US 11,945,139 B2
Method for composite truss manufacturing
Ethan Escowitz, Berkeley, CA (US); Erick Davidson, Piedmont, CA (US); J. Scott Perkins, Oakland, CA (US); and Riley Reese, Oakland, CA (US)
Assigned to Arris Composites Inc., Berkeley, CA (US)
Filed by Arris Composites Inc., Berkeley, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/403,271.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/065,705, filed on Aug. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0048227 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 43/22 (2006.01); B29C 43/00 (2006.01); B29C 70/20 (2006.01); B29C 70/34 (2006.01); B29K 105/10 (2006.01); B29K 105/14 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 43/224 (2013.01) [B29C 43/003 (2013.01); B29C 70/205 (2013.01); B29C 70/34 (2013.01); B29K 2105/101 (2013.01); B29K 2105/14 (2013.01); B29L 2031/001 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
forming, via compression molding, a first unit cell having:
(i) a first, second, and third longeron, each longeron having a first end and a second end, a distance between the first end and the second end defining a length of each longeron and a length of the first unit cell, each longeron comprising a plurality of continuous, unidirectionally aligned fibers having a length substantially equal to the length of the first unit cell, and wherein the three longerons are arranged in a three-dimensional chevron shape, wherein the first longeron is located at an apex of the chevron shape, and wherein a thickness of the second longeron and the third longeron is about one-half of the thickness of the first longeron;
(ii) a plurality of cross members, each cross member having a first end and second end, a distance between the first and second end of a respective cross member defining a length thereof, each cross member comprising a plurality of continuous, unidirectionally aligned fibers having a length substantially equal to the length of the respective cross member, wherein:
(a) the first end of each cross member couples to a first longerons, and wherein, at the first end of the cross members, at least some of the fibers overlap at least some of the fibers in the first longeron,
(b) the second end of each cross member couples to either the second or the third longeron, and wherein at the second end of the cross members, at least some of the fibers overlap at least some of the fibers in the respective second or third longeron to which the second end of each cross member is coupled;
forming, via compression molding, a second unit cell, the second unit cell having first, second, and third longerons arranged in the chevron shape, wherein;
(i) the first longeron in the second unit cell is located at the apex of the chevron shape,
(ii) a thickness of the first longeron in the second unit cell is equal to the thickness of the first longeron in the first unit cell, and
(iii) a thickness of the second longeron and the third longeron in the second unit cell is about one-half of the thickness of the first longeron;
forming, in the second and third longerons of the first and second unit cell, complementary mechanical mating features that facilitate alignment and coupling of the first unit cell to the second unit cell; and
thermally bonding, along the length thereof, the second and third longeron of the first unit cell to the second and third longerons, respectively, of the second unit cell, thereby forming a first truss structure having four longerons of about equal thickness and a quadrilateral shape.