3D printed auxetic structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9908295-B2
Application number	US-201514699916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2015
Priority date	Apr 29, 2015
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, facilitate the design and use of 3D printed auxetic structures. In one aspect, a system includes one or more computer storage media having instructions stored thereon; and one or more data processing apparatus configured to execute the instructions to perform operations including (i) receiving an input specifying a three dimensional (3D) model of a 3D structure that includes at least two different materials having a predefined arrangement with respect to each other to give the 3D structure a negative Poisson ratio, (ii) receiving an input regarding a change for the 3D structure, and (iii) modifying the predefined arrangement of the at least two different materials with respect to each other in response to the input regarding the change.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more computer storage media having instructions stored thereon; and
one or more data processing apparatus configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising (i) receiving an input specifying a three dimensional (3D) model of a 3D structure that includes at least two different materials having a predefined arrangement with respect to each other to give the 3D structure a negative Poisson ratio, (ii) receiving an input regarding a change for the 3D structure, and (iii) modifying the predefined arrangement of the at least two different materials with respect to each other in response to the input regarding the change;
wherein the 3D structure comprises a repeated pattern of struts forming elements of a lattice, a strut in the repeated pattern comprises (i) a first material forming at least a first part of the strut and (ii) a second different material forming at least a second part of the strut, and the one or more data processing apparatus are configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising adjusting, in the 3D model of the lattice, a gradation of change in material distribution between the first material and the second material in the strut based on input; and
wherein the 3D structure comprises at least two different structural configurations that deform differently in response to a load, and the one or more data processing apparatus are configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising embedding human or computer readable information in a pattern of deformation of a first of the at least two different structural configurations, a second of the at least two different structural configurations, or both the first structural configuration and the second structural configuration in the 3D structure.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying the predefined arrangement comprises reconfiguring a ratio and deposit location of at least one of the at least two different materials to change a global stiffness and a maximum reduce area of the 3D structure.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least two different materials comprise a soft polymer and a hard polymer.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the 3D structure includes at least two cellular unit configurations.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein receiving the input regarding the change for the 3D structure comprises receiving at least one target property for the 3D structure, and modifying the predefined arrangement comprises:
generating multiple modified versions of the 3D model of the 3D structure;
simulating structural aspects of the multiple modified versions of the 3D model of the 3D structure; and
selecting one of the multiple modified versions of the 3D model of the 3D structure as having a best set of the simulated structural aspects for the at least one target property for the 3D structure.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein receiving the input regarding the change for the 3D structure comprises receiving numerical input through a user interface that specifies values for predefined parameters affecting both a ratio between at least two of the at least two different materials and a deposit location of at least one of the at least two different materials, and wherein modifying the predefined arrangement comprises:
updating the 3D model using the values for the predefined parameters to change at least the ratio and the deposit location in the 3D model; and
displaying at least a simplified representation of the 3D model to show the change in at least the ratio and the deposit location.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the user interface comprises multiple user interface elements corresponding to the predefined parameters comprising a cellular unit size, a position of a first of the at least two different materials, an amount of the first of the at least two different materials, and a transition rate between the first of the at least two different materials and a second of the at least two different materials.

8. A three dimensional (3D) printed auxetic structure comprising:
a repeated pattern of struts forming elements of a lattice;
wherein each of the struts in the repeated pattern comprises (i) a first material forming at least a first part of the strut, and (ii) a second material, which is different than the first material, forming at least a second part of the strut; and
wherein a ratio of the first material to the second material and at least one deposit location of the first material in the 3D printed auxetic structure have been adjusted to make the 3D printed auxetic structure satisfy a global stiffness and a maximum reduce area of the 3D printed auxetic structure;
wherein the repeated pattern of struts is a first repeated pattern of struts, the structure comprising a second repeated pattern of struts forming additional elements of the lattice, wherein the first repeated pattern of struts and the second repeated pattern of struts have different cellular unit configurations; and
wherein the first repeated pattern of struts deforms differently than the second repeated pattern of struts when the 3D printed auxetic structure is deformed by a load, and wherein human or computer readable information is embedded in a pattern of deformation of the first repeated pattern of struts, the second repeated pattern of struts, or both the first repeated pattern and the second repeated pattern in the 3D printed auxetic structure.

9. The 3D printed auxetic structure of claim 8 , wherein the first material is a soft polymer, and the second material is a hard polymer.

10. A method comprising:
receiving an input specifying a three dimensional (3D) model of a 3D structure that includes at least two different materials having a predefined arrangement with respect to each other to give the 3D structure a negative Poisson ratio;
receiving an input regarding a change for the 3D structure; and
modifying the predefined arrangement of the at least two different materials with respect to each other in response to the input regarding the change;
wherein the 3D structure comprises a repeated pattern of struts forming elements of a lattice, a strut in the repeated pattern comprises (i) a first material forming at least a first part of the strut and (ii) a second different material forming at least a second part of the strut, and the method comprises adjusting in the 3D model of the lattice a gradation of change in material distribution between the first material and the second material in the strut based on input; and
wherein the 3D structure comprises at least two different structural configurations that deform differently in response to a load, and the method comprises embedding human or computer readable information in a pattern of deformation of a first of the at least two different structural configurations, a second of the at least two different structural configurations, or both the first structural configuration and the second structural configuration in the 3D structure.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein modifying the predefined arrangement comprises reconfiguring a ratio and deposit location of at least one of the at least two different materials to change a global stiffness and a maximum reduce area of the 3D structure.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the input regarding the change for the 3D structure comprises receiving at least one target property for the 3D structure, and modifying the predefined arrangement comprises:
generating multiple modified versions of the 3D model of the 3D structure;
simulating structural aspects of the multiple modified versions of the 3D model of the 3D str

Assignees

• Autodesk Inc

Inventors

• Ou Jifei
• Willis Karl

Classifications

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C67/0088 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G05B19/4099

  Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing · CPC title

• G05B2219/35134

  3-D cad-cam · CPC title

• G05B2219/49007

  Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface · CPC title