Deformable structure for absorption of energy from mechanical and/or acoustic impacts

• US 9,995,359 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SL (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SL (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Martino Gonzalez, Esteban, Marasco, Andrea Ivn, Folch Corts, Diego, Toral Vzquez, Javier, Votsios, Vasilis, Fernandez Ballesteros, Ral, Pereira Mosqueira, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US15/247,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20170058985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 188371, 188377
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/357 Auxetic foams, i.e. material with negative Poisson ratio; anti rubber; dilatational; re-entrant
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0002 insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0091 Damping, energy absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/30 Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof vanes or blades B29L2031/08, air bags B29L2022/027
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/60 Multitubular or multicompartmented articles, e.g. honeycomb
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/08 Tubular products
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/03 3 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/102 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/51 Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/56 Damping, energy absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/734 Dimensional stability
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/00 Layered products comprising a layer of natural or synthetic rubber fibrous or filamentary layer made of a natural or synthetic rubber B32B5/02; particulate layer made of a natural or synthetic rubber B32B5/16; foamed layer made of a natural or synthetic rubber B32B5/18
• 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: B32B 3/18 characterised by an internal layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 3/00 Spring units consisting of several springs, e.g. for obtaining a desired spring characteristic F16F1/32, F16F1/34, F16F7/14 take precedence ; if including fluid springs F16F5/00, F16F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/00 Vibration-dampers; Shock-absorbers using fluid F16F5/00, F16F9/00; specific for rotary systems F16F15/10 ; belt tensioners F16H7/12
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/12 using plastic deformation of members F16F9/30 takes precedence; yieldable means for mounting bumpers on vehicles B60R19/26; yieldable or collapsible steering columns B62D1/192
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/121 the members having a cellular, e.g. honeycomb, structure
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/16 : Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general G10K11/36 takes precedence

Abstract

A deformable structure, such as a panel or a shock absorber, for absorbing energy from a mechanical and/or acoustic impact. The structure comprises an inner core and one or more external layers covering the inner core. The inner core comprises a set of first segments having a positive Poison'"'"'s ratio and second segments having a negative Poisson'"'"'s ratio. The first and second segments are arranged alternately and joined to one another so that the deformation received by one first segment is transmitted to an adjacent second segment and vice versa.

Claims

1. A deformable structure for absorbing energy from at least one of a mechanical or acoustic impact comprising:

an inner core and

one or more external layers covering the inner core,

the inner core comprising a set of first segments having a positive Poison'"'"'s ratio and second segments having a negative Poisson'"'"'s ratio;

the first and second segments being arranged alternately and joined to each other at edge regions so that a deformation received by one first segment is transmitted to an adjacent second segment and vice versa;

the external layers being weakened in areas adjacent to the edge regions between the first and second segments.

2. The deformable structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the first and second segments are formed by a plurality of interconnected walls delimiting therebetween hollow cells arranged transversely to an expected direction of the impact;

the first segments have a geometric configuration with the positive Poisson'"'"'s ratio and the second segments have a geometric configuration with the negative Poisson'"'"'s ratio;

the first and second segments are arranged alternately and ends of the interconnected walls of two adjacent segments are joined so that the deformation received by one first segment is transmitted to an adjacent second segment and vice versa.

3. The deformable structure according to claim 2, wherein the hollow cells of the first segments have the form of regular hexagonal prisms and the hollow cells of the second segments have the form of re-entrant hexagonal prisms.

4. The deformable structure according to claim 2, wherein the inner core is arranged between two external layers as a panel prepared to receive said impact, being the upper and lower adjacent ends of the interconnected walls of all first and second segments joined to said two external layers.

5. The deformable structure according to claim 4, further comprising in the inner core, additional damping elements arranged in a direction parallel to the expected direction of said impact.

6. The deformable structure according to claim 5, wherein said additional damping elements are located in a central area of the first and second segments.

7. The deformable structure according to claim 5, wherein said additional damping elements are located in edge regions between the first and second segments.

8. The deformable structure according to claim 1, wherein the inner core is formed by a stack of alternated first and second segments oriented in the expected direction of the impact, as a shock absorber, the first and second segments being joined at contiguous ends of interconnected walls of the first and second segments, and is covered by an external layer being joined to the inner core at all the contiguous ends of the interconnected walls of said first and second segments.

9. The deformable structure according to claim 8, further comprising in the inner core additional damping elements arranged in a direction perpendicular to the expected direction of said impact and attached to the external layer.

10. The deformable structure according to claim 9, wherein said additional damping elements are located in a central area of the first and second segments.

11. A deformable structure for absorbing energy from at least one of a mechanical or acoustic impact comprising:

an inner core and

one or more external layers covering the inner core,

the inner core comprising a set of first segments having a positive Poison'"'"'s ratio and second segments having a negative Poisson'"'"'s ratio;

the first and second segments being arranged alternately and joined to each other so that a deformation received by one first segment is transmitted to an adjacent second segment and vice versa,

the first and second segments being formed by a plurality of interconnected walls delimiting therebetween hollow cells arranged transversely to an expected direction of the impact;

the first segments having a geometric configuration with the positive Poisson'"'"'s ratio and the second segments having a geometric configuration with the negative Poisson'"'"'s ratio;

the first and second segments being arranged alternately and ends of the interconnected walls of two adjacent segments being joined so that the deformation received by one first segment is transmitted to an adjacent second segment and vice versa;

the inner core being arranged between two external layers as a panel prepared to receive said impact, being the upper and lower adjacent ends of the interconnected walls of all first and second segments joined to said two external layers;

in the inner core, additional damping elements being arranged in a direction parallel to the expected direction of said impact;

said additional damping elements being located in a central area of the first and second segments;

wherein the external layers are weakened in areas adjacent to edge regions between the first and second segments.

12. A deformable structure for absorbing energy from at least one of a mechanical or acoustic impact comprising:

an inner core and

one or more external layers covering and joined to the inner core,

the inner core comprising a set of first segments having a positive Poison'"'"'s ratio and second segments having a negative Poisson'"'"'s ratio;

the first and second segments being arranged alternately and joined to each other at interconnected walls so that a deformation received by one first segment is transmitted to an adjacent second segment and vice versa;

wherein the inner core also comprises an internal piston disposed to receive the impact, the first and second segments being configured with a hollow space to accommodate the internal piston and internal ends of their interconnected walls being joined to the internal piston.