A mechanical information storage device based on a tri-stable origami super spring

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of mechanical information storage devices based on tri-stable paper folding super spring.The device includes support system and tri-stable paper folding super spring;The support system is composed of fixed base and vertical support, and the tri-stable paper folding super spring is composed of octagonal annular outer frame, rotatable base, staggered paper folding spring and quadrilateral annular inner frame.The device of the application is integrally made by 3D printing, and the printing material is composed of polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU).Three potential energy minimum points generated during the axial deformation of the paper folding unit are used to realize the non-volatile storage of ternary logic information "1", "0" and "T".The application triggers stable switching through mechanical load, and the information can be maintained without external continuous energy, with the advantages of high storage density, resistance to extreme environmental interference, etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of mechanical logic and information storage, specifically relating to a mechanical information storage device based on a tristable origami superspring. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of information technology, the demand for data storage has exploded. While traditional electronic storage devices (such as hard drives and flash memory) offer fast read and write speeds, their electronic signals are easily interfered with in harsh environments such as strong magnetic fields, high radiation, or extreme temperature differences, leading to data loss. Furthermore, existing mechanical storage devices can be divided into two categories based on their technological approaches, both of which have significant limitations: (1) MEMS micromechanical storage: Based on the deformation characteristics of microstructures such as microcantilever beams and bistable snap-fit, it stores information. It adopts a pure mechanical design and has strong anti-electromagnetic interference capability. However, a single unit can only store 1 bit of binary information, resulting in low storage density. Furthermore, it requires micron-level photolithography, etching and other precision processing techniques, resulting in high manufacturing costs and low yield. At the same time, the microstructure is prone to thermal deformation failure under extreme temperatures and has insufficient impact resistance.

[0003] (2) Origami Metamaterial Mechanical Storage: An emerging mechanical storage technology in recent years, which utilizes the nonlinear mechanical properties of origami metamaterials to achieve steady-state switching. It can be fabricated in one piece by 3D printing, with low cost and strong impact resistance. However, all currently disclosed origami storage devices adopt a bistable structure design, and the storage capacity of a single unit has not broken through the binary limitation, resulting in limited storage density for the same area. Moreover, most solutions only realize the information writing function and lack an engineered non-destructive information reading solution, making it difficult to apply in practice. Therefore, developing a mechanical storage device with high stability, non-volatility and higher storage density is of great significance for data backup and security in extreme environments. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and propose a mechanical information storage device based on a tristable origami metamaterial spring. This invention achieves the physical storage of ternary logic information by introducing an origami metamaterial structure with multistable characteristics.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a mechanical information storage device based on a tristable origami superspring, comprising a support system and a tristable origami superspring; the support system consists of a fixed base and a vertical support; the tristable origami superspring consists of an octagonal annular outer frame, a rotatable base, staggered origami springs and a quadrilateral annular inner frame.

[0006] Furthermore, the axial potential energy curve of the tristable origami superspring has three local minimum points, which correspond to the upward fully extended state (steady state I), the intermediate compression state (steady state II), and the downward fully extended state (steady state III) of the origami unit, respectively. The three states are defined as "1", "0" and "T" of ternary logic information bits, respectively, and the information is physically stored and expressed by changing the axial height of the unit.

[0007] Furthermore, the fixed base and vertical support of the support system, as well as the octagonal annular outer frame and quadrilateral annular inner frame of the tristable origami superspring, are all integrally manufactured using fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology, and the printing material is polylactic acid (PLA).

[0008] Furthermore, the interlaced origami spring is integrally manufactured using selective laser sintering (SLS) technology, and the printing material is thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU), which utilizes its excellent elastic deformation capability to provide the restoring force required for steady-state switching; the rotatable base is made of aluminum alloy and is used to connect and support the origami unit.

[0009] Furthermore, the tristable origami superspring is arranged in a matrix on the support system, and the matrix formed by the combination of multiple units is used to store complex two-dimensional image information or character information.

[0010] Furthermore, the information writing method of the device is as follows: the tristable origami superspring is subjected to axial tension and compression (axial mechanical load) by external mechanical load, so that it can overcome the potential energy barrier of the structure itself and enter and lock into the target steady state (steady state I, steady state II or steady state III).

[0011] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Compared with the prior art, this invention utilizes the nonlinear mechanical characteristics of a tristable origami superspring to achieve physical encoding of ternary logic signals (T, 0, 1) by a single unit. This device features non-volatile storage, allowing information to be locked for a long period without power. Furthermore, due to its purely mechanical structure design, it is particularly suitable for extreme environments where traditional electronic devices are prone to failure, such as those with strong electromagnetic interference and high radiation. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 : Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the storage device; Figure 2 Support system decomposition diagram; Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a tristable origami superspring structure; Figure 4 : Flowchart of the switching between the three steady states (I, II, III); Figure 5 : Schematic diagram of storage matrix layout; Figure 6 : A diagram illustrating the storage of image information. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a mechanical information storage device based on a tristable origami superspring. The device includes a support system 1 and a tristable origami superspring 2; the support system 1 consists of a fixed base 101 and a vertical support 102; the tristable origami superspring 2 consists of an octagonal annular outer frame 201, a rotatable base 202, staggered origami springs 203, and a quadrilateral annular inner frame 204.

[0015] like Figure 2 As shown, the support system 1 serves as the physical framework of the entire device. A fixed base 101 provides stable support at the bottom. The fixed base 101 is a regular quadrilateral ring frame, with its diagonal length matching the center-to-center distance of the long opposite sides of the octagonal ring outer frame 201. Four vertical supports 102 are arranged vertically upwards along the four corners of the fixed base 101. The top of each vertical support 102 has a slot that matches the long side of the octagonal ring outer frame 201. The long side of the octagonal ring outer frame 201 is inserted into the slot through an interference fit to achieve fixed suspension. This is used to suspend or fix the storage units. The support system 1 is fabricated using PLA material through fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology, possessing sufficient rigidity to ensure the arrangement accuracy of the storage matrix.

[0016] like Figure 3As shown, this invention realizes the physical storage of ternary logic information, and its core unit is a tristable origami superspring 2. The tristable origami superspring 2 has a strictly centrally symmetrical structure, with an octagonal annular outer frame 201, a rotatable base 202, an interlaced origami spring 203, and a quadrilateral annular inner frame 204 coaxially nested from the outside to the inside; wherein the rotatable base 202 is embedded in the four short sides of the inner side of the octagonal annular outer frame 201; the inner and outer folded edges of the interlaced origami spring 203 are respectively bonded and fixed to the outer side of the quadrilateral annular inner frame 204 and the rotatable base 202; the interlaced origami spring 203 is formed by folding two identical long rectangular high-elasticity TPU flexible sheets, specifically prepared by the following method: taking two strips of high-elasticity TPU flexible sheets... TPU sheets of the same size are stacked orthogonally and vertically, so that the reference ends of the two sheets are completely overlapped and aligned. After the overlapping reference ends are heat-pressed and bonded, the lower sheet is folded upwards by using the upper long side formed by the intersection of the two sheets as a crease. The folding action is repeated by using the newly formed intersection long side as the next crease until both sheets are completely folded. Finally, the ends are heat-pressed and bonded to form four identical staggered origami springs 203. The interlocking mechanism of the staggered origami springs 203 caused by this folding method enables the unit to generate a stable nonlinear mechanical response during axial compression or tension.

[0017] like Figure 4 As shown, the unit possesses three stable equilibrium states: when the unit is fully extended upwards, it is in steady state I, corresponding to logic information "1"; when the unit is in the intermediate compressed position, due to the structure's self-locking characteristic, it is in steady state II, corresponding to logic information "0"; and when the unit is fully extended downwards, it is in steady state III, corresponding to logic information "T". This tristable characteristic is determined by the structure's elastic potential energy distribution. Without external force, the structure can maintain information for a long time by relying on its own mechanical energy barrier.

[0018] like Figure 5 As shown, in practical applications, multiple tristable origami supersprings 2 are arranged in a matrix on the support system 1 to form a mechanical storage array. In this invention, a 3×3 matrix arrangement is used as an example.

[0019] like Figure 6 As shown, when information (such as a specific image or character) needs to be stored, an axial force is applied to the unit at a specified coordinate (the tristable origami superspring corresponding to the coordinate position) through an external mechanical probe or load. For example, to store a specific pattern, the unit constituting the pattern outline can be pushed to steady state I (high position), and the background unit can be pushed to steady state III (low position), thereby realizing the visual expression and physical recording of information. This storage method does not rely on electronic components and has extremely high stability in extreme environments.

[0020] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mechanical information storage device based on a tristable origami superspring, characterized in that, It includes a support system (1) and a tristable origami superspring (2); The support system (1) includes a fixed base (101) and vertical supports (102); the vertical supports (102) are arranged circumferentially along the four corners of the fixed base (101); The tristable origami superspring (2) includes an octagonal annular outer frame (201), a rotatable base (202), an interlaced origami spring (203), and a quadrilateral annular inner frame (204). The octagonal annular outer frame (201) is mounted on a vertical support (102). The interlaced origami spring (203) includes four basic units, one end of which is connected to the four inner corners of the octagonal annular outer frame (201), and the other end is connected to the outer surface of the quadrilateral annular inner frame (204) through the rotatable base (202).

2. The mechanical information storage device based on a tristable origami superspring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The origami unit of the tristable origami superspring (2) has three physically stable states, as follows: Steady state I: Fully extended upwards; Steady State II: Intermediate Compression State Steady state III: Fully elongated downwards; The three physical steady states achieve the physical storage of ternary logic bits "1", "0" and "T" by changing the axial height of the unit.

3. The mechanical information storage device based on a tristable origami superspring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed base (101), vertical support (102) in the support system (1) and the octagonal annular outer frame (201) and quadrilateral annular inner frame (204) in the tristable origami superspring (2) are all integrally prepared by fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology, and the material used is polylactic acid (PLA).

4. The mechanical information storage device based on a tristable origami superspring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The interlaced paper spring (203) is integrally prepared using selective laser sintering (SLS) technology, and the material used is thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU).

5. A mechanical information storage device based on a tristable origami superspring according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple tristable origami supersprings (2) are arranged in a matrix on the support system (1). By applying axial mechanical load to a specific unit, they can overcome the potential energy barrier and enter the target steady state to complete the ternary data writing.

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