# US 10,864,875 B2 · Biomimetic armrest substrate for a vehicle armrest assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,875 B2 - Document ID: US10864875B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/265,054 - Filed: 2019-02-01 - Published: 2020-08-06 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-01 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Michael James Whitens; Robert D. Bedard; Siddharthan Selvasekar; Amit Chakravarty; Robert Walter Bartus - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864875B2 ## CPC - B60R 21/0428: {associated with the side doors or panels, e.g. displaced towards the occupants in case of a side collision} - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - B60N 2/4235: {transversal} - B60N 2/78: {post or panel mounted} - B60R 13/0243: {Doors} - G06F 30/15: Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design - B60R 2021/0006: {Lateral collision} - B60R 2021/003: {characterised by occupant or pedestian} - G06F 30/20: Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) - G06F 2119/14: Force analysis or force optimisation, e.g. static or dynamic forces - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A vehicle door includes a trim panel coupled to a frame. A single-piece armrest substrate is coupled with the frame. The armrest substrate is a three-dimensionally printed member having interior walls that are printed within the armrest substrate according to a virtual force model generated during a virtual impact scenario. The interior walls define a plurality of voids defined within the armrest substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle door comprising: a trim panel coupled to a frame; and a single-piece armrest substrate coupled with the frame, wherein the single-piece armrest substrate is a three-dimensionally printed member having interior walls that are printed within the single-piece armrest substrate according to a virtual force model generated during a virtual impact scenario, and wherein the interior walls define a plurality of voids within the single-piece armrest substrate, wherein the interior walls of the single-piece armrest substrate are positioned in locations corresponding to a plurality of force vectors of the virtual force model, and wherein the plurality of voids are positioned in locations corresponding to regions between the plurality of force vectors of the virtual force model. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle door of claim 1, further comprising: a cover member that extends over at least a portion of the single-piece armrest substrate to define a supporting surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle door of claim 2, wherein at least one void of the plurality of voids is a body-supporting void that is defined within a top surface of the single-piece armrest substrate, wherein the cover member extends over the body-supporting void. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle door of claim 1, wherein the virtual impact scenario used to generate the virtual force model is an amalgamation of a plurality of impact scenarios. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle door of claim 1, wherein an enclosed portion of voids of the plurality of voids are fully enclosed within the interior walls of the single-piece armrest substrate and are inaccessible from an exterior of the single-piece armrest substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle door of claim 1, wherein the virtual force model includes a plurality of force vectors that include use vectors and impact vectors, wherein the use vectors are indicative of a body part placed upon an upper surface of the single-piece armrest substrate, and wherein the impact vectors are indicative of a side impact scenario. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle door of claim 6, wherein the virtual force model includes connecting bosses that are integrally formed within the single-piece armrest substrate, and wherein the plurality of force vectors are substantially directed toward the connecting bosses to define locations of the interior walls of the single-piece armrest substrate. ### Claim 8 A method of forming an armrest substrate, the method comprising steps of: performing a virtual impact scenario and a virtual use scenario; building a virtual force model using the virtual impact and virtual use scenarios; building a virtual design for a single-piece armrest substrate based upon the virtual force model; three-dimensionally printing the virtual design for the single-piece armrest substrate to define a printed single-piece armrest substrate; and attaching the printed single-piece armrest substrate to a vehicle frame. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the virtual impact scenario includes an amalgamation of data captured from a plurality of virtual impact scenarios. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the virtual force model includes a plurality of force vectors that are directed toward connecting bosses of the virtual design for the single-piece armrest substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of force vectors of the virtual force model include use vectors that are indicative of a body part placed upon an upper surface of the single-piece armrest substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of force vectors of the virtual force model include impact vectors that are indicative of a side impact scenario. ### Claim 13 A method of forming an armrest substrate, the method comprising steps of: performing a virtual impact scenario and a virtual use scenario; building a force vector model using the virtual impact and virtual use scenarios; building a virtual design for a single-piece armrest substrate based upon the force vector model, wherein interior and exterior walls for the virtual design are located according to a location of vectors of the force vector model; and three-dimensionally printing the interior and exterior walls of the virtual design to define a printed single-piece armrest substrate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the vectors of the force vector model include use vectors that are indicative of a body part placed upon an upper surface of the printed single-piece armrest substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the vectors of the force vector model include impact vectors that are indicative of a side impact scenario. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual design includes connecting bosses that are integrally formed within the single-piece armrest substrate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the vectors of the force vector model are directed toward the connecting bosses. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual impact scenario includes an amalgamation of data captured from a plurality of virtual impact tests. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the virtual impact scenario and a virtual use scenario are performed in relation to a predetermined vehicle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of: attaching the printed single-piece armrest substrate to a frame of the predetermined vehicle.