Method of bending sheet materials and sheet therefor

1. A sheet of material formed for bending along a bend line comprising:

a sheet of material having a plurality of dividing slits extending substantially along a desired bend line dividing said sheet of material into first and second planar regions, and a plurality of substantially parallel strap slits formed through said sheet of material intersecting said desired bend line, wherein said strap slits form a plurality of bending straps between an adjacent pair of dividing slits, said bending straps having a longitudinal strap axis intersecting said desired bend line.

2. The sheet of material of claim 1 , wherein said sheet of material is formed of a composite material.

3. The sheet of material of claim 2 , wherein said composite material is selected from the group consisting of polymer matrix composites, fiber reinforced composites, metal matrix composites, ceramic composites, and aggregate composites.

4. The sheet of material of claim 3 , wherein said composite material is a fiber reinforced composite selected from the group consisting of fiberglass, phenolic, and carbon fiber composites.

5. The sheet of material of claim 1 , wherein said sheet of material includes at least three dividing slits and at least a pair of strap sets, each scrap set disposed between adjacent ones of said dividing slits, and each strap set having at least two strap slits forming at least one substantially parallel bonding straps.

6. The sheet of material of claim 5 , wherein at least a pair of said strap sets are parallel to one another such that the strap axis of a first of said strap sets is parallel to the strap axis of a second of said strap sets.

7. The sheet of material of claim 5 , wherein at least a pair of said strap sets are nonparallel to one another such that the strap axis of a first of said strap sets intersects the strap axis of a second of said strap sets.

8. The sheet of material of claim 7 , wherein said strap sets are symmetric about a transverse axis which extends substantially transverse to said desired bend line.

9. The sheet of material of claim 1 , wherein each said strap slit has a substantially straight intermediate portion.

10. The sheet of material of claim 1 , wherein an end of at least one of said strap slits includes a enlarged stress-relieving end opening.

11. The sheet of material of claim 10 , wherein at least one of said strap slits includes a stress-relieving end radius to increase the cross-sectional area of an adjacent bending strap as said adjacent bending strap merges with a respective one of said planar regions.

12. The sheet of material of claim 11 , wherein said it least one of said strap slits and an adjacent dividing slit is connected by said stress-relieving end radius.

13. The sheet of material of claim 1 , wherein an adjacent pair of said strap slits each includes a stress-relieving end radius to increase the cross-sectional area of an adjacent bending strap as said adjacent bending swap meets a respective one of said planar regions.

14. The sheet of material of claim 1 , wherein at least one dividing slit and an adjacent strap slit are interconnected.

15. The sheet of material of claim 1 , wherein said strap axis is oblique to said desired bend line.

16. The sheet of material of claim 1 , wherein said strap axis extends less than 45° with respect to said desired bend line.

17. The sheet of material of claim 16 , wherein said strap axis extends within the range of approximately 5-40° with respect to said desired bend line.

18. The sheet of material of claim 16 , wherein said strap axis extends within the range of approximately 15-30° with respect to said desired bend line.

19. The sheet of material of claim 1 , wherein said sheet of material has a substantially uniform thickness, and each said bending strap includes a minimum width dimension that is less than or substantially equal to the thickness of said sheet of material.

20. The sheet of material of claim 1 , whereby at least one bending strap includes a continuous surface extending between said first and second plater regions.

21. The sheet of material of claim 20 , said sheet of material further comprising an electrical connector extending along said continuous surface between said first and second planar regions.

22. The sheet of material of claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second planar regions includes an assembly recess for locating and securing said sheet of material during assembly with another device.