Topologically Structured Plastic Panel for Lightweight Bending Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plastic components in the automotive sector face challenges in achieving high mechanical properties such as rigidity and bending strength while maintaining low weight and cost, especially across varying temperature ranges, and require innovative manufacturing techniques to achieve these goals.
Innovation Solution
A plastic component with a topologically structured surface featuring a coherent two-dimensional grid of trough-shaped depressions, where the material thickness remains constant across the structure, providing improved mechanical properties and air flow while being lightweight and cost-effective, manufactured using injection molding or thermoforming processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the wall thickness is reduced to decrease weight, then the weight decreases, but the mechanical strength and stiffness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional flat panel to a three-dimensional topologically structured surface with channel-shaped depressions. This dimensional transformation creates volumetric stiffness while maintaining thin wall thickness, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and mechanical strength preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous panel surface is segmented into a grid pattern of channel-shaped depressions separated by ribs. This segmentation creates multiple structural elements that collectively provide enhanced mechanical strength and stiffness while maintaining overall lightness through the thin wall design.
2Strength
If the wall thickness is increased to improve mechanical properties, then the strength increases, but the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing wall thickness in the third dimension, the invention uses topological structuring in the surface dimension to achieve enhanced mechanical properties. The channel-shaped depressions create structural stiffness without requiring additional material thickness, thus avoiding weight increase.
3Strength
If a topologically structured surface is created to enhance mechanical properties, then the bending moments increase, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses channel-shaped depressions with curved surfaces rather than sharp angular features. This curvature simplifies the molding process by eliminating the need for complex draft angles and sharp corners, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining the topological structuring benefits for enhanced bending moments.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a regular two-dimensional rib pattern is used to strengthen the component, then the stiffness increases, but the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a thin-walled structure with topological surface structuring instead of thick rigid ribs. The channel-shaped depressions create stiffness through surface geometry rather than through increased material thickness, enabling the component to maintain rigidity while using minimal material and achieving low weight.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3d
AI summary
A description is given of a component (1) having at least one area of plastic (3, 21), which extends with the surface (32) thereof that is facing a front side (28) along a reference plane (22). The component is characterized in that, in this area of plastic (3, 21), the wall of plastic (27) has a wall thickness (d) in the range of 0.2-5 mm, in this area of plastic (3, 21) there is formed a continuous two-dimensional grid (30) of channel-shaped depressions (6), in which depressions (6) the wall of plastic (27), while keeping substantially the same wall thickness (d), is offset out of the reference plane (22) by an offset (v) and, perpendicularly to the reference plane (22), in the depressions (6) the offset (v) lies in the range of 1.5 to 5 times the wall thickness (d) from the reference plane (22) to the surface (32) of the rear side (29), wherein the grid (30) forms a pattern comprising a multiplicity of grid cells (31) recurring in two directions of the reference plane (22).