Composite foam
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsVijay Gupta, Brian Jouse Ramirez, Utkarsh Misra
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Composite materials having superior material properties useful as impact absorbing devices can be fabricated by embedding a lattice structure (e.g., polymer lattice structure) within a foam, so that the foam reinforces the lattice structure under impact. Materials and dimensions of the foam and the lattice structure may be selected to achieve composite materials having tailored impact absorbing elastic and/or viscoelastic responses over a wide range of temperatures.
Claims31
An elastic or viscoelastic composite material useable as an impact absorbing device, comprising:
- a lattice structure embedded in a foam, wherein:
- the lattice structure comprising interconnected struts each having a length and a width;
- the foam comprising semi-closed cells, the semi-closed cells each comprising a substantially continuous cell wall defining a cell size, the cell size being smaller than the length of the strut, wherein the continuity of the is cell wall is interrupted by least one perforation or aperture each having a diameter, the diameter of the at least one perforation or aperture being smaller than the cell size;
- wherein upon an impact, the foam reinforces the lattice structure.
A method of making an elastic or viscoelastic composite material useable as an impact absorbing device, comprising:
- forming a composite material comprising a lattice structure embedded in a foam, wherein:
- the lattice structure comprising interconnected struts each having a length and a width;
- the foam comprising semi-closed cells, the semi-closed cells each comprising a substantially continuous cell wall defining a cell size, the cell size being smaller than the length of the strut, wherein the continuity of the is cell wall is interrupted by least one perforation or aperture each having a diameter, the diameter of the at least one perforation or aperture being smaller than the cell size;
- wherein upon an impact, the foam reinforces the lattice structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.