Composite Grille with T-Shaped Cross Sections for Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing composite material grilles are heavy and have poor resistance to mechanical stresses, requiring excessive material and weight to achieve high bearing capacities, which is costly and inefficient in production.
Innovation Solution
A composite structure with T- or L-shaped cross sections for oblong elements, allowing for a lighter design with enhanced mechanical resistance and reduced material usage, achieved through a method of molding that maintains structural integrity and reduces production time and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional rectangular or trapezoid cross-section oblong elements are used, then the grille can be easily removed from the mold, but the structure becomes heavy and has poor mechanical resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by transitioning from symmetric rectangular cross-sections to asymmetric T-shaped and L-shaped cross-sections. These asymmetric shapes provide superior mechanical resistance while maintaining ease of mold removal through careful design of the asymmetric geometry that avoids undercuts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the oblong elements by introducing T-shaped and L-shaped cross-sections with specific dimensional relationships. The parameters include the width, height, and thickness ratios that optimize both structural strength and moldability, achieving weight reduction of 20-30% while maintaining or improving mechanical resistance.
2Strength
If more material is used to increase bearing capacity, then mechanical resistance improves, but weight and production cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating material in strategically located T-shaped and L-shaped cross-sections where mechanical strength is most needed, rather than uniformly distributing material throughout the entire structure. This localized reinforcement achieves high bearing capacity with reduced overall material usage and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials consisting of polymer resin matrices reinforced with fibrous reinforcements (glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers). This composite structure provides high strength-to-weight ratio, enabling the grille to achieve superior mechanical resistance while maintaining reduced weight compared to traditional homogeneous materials.
3Productivity
If traditional molding techniques are used, then production is straightforward, but production time and material costs are excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple oblong elements into a monolithic structure formed in a single molding operation. The mold cavity is designed to simultaneously form multiple T-shaped and L-shaped oblong elements that are interconnected, eliminating the need for separate production and assembly steps, thereby reducing production time and material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the mold cavity into multiple regions that each form specific T-shaped or L-shaped oblong elements, allowing for optimized material distribution and reduced overall material consumption while maintaining structural integrity through the monolithic construction approach.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a lighter composite structure with increased mechanical resistance and reduced material needs, achieving a weight savings of at least 20-30% while maintaining or exceeding the mechanical properties of traditional designs, and significantly reducing production times and costs.
Implementation Method 1
molding a polymer resin which, polymerizing, incorporates inside itself the fibers present, generating the grille with predefined mechanical properties
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 5~7
AI summary
Compound structure made of composite material, such as fiber-reinforced polymer resin, comprising first oblong elements (11) reciprocally distanced and parallel to each other and second oblong elements (12)) reciprocally distanced, parallel to each other and crisscrossed with respect to the first oblong elements (11). The first oblong elements (11) and the second oblong elements (12) are made in a single body to define a reticular structure (13; 13a, 13b) with a monolithic flat shape