Industrial Origami, Inc.

Industrial Original, Inc.

Alan D Pendley

Max W Durney

Irving S Rappaport

Precision-folded, high strength, fatigue-resistant structures and a sheet therefore are disclosed. To form the structures, methods for precision bending of a sheet of material along a bend line and a sheet of material formed with bending strap-defining structures, such as slits or grooves, are disclosed. Methods include steps of designing and then separately forming longitudinally extending slits or grooves through the sheet of material in axially spaced relation to produce precise bending of the sheet when bent along the bend line. The bending straps have a configuration and orientation which increases their strength and fatigue resistance, and most preferably slits or arcs are used which causes edges to be engaged and supported on faces of the sheet material on opposite sides of the slits or arcs. The edge-to-face contact produces bending along a virtual fulcrum position in superimposed relation to the bend line. Several slit embodiments suitable for producing edge-to-face engagement support and precise bending are disclosed. With these teachings, forming numerous three-dimensional load-bearing structures from a two dimensional sheet are enabled. Examples of straight and curved beams, chassis, and exoskeletons are disclosed.

Precision-folded, high strength, fatigue-resistant structures and sheet therefor

A method of designing fold lines in sheet material includes the steps defining the desired fold line in a parent plane on a drawing system, and populating the fold line with a fold geometry including a series of cut zones that define a series of connected zones configured and positioned relative to the fold line whereby upon folding the material along the fold line produces edge-to-face engagement of the material on opposite sides of the cut zones. Alternatively, the method may include the steps storing a plurality of cut zone configurations and connected zone configurations having differing dimensions and/or shapes, defining a desired fold line in a parent plane on a drawing system, selecting a preferred cut zone and/or a preferred connected zone which have a desired shape and scale, locating a preferred fold geometry along the fold line, the preferred fold geometry including the selected cut zone and the selected connected zone, and relocating, rescaling and/or reshaping the preferred fold geometry to displace, add and/or subtract at least one of the connected zones, whereby upon folding the material along the fold line produces edge-to-face engagement of the material on opposite sides of the cut zones. A computer program product and a system configured for implementing the method of designing fold lines in sheet material is also disclosed.

Method of designing fold lines in sheet material

A process for designing and manufacturing precision-folded, high strength, fatigue-resistant structures and a sheet therefore. The techniques include methods for precision bending of a sheet of material () along a bend line () and a sheet of material formed with bending strap-defining structures, such as slits or grooves (), are disclosed. Methods include steps of designing and then separately forming longitudinally extending slits or grooves () through the sheet of material in axially spaced relation to produce precise bending of the sheet () when bent along the bend line (). The bending straps have a configuration and orientation which increases their strength and fatigue resistance, and most preferably slits or arcs are used which causes edges () to be engaged and supported on faces () of the sheet material on opposite sides of the slits or arcs. The edge-to-face contact produces bending along a virtual fulcrum position in superimposed relation to the bend line (). Several slit embodiments () suitable for producing edge-to-face engagement support and precise bending are disclosed, as is the use of the slit sheets to produce various three-dimensional structures and to enhance various design and fabrication techniques.

Method for forming sheet material with bend facilitating structures into a fatigue resistant structure

A method includes defining a desired fold line in sheet material and populating the fold line with a fold geometry including cut zones that define connected zones, whereby upon folding the material produces edge-to-face engagement of the material on opposite sides of the cut zones. Alternatively, the method includes storing cut zone configurations and connected zone configurations, defining a desired fold line, selecting a cut zone and/or a connected zone, locating a preferred fold geometry, including the cut zone and the connected zone, along the fold line, and relocating, rescaling and/or reshaping the preferred fold geometry to displace, add and/or subtract at least one of the connected zones, whereby upon folding the material produces edge-to-face engagement of the material on opposite sides of the cut zones. Also, a computer program product and a system configured for implementing the method.

A method for precision bending of a sheet of material () along a bend line () and the resulting sheet are disclosed. A method includes a step of forming longitudinally extending slits () through the sheet of material in axially spaced relation to produce precise bending of the sheet () along the bend line () with edges () engaged and supported on faces () of the sheet material on opposite sides of the slits. The edge-to-face contact produces bending along a virtual fulcrum position in superimposed relation to the bend line (). Several slit embodiments () suitable for producing edge-to-face engagement support and precise bending are disclosed, as is the use of the slit sheets to enhance various fabrication techniques.

Method for precision bending of sheet of materials, slit sheets fabrication process

A sheet of material formed for bending along a bend line including a sheet of material () includes a plurality of dividing slits () and a plurality of strap slits () formed therethrough. The dividing slits extending substantially along a desired bend line () and divide the sheet of material into first and second planar regions (). The strap slits intersect the desired bend line and adjacent pairs of strap slits form a bending strap therebetween. The bending strap has a longitudinal strap axis intersecting the desired bend line. The sheet of material may be formed of composite materials. A method of forming and using the sheet of material is also disclosed.

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Petaluma, CA, United States of America

Alan D Pendley