Programmable adhesion using nonlinear kirigami structures
AssigneeIowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsMichael D. Bartlett, Dohgyu Hwang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to an adhesive system comprising a fabricated structure having alternating regions that are unpatterned and patterned along its longitudinal length. Patterned regions have at least one subregion with a non-linear cut relative to the transverse direction across the width of the structure. The geometry, location of the subregion(s), number of nonlinear cuts, and other parameters allow tuning as well as pinpoint programming of the adhesive properties either along the entire width and length or the strip or just at pinpointed subregions of the strip. Such tuning can include not only adhesive strength, but its adhesive strength in certain peeling directions.
Claims9
A method of fabricating an adhesive system comprising:
- a. providing a strip structure comprising a sandwiched inextensible layer and elastic layer;
- b. creating alternating patterned cut and unpatterned interconnecting regions along the length of the strip by, in each patterned cut region, making a cut through the thickness of the strip structure in at least one sub-region between opposite lateral edges of the strip structure, the cut being non-linear relative the lateral axis between opposite lateral edges of the strip and including:
- i. opposite cut termination points along a hinge line;
- and
- ii. an intermediate non-linear cut section between the opposite cut termination points that does not cross the hinge line between opposite termination points of the cut;
- iii. the opposite cut termination points and the intermediate non-linear cut section defining a flap area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.