Twelve-cornered cellular structure for impact energy absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional structural components with honeycomb-like cellular structures effectively absorb compressive energy but increase weight, necessitating a design that maximizes impact energy absorption and bending resistance while minimizing mass per unit length, especially for applications like vehicle structures to meet fuel efficiency and emission requirements.
Innovation Solution
A cellular structure featuring cells with a twelve-cornered cross-section, where two sides have a first cross-sectional length and ten sides have a second cross-sectional length, differing from the first, allowing for tunable side lengths to optimize strength and energy absorption, and potentially incorporating fillers for additional properties like thermal or sound insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional hexagonal cellular structures are used, then compressive energy absorption and crush stability are improved, but mass per unit length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the cellular structure from hexagonal (6-sided) to dodecagonal (12-sided) cross-sections. This parameter change in the cellular geometry provides enhanced compressive energy absorption and crush stability while reducing the mass per unit length compared to conventional hexagonal structures, directly resolving the technical contradiction between strength and weight.
2Ease of manufacture
If basic polygonal cellular structures are used, then manufacturing feasibility is maintained, but energy absorption and bend resistance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from basic polygonal (e.g., hexagonal) cellular structures to dodecagonal (12-sided) cellular structures. This geometric parameter change significantly enhances energy absorption and bend resistance while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through established extrusion and molding processes, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and strength.
3Strength
If cellular structures with more sides are used, then strength increase is achieved, but design flexibility and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adopts dodecagonal (12-sided) cellular structures as an optimal geometric parameter that provides substantial strength and energy absorption improvements over hexagonal structures. The design maintains reasonable complexity by utilizing symmetric geometry and standard manufacturing processes, balancing the trade-off between enhanced strength and manageable design complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A cellular structure may include a plurality of cells. Each cell of the plurality of cells may have a twelve-cornered cross section. The twelve-cornered cross-section may include two sides each having a first cross-sectional length, and ten sides each having a second cross-sectional length that differs from the first cross-sectional length.