Basal plane reinforced microlattice

• US 9,162,416 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Eckel, Zak C., Schaedler, Tobias A., Carter, William, Yang, Sophia S., Jacobsen, Alan J., Maloney, Kevin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WENDELL, MARK R
• Application Number:
  US14/462,501
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 526/33, 428/304.4, 428/594
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/40 Symmetrical or sandwich layers, e.g. ABA, ABCBA, ABCCBA
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/102 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/56 Damping, energy absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2571/00 Protective equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/00 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/08 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 Aircraft blades, propellers B32B2603/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/12 characterised by a layer of regularly- arranged cells, e.g. a honeycomb structure
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/02 Tubes; Rings; Hollow bodies
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 7/00 Electroplating characterised by the article coated
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12002 Three-dimensional structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1221 made from organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/138 by using polymerisation

Abstract

A three-dimensional microlattice structure includes a series of interconnected struts extending along at least three different directions, a series of intermediate nodes defined at intersections between the struts, and a basal plane structure extending laterally between and interconnecting at least two of the nodes. The basal plane structure may be configured to transversely and rotationally constrain the nodes to increase the overall compressive strength and stiffness of the microlattice structure. In one embodiment, the interconnected struts are arranged into an array of ordered unit cells.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional microlattice structure, comprising:

a plurality of interconnected struts extending along at least three different directions;

a plurality of intermediate nodes defined at intersections between the plurality of struts; and

a basal plane structure extending laterally between and interconnecting at least two of the intermediate nodes, wherein the basal plane structure is between upper and lower ends of the plurality of interconnected struts, the basal plane structure defining a plurality of apertures, each aperture of the plurality of apertures receiving one intermediate node of the plurality of intermediate nodes or one strut of the plurality of interconnected struts.

2. The three-dimensional microlattice structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interconnected struts at the basal plane structure define an acute angle relative to a plane of the basal plane structure.

3. The three-dimensional microlattice structure of claim 1, wherein the struts comprise polymer optical waveguides.

4. The three-dimensional microlattice structure of claim 1, wherein the basal plane structure has a non-uniform thickness.

5. The three-dimensional microlattice structure of claim 1, wherein the interconnected struts are arranged into an array of ordered unit cells.

6. The three-dimensional microlattice structure of claim 1, wherein the basal plane structure comprises a material selected from the group of materials consisting of metals, metal alloys, composites, fiberglass, ceramics, natural fibers, ceramic fiber cloths, natural fiber cloths, polymeric cloths, metallic cloths, rubbers, plastics, and combinations thereof.

7. The three-dimensional microlattice structure of claim 1, further comprising a second basal plane structure coupled to an outermost end of the interconnected struts.

8. The three-dimensional microlattice structure of claim 1, wherein the spacing between adjacent nodes varies across the three-dimensional microlattice structure.

9. A three-dimensional microlattice structure, comprising:

a plurality of interconnected struts extending along at least three different directions, wherein the struts comprise hollow tubes;

a plurality of intermediate nodes defined at intersections between the plurality of struts; and

a basal plane structure extending laterally between and interconnecting at least two of the intermediate nodes.

10. The three-dimensional microlattice structure of claim 9, wherein the basal plane structure is selected from the group of structures consisting of a flat, solid plate, a flat plate defining a plurality of apertures, a flat plate having a plurality of collars, a plurality of interconnected members arranged in a grid-like pattern, a mesh, a plurality of individual members, and combinations thereof.

11. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional microlattice, the method comprising:

disposing a basal plane structure at a height within a volume of liquid photo-monomer between upper and lower ends of the volume of liquid photo-monomer; and

irradiating the volume of photo-monomer with a plurality of collimated light beams to form the three-dimensional microlattice having a plurality of interconnected polymer optical waveguides and the basal plane structure between upper and lower ends of the plurality of interconnected polymer optical waveguides.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the height of the basal plane structure corresponds to a height of a plurality of nodes defined at intersections of the polymer optical waveguides.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the basal plane structure is selected from the group of basal plane structures consisting of a flat, solid plate, a flat plate defining a plurality of apertures, a flat plate having a plurality of collars, a plurality of interconnected basal plane members arranged in a grid-like pattern, a mesh, a plurality of individual basal plane members, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the basal plane structure comprises a material selected from the group of materials consisting of metals, metal alloys, composites, fiberglass, ceramics, natural fibers, ceramic fiber cloths, natural fiber cloths, polymeric cloths, metallic cloths, rubbers, plastics, and combinations thereof.

15. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional microlattice, the method comprising:

disposing a basal plane structure at a height within a volume of liquid photo-monomer; and

irradiating the volume of photo-monomer with a plurality of collimated light beams to form the three-dimensional microlattice having a plurality of interconnected polymer optical waveguides, wherein;

the basal plane structure comprises a material translucent to wavelengths of the collimated light beams; and

the irradiating of the volume of photo-monomer comprises directing a plurality of the collimated light beams through the basal plane structure such that the polymer optical waveguides form on opposite sides of the basal plane structure.

16. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional microlattice, the method comprising:

disposing a basal plane structure at a height within a volume of liquid photo-monomer; and

irradiating the volume of photo-monomer with a plurality of collimated light beams to form the three-dimensional microlattice having a plurality of interconnected polymer optical waveguides, wherein;

the basal plane structure comprises a flat plate defining a plurality of apertures; and

the irradiating of the volume of photo-monomer comprises directing a plurality of the collimated light beams through the apertures in the basal plane structure.

17. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional microlattice, the method comprising:

disposing a basal plane structure at a height within a volume of liquid photo-monomer;

irradiating the volume of photo-monomer with a plurality of collimated light beams to form the three-dimensional microlattice having a plurality of interconnected polymer optical waveguides;

coating the polymer optical waveguides with a dissimilar material by a process selected from the group of processes consisting of electrodeposition, electroplating, vapor deposition, spray coating, dip coating, and combinations thereof; and

selectively removing the polymer optical waveguides to form a plurality of interconnected hollow tubular struts.

18. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional microlattice, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate against an upper surface of a volume of photo-monomer contained in a reservoir;

irradiating the volume of photo-monomer with a first plurality of collimated light beams to form a first layer of the three-dimensional microlattice having a first plurality of interconnected polymer optical waveguides adhered to the substrate;

actuating a moveable platform coupled to the substrate to lift the first layer of the three-dimensional microlattice out of a remaining volume of photo-monomer;

coupling a basal plane structure to a lower end of the first layer of the three-dimensional microlattice; and

irradiating the remaining volume of photo-monomer with a second plurality of collimated light beams to form a second layer of the three-dimensional microlattice having a second plurality of interconnected waveguides adhered to the basal plane structure.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising adding or removing a volume of photo-monomer to the reservoir after irradiating the volume of photo-monomer with a plurality of collimated light beams to form the first layer of the three-dimensional microlattice.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the basal plane structure is selected from the group of basal plane structures consisting of a flat, solid plate, a flat plate defining a plurality of apertures, a flat plate having a plurality of collars, a plurality of interconnected basal plane members arranged in a grid-like pattern, a mesh, a plurality of individual basal plane members, and combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising orienting the second plurality of collimated light beams such that the orientation of the second plurality of collimated light beams differs from the orientation of the first plurality of collimated light beams.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

directing the first plurality of collimated light beams through a plurality of apertures defined by a first mask;

replacing the first mask with a second mask defining a plurality of apertures differing in at least one of size, shape, and spacing from the apertures defined by the first mask; and

directing the second plurality of collimated light beams through the plurality of apertures defined by the second mask such that the waveguides in the first and second layers of the microlattice differ in at least one of size, cross-sectional shape, and spacing.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising coating the first and second plurality of polymer optical waveguides with a dissimilar material by a process selected from the group of processes consisting of electrodeposition, electroplating, vapor deposition, spray coating, dip coating, and combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising selectively removing the first and second plurality of polymer optical waveguides to form a plurality of interconnected hollow tubular struts.