Multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure unit, superstructure and application of superstructure

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of new materials, in particular to a multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure unit, a superstructure and application of the superstructure.The superstructure unit comprises a soft base material unit and a hard base material unit, the hard base material unit is embedded in the soft base material unit, and the soft base material unit is connected with the hard base material unit. And the elastic modulus difference between the soft base material unit and the hard base material unit is more than two orders of magnitude. The superstructure is formed by periodically arranging two adjacent multi-material composite superstructure units. The invention has the beneficial effects that the flexible material and the rigid material are combined in a single structural unit, so that the multistable state and light weight can be realized under a small scale.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of new materials, and in particular to a multi-material composite superstructure capable of switching between multiple states. Background Art

[0002] In the context of the dual crisis of resources and environment, the field of materials and structures faces major challenges. It is necessary to achieve lightweight and reusability while maintaining high performance to meet the new requirements of low-carbon and green development. Once the geometry of the structure is determined, its performance and application range are often limited, resulting in low utilization and lack of flexibility of the structure. Therefore, it is crucial to design intelligent materials and structures with multifunctional or switchable functions.

[0003] Mechanical metamaterials or metastructures achieve specific mechanical properties through artificially designed geometric structures rather than relying solely on the properties of the material itself. As an important branch of metamaterials, lattice structure materials can regulate a variety of properties, including mechanics, acoustics, and optics, by utilizing their periodic microscopic geometric characteristics. Different lattice structures exhibit different mechanical properties, such as high energy absorption efficiency, high load-bearing capacity, and excellent vibration reduction performance. However, the current lattice structure design has limitations. Most of them can only maintain a stable state and lack the ability to respond to changes in the external environment, which limits their application under complex dynamic conditions. In addition, lattice structures are usually not reconfigurable. Once the design and manufacturing are completed, their geometry and performance are difficult to adjust, and their functions are relatively fixed, which cannot meet the needs of multifunctional scenarios with adaptive adjustment. These limitations hinder the application of lattice structures in a wider range of fields.

[0004] In this context, the concept of multistable structures has received widespread attention. Multistable structures can switch between multiple stable equilibrium states under external stimulation or loading. Compared with traditional monostable structures, they have multiple stable energy minima and can switch between these states by controlling external conditions. This property makes them highly adjustable and reconfigurable, and they can exhibit different mechanical or functional properties in different states and adapt to a variety of application requirements. This type of structure has broad application prospects in the design of multifunctional materials and can meet multiple performance requirements at the same time.

[0005] Despite this, multistable structures still face challenges in practical applications. It is relatively easy to design and study multistable structures at large scales, but the difficulty of realizing multistable behavior at small scales increases significantly. As the size decreases, the geometry and material properties of the structure make multistable behavior difficult to achieve stably. In addition, in small-scale structures, the rigid part must be about five times thicker than the flexible part to avoid deformation and maintain the stability of the structure, which increases the overall mass and relative density of the structure, which is contrary to the demand for lightweight. These limitations make it complicated to design multistable structures at small scales, especially in application scenarios that focus on lightweighting. Therefore, multistable superstructures that combine multiple material coupling designs have become a potential solution that can overcome these problems at small scales and achieve multifunctional performance. Summary of the invention

[0006] To address the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a multi-material composite superstructure that can switch between multiple states. By combining flexible materials and rigid materials in a single structural unit, it becomes possible to achieve multi-stability and lightweight at a small scale.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-material composite superstructure unit capable of multi-state switchability, comprising a soft matrix material unit and a hard matrix material unit, wherein the hard matrix material unit is embedded in the soft matrix material unit, and the elastic modulus of the soft matrix material unit and the hard matrix material unit differ by more than two orders of magnitude.

[0009] Furthermore, the soft matrix material unit includes at least two arc-shaped strips with smooth ends and outwardly convex in the middle, and two adjacent arc-shaped strips are connected end to end.

[0010] Furthermore, a clamping groove is arranged inside the soft base material unit, and a clamping foot which is adaptable to the clamping groove is arranged outside the hard base material unit.

[0011] A self-locking groove is arranged on the clamping groove, and a locking block adapted to the self-locking groove is arranged on the clamping foot.

[0012] Furthermore, the slot is located at the connection between two adjacent arc-shaped strips.

[0013] Furthermore, the hard base material of the hard base material unit is a metal or high-ductility material thin plate with upper and lower layers, and a composite material plate or a gradient multi-cellular structure sandwich in the middle layer.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-material composite superstructure capable of multi-state switching, comprising the multi-material composite superstructure unit capable of multi-state switching, wherein two adjacent multi-material composite superstructure units are periodically arranged.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a soft matrix material unit, a multi-material composite superstructure unit and a soft matrix material unit which are arranged periodically.

[0016] Furthermore, the angle between two adjacent multi-material composite superstructure units differs by 90 degrees, and the multi-material composite superstructure units are alternately arranged laterally.

[0017] Furthermore, the angles between the multi-material composite superstructure units on two adjacent layers differ by 90 degrees, and the multi-material composite superstructure units are alternately and cross-arranged with the soft matrix material units.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure for use in emergency rescue, construction or transportation, especially in aerospace.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0020] 1. The present invention combines flexible materials and rigid materials in a single structural unit, making it possible to achieve multi-stability and lightweight at a small scale.

[0021] 2. The present invention utilizes the deformation ability of flexible materials and the constraints of rigid materials to construct a structure that can switch between multiple stable states. In each stable state, the structure exhibits different functions: in one stable state, the structure has sufficient flexibility to achieve vibration isolation and buffering functions; in another stable state, the structure exhibits high rigidity and can achieve load-bearing functions. In this way, the superstructure not only achieves multi-stability at a small scale, but also provides the integration of multiple functions while ensuring lightweight.

[0022] 3. The structure designed in this proposal has broad application prospects in the fields of emergency rescue, construction, transportation, etc., especially in aerospace, and can achieve highly adaptable and high-efficiency multifunctional integrated solutions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Attached Figure 1 It is a front view of the soft matrix material unit of the present invention;

[0024] Attached Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional diagram of a soft matrix material unit of the present invention;

[0025] Attached Figure 3 It is a front view of the hard matrix material unit of the present invention;

[0026] Attached Figure 4 is a three-dimensional diagram of a hard matrix material unit of the present invention;

[0027] Attached Figure 5It is a schematic structural diagram of the combined state of the soft matrix material unit and the hard matrix material unit of the present invention;

[0028] Attached Figure 6 Schematic diagram of various structures of a multi-material composite superstructure unit capable of multi-state switching of the present invention;

[0029] Attached Figure 7 The present invention is a schematic diagram of the embedded structure of the soft matrix material unit and the hard matrix material unit. Figure 1 ;

[0030] Attached Figure 8 The present invention is a schematic diagram of the embedded structure of the soft matrix material unit and the hard matrix material unit. Figure 2 ;

[0031] Attached Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the soft base material structure of the soft base material unit of the present invention;

[0032] Attached Fig.10 It is the transition process of the multi-material composite superstructure of the present invention between two states;

[0033] Attached Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-material composite superstructure capable of switching multiple states according to the present invention. Figure 1 Flexible state;

[0034] Attached Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-material composite superstructure capable of switching multiple states according to the present invention. Figure 1 Rigid state;

[0035] Attached Fig.13 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-material composite superstructure capable of switching multiple states according to the present invention. Figure 2 Flexible state;

[0036] Attached Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-material composite superstructure capable of switching multiple states according to the present invention. Figure 2 Rigid state;

[0037] The numbers shown in the accompanying drawings are: 1, soft matrix material unit; 101, arc strip; 2, hard matrix material unit; 3, slot; 4, foot; 5, multi-material composite superstructure unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, it should be understood that after reading the content taught by the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to the present invention, and these equivalent forms fall within the scope limited by the application equally.

[0039] According to one aspect of the present invention, a multi-material composite superstructure unit capable of switching between multiple states is provided.

[0040] like Figure 1-6 As shown, a multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure unit is disclosed, including a soft matrix material unit 1 and a hard matrix material unit 2, wherein the hard matrix material unit 2 is embedded in the soft matrix material unit 1, and the elastic modulus of the soft matrix material unit 1 and the hard matrix material unit 2 differ by more than two orders of magnitude, the soft matrix material unit 1 is used to generate deformation, and the hard matrix material unit 2 is used to constrain the soft matrix material unit to ensure steady state. The soft matrix material and the hard matrix material are not limited to specific materials, but are a relative naming method. As long as the elastic modulus of the two differs by more than two orders of magnitude, it can be achieved that the rigid matrix material and the flexible matrix material have multi-stable characteristics and lightweight characteristics under the same thickness configuration.

[0041] Specifically, the soft matrix material unit 1 includes at least two arc-shaped strips 101 with smooth ends and outwardly convex in the middle, and two adjacent arc-shaped strips 101 are connected end to end. Figure 6 As shown, the number of the arc strips 101 can be 3, 4, 5, 6, etc., forming a triangular shape, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, or a hexagon.

[0042] There are many ways to embed the hard matrix material unit 2 inside the soft matrix material unit 1, which can be as follows: Figure 7 As shown, adhesive is required for assembly; as an optimization, Figure 8 As shown, a slot 3 is provided inside the soft base material unit 1 , and a foot 4 adapted to the slot 3 is provided outside the hard base material unit 2 , and assembly is achieved through the slot 3 and the foot 4 .

[0043] Furthermore, a self-locking groove is provided on the card slot, and a locking block adapted to the self-locking groove is provided on the card foot, so that self-locking assembly after nesting can be realized.

[0044] As an optimization, the slot 3 is located at the connection between two adjacent arc-shaped strips 101 to further increase stability.

[0045] In addition to the conventional single material composition, in order to achieve extreme lightweight, multi-material and multi-geometry configuration schemes are applied to the design of hard matrix material units. Fig. 9The microscopic composition of the designed hard matrix material unit is given. According to the typical sandwich configuration, the upper and lower layers are metal or high ductility material thin plates. One scheme configures the sandwich as a composite material plate, such as a fiber reinforced composite material. Since the upper and lower panels are metal or high ductility material thin plates, it ensures that even if a small amount of damage occurs to the fiber material, there will be no obvious decrease in the load-bearing capacity under the protection of the thin plate. Another scheme is to configure an optimized gradient polyhedral structure sandwich. Polyhedral structures are widely used in lightweight design, and in order to further achieve lightweight, optimized design is applied. Polyhedral structures with different multi-level scales are taken as candidate targets, and the number of cells in their local areas varies with the required stress magnitude.

[0046] According to one aspect of the present invention, a multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure is provided.

[0047] A multi-material composite superstructure capable of switching between multiple states, comprising the multi-material composite superstructure unit 5 capable of switching between multiple states, and two adjacent multi-material composite superstructure units 5 are arranged periodically. The angle between the two adjacent multi-material composite superstructure units differs by 90 degrees, and the multi-material composite superstructure units are arranged alternately in the horizontal direction. This alternating connection design helps to enhance the difference in mechanical properties under different states. In the flexible state, the two multi-material composite superstructure units are interconnected through the flexible unit, and have low stiffness and poor load-bearing properties, and are suitable for vibration reduction, vibration isolation, buffering and other application scenarios. The two interconnected units are pressed against each other, that is, Fig.10 The structure transitions from state (1) to state (2). After releasing the external load, the structure can still remain in state (2), that is, it enters another stable state. The two stable states can be freely switched and maintained by external load. In state (2), it can be found that, except for the connection part, the flexible matrix materials of the two units are in contact with each other, and it can be considered that the convex rigid matrix material and the concave rigid matrix material are also indirectly in contact with each other, which greatly improves the overall stiffness and strength of the structure. This state can be applied to load-bearing and other fields. Therefore, there are obvious differences in performance and application scenarios in the two states.

[0048] like Figure 11-12As shown, a multi-material composite superstructure capable of switching in multiple states is disclosed, wherein the angles between two adjacent multi-material composite superstructure units differ by 90 degrees, and the multi-material composite superstructure units are arranged alternately and horizontally, wherein the light-colored part is a soft matrix material unit, and the dark-colored part is a hard matrix material unit. In the flexible mode, the units are connected only by multi-stable structures. The structural characteristics of this mode are that the overall rigidity and strength are relatively low, but the structural characteristics of this mode are that the overall rigidity and strength are relatively low, but the structural characteristics of this mode are that the structural characteristics of this mode are that the structural characteristics of this mode are that the structural characteristics of this mode are relatively low, but the structural characteristics of this mode are that the structural characteristics of this mode are relatively low, but the structural characteristics of this mode are that the structural characteristics of this mode are relatively high, and ...

[0049] In addition, the stable state can also be a clever configuration of partial flexibility and partial rigidity. In the flexible state, it is easy to separate, store and carry, and once it is transformed into a rigid state, it can carry a large-span structure without support, showing extremely high practicality and adaptability. This innovative structure has great application potential and value in the fields of rigid-flexible conversion operation of robotic arms, rapid deployment of disaster emergency rescue, and flexible construction of bridge engineering.

[0050] like Figure 13-14 As shown, another multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure is disclosed, the angles between the multi-material composite superstructure units 5 on two adjacent layers differ by 90 degrees, and are alternately arranged with the soft matrix material units, the light-colored parts are the soft matrix material units, and the dark-colored parts are the hard matrix material units. Figure 12-13 As shown, the function is similar to the horizontal arrangement, that is, both can reduce vibration and buffer in a flexible state and bear load in a rigid state. The biggest difference is that the multi-material composite superstructure units arranged horizontally are arranged in a single row, which is suitable for occasions with limited space. For occasions with larger allowable space, the array of multi-material composite superstructure units arranged obliquely (cross) can extend in multiple directions, showing excellent mechanical properties in various states.

Claims

1. A multi-material composite superstructure unit capable of switching between multiple states, characterized in that: The invention comprises a soft matrix material unit (1) and a hard matrix material unit (2), wherein the hard matrix material unit (2) is embedded in the soft matrix material unit (1), and the elastic modulus of the soft matrix material unit (1) and the hard matrix material unit (2) differ by more than two orders of magnitude.

2. The multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The soft matrix material unit (1) comprises at least two arc-shaped strips (101) with smooth ends and outwardly convex middles, and two adjacent arc-shaped strips (101) are connected end to end.

3. A multi-material composite superstructure unit capable of multi-state switching according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A clamping groove (3) is arranged on the inner side of the soft base material unit (1), and a clamping foot (4) which is adaptable to the clamping groove (3) is arranged on the outer side of the hard base material unit (2).

4. The multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The clamping slot (3) is provided with a self-locking slot, and the clamping foot (4) is provided with a locking block adapted to the self-locking slot.

5. The multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hard base material of the hard base material unit (2) is a metal or high-ductility material thin plate with upper and lower layers, and a composite material plate or a gradient multi-cellular structure sandwich with a middle layer.

6. A multi-material composite superstructure capable of switching between multiple states, characterized in that: It comprises the multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure unit (5) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein two adjacent multi-material composite superstructure units (5) are arranged periodically.

7. The multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also comprises a soft matrix material unit (1), and a multi-material composite superstructure unit (5) and the soft matrix material unit (1) are arranged periodically.

8. The multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The angle between two adjacent multi-material composite superstructure units (5) is 90 degrees different and they are alternately arranged in the transverse direction.

9. The multi-state switchable multi-material composite superstructure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The multi-material composite superstructure units (5) on two adjacent layers differ in angle by 90 degrees, and are arranged alternately and crosswise with the soft matrix material units (1).

10. Application of the multi-material composite superstructure capable of multi-state switchability as claimed in claims 6 to 9 in emergency rescue, construction or transportation.

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