High airflow micro-truss structural apparatus

• US 9,017,806 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Alan J., Carter, William, Manning, Sha-Chelle
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, ANDRE J
• Application Number:
  US13/428,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20130273347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 428/304.4
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/18 Resilient soles skating boots provided with resilient means A43B5/1658
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/724 Permeability to gases, adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2437/02 Gloves, shoes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2479/00 Furniture upholstery B32B2601/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/00 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/12 characterised by a layer of regularly- arranged cells, e.g. a honeycomb structure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/26 characterised by a particular shape of the outline of the cross-section of a continuous layer; characterised by a layer with cavities or internal voids foam layer B32B5/18; layer of synthetic resin characterised by fillers that create voids or cavities B32B27/205; characterised by an apertured layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/028 Net structure, e.g. spaced apart filaments bonded at the crossing points
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/24 one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12347 Plural layers discontinuously bonded [e.g., spot-weld, mechanical fastener, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]

Abstract

An apparatus for maintaining an environmental state of a working surface includes: a first micro-truss layer including: a plurality of first struts extending along a first direction; a plurality of second struts extending along a second direction; and a plurality of third struts extending along a third direction, the first, second, and third struts interpenetrating one another at a plurality of nodes, the first, second, and third struts interpenetrating one another at non-perpendicular angles, the apparatus having a contact surface configured to contact the working surface and having an open porosity configured to allow air to flow to the contact surface, wherein a total surface area of the contact surface is between about 1% and about 50% of a total surface area of the working surface.

Claims

1. An apparatus for maintaining an environmental state of a working surface comprising:

a first micro-truss layer comprising;

a plurality of first struts extending along a first direction;

a plurality of second struts extending along a second direction; and

a plurality of third struts extending along a third direction,

the first, second, and third struts interpenetrating one another at a plurality of nodes, the first, second, and third struts interpenetrating one another at non-perpendicular angles,

the apparatus having a contact surface configured to contact the working surface and having an open porosity configured to allow air to flow to the contact surface, wherein a total surface area of the contact surface is between about 1% and about 50% of a total surface area of the working surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third struts form a first plurality of unit cells.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is less than five unit cells thick in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the unit cells are about the same size.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the total surface area of the first micro-truss layer at the contact surface to the total surface area of the contact surface is maintained to be substantially constant when the apparatus is under up to 50% densification strain.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact surface comprises a plurality of contact points spaced apart from one another, each of the contact points having a contact area in the range from about 100 square microns to about 10 square millimeters.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second micro-truss layer comprising:

a plurality of fourth struts extending along a fourth direction;

a plurality of fifth struts extending along a fifth direction; and

a plurality of sixth struts extending along a sixth direction,

the second micro-truss layer being located between the first micro-truss layer and the contact surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the fourth, fifth, and sixth struts form a second plurality of unit cells and the first, second, and third struts form a first plurality of unit cells, each of the first unit cells being larger than each of the second unit cells.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first, second, and third struts form a first three-dimensional pattern and the fourth, fifth, and sixth struts form a second three-dimensional pattern, the second three-dimensional pattern differing from the first three-dimensional pattern.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an interface connected with the first three-dimensional pattern and the second three-dimensional pattern.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and second three-dimensional patterns have order in three dimensions.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fourth struts extending in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to be used with an article wearable by a person.

14. A method of providing airflow to a working surface, the method comprising:

configuring a first micro-truss layer to have an open porosity to allow air to flow through the first micro-truss layer, the first micro-truss layer comprising;

a plurality of first struts extending along a first direction;

a plurality of second struts extending along a second direction; and

a plurality of third struts extending along a third direction,

the first, second, and third struts interpenetrating one another at a plurality of nodes, the first, second, and third struts interpenetrating one another at non-perpendicular angles; and

configuring the first micro-truss layer to be applied to the working surface, the first micro-truss layer being configured to contact the working surface at a contact surface, a total surface area of the micro-truss layer at the contact surface being between about 1% and about 50% of a total surface area of the working surface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first, second, and third struts are configured to form a first plurality of unit cells.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the micro-truss layer is less than five unit cells thick in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the unit cells are about the same size.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the contact surface comprises a plurality of contact points spaced apart from one another, each of the contact points having a contact area in the range from about 100 square microns to about 10 square millimeters.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein a ratio of the total surface area of the contact surface to the total surface area of the working surface is maintained to be substantially constant when the first micro-truss layer is under up to 50% densification strain.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first micro-truss layer further comprises a plurality of fourth struts extending in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the first micro-truss layer is a portion of:

a helmet, an arm rest, a seat, a piece of clothing, a headband, a glove, a shoe insole, eyeglass frames, an undergarment, a mattress, or a mattress topper.

22. A method of providing airflow to a working surface, the method comprising:

configuring a first micro-truss layer to have an open porosity to allow air to flow through the first micro-truss layer, the first micro-truss layer comprising;

a plurality of first struts extending along a first direction,

a plurality of second struts extending along a second direction, and

a plurality of third struts extending along a third direction,

the first, second, and third struts interpenetrating one another at a plurality of nodes, the first, second, and third struts interpenetrating one another at non-perpendicular angles;

configuring a second micro-truss layer to have an open porosity for wicking moisture through the second micro-truss layer, the second micro-truss layer comprising;

a plurality of fourth struts extending along a fourth direction,

a plurality of fifth struts extending along a fifth direction, and

a plurality of sixth struts extending along a sixth direction;

configuring the second micro-truss layer to be applied to the working surface, the second micro-truss layer being configured to contact the working surface at a contact surface, a total surface area of the micro-truss layer at the contact surface being between about 1% and about 50% of a total surface area of the working surface; and

attaching the second micro-truss layer to the first micro-truss layer, between the first micro-truss layer and the contact surface.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the fourth, fifth, and sixth struts form a second plurality of unit cells and the first, second, and third struts form a first plurality of unit cells, each of the first unit cells being larger than each of the second unit cells.