Reusable Elastomer Grid Layers for Moisture-Resistant Airdrop Cushioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy absorbing layers for shipping items are bulky, heavy, and degrade in moisture, limiting their effectiveness and sustainability, especially in airdrop applications.
Innovation Solution
The development of modular, elastomer-based energy absorbing layers with slots, bosses, and apertures that form a grid structure, allowing for efficient assembly and reusability, with features to minimize rebound energy and accommodate various dimensions, and include air or metal-filled pockets for buoyancy control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional energy absorbing layers are used, then they provide basic cushioning, but they are bulky, heavy, and degrade in moisture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses elastomer material for the energy absorbing layers, which provides both moisture resistance and reduced weight compared to traditional materials. The elastomer composite structure maintains energy absorption capabilities while eliminating the bulk and weight issues of conventional energy absorbing layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The grid structure with slots and apertures creates a porous configuration that reduces material density and weight while maintaining structural integrity. The porous design allows moisture to pass through rather than accumulate, preventing degradation and reducing overall weight.
2Reliability
If traditional energy absorbing layers are used, then they provide basic cushioning, but they are bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The energy absorbing layer is divided into a grid structure with multiple slots and apertures, segmenting the material into functional zones. This segmentation reduces the overall volume required for cushioning while maintaining structural integrity through the distributed grid pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomer material provides high strength-to-volume ratio, allowing the same protective function to be achieved in less volume. The composite elastomer structure maintains structural integrity while reducing the bulk compared to traditional homogeneous materials.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional energy absorbing layers are used, then they absorb impact energy, but they degrade in moisture and are not reusable
Solution Approach 1:
The porous grid structure with slots and apertures allows moisture to pass through rather than penetrate and degrade the material. This porous configuration protects the elastomer from moisture exposure, enabling reuse without degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomer composite material inherently resists moisture degradation, providing long-term durability and reusability. The composite structure maintains its energy absorption properties across multiple use cycles without the degradation that plagues traditional materials.
4Strength
If a dense energy absorbing structure is used, then it provides strong impact absorption, but it increases weight and reduces sustainability
Solution Approach 1:
The porous grid structure with slots and apertures provides energy absorption through the elastomer material's inherent properties rather than through density. This porous configuration maintains strong energy absorption capability while significantly reducing weight compared to dense structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomer composite material provides high energy absorption capability per unit weight, allowing the same protective function to be achieved with less material. The composite structure optimizes the strength-to-weight ratio for maximum energy absorption efficiency.
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 provides improved sustainability, reduced weight and volume, and enhanced energy absorption capabilities, enabling up to 100 airdrops without degradation, while maintaining structural integrity and supporting loads of up to 1700 pounds.
Implementation Method 1
Each layer is composed of elastomer... The plurality of layers may be composed of rubber, including styrene-butadiene rubber
Implementation Method 2
A layer of the plurality of layers may have one or more air pockets. A layer of the plurality of layers may have one or more metal-filled pockets
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes an airdrop load and at least one energy absorbing assembly including a grid formed from a plurality of layers. Each layer includes: a plurality of slots sufficient to accommodate a thickness of others layers from the plurality of layers and form a plurality of joints; a plurality of apertures, each aperture from the plurality of apertures colinear with a joint from the plurality of joints along a vertical axis; and a plurality of bosses, each boss from the plurality of bosses protruding into a slot from the plurality of slots and having a complementary geometry and position to engage with an aperture from a plurality of apertures of an adjacent layer from the plurality of layers when the grid is formed.