Microtruss replacing structural foam in body structural application
A vehicle structural member, such as a rocker panel, including a micro-truss core. The structural member includes specially configured and opposing outer panels that are welded together to define a channel therein, where the micro-truss core is placed in one of the panels or is fabricated to one of the panels during the micro-truss fabrication process before the panels are secured together. The micro-truss core can include separate individual sections, where each section has a tailored stiffness for that location in the member, or the micro-truss core can be a continuous core, where different sections along the length of the core are fabricated with different stiffnesses.
1. A vehicle structural member comprising:
a back panel;
a front panel secured to the back panel and defining a channel therebetween extending along the length of the member; and
a micro-truss structure positioned within the channel, said micro-truss structure including a plurality of micro-truss sections where at least two of the sections have different micro-truss structural densities providing different structural integrity, where the micro-truss structure is fabricated on one of the panels, with the plurality of micro-truss sections cured in place, before the front panel is secured to the back panel.
2. The structural member according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of micro-truss sections are contiguous sections.
3. The structural member according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of micro-truss sections are separate sections positioned adjacent to each other.
4. The structural member according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of micro-truss sections are fabricated together as a single micro-truss structure.
5. The structural member according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of micro-truss sections include low-density and high-density sections.
6. The structural member according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of micro-truss sections are configured as alternating low-density and high-density sections.
7. The structural member according to claim 5 wherein the high-density sections are positioned adjacent to vehicle structural beams.
8. The structural member according to claim 7 wherein the structural beams includes pillars and cross-car members.
9. The structural member according to claim 1 wherein the front and back panels include flanges that are welded together.
10. The structural member according to claim 1 wherein the front and back panels are steel panels.
11. The structural member according to claim 1 wherein the structural member is a vehicle rocker panel.
12. A vehicle rocker panel comprising:
a back panel;
a front panel secured to the back panel and defining a channel therebetween extending along the length of the rocker panel; and
a micro-truss structure positioned within the channel, said micro-truss structure including a plurality of contiguous low-density and high-density micro-truss sections providing different structural integrity, where the micro-truss structure is fabricated on one of the panels, with the plurality of micro-truss sections cured in place, before the front panel is secured to the back panel.
13. The rocker panel according to claim 12 wherein the plurality of micro-truss sections are separate sections positioned adjacent to each other.
14. The rocker panel according to claim 12 wherein the plurality of micro-truss sections are fabricated together as a single micro-truss structure.
15. The rocker panel according to claim 12 wherein the plurality of micro-truss sections are configured as alternating low-density and high-density sections.
16. A vehicle structural member comprising:
a back panel;
a front panel secured to the back panel and defining a channel therebetween extending along the length of the member; and
a micro-truss structure positioned within the channel, wherein the micro-truss structure includes a plurality of contiguous, alternating low-density and high-density micro-truss sections, and the high-density sections are positioned adjacent to vehicle structural beams which intersect with the vehicle structural member.