Foldable Composite Sheet With Score Lines

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sheets of material require extensive time, tools, adhesives, or mechanical fasteners to form desired shapes, often lacking the necessary structural properties and requiring reinforcement.

Innovation Solution

A foldable composite material with a rigid inner layer sandwiched between flexible outer layers, featuring an undulated shape and score lines that allow the sheet to be folded into various structures without losing structural integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional sheets of material are folded to form structures, then the desired shape can be achieved, but the process is time consuming and requires many tools, adhesives or mechanical fasteners

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of forming structuresVSAvoidtime to form structures

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The sheet is pre-formed with an undulated configuration featuring alternating summit and valley portions, and pre-scored with score lines at predetermined locations. This preliminary preparation allows the sheet to be quickly folded into structures without requiring time-consuming assembly operations, tools, or fasteners during the forming process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The sheet is divided into multiple panels separated by score lines, with each panel containing undulated portions. This segmentation allows the sheet to be easily folded along the score lines to form various structural configurations, eliminating the need for adhesives or mechanical fasteners to join separate components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If conventional sheets of material are folded to form structures, then the desired shape can be achieved, but the process requires many tools, adhesives or mechanical fasteners

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of forming structuresVSAvoidtools and fasteners required

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The undulated configuration and score lines are designed to work together, where the rigid inner layer maintains structural integrity while the flexible outer layers allow easy folding along the score lines. The structure forms itself through the interaction of these pre-designed features without requiring external tools, adhesives, or fasteners.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Shape

If conventional sheets of material are folded to form structures, then the desired shape can be achieved, but the final object may not provide the desired structural properties and requires reinforcement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural propertiesVSAvoidreinforcement required

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sheet comprises a composite structure with a rigid inner layer sandwiched between flexible outer layers. The rigid inner layer provides structural integrity and strength to the formed structures, while the flexible outer layers enable easy folding along the score lines. This composite construction eliminates the need for additional reinforcement while maintaining desired structural properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The sheet features an undulated configuration with alternating summit and valley portions that create curved surfaces. This curvature provides inherent structural strength and rigidity to the formed objects, eliminating the need for additional reinforcement while maintaining the desired shape and structural properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

4Strength

If the sheet has a rigid structure to maintain structural integrity, then strength is improved, but the sheet becomes difficult to fold and manipulate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidease of folding

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The sheet has different mechanical properties in different regions: the rigid inner layer provides strength where needed, while the flexible outer layers at the fold lines provide ease of manipulation. The score lines are specifically designed to concentrate the folding action, allowing the rigid structure to be folded without compromising overall structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10518499B2Foldable composite material sheet and structure

Publication Date: 2019.12.31 CORRUVEN CANADA

AI summary

A composite material and structure. The structure has a folded sheet having a rigid inner layer sandwiched between flexible outer layers. The sheet has an undulated shape with alternating summit and valley portions. Intermediate portions each extend between adjacent summit and valley portions. At least one score line extends through at least one of the flexible outer layers. The sheet is folded about the at least one score line. A method of forming a structure from a sheet having an undulated shape.