Additively grown enhanced impact resistance features for improved structure and joint protection

{
  "publication_number": "US9823143B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Additively grown enhanced impact resistance features for improved structure and joint protection",
  "abstract": "A method includes designing a part. The part includes at least one internal structure. The internal structure is designed to provide strain mitigation, energy dissipation, or impact resistance for the part during an emergency condition. The part is built by a layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process. While building the part, the internal structure is connected to the part.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method comprising: designing a part to include at least one internal structure, wherein the at least one internal structure is designed to provide strain mitigation, energy dissipation, or impact resistance for the part during an emergency condition, wherein the part comprises a strut end fitting or bolt bushing for use in an aircraft engine, airframe, or automobile, wherein the internal structure includes voids, and further wherein a size of the voids increases or decreases as a distance from the voids to a center of the part increases, wherein the internal structure further comprises a pocket, rib, strut, blade, truss matrix, honeycomb, gradient honeycomb, cellular element, shear core, or spring element; building the part by a layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process; and connecting, while building the part, the internal structure to the part.",
    "2. The method of claim 1, wherein the part comprises a metallic, polymer, or composite material.",
    "3. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process comprises powder based, selective laser sintering, or free-form additive manufacturing.",
    "4. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal structure increases at least one of elastic deformation or plastic deformation the part can tolerate during the emergency condition.",
    "5. The method of claim 4, wherein the emergency condition comprises a crash, clear air turbulence, blade out event, disk rupture, or ballistic impact of the aircraft engine, airframe, or automobile.",
    "6. The method of claim 1 further comprising disposing a sensor in the internal structure during the additive manufacturing process, the sensor for measuring a strain rate experienced by the part.",
    "7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sensor comprises a strain gauge, frangible conducting element, or capacitive proximity sensor.",
    "8. An apparatus comprising: a part designed for and built by a layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process, wherein the part comprises a strut end fitting or bolt bushing for use in an aircraft engine, airframe, or automobile; an internal structure disposed within the part, wherein the internal structure is integrally formed to the part and is designed to provide strain mitigation, energy dissipation, or impact resistance for the part during an emergency condition, and a sensor disposed in the internal structure during the additive manufacturing process, the sensor for measuring a strain rate experienced by the part.",
    "9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the part comprises a metallic, polymer, or composite material.",
    "10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process comprises powder based, selective laser sintering, or free-form additive manufacturing.",
    "11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the internal structure further comprises a pocket, rib, strut, blade, truss matrix, honeycomb, gradient honeycomb, cellular element, shear core, or spring element.",
    "12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the internal structure includes voids, and further wherein a size of the voids increases or decreases with increasing distance from a center of the part the voids are located.",
    "13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the internal structure increases at least one of elastic deformation or plastic deformation the part can tolerate during the emergency condition.",
    "14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the emergency condition comprises a crash, clear air turbulence, blade out event, disk rupture, or ballistic impact of the aircraft engine, airframe, or automobile.",
    "15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sensor comprises a strain gauge, frangible conducting element, or capacitive proximity sensor."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This invention relates generally to the field of additive manufacturing. In particular, the present disclosure relates to internal structures of additive manufactured articles.\n\nAdditive manufacturing is an established but growing technology. In its broadest definition, additive manufacturing is any layerwise construction of articles from thin layers of feed material. Additive manufacturing may involve applying liquid, layer, or particle material to a workstage, then sintering, curing, melting, and/or cutting to create a layer. The process is repeated up to several thousand times to construct the desired finished component or article.\n\nCritical joints in aircraft engines, airframes, automobiles, and other structures must be designed to carry both limit and ultimate loads under static and dynamic loading conditions. In certain emergency conditions the load on critical joints can spike in such a manner and to such a degree that catastrophic failure may occur.\n\nA method includes designing a part that includes at least one internal structure. The internal structure is designed to provide strain mitigation, energy dissipation, or impact resistance for the part during an emergency condition. The part is built by a layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process. While building the part, the internal structure is connected to the part.\n\nAn apparatus includes a part designed for and built by a layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process. The part includes an internal structure integrally formed to the part.",
  "cpc": [
    "F16F 1/025",
    "B22F 10/25",
    "B22F 10/28",
    "B22F 2003/1056",
    "B22F 3/1055",
    "B22F 3/1118",
    "B22F 5/10",
    "B22F 7/06",
    "B22F 7/08",
    "B29C 64/153",
    "B29K 2995/0089",
    "B33Y 10/00",
    "B33Y 80/00",
    "F16F 7/12",
    "G01L 1/22",
    "Y02P 10/25",
    "Y02P 10/295"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B29C 67/00",
    "B22F 3/105",
    "B22F 5/10",
    "G01L 1/22",
    "B22F 3/11",
    "B22F 7/06",
    "B22F 7/08",
    "B29C 64/153",
    "B33Y 80/00",
    "F16F 1/02",
    "F16F 7/12"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "United Technologies Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Wendell V. Twelves, Jr.",
    "Evan Butcher",
    "Lexia Kironn",
    "Gary A. Schirtzinger",
    "Joe Ott"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-09-24",
  "publication_date": "2017-11-21",
  "grant_date": "2017-11-21",
  "priority_date": "2013-10-07",
  "application_number": "US-201415026674-A",
  "family_id": "52813499",
  "cited_by_count": 117,
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  ]
}