Self-resetting anti-shock cell and device based on material viscoelasticity

Abstract

This invention discloses a self-resetting shock-absorbing cell and device based on material viscoelasticity, relating to the field of multistable energy-absorbing structure technology. It includes an impact base, a mounting base, and an energy-absorbing device. The impact base has an impact surface for receiving impacts. The energy-absorbing device is installed between the impact base and the mounting base. The energy-absorbing device includes a support assembly and at least one energy-absorbing module. The energy-absorbing module includes a central column and an elastic member. The elastic member is a bistable elastic structure made of viscoelastic material. The middle part of the elastic member is fixedly connected to both the impact base and the mounting base via the central column, and the end of the elastic member is mounted on the support assembly. Utilizing the pseudo-bistable characteristics of viscoelastic materials, it achieves bistable elastic instability energy absorption under impact loads, and simultaneously achieves autonomous recovery after impact using viscoelastic stress relaxation characteristics, thus possessing both high-efficiency energy absorption and reusability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of multi-stable energy-absorbing structure technology, and in particular to a self-resetting shock-resistant cell and device based on material viscoelasticity. Background Technology

[0002] Impact protection is a key technology for ensuring the safety of critical equipment, improving the impact resistance of structures, and achieving lightweight protection systems. Traditional rigid protection structures (such as metal energy-absorbing boxes and composite material protective plates) mainly absorb impact energy through the plastic deformation or failure of materials. Although they have high energy absorption capacity, they are often single-use, and their protective performance deteriorates sharply under repeated or continuous impacts, resulting in poor economy and sustainability. Traditional flexible buffer structures (such as foam materials and rubber pads) mainly buffer impacts through the elastic deformation of materials, but their energy dissipation mechanism is simple, their energy absorption efficiency is limited, and the rapid recovery process of the buffer structure itself may cause secondary damage to the impactor. In recent years, reusable impact protection structures based on the bistable characteristics of structures have achieved efficient energy absorption through configuration jumps, providing a new approach to reusable protection. However, after absorbing energy, existing bistable impact protection structures usually rely on external energy input or additional driving devices (such as shape memory alloys, motors, etc.) to recover from the second steady state to the first steady state, leading to increased system complexity and energy consumption, making it difficult to achieve a true balance between autonomous recovery without external energy and efficient energy absorption.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an autonomous recovery shockproof device that requires no external energy input, has a simple structure, and has a stable and controllable recovery process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a self-resetting shockproof cell and device based on material viscoelasticity to solve the problems existing in the prior art, realize the autonomous recovery from the second steady state to the first steady state without external energy input, and reduce the complexity of the structure.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: A self-resetting shock-absorbing cell based on material viscoelasticity includes: an impact base having an impact surface for receiving impacts; a mounting base; and an energy-absorbing device installed between the impact base and the mounting base. The energy-absorbing device includes a support assembly, a beam assembly, and at least one energy-absorbing module. The energy-absorbing module includes a central column and an elastic member. The elastic member is a bistable elastic structure made of viscoelastic material. The middle portion of the elastic member is fixedly connected to the impact base and / or the mounting base via the central column, and the end of the elastic member is mounted on the support assembly. The beam assembly is fixedly connected to the support assembly to constrain the position of the support assembly and the elastic member, thereby enabling the elastic member to achieve bistable behavior.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, the energy-absorbing module is provided at both the upper and lower ends of the support component. The intermediate column of the energy-absorbing module located at the upper end of the support component is connected to the bottom of the impact base, and the intermediate column of the energy-absorbing module located at the lower end of the support component is connected to the mounting base.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment, the support assembly includes an even number of support columns spaced apart along the circumferential direction, and the elastic member includes several sets of upper curved beams and lower curved beams arranged side by side with the same specifications. The same end of the upper curved beam and the lower curved beam in the same set is installed on the same support column, and the two ends of the upper curved beam and the lower curved beam in the same set are respectively installed on two support columns located on the same straight line.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, the support assembly includes a plurality of support columns spaced apart along the circumferential direction, and the elastic member includes an upper curved plate and a lower curved plate arranged side by side, the upper curved plate and the lower curved plate having the same specifications, and the same end of the upper curved plate and the lower curved plate being mounted on the same support column.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the crossbeam assembly is placed between the upper and lower energy-absorbing modules, and the crossbeam assembly includes a plurality of crossbeams arranged in a cross pattern, the ends of which are fixedly connected to the support column.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one set of opposite sides of the impact base are provided with mutually compatible male and female extension heads; at least one set of opposite sides of the mounting base are provided with mutually compatible male and female extension heads; in the use state, the side of the impact base where the extension head is provided corresponds to the side of the mounting base where the extension head is provided.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, the extended male head is a tenon, and the extended female head is a mortise.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment, the impact base, the support assembly, the intermediate column, the mounting base, and the crossbeam assembly are each made of a rigid material.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, by changing the thickness of the support column and / or the crossbeam, or by replacing the elastic member with one having different viscoelastic parameters, the viscoelastic stress relaxation characteristic time of the self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity can be controlled.

[0014] A self-resetting shock-absorbing device based on material viscoelasticity includes a plurality of self-resetting shock-absorbing cells based on material viscoelasticity, a fixing frame, and an outer protective plate; the plurality of self-resetting shock-absorbing cells based on material viscoelasticity are detachably connected in at least one direction to expand into a single-layer cell array, the fixing frame is respectively installed at the upper and lower ends of the single-layer cell array, the two fixing frames press the single-layer cell array together, and the outer protective plate is installed on the outer surface of the single-layer cell.

[0015] The present invention achieves the following technical effects compared to the prior art: The elastic component in the shock-resistant cell of the present invention is made of viscoelastic material. It can utilize the pseudo-bistable characteristics of viscoelastic material to achieve bistable elastic instability and energy absorption under impact load. At the same time, it can achieve autonomous recovery after impact by utilizing the viscoelastic stress relaxation characteristics, thus having both high energy absorption efficiency and reusability.

[0016] Other technical solutions disclosed in this invention also have the following technical advantages: Recovery time adjustment mechanism: By adjusting the geometric thickness (T1, T2) of the support boundary of the shock-resistant cell, the characteristic time of viscoelastic stress relaxation can be controlled, thereby controlling the time for the structure to autonomously recover from the second steady state to the first steady state, adapting to the rebound speed requirements of different protection scenarios.

[0017] Multi-material integrated molding process: Using multi-material 3D printing technology, viscoelastic materials and rigid materials are integrated into one molding process. Through the interlocking between materials, a bistable elastic component and a strong bond with the supporting boundary are formed, avoiding interface slippage and assembly errors in traditional assembly processes, and ensuring the reliability of the structure under repeated impacts.

[0018] Modular splicing structure design: The mechanical combination of tenons and mortises enables rapid assembly and disassembly of individual shock-resistant cells, supports load transfer and coordinated dissipation of impact energy between shock-resistant cells, facilitates independent replacement of damaged shock-resistant cells, and allows for flexible replacement of shock-resistant cells with different performance characteristics, greatly improving the maintainability and engineering applicability of the protection system. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an impact-resistant cell disclosed in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a force-time diagram for viscoelastic and linear materials under displacement load. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a force retention experiment for viscoelastic materials. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the force-displacement response of a typical bistable structure. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the energy absorption device in an impact-resistant cell according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a typical schematic diagram of a pseudo-bistable response; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the energy absorption device in various steady states according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating the effect of changes in the thickness of the elastic support boundary on the force-displacement response; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an impact-resistant device disclosed in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the shock-resistant device disclosed in a specific embodiment of the present invention, showing the process from being impacted to self-resetting.

[0021] Among them, 1. Impact base; 110. Extended male head; 120. Extended female head; 130. Impact surface; 2. Energy absorption device; 210. Energy absorption module; 211. Intermediate column; 212. Elastic component; 212A. Upper curved beam; 212B. Lower curved beam; 2121. First connecting end; 2122. Second connecting end; 2123. Intermediate connecting part; 220. Support assembly; 221. Support column; 3. Mounting base; 4. Crossbeam assembly; 5. Impact protection device. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] Example 1: Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 This embodiment provides a self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity. For ease of description, the self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity will be referred to as the shock-resistant cell in the following text. The shock-resistant cell includes an impact base 1, an energy-absorbing device 2, and a mounting base 3. The impact base 1 is a square structure for receiving impact forces, with its top surface (i.e., the end face away from the energy-absorbing device 2) being the impact surface 130 and its bottom surface being the mounting surface for mounting the energy-absorbing device 2.

[0025] For details, see Figure 1 The impact base 1 is a square ring structure with two reinforcing ribs distributed along the diagonal inside, which ensures that the structural strength of the impact base 1 meets the requirements while achieving lightweight design.

[0026] It should be noted that the shape of the impact base 1 is not limited to square; other polygonal structures that allow the impact-resistant cells to expand unidirectionally or multidirectionally, such as regular hexagons and regular octagons, are also acceptable. If lightweight requirements are not a concern, the impact base 1 can also be a structure without internal cavities.

[0027] Mounting base 3 is a base structure used to support energy absorption device 2, see [link / reference] Figure 1 Its structure is the same as that of impact base 1.

[0028] To facilitate the expansion between the shock-resistant cells, at least one set of opposite sides of the impact base 1 are provided with mutually compatible male expansion heads 110 and female expansion heads 120; at least one set of opposite sides of the mounting base 3 are provided with mutually compatible male expansion heads 110 and female expansion heads 120; and when in use, the side of the impact base 1 with the expansion head is opposite to the side of the mounting base 3 with the expansion head.

[0029] For details, see Figure 1The impact base 1 has two sets of opposite sides, each equipped with an extension head. The left and right sides form one set, with an extension male head 110 on the left and an extension female head 120 on the right. The front and rear sides form another set, with an extension male head 110 on the front and an extension female head 120 on the rear. The extension male head 110 is a tenon, and the extension female head 120 is a mortise. The tenon and mortise use an interference fit or snap-fit ​​design to ensure a reliable and detachable connection. A small amount of flexible adhesive can be applied at the tenon-mortise joint to further increase tensile strength. The structure of the extension head is not limited to a tenon-mortise structure; it can also be a snap-fit ​​structure, a threaded connection structure, or any other type.

[0030] The energy-absorbing device 2 is the core component of the impact protection cell, and it is installed between the impact base 1 and the mounting base 3. The energy-absorbing device 2 includes a support assembly 220 and at least one energy-absorbing module 210; the energy-absorbing module 210 includes a central column 211 and an elastic member 212. The elastic member 212 is a bistable elastic structure made of viscoelastic material. The middle part of the elastic member 212 is fixedly connected to the impact base 1 and / or the mounting base 3 through the central column 211, and the end of the elastic member 212 is installed on the support assembly 220.

[0031] The elastic component 212 is the core component of the energy-absorbing device 2, enabling it to deform and absorb energy. Some existing bistable impact-resistant structures integrate shape memory alloy sheets on curved beams, utilizing the phase transformation contraction effect of shape memory alloys under temperature excitation to drive the structure that has undergone steady-state transformation back to its initial state. Although this type of solution achieves the reusability of the structure, its recovery process depends on external heat sources or electric heating excitation, resulting in high system complexity and energy consumption, and the response speed is limited by the heat exchange efficiency of the materials. Other bistable impact-resistant structures improve the energy absorption efficiency of bistable structures through the combination of multiple materials and optimization of geometric parameters. For example, a dual-material composite bistable energy-absorbing cell adopts a combination of rigid support structure and flexible beam unit, improving peak force and energy absorption efficiency through the synergistic buckling of curved and inclined beams. However, this structure itself does not have autonomous recovery capability and still requires external force to restore its initial configuration after impact. Some existing technologies combine bistable beams with plastic energy-absorbing components to achieve a dual-mechanism energy absorption of "negative stiffness energy absorption + plastic deformation energy absorption." However, the introduction of the plastic deformation segment means that the structure will undergo irreversible deformation under large impacts, making it difficult to achieve complete reusability. In contrast, this application uses a bistable elastic structure made of viscoelastic material. By utilizing the pseudo-bistable property of viscoelastic material, the elastic component 212 can be self-reset, eliminating the dependence on external energy input or additional driving devices. The structure is simpler and can achieve a balance between autonomous recovery without external energy and efficient energy absorption.

[0032] The following discusses the principle behind the self-resetting capability of the elastic member 212 in this application. Viscoelastic materials are special materials that exhibit force decay under displacement loads, whereas linear materials maintain almost constant force under a given displacement load, such as... Figure 2 Furthermore, viscoelastic materials exhibit the characteristic that their modulus increases with velocity, resulting in better impact resistance, thus meeting practical engineering needs. For example... Figure 3 As shown, viscoelastic materials exhibit a decrease in equivalent modulus over time, displaying pseudo-bistable characteristics.

[0033] like Figure 4 The bistable structure involved in this invention converts the kinetic energy of an impact into the elastic potential energy of the structure upon impact. In the instant of sudden elastic instability, this potential energy is converted into a jump in structural kinetic energy. The kinetic energy of the impact-resistant cell is rapidly dissipated through the viscoelastic material, achieving energy absorption. Elastic elastic instability ensures the recoverability of the elastic component 212 after deformation. Compared to traditional impact-resistant materials that absorb energy through fracture and destruction, this energy-absorbing module 210, made of an elastically deformable elastically unstable material, achieves structural recoverability, ensuring that the elastic component 212 can self-reset without relying on external energy input or additional driving devices.

[0034] Shock-resistant cells utilize viscoelastic materials to design elastic boundary structures, enabling the achievement of time-lag pseudo-bistable characteristics, such as... Figure 6 This phenomenon is mainly due to the fact that, after prolonged loading, viscoelastic structures can still reduce the maximum acceleration during impact by utilizing their ultimate load response characteristic when subjected to significant structural impact. Furthermore, unlike existing recoverable multistable modules, they do not require manual load removal after the impact. Over time, due to the viscoelastic properties of the material, the elastic member 212 automatically loses its multistable characteristics, achieving self-recovery. Figure 7 The switching between various steady states in the middle energy absorption section.

[0035] The following describes two structures of the elastic member 212, but the structure of the elastic member 212 is not limited to these two, and other forms can also be adopted.

[0036] Option 1: The support component 220 includes an even number of support columns 221 spaced apart along the circumference. The elastic component 212 includes several sets of upper curved beams 212A and lower curved beams 212B arranged side by side. Both the upper curved beams 212A and lower curved beams 212B are arched. The number of sets of upper curved beams 212A and lower curved beams 212B is the same as the number of sets of support columns 221. The specifications of the upper curved beams 212A and lower curved beams 212B are the same. The specifications mentioned here specifically refer to the shape, curvature, profile size, chord length, width and other characteristics of the curved beams. The same end of the upper curved beam 212A and the lower curved beam 212B in the same group are installed on the same support column 221. The two ends of the upper curved beam 212A and the two ends of the lower curved beam 212B in the same group are respectively installed on two support columns 221 that are on the same straight line, thereby ensuring that the upper curved beam 212A and the lower curved beam 212B have the same arrangement and are aligned in the vertical direction. The shape of each curved beam is symmetrically distributed from left to right.

[0037] For details, see Figure 5 Both the upper curved beam 212A and the lower curved beam 212B include a first connecting end 2121, a second connecting end 2122, and an intermediate connecting part 2123. The first connecting ends 2121 of the upper curved beam 212A and the lower curved beam 212B are arranged vertically at intervals and installed on the same support column 221 (for ease of description, this support column 221 is referred to as the first support column). The second connecting ends 2122 of the upper curved beam 212A and the lower curved beam 212B are arranged vertically at intervals and installed on the same support column 221 (for ease of description, this support column 221 is referred to as the second support column). The first support column and the second support column are two different support columns 221, and they are located on the same straight line. The same intermediate column 211 is provided in the middle of the upper curved beam 212A and the lower curved beam 212B, and is connected to the impact base 1 and / or the mounting base 3 through the intermediate column 211.

[0038] Figure 5 The displayed support assembly 220 includes four support columns 221, arranged in pairs. The elastic member 212 includes two sets of upper curved beams 212A and lower curved beams 212B arranged side-by-side, with the two sets of curved beams intersecting each other perpendicularly. However, the number of sets of support assemblies 220 and curved beams is not limited to two; it can also be three, four, or more sets. When the elastic member 212 has more than two sets of curved beams and support columns 221, the included angle between different sets of curved beams is an acute angle. Correspondingly, the included angle between the straight lines formed by different sets of support columns 221 is also an acute angle. Each set of curved beams is not limited to the two upper curved beams 212A and lower curved beams 212B; it can also include three or more.

[0039] It should be noted that the upper curved beam 212A and the lower curved beam 212B constituting the same set of curved beams are arranged vertically in an aligned manner, which is only one way for the elastic member 212 to achieve bistable state. The structural form of the elastic member 212 in this application is not limited to this one way. Other structural forms that can enable the elastic member 212 to achieve bistable state are also possible.

[0040] Option 2: The support assembly 220 includes several support columns 221 spaced apart along the circumference. The elastic component 212 includes an upper curved plate and a lower curved plate arranged side by side. Both the upper and lower curved plates are arched plates with identical specifications, referring to the shape, curvature, outline size, chord length, width, and other characteristics of the curved plates. The same end of the upper and lower curved plates is mounted on the same support column 221 to ensure that the upper and lower curved plates are arranged in the same way. Unlike Option 1, in this option, the component capable of elastic deformation is the curved plate, and the number of support columns 221 can be odd.

[0041] Similarly, in Scheme 2, the alignment of the upper and lower curved plates is only one way for the elastic member 212 to achieve bistable state. The structural form of the elastic member 212 in this application is not limited to this one way. Other structural forms that can enable the elastic member 212 to achieve bistable state are also possible.

[0042] Regardless of whether the structure of the elastic member 212 adopts Scheme 1 or Scheme 2, this application provides an energy-absorbing module 210 at each of the upper and lower ends of the support component 220. The middle column 211 of the energy-absorbing module 210 located at the upper end of the support component 220 is connected to the bottom of the impact base 1, and the middle column 211 of the energy-absorbing module 210 located at the lower end of the support component 220 is connected to the mounting base 3, so that the impact-resistant cell has structural symmetry and simplifies the complexity of use and arrangement.

[0043] The shock-absorbing cell also includes a crossbeam assembly 4, which is disposed between the upper and lower energy-absorbing modules 210 and fixedly connected to the support assembly 220. Specifically, the crossbeam assembly 4 includes several crossbeams arranged in a cross pattern, the ends of which are fixedly connected to the support columns 221 to limit the position of each support column 221 when the elastic member 212 deforms, and together with each support column 221, they form the rigid boundary of the shock-absorbing cell.

[0044] Research has shown that the energy-absorbing module 210 of this application can achieve different force displacement responses to adapt to different working conditions simply by changing the thickness T1 of the support column 221 and / or the thickness T2 of the crossbeam. Figure 8 The supporting components refer to the support column 221 and the crossbeam, i.e. Figure 8The results shown are from experiments where the thicknesses of the support column 221 and the crossbeam are changed simultaneously (i.e., support column thickness T1 = 3.0 mm, crossbeam thickness T2 = 3.0 mm; or support column thickness T1 = 3.5 mm, crossbeam thickness T2 = 3.5 mm, and so on). However, theoretically, changing the force-displacement response is not limited to changing the thicknesses of the support column 221 and the crossbeam simultaneously; changing only the thickness of the support column 221 or only the thickness of the crossbeam is also feasible. The structure composed of the support component 220 and the crossbeam component 4 constitutes the support boundary of the impact-resistant cell. Increasing the thickness of the support boundary can improve the peak force of the bistable transition and enhance energy absorption capacity; decreasing the thickness of the support boundary can shorten the viscoelastic stress relaxation characteristic time and accelerate the autonomous recovery process. By precisely matching the support boundary thickness and material parameters, customized designs can be made to meet the comprehensive requirements of energy absorption efficiency and autonomous recovery speed in different protection scenarios.

[0045] The impact base 1, support assembly 220, intermediate column 211, mounting base 3, and crossbeam assembly 4 in this application are all made of rigid plastic, while the elastic member 212 is made of viscoelastic material. Specifically, the rigid plastic can be any one of PLA, ABS, PC, PA, PETG, PEEK, rigid photosensitive resin, etc.; the viscoelastic material can be any one of TPU, TPE, silicone rubber, NinjaFlex (a flexible 3D printing material produced by NinjaTek), elastic resin, etc.

[0046] Furthermore, the structure in this embodiment is manufactured using 3D printing technology. Slicing software is used to generate an oblique micro-interlocking structure at the interface of the heterogeneous materials to enhance the bonding force between the interfaces of the 3D printed components. Specifically, the interlocking between the materials is achieved at the material junction using Topzhu 3D printing software, with the interlocking direction parameter set to 45°.

[0047] It should be clarified that the manufacturing process for producing the impact-resistant cell of this application is not limited to 3D printing, but can also be injection molding.

[0048] Example 2: This embodiment provides a self-resetting shock-absorbing device based on material viscoelasticity, hereinafter referred to as shock-absorbing device 5. The shock-absorbing device 5 includes several shock-absorbing cells, adjacent shock-absorbing cells being connected by extension heads to expand as follows: Figure 9 The shock-resistant device 5 shown.

[0049] Specifically, each shock-absorbing cell is spliced ​​along the planar direction using a mortise and tenon structure, meaning it can be spliced ​​and expanded simultaneously along both the length and width directions within the same plane. The top and bottom ends of the spliced ​​single-layer cell array are pressed together by a fixed frame, and an outer protective plate is installed on its outer surface to form a complete shock-absorbing module (also known as shock-absorbing device 5). Because the shock-absorbing cells are connected by mortise and tenon joints, when a shock-absorbing cell is damaged due to extreme impact, it can be disassembled and replaced individually without having to discard the entire system, greatly improving the maintainability and economy of the system.

[0050] Figure 10 The diagram illustrates the complete workflow of a self-resetting shock-absorbing module during an impact, with the impacting object represented by a circular structure located at the top of the module. Its core lies in the synergistic effect of bistable energy absorption and viscoelastic self-recovery.

[0051] 1) Impact loading stage When an external impact load is applied to the impact surface 130, the load is first transferred to each bistable elastic component 212. Because viscoelastic materials exhibit a high modulus under high-speed loading, the elastic component 212 can rapidly accumulate elastic potential energy and quickly reach the critical threshold for bistable transition. Once the peak force is exceeded, the elastic component 212 undergoes sudden buckling instability, transitioning from the first steady state to the second steady state. At this instant, the stored elastic potential energy is converted into the kinetic energy of the beam and rapidly converted into heat dissipation through viscous dissipation within the material, achieving efficient energy absorption. Furthermore, the buckling instability process effectively flattens the peak impact force, reducing the acceleration experienced by the protected object and preventing secondary damage to the impactor. Simultaneously, a single impact-resistant cell can be reliably connected to adjacent impact-resistant cells via tenon or snap-fit ​​structures, forming an efficient load transfer path. When an impact force is applied to a localized area, the impact-resistant cell first absorbs energy through a bistable transition. Simultaneously, the remaining impact load is transferred to surrounding impact-resistant cells via a tenon-and-mortise structure, triggering the sequential activation of adjacent cells and forming a progressive, collaborative energy dissipation network. This design disperses the impact energy across multiple impact-resistant cells, avoiding localized overload damage caused by stress concentration and significantly improving the overall impact resistance of large-area protective structures.

[0052] 2) Energy dissipation and deformation retention After the impact, the bistable elastic member 212 is in a compressed state. At this point, since the impact process has ended and there is no longer high-speed loading, the viscoelastic material begins to experience stress relaxation: under constant deformation, the internal stress gradually decreases, and the equivalent modulus decays over time. This process causes the potential well depth of the elastic member 212 in the second steady state to gradually become shallower, and the originally stable equilibrium state begins to become unstable.

[0053] 3) Self-response phase After the impactor is removed, as stress relaxation continues, the barrier to the second steady state completely disappears once the equivalent modulus drops to a certain critical value. Driven by the internal residual strain energy, the structure spontaneously and smoothly rebounds to the first steady state. The recovery rate is determined by the time constant of the viscoelastic material (which can be controlled by the thickness of the support boundary), and is typically designed to be from several seconds to several minutes to ensure no secondary damage to the impactor. The entire recovery process requires no external energy input or human intervention.

[0054] 4) Reusable Once the shock-absorbing module fully recovers to its initial steady state, it completes one full energy absorption-recovery cycle. Because all deformations remain within the material's elastic range, without plastic damage or material fatigue accumulation, the shock-absorbing module can repeatedly withstand impacts, achieving excellent reusability. When dealing with impacts of different energy levels, the energy absorption capacity and recovery time of the module can be easily changed by adjusting the support boundary thickness or replacing cell elements with different viscoelastic parameters, achieving flexible customization for engineering applications.

[0055] Through the aforementioned modular design, multi-material manufacturing, and viscoelastic-bistable coupling mechanism, this application achieves a high degree of unity between "high-efficiency energy absorption, autonomous recovery, reusability, and flexible expansion," providing a novel engineering solution for the field of impact protection.

[0056] In the embodiments of this application, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same component or part.

[0057] Any adaptive changes made according to actual needs are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0058] It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity, characterized in that, include: An impact base having an impact surface for receiving impacts; Mounting base; The device includes an energy-absorbing component installed between the impact base and the mounting base. The energy-absorbing component comprises a support assembly, a beam assembly, and at least one energy-absorbing module. The energy-absorbing module comprises a central column and an elastic member. The elastic member is a bistable elastic structure made of viscoelastic material. The middle part of the elastic member is fixedly connected to the impact base and / or the mounting base via the central column. The end of the elastic member is mounted on the support assembly. The beam assembly is fixedly connected to the support assembly and is used to constrain the position of the support assembly and the elastic member, so that the elastic member achieves a bistable state.

2. The self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support assembly has an energy-absorbing module at each of its upper and lower ends. The middle column of the energy-absorbing module at the upper end of the support assembly is connected to the bottom of the impact base, and the middle column of the energy-absorbing module at the lower end of the support assembly is connected to the mounting base.

3. The self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support assembly includes an even number of support columns spaced apart along the circumference. The elastic member includes several sets of upper and lower curved beams arranged side by side with the same specifications. The same end of the upper and lower curved beams in the same set is installed on the same support column. The two ends of the upper and lower curved beams in the same set are respectively installed on two support columns located on the same straight line.

4. The self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support assembly includes a plurality of support columns spaced apart along the circumference, and the elastic member includes an upper curved plate and a lower curved plate arranged side by side, the upper curved plate and the lower curved plate having the same specifications, and the same end of the upper curved plate and the lower curved plate being mounted on the same support column.

5. The self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The crossbeam assembly is placed between the upper and lower energy-absorbing modules. The crossbeam assembly includes several crossbeams arranged in a cross pattern, and the ends of the crossbeams are fixedly connected to the support columns.

6. The self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one set of opposite sides of the impact base are provided with mutually compatible extended male and extended female connectors; At least one set of opposite sides of the mounting base are provided with mutually compatible male and female expansion connectors; In use, the side of the impact base where the extension head is located corresponds to the side of the mounting base where the extension head is located.

7. The self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity according to claim 6, characterized in that, The extended male head is a tenon, and the extended female head is a mortise.

8. The self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity according to claim 5, characterized in that, The impact base, the support assembly, the intermediate column, the mounting base, and the crossbeam assembly are all made of rigid materials.

9. The self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity according to claim 5, characterized in that, By changing the thickness of the support column and / or the crossbeam, or by replacing the elastic component with one of different viscoelastic parameters, the viscoelastic stress relaxation characteristic time of the self-resetting shock-resistant cell based on material viscoelasticity can be controlled.

10. A self-resetting shock-absorbing device based on material viscoelasticity, characterized in that, The device includes several self-resetting shock-resistant cells based on material viscoelasticity as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, a fixing frame, and an outer protective plate; the several self-resetting shock-resistant cells based on material viscoelasticity are detachably connected in at least one direction to expand into a single-layer cell array, the fixing frame is installed at the upper and lower ends of the single-layer cell array, the two fixing frames press the single-layer cell array together, and the outer protective plate is installed on the outer surface of the single-layer cell.

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