US2013167462A1PendingUtilityA1

Lattice support structures

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Assignee: SIGMA TEK LLCPriority: Aug 15, 2008Filed: Dec 3, 2012Published: Jul 4, 2013
Est. expiryAug 15, 2028(~2.1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Erich A. WilsonMichael D. RidgesMichael D. Kipp
B29C 53/587B29C 33/485Y10T428/1314Y10T428/1362Y10T442/10Y10T428/13B29C 70/342B29C 70/205B32B 3/28B29C 53/821Y10T428/24636B32B 5/26B32B 1/08B29C 33/42E04C 3/28E04B 1/19B32B 5/12Y10T428/24124B32B 37/1018
57
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Claims

Abstract

The present disclosure is drawn to a lattice support structure, comprising a plurality of fiber-based cross supports intersecting one another to form a multi-layered node. The multi-layered node can be consolidated within a rigid mold in the presence of resin, heat, and pressure. In another embodiment, a lattice support structure can comprise a first cross support comprising fiber material; a second cross support comprising a fiber material, said second cross support intersecting the first cross support; and multi-layered nodes located where the first cross support intersects the second cross support. The multi-layered nodes can comprise at least two layers of the first cross support separated by a least one layer of the second cross support. Also, one of the first cross support or the second cross support can be curved from node to node.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lattice support structure, comprising a plurality of fiber-based cross supports intersecting one another to form a multi-layered node, said multi-layered node being consolidated within a groove of a rigid mold in the presence of resin, heat, and pressure. 
     
     
         2 . The lattice support structure of  claim 1 , wherein each of said cross supports have a thickness, and wherein said multi-layered node is thinner than the sum of the thickness of each cross support at the multi-layered node. 
     
     
         3 . The lattice support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-layered node comprises multiple layers of all of the cross supports intersecting to form the node. 
     
     
         4 . The lattice support structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of multi-layered nodes, each multi-layered node formed from a plurality of fiber-based cross supports intersecting one another, at least one of said cross supports being layered at each of the plurality of multi-layered nodes. 
     
     
         5 . The lattice support structure of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one cross support is curved between two multi-layered nodes. 
     
     
         6 . The lattice support structure of  claim 4 , said lattice support structure having a generally cylindrical shape, and comprising at least one helical cross support. 
     
     
         7 . The lattice support structure of  claim 6 , further comprising a second helical cross support. 
     
     
         8 . The lattice support structure of  claim 7 , wherein the helical cross support intersects the second helical cross support to form the multi-layered node. 
     
     
         9 . The lattice support structure of  claim 8 , wherein the helical cross support intersects the second helical cross support to form a plurality of multi-layered nodes. 
     
     
         10 . The lattice support structure of  claim 6 , further comprising a longitudinal cross support that intersects the helical cross support to form the multi-layered node. 
     
     
         11 . The lattice support structure of  claim 10 , wherein the longitudinal cross support intersects the helical cross support to form a plurality of multi-layered nodes. 
     
     
         12 . The lattice support structure of  claim 6 , further comprising a circumferential cross support that intersects the helical cross support to form the multi-layered node. 
     
     
         13 . The lattice support structure of  claim 1 , wherein at least three cross supports intersect at the multi-layered node. 
     
     
         14 . The lattice support structure of  claim 13 , wherein at least three cross supports each include at least two layers at the multi-layered node. 
     
     
         15 . The lattice support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-layered node has increased surface area along a top surface of the lattice support structure compared to a bottom surface of the lattice support structure. 
     
     
         16 . The lattice support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber material includes carbon fiber. 
     
     
         17 . The lattice support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber material includes fiber glass. 
     
     
         18 . The lattice support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber material includes at least one of boron fibers, basalt fibers, or aramid fibers. 
     
     
         19 . The lattice support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber material is composited with a resin. 
     
     
         20 . The lattice support structure of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid mold is a grooved mandrel. 
     
     
         21 . A lattice support structure, comprising:
 a) a first cross support comprising fiber material;   b) a second cross support comprising a fiber material, said second cross support intersecting the first cross support; and   c) multi-layered nodes located where the first cross support intersects the second cross support, said multi-layered nodes comprising at least two layers of the first cross support separated by a least one layer of the second cross support,   wherein at least one of said first cross support or said second cross support is curved from node to node.   
     
     
         22 . The lattice support structure of  claim 21 , wherein the multi-layered nodes comprise at least two layers of the second cross support separated by a least one layer of the first cross support. 
     
     
         23 . The lattice support structure of  claim 21 , wherein both the first cross support and the second cross support are curved from node to node. 
     
     
         24 . The lattice support structure of  claim 21 , wherein the first cross support is not curved. 
     
     
         25 . The lattice support structure of  claim 21 , wherein the second cross support is not curved. 
     
     
         26 . The lattice support structure of  claim 21 , further comprising a third cross support comprising a fiber material. 
     
     
         27 . The lattice support structure of  claim 26 , wherein the third cross support intersects the first cross support. 
     
     
         28 . The lattice support structure of  claim 26 , wherein the third cross support intersects the second cross support. 
     
     
         29 . The lattice support structure of  claim 26 , wherein the first cross support, the second cross support, and the third cross support each intersect at a common multi-layered node. 
     
     
         30 . The lattice support structure of  claim 29 , wherein the common multi-layered node includes multiple layers of the first cross support, the second cross support, and the third cross support, each layer of each cross support being separated by a layer of another cross support. 
     
     
         31 . The lattice support structure of  claim 26 , wherein the third cross support is curved. 
     
     
         32 . The lattice support structure of  claim 26 , wherein at least one of the cross supports is longitudinally oriented, and at least two of the cross supports are helically oriented. 
     
     
         33 . The lattice support structure of  claim 26 , wherein all three cross supports are helically oriented. 
     
     
         34 . The lattice support structure of  claim 26 , wherein at least one of the cross supports is circumferentially oriented. 
     
     
         35 . The lattice support structure of  claim 21 , said lattice support structure having a generally cylindrical shape, and comprising a plurality of helical cross supports and a plurality of longitudinal cross supports. 
     
     
         36 . The lattice support structure of  claim 35 , wherein the longitudinal lattice support structures are not symmetrically spaced around a circumference of the cylinder. 
     
     
         37 . The lattice support structure of  claim 35 , wherein at least two helical lattice support structures do not have the same number of twists around the cylinder as one another. 
     
     
         38 . The lattice support structure of  claim 35 , wherein the multi-layered node has increased surface area along the outermost perimeter of the cylinder compared to the innermost surface of the cylinder. 
     
     
         39 . The lattice support structure of  claim 21 , wherein the multi-layered nodes are consolidated by resin, heat, and pressure. 
     
     
         40 . The lattice support structure of  claim 39 , wherein at least a portion of the multi-layered node is placed under pressure against a rigid mold while undergoing heat and resin curing. 
     
     
         41 . The lattice support structure of  claim 21 , wherein the fiber material includes carbon fiber. 
     
     
         42 . The lattice support structure of  claim 21 , wherein the fiber material includes fiber glass. 
     
     
         43 . The lattice support structure of  claim 21 , wherein the fiber material includes at least one of boron fibers, basalt fibers, or aramid fibers. 
     
     
         44 . The lattice support structure of  claim 21 , wherein the fiber material is composited with a resin. 
     
     
         45 . The lattice support structure of  claim 44 , wherein the resin is epoxy, BMI, or phenolic resin.

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