Property enabled feature integration strategies and their fabrication methods for metallic glasses
AssigneeYale University
InventorsJan Schroers, Thomas MacKenzie Hodges, Golden Kumar, Rodrigo Miguel Ojeda Mota
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Abstract
An article comprising a bulk metallic glass skin having one or more functional features integrated therein is described and a method of forming the same is described. The one or more functional features exhibit a variation in stiffness between the one or more functional features and the bulk metallic glass skin that is defined by an applied force over an achieved deformation. The stiffness of each of the one or more functional features is at least 1000 times less than an average stiffness of the bulk metallic glass skin.
Claims25
An article comprising a bulk metallic glass skin, wherein the bulk metallic glass skin comprises one or more functional features integrated therein, the one or more functional features each comprising sidewalls connected to a top surface,
- wherein the one or more functional features each comprise one or more localized thin sections molded into the sidewalls of the bulk metallic glass skin at predefined positions and wherein the one or more localized thin sections in the sidewalls are configured to bend, bulge or buckle upon application of an applied force,
- wherein each of the one or more functional features exhibits a variation in stiffness with the bulk metallic glass skin to allow the one or more localized thin sections in the sidewalls to bend, bulge or buckle upon application of the applied force,
- wherein the variation in stiffness is defined by the applied force over an achieved deformation, and
- wherein the stiffness of each of the one or more functional features is at least 1000 times less than an average stiffness of the bulk metallic glass skin.
A method of fabricating an article comprising a bulk metallic glass skin, wherein the bulk metallic glass skin comprises one or more functional features integrated therein, the one or more functional features each comprising sidewalls connected to a top surface, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a bulk metallic glass skin;
- and
- b) locally thinning one or more portions of the bulk metallic glass skin to create one or more functional features therein, wherein the step of locally thinning the one or more portions of the bulk metallic glass skin comprises molding one or more functional features each comprising one or more localized thin sections into the sidewalls of the bulk metallic glass skin at predefined positions, and wherein the one or more localized thin sections in the sidewalls are configured to bend, bulge, or buckle upon application of an applied force;
- wherein each of the one or more functional features exhibits a variation in stiffness with the bulk metallic glass skin to allow the one or more localized thin sections in the sidewalls to bend, bulge or buckle upon application of the applied force;
- wherein the variation in thickness is defined by the applied force over an achieved deformation, and
- wherein the stiffness of each of the one or more functional features is at least 1000 times less than an average stiffness of the bulk metallic glass skin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.