the plurality of angled struts extending along a plurality of directions interpenetrate one another; the plurality of angled struts and the plurality of nodes defining a plurality of unit cells each having an upper node among the plurality of nodes, a lower node among the plurality of nodes, and a cell height, the cell height being the distance between the upper node and the lower node, wherein the second end of each angled struts is on the lower node closest to the second surface at a distance away from the second surface; and a vertical post extending from the first surface in a normal direction having a first end on the first surface and a second end extending past the lower node closest to the second surface onto the second surface.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein there is only one layer of unit cells between the first surface and the second surface.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein there are at least two layers of unit cells between the first surface and the second surface.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the micro-truss architecture is made of a material selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, titanium, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, alloys thereof, polycarbonate, aramid, high impact polystyrene, nylon, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, poly(p-xylylene), and combinations thereof.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is a part of a foot pad or floor mat inside a vehicle.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first micro-truss architecture comprises a first surface and a second surface, further comprising a face sheet on the first surface wherein the face sheet is configured to protect the micro-truss from deformation during operation, aid in shock absorption, and wrap around a protected object in the event of a blast.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first micro-truss architecture comprises a first surface and a second surface, further comprising a face sheet on the first surface wherein the face sheet comprises a sheet material selected from the group consisting of polymer foam, rubber-like polymer, metal, and combinations thereof.

8 . A system for protection from impulsive loads as generated by impacts and explosions, the system comprising a first micro-truss architecture, wherein the first micro-truss architecture comprises:
a first surface and a second surface parallel to each other with a distance therebetween defining a thickness of the micro-truss architecture; a plurality of angled struts extending along a plurality of non-vertical directions each having a first end on the first surface and a second end; a plurality of nodes where the plurality of angled struts extending along a plurality of directions interpenetrate one another; the plurality of angled struts and the plurality of nodes defining a plurality of unit cells each having an upper node among the plurality of nodes, a lower node among the plurality of nodes, and a cell height, the cell height being the distance between the upper node and the lower node, wherein the second end of each of the plurality of angled struts extends past the lower node closest to the second surface onto the second surface; and a vertical post extending from the first surface in a normal direction having a first end on the first surface and a second end on the lower node closest to the second surface at a distance away from the second surface.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the micro-truss architecture is made of a material selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, titanium, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, alloys thereof, polycarbonate, aramid, high impact polystyrene, nylon, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, poly(p-xylylene), and combinations thereof.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the system is a part of a foot pad or floor mat inside a vehicle.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the first micro-truss architecture comprises a first surface and a second surface, further comprising a face sheet on the first surface wherein the face sheet is configured to protect the micro-truss from deformation during operation, aid in shock absorption, and wrap around a protected object in the event of a blast.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the first micro-truss architecture comprises a first surface and a second surface, further comprising a face sheet on the first surface wherein the face sheet comprises a sheet material selected from the group consisting of polymer foam, rubber-like polymer, metal, and combinations thereof.

13 . A system for protection from impulsive loads as generated by impacts and explosions, the system comprising a first micro-truss architecture, wherein the first micro-truss architecture comprises:
a first surface and a second surface parallel to each other with a distance therebetween defining a thickness of the micro-truss architecture; a plurality of angled struts extending along a plurality of non-vertical directions each having a first end on the first surface and a second end; a plurality of nodes where the plurality of angled struts extending along a plurality of directions interpenetrate one another; the plurality of angled struts and the plurality of nodes defining a plurality of unit cells each having an upper node among the plurality of nodes, a lower node among the plurality of nodes, and a cell height, the cell height being the distance between the upper node and the lower node, wherein there are at least four unit cells stacked over one another in the thickness direction of the micro-truss architecture.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the micro-truss architecture is made of a material selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, titanium, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, alloys thereof, polycarbonate, aramid, high impact polystyrene, nylon, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, polyp-xylylene), and combinations thereof.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the system is a part of a foot pad or floor mat inside a vehicle.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the first micro-truss architecture comprises a first surface and a second surface, further comprising a face sheet on the first surface wherein the face sheet is configured to protect the micro-truss from deformation during operation, aid in shock absorption, and wrap around a protected object in the event of a blast.

17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the first micro-truss architecture comprises a first surface and a second surface, further comprising a face sheet on the first surface wherein the face sheet comprises a sheet material selected from the group consisting of polymer foam, rubber-like polymer, metal, and combinations thereof.

18 . A system for protection from impulsive loads as generated by impacts and explosions, the system comprising a first micro-truss architecture, wherein the first micro-truss architecture comprises:
a repeating unit cell structure having a plurality of struts and node

Assignees

• Hrl Lab Llc

Inventors

• Schaedler Tobias A
• Jacobsen Alan J
• Eckel Zak C
• Yang Sophia S
• Sorensen Adam E
• Hundley Jacob M
• Carter William
• Jiang Jie

Classifications

• F41H7/042

  Floors or base plates for increased land mine protection · CPC title

• F16F7/121 Primary

  the members having a cellular, e.g. honeycomb, structure · CPC title

• F41H5/007

  Reactive armour; Dynamic armour · CPC title

• B60N3/048

  characterised by their structure · CPC title