Solid-liquid composite structures
First Claim
1. A structural element comprising:
- a base material having a predetermined stiffness; and
a set of channels configured to be filled with fluid and embedded within said base material such that at least some of said channels are spatially asymmetric relative to the neutral plane of said structural element,wherein at least the positions of said set of channels within said base material, the dimensions of said set of channels and the pressure of the fluid within said channels are designated such that a deformation field generated by said pressure applied to said fluid within said set of channels is adapted to offset deformations caused to the element by the application of externally applied forces.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pressurized, fluid-filled channel network embedded in an elastic structure, asymmetrically to the neutral plane, is used to create a deformation field within the structure by the pressurization of the embedded fluidic network, which can be applied in accordance with external forces acting on the structure. The deformation of the structure resulting from the liquid pressure and geometry of the network is related to a continuous deformation-field function. This enables the design of networks creating steady arbitrary deformation fields as well as to eliminate deformation created by external time varying forces, thus increasing the effective rigidity of the beam. By including the effects of the deformation created by the channel network on the beam inertia, the response of the beam to oscillating forces can be modified, enabling the design of channel networks which create pre-defined oscillating deformation patterns in response to external oscillating forces.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A structural element comprising:
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a base material having a predetermined stiffness; and a set of channels configured to be filled with fluid and embedded within said base material such that at least some of said channels are spatially asymmetric relative to the neutral plane of said structural element, wherein at least the positions of said set of channels within said base material, the dimensions of said set of channels and the pressure of the fluid within said channels are designated such that a deformation field generated by said pressure applied to said fluid within said set of channels is adapted to offset deformations caused to the element by the application of externally applied forces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 21)
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13. A method of increasing the effective stiffness of a structural element, comprising:
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providing a base material constituting the basis of said structural element, said base material having embedded therein a set of channels containing a fluid, at least some of said channels being spatially asymmetric relative to the neutral plane of said structural element; and applying pressure to said fluid in accordance with the configuration of an external force field incident on said structural element, wherein at least the positions of said set of channels within said base material, the dimensions of said set of channels and the pressure of the fluid within said set of channels are configured so that a deformation field generated by said pressure is adapted to offset deformations that would be caused to said structural element by said externally applied force field, such that the effective stiffness of said structural element is increased. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22)
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Specification