Structural elements

#1. Field of the Invention

#The field of art to which this invention relates is structural elements, and more particularly to lightweight structural elements having a cavity in which a non-compressible material is disposed resulting in a rigid structure and/or one capable of vibration damping.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatus and methods of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

#FIG. 1A illustrates a front view of a first embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 1B illustrates a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1A;

#Referring now to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 3A, there is illustrated a first embodiment of the present invention, namely, a compressive structural element referred to generally by reference numeral 100. The compressive structural element 100 has an enclosure 102 having walls 103, 104 and defining a cavity 106. Walls 104 are preferably formed by extruding the structural element's cross-sectional profile 105, as shown in FIG. 1C. Walls 103 are preferably plates, formed by conventional methods, such as stamping, and fastened to the cross-sectional profile by conventional methods, such as welding. However, walls 103 and 104 can be an integral piece forming the enclosure 102.

#Disposed in the cavity 106 is a non-compressible material 108. The non-compressible material is preferably an elastomer, a liquid or a combination of elastomer and liquid. The non-compressible material, if an elastomer, is preferably disposed in a length of extrusion having the cross-sectional profile 105 where individual compressive structural elements 100 are sliced from the extrusion as a predetermined thickness.

#The walls 104 are shaped such that a first compressive force 110, shown in FIG. 3A, tends to compress the structural element 100 by a first deflection 112 which causes an amplified second deflection 114 of the walls 104 into the non-compressible material 108. The relaxed position of the compressive structural element 100 (i.e., where no compressive force 110 is present) is shown in FIG. 3A as dashed lines. The walls 104 thereupon exert a second compressive force 116 against the non-compressible material 108 disposed in the cavity 106. Being non-compressible, the non-compressible material 108, resists the second compressive force with a resistive force 118 resulting in a resistance to the first deflection 112 and the first compressive force 110.