Patent · US9527261B1 · B1 · US

Hollow polymer micro-truss structures containing pressurized fluids

(11) Publication number

US9527261B1

(21) Application number

13/618,616

(22) Filing date

2012-09-14

(30) Priority date

2012-09-14

(43) Publication date

2016-12-27

(45) Date of grant

2016-12-27

(52) CPC

B29C Shaping or joining of plastics; shaping of material in a plastic state, not otherwise provided for; after-treatment of the shaped products, e.g. repairing: 67/202, 33/40, 33/448, 41/02
B01F Mixing, e.g. dissolving, emulsifying or dispersing: 25/40, 25/45243
B05D Processes for applying fluent materials to surfaces, in general: 1/60
B29K Indexing scheme associated with subclasses B29B, B29C or B29D, relating to moulding materials or to materials for {moulds, } reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts: 2086/00, 2881/00
B32B Layered products, i.e. products built-up of strata of flat or non-flat, e.g. cellular or honeycomb, form: 2307/51, 3/12, 3/20, 3/26
B64G Cosmonautics; vehicles or equipment therefor: 1/2227, 2001/224
C09K Materials for miscellaneous applications, not provided for elsewhere: 13/00, 13/02
E04C Structural elements; building materials: 3/28
F16L Pipes; joints or fittings for pipes; supports for pipes, cables or protective tubing; means for thermal insulation in general: 41/00
F28D Heat-exchange apparatus, not provided for in another subclass, in which the heat-exchange media do not come into direct contact: 15/00, 15/046, 21/00
F28F Details of heat-exchange and heat-transfer apparatus, of general application: 13/185, 2210/00, 2260/00

(73) Assignee

ROPER CHRISTOPHER S; CARTER WILLIAM B; JACOBSEN ALAN J; MALONEY KEVIN J; DOTY ROBERT E; SCHAEDLER TOBIAS A; SORENSEN ADAM E; NOWAK ANDREW P; HRL LAB LLC

(54) Title

Hollow polymer micro-truss structures containing pressurized fluids

(57) Abstract

An ordered, 3-dimensional, micro-scale, open-cellular truss structure including interconnected hollow polymer tubes. The hollow micro-truss structure separates two fluid volumes which can be independently pressurized or depressurized to control flow, or materials properties, or both. Applications for this invention include deployable structures, inflatable structures, flow control, and vented padding.

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Claims (14)

A three-dimensional hollow micro-truss, comprising: at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes extending along at least three different directions; the at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes having walls; the tubes intersecting each other at a plurality of hollow nodes to form a structure; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having interior surfaces collectively enclosing a first fluid region; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having exterior surfaces defining a second fluid region; wherein: the first fluid region is not in fluid communication with the second fluid region, the micro-truss is configured to inflate elastically from a reversibly collapsed state in response to a difference between a first pressure in the first fluid region and a second pressure in the second fluid region, and the length of the hollow tubes is at least 40 microns and at most 25 millimeters.
The hollow micro-truss of claim 1, wherein the walls are configured such that the walls are capable of deforming to increase or decrease the inner diameter of the hollow tubes by an amount exceeding the thickness of the walls without experiencing material failure.
The hollow micro-truss of claim 1, wherein the walls are configured such that the walls are capable of deforming to increase or decrease the inner diameter of the hollow tubes by an amount exceeding ten times the thickness of the walls without experiencing material failure.
The hollow micro-truss of claim 1, wherein the variation in the thickness of the walls is less than 10% of the maximum thickness of the walls.
The hollow micro-truss of claim 1, wherein the hollow tubes comprise a first fluid access port for adding fluid to or removing fluid from the first fluid region to control the pressure in the first fluid region.
The hollow micro-truss of claim 5, wherein the hollow tubes are sufficiently elastic for pressure changes in the first fluid region to change, by at least 5%, a resistance to flow in the second fluid region of a second fluid within the second fluid region.
The hollow micro-truss of claim 5, wherein the hollow tubes are sufficiently elastic for pressure changes in the first fluid region to change, by at least 5%, a mechanical property of the hollow micro-truss.
The hollow micro-truss of claim 7 wherein the mechanical property is selected from the group consisting of stiffnesses and strengths, and combinations thereof.
The hollow micro-truss of claim 5, wherein the hollow tubes are sufficiently elastic for pressure changes in the first fluid region to change, by at least 1%, a dimension of the hollow micro-truss.
A three-dimensional hollow micro-truss, comprising: at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes extending along at least three different directions; the at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes having walls; the tubes intersecting each other at a plurality of hollow nodes to form a structure; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having interior surfaces collectively enclosing a first fluid region; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having exterior surfaces defining a second fluid region; wherein: the first fluid region is not in fluid communication with the second fluid region, the micro-truss is configured to inflate elastically from a reversibly collapsed state in response to a difference between a first pressure in the first fluid region and a second pressure in the second fluid region, and the inner diameter of the hollow tubes is at least 10 microns and at most 2 millimeters.
A three-dimensional hollow micro-truss, comprising: at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes extending along at least three different directions; the at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes having walls; the tubes intersecting each other at a plurality of hollow nodes to form a structure; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having interior surfaces collectively enclosing a first fluid region; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having exterior surfaces defining a second fluid region; wherein: the first fluid region is not in fluid communication with the second fluid region, the micro-truss is configured to inflate elastically from a reversibly collapsed state in response to a difference between a first pressure in the first fluid region and a second pressure in the second fluid region, and the wall thickness of the hollow tubes is at least 10 nanometers and at most 0.5 millimeters.
A micro-truss device comprising: the three-dimensional hollow micro-truss of claim 1 extending throughout a three-dimensional volume; and a face sheet abutting, and bonded to, the three-dimensional micro-truss over at least a portion of a surface of the three-dimensional volume.
The hollow micro-truss of claim 12, wherein the hollow tubes comprise a first fluid access port for adding fluid to or removing fluid from the first fluid region to control the pressure in the first fluid region.
The hollow micro-truss of claim 12, wherein the device comprises a second fluid access port for adding fluid to or removing fluid from the second fluid region to control the pressure in the second fluid region.

Citations (62)

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Record as JSON

{
  "publication_number": "US9527261B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Hollow polymer micro-truss structures containing pressurized fluids",
  "abstract": "An ordered, 3-dimensional, micro-scale, open-cellular truss structure including interconnected hollow polymer tubes. The hollow micro-truss structure separates two fluid volumes which can be independently pressurized or depressurized to control flow, or materials properties, or both. Applications for this invention include deployable structures, inflatable structures, flow control, and vented padding.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A three-dimensional hollow micro-truss, comprising: at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes extending along at least three different directions; the at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes having walls; the tubes intersecting each other at a plurality of hollow nodes to form a structure; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having interior surfaces collectively enclosing a first fluid region; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having exterior surfaces defining a second fluid region; wherein: the first fluid region is not in fluid communication with the second fluid region, the micro-truss is configured to inflate elastically from a reversibly collapsed state in response to a difference between a first pressure in the first fluid region and a second pressure in the second fluid region, and the length of the hollow tubes is at least 40 microns and at most 25 millimeters.",
    "2. The hollow micro-truss of claim 1, wherein the walls are configured such that the walls are capable of deforming to increase or decrease the inner diameter of the hollow tubes by an amount exceeding the thickness of the walls without experiencing material failure.",
    "3. The hollow micro-truss of claim 1, wherein the walls are configured such that the walls are capable of deforming to increase or decrease the inner diameter of the hollow tubes by an amount exceeding ten times the thickness of the walls without experiencing material failure.",
    "4. The hollow micro-truss of claim 1, wherein the variation in the thickness of the walls is less than 10% of the maximum thickness of the walls.",
    "5. The hollow micro-truss of claim 1, wherein the hollow tubes comprise a first fluid access port for adding fluid to or removing fluid from the first fluid region to control the pressure in the first fluid region.",
    "6. The hollow micro-truss of claim 5, wherein the hollow tubes are sufficiently elastic for pressure changes in the first fluid region to change, by at least 5%, a resistance to flow in the second fluid region of a second fluid within the second fluid region.",
    "7. The hollow micro-truss of claim 5, wherein the hollow tubes are sufficiently elastic for pressure changes in the first fluid region to change, by at least 5%, a mechanical property of the hollow micro-truss.",
    "8. The hollow micro-truss of claim 7 wherein the mechanical property is selected from the group consisting of stiffnesses and strengths, and combinations thereof.",
    "9. The hollow micro-truss of claim 5, wherein the hollow tubes are sufficiently elastic for pressure changes in the first fluid region to change, by at least 1%, a dimension of the hollow micro-truss.",
    "10. A three-dimensional hollow micro-truss, comprising: at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes extending along at least three different directions; the at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes having walls; the tubes intersecting each other at a plurality of hollow nodes to form a structure; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having interior surfaces collectively enclosing a first fluid region; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having exterior surfaces defining a second fluid region; wherein: the first fluid region is not in fluid communication with the second fluid region, the micro-truss is configured to inflate elastically from a reversibly collapsed state in response to a difference between a first pressure in the first fluid region and a second pressure in the second fluid region, and the inner diameter of the hollow tubes is at least 10 microns and at most 2 millimeters.",
    "11. A three-dimensional hollow micro-truss, comprising: at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes extending along at least three different directions; the at least three sets of interconnected hollow tubes having walls; the tubes intersecting each other at a plurality of hollow nodes to form a structure; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having interior surfaces collectively enclosing a first fluid region; the hollow tubes and the hollow nodes having exterior surfaces defining a second fluid region; wherein: the first fluid region is not in fluid communication with the second fluid region, the micro-truss is configured to inflate elastically from a reversibly collapsed state in response to a difference between a first pressure in the first fluid region and a second pressure in the second fluid region, and the wall thickness of the hollow tubes is at least 10 nanometers and at most 0.5 millimeters.",
    "12. A micro-truss device comprising: the three-dimensional hollow micro-truss of claim 1 extending throughout a three-dimensional volume; and a face sheet abutting, and bonded to, the three-dimensional micro-truss over at least a portion of a surface of the three-dimensional volume.",
    "13. The hollow micro-truss of claim 12, wherein the hollow tubes comprise a first fluid access port for adding fluid to or removing fluid from the first fluid region to control the pressure in the first fluid region.",
    "14. The hollow micro-truss of claim 12, wherein the device comprises a second fluid access port for adding fluid to or removing fluid from the second fluid region to control the pressure in the second fluid region."
  ],
  "cpc": [
    "B29C 67/202",
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    "F28D 15/00",
    "F28D 15/046",
    "F28D 21/00",
    "F28F 13/185",
    "F28F 2210/00",
    "F28F 2260/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "ROPER CHRISTOPHER S",
    "CARTER WILLIAM B",
    "JACOBSEN ALAN J",
    "MALONEY KEVIN J",
    "DOTY ROBERT E",
    "SCHAEDLER TOBIAS A",
    "SORENSEN ADAM E",
    "NOWAK ANDREW P",
    "HRL LAB LLC"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2012-09-14",
  "publication_date": "2016-12-27",
  "grant_date": "2016-12-27",
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  "application_number": "US-201213618616-A",
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}

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