Twelve-Cornered Cellular Structures for Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional structural components with polygonal cellular structures, such as honeycomb, increase weight while providing compressive energy absorption and crush stability, and lack flexibility in design to meet various applications, while also being inefficient in energy absorption and bending resistance.
Innovation Solution
A cellular structure with twelve-cornered cells, each having twelve sides and twelve corners, creating eight internal and four external angles, which provides enhanced energy absorption and stability while minimizing mass per unit length, allowing for tunable cross-sections and flexible design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional polygonal cellular structures (e.g., hexagonal honeycomb) are used to provide compressive energy absorption and crush stability, then strength and stability are improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the cellular structure from conventional polygonal shapes (triangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon) to a specific twelve-cornered cross-section with defined internal and external angles. This parameter change optimizes the structure to achieve comparable or superior strength to hexagonal structures while reducing mass per unit length, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and weight
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional polygonal cellular structures are used to provide crush stability, then axial collapse stability is improved, but design flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent defines a specific twelve-cornered cross-section geometry with precise angle specifications (eight internal angles of approximately 150 degrees each, and four external angles of approximately 30 degrees each). This standardized geometric parameter provides consistent axial collapse stability while the modular nature of the twelve-cornered cell allows for various structural configurations and applications, maintaining design flexibility
3Strength
If conventional polygonal cellular structures are used to increase strength, then load carrying capacity is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a twelve-cornered cross-section with well-defined geometric parameters ( twelve sides, eight internal angles of approximately 150 degrees, and four external angles of approximately 30 degrees). These precise parameter definitions facilitate consistent manufacturing by providing clear geometric guidelines for production processes, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining enhanced load carrying capacity
Data Source
AI summary
A cellular structure may include a plurality of cells each having a twelve-cornered cross section. The twelve-cornered cross section may include twelve sides and twelve corners creating eight internal angles and four external angles. Each cell may include a plurality of longitudinal walls extending between a top and a bottom of the cell, the longitudinal walls intersecting to create corners of the cell. A structural component may include at least one wall surrounding a component interior space with a cellular structure having at least two cells being positioned within the interior space. A sandwich structure may include first and second substantially planar structures, and a cellular structure with at least two cells positioned between the first and second substantially planar structures.