Articles of manufacture having a cellular structure

Abstract

An article of manufacture includes a cellular structure having one or more layers that are dispensed in a viscous form. Each of the one or more layers have a plurality of walls that define an array of cells, the array of cells being arranged to create a non-uniform relative density and/or cell geometry across a width and/or a length of the cellular structure, the width and the length being oriented substantially orthogonally to a depth of the cellular structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of manufacture comprising:
 a cellular structure having one or more layers that are dispensed in a viscous form,   wherein each of the one or more layers comprise a plurality of walls that define an array of cells, and   wherein the array of cells is arranged to create a non-uniform relative density and/or cell geometry across a width and/or a height of the cellular structure.   
     
     
         2 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , comprising a material that is selected from the group consisting of one or more of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and other thermoplastics, epoxies, elastomers, reactive polymer systems (e.g., polyurethane, polyurea), preceramic polymer resins, ceramics, metals, fiber composites, bio-materials, gels, conductive inks, and battery materials. 
     
     
         3 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein the array of cells comprises cells having a shape of one or more of a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a parallelogram, a kagome pattern, a hexagon, and an octagon. 
     
     
         4 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein the relative density of the article of manufacture increases from a first side of the article of manufacture to a second side of the article of manufacture. 
     
     
         5 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of walls are arranged between adjacent cells of the array of cells. 
     
     
         6 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein the array of cells is arranged according to a shift function to create the non-uniform relative density and/or cell geometry across the width and/or the height of the article of manufacture. 
     
     
         7 . The article of manufacture of  claim 6 , wherein the shift function is a non-linear shift function, such that each row and/or column of cells in the array of cells has a different relative density and/or cell geometry from an adjacent row and/or column of cells in the array of cells. 
     
     
         8 . The article of manufacture of  claim 7 , wherein the article of manufacture has a lower relative density in a center region of the article of manufacture than at a perimeter region of the article of manufacture. 
     
     
         9 . The article of manufacture of  claim 6 , wherein the shift function is a piece-wise linear shift function, such that the cellular structure comprises at least first and second regions,
 wherein the array of cells comprises a first subarray of cells and a second subarray of cells,   wherein the first subarray of cells has a first relative density and is arranged in the first region, and   wherein the second subarray of cells has a second relative density and is arranged in the second region.   
     
     
         10 . The article of manufacture of  claim 9 , wherein the first relative density is different from the second relative density. 
     
     
         11 . The article of manufacture of  claim 9 , wherein the first subarray of cells comprises cells that are a different size, aspect ratio, and/or shape than cells in the second subarray of cells. 
     
     
         12 . The article of manufacture of  claim 6 , comprising a non-uniform distribution of cells within the array of cells in each of the one or more layers, wherein a degree of the non-uniform distribution of cells within the array of cells for each of the one or more layers is determined by selecting an amplitude associated with the shift function for each of the one or more layers. 
     
     
         13 . The article of manufacture of  claim 12 , wherein the shift function comprises a piece-wise linear shift function, a quadratic shift function, a sinusoidal shift function, an exponential shift function, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein a relative density and/or cell geometry of an array of cells of a first layer of the one or more layers has a different gradient from a relative density and/or cell geometry of an array of cells of a second layer of the one or more layers. 
     
     
         15 . The article of manufacture of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second layers are adjacent layers within the article of manufacture, and wherein the second layer is applied sequentially to the first layer. 
     
     
         16 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of walls have a thickness different from a thickness of others of the plurality of walls. 
     
     
         17 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein the article is produced via an additive manufacturing technique. 
     
     
         18 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , wherein the additive manufacturing technique comprises one or more of a fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique, a fused filament fabrication (FFF) technique, a big area additive manufacturing (BAAM) technique, a robocasting technique, a paste extrusion technique, and/or a direct ink writing (DIW) technique. 
     
     
         19 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layer is dispensed onto a substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19 , wherein the substrate comprises woven or non-woven fabric, felt, polymer film, paper, and/or foil. 
     
     
         21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the cellular structure is a three-dimensional cellular structure within a three-dimensional domain;   a plurality of nodes are arranged throughout the domain;   a shift function is applied in at least one direction of the domain so that the nodes have a non-uniform distribution in the at least one direction; and   the nodes are interconnected to form individual three-dimensional cells within the cellular structure.   
     
     
         22 . The article of manufacture of  claim 21 , wherein adjacent nodes are connected with struts so that the cellular structure is of an open cell type. 
     
     
         23 . The article of manufacture of  claim 21 , wherein the individual cells are physically segregated from each other by walls so that the cellular structure is of a closed cell type.