US 12,437,127 B2
Topologically optimized component design
Joshua Coaplen, Asheville, NC (US); Wesley E. Allinger, Santa Cruz, CA (US); Daniel McCormick, Santa Cruz, CA (US); and Paul Hammerstrom, Milford, NH (US)
Assigned to Fox Factory, Inc., Duluth, GA (US)
Filed by Fox Factory, Inc., Duluth, GA (US)
Filed on Mar. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/706,435.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/167,850, filed on Mar. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0318444 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 30/15 (2020.01)
CPC G06F 30/15 (2020.01) 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for topologically optimized component design, said method comprising:
receiving at least one application parameter for a component from a group consisting of: a travel, a wheel size, a bike type, a weight target, and a stiffness target;
receiving at least one specification for said component from a group consisting of: an allowable space, a clearance to other parts, a clearance to a vehicle model, and a clearance to a tire model;
receiving at least one engineering metric for said component, said at least one engineering metric from a group consisting of: a material type, a manufacturing type, a maximum weight, a minimum or maximum stiffness, and a stress threshold; and utilizing said at least one application parameter, said at least one specification, and said at least one engineering metric to generate a topologically optimized component design from at least one material;
utilizing said at least one application parameter and said at least one specification to generate a topologically optimized component design from at least one material;
evaluating said topologically optimized component design for manufacturability;
performing an industrial design modification to obtain a manufacturable topologically optimized component design when said evaluation for manufacturability results in said topologically optimized component design being unmanufacturable or otherwise overly constrained by available manufacturing processes;
performing a finite element analysis (FEA) on said manufacturable topologically optimized component design;
performing a plurality of iterations through said industrial design modification and said FEA until an acceptable modified topologically optimized component design is achieved;
generating a manufacturing process for said acceptable modified topologically optimized component design; and
utilizing an additive process and a subtractive process to physically generate said topologically optimized component design based on the acceptable modified topologically optimized component design.