Structural elements
AssigneeThe Research Foundation of State University of New York
InventorJahangir S. Rastegar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Compressive and tensile structural elements having an enclosure with walls surrounding a cavity. A non-compressible material is disposed in the cavity. The walls are shaped such that a force tending to compress or elongate the element by a first deflection causes an amplified second deflection of the walls into the non-compressible material. The second deflection exerts a compressive force against the non-compressible material, resulting in a resistance to the first deflection and the force tending to compress or elongate the structural element. The walls of the elements are configured for optimum rigidity and/or optimum damping. Structural beams and motion impartation devices utilize the structural elements to provide lightweight rigidity and/or damping.
Claims7
A structural beam comprising;
- an upper surface in compression due to a loading force;
- a lower surface in tension due to the loading force;
- means for connecting the upper and lower surfaces;
- a plurality of compressive structural elements disposed along the length of the upper surface, each compressive structural element comprising a first enclosure having first walls surrounding a first cavity, and a first non-compressible material disposed in the first cavity, wherein the first walls are shaped such that the loading force tends to compress the compressive structural element by a first deflection causing an amplified second deflection of the first walls into the first non-compressible material, exerting a compressive force against the first non-compressible material, resulting in a resistance to the first deflection and the loading force;
- and
- a plurality of tensile structural elements disposed along the length of the lower surface, each tensile structural element comprising a second enclosure having second walls surrounding a second cavity, and a second non-compressible material disposed in the second cavity, wherein the second walls are shaped such that the loading force tends to elongate the tensile structural element by a third deflection causing an amplified fourth deflection of the second walls into the second non-compressible material, exerting a compressive force against the second non-compressible material, resulting in a resistance to the third deflection and the loading force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.