Sandwich panel having cellular core structure with reinforcing elements

Claim 2

In a sandwich panel formed from a cellular core structure sandwiched between a pair of face sheets, said core structure having nodes which project in opposite directions from a midplane with the apices of said nodes abutting against said face sheets, the improvement comprising: first reinforcing bar means running along the sides of a first row of said nodes, said bar means being bonded to the sides of the nodes of said core, the ends of said bar means being bonded to a surface of one of said face sheets, and second reinforcing bar means running along the sides of a second row of said nodes, said second reinforcing bar means being bonded to the sides of nodes of said core, the ends of said bar means being bonded to said surface of said one of said face sheets.

Claim 3

The panel of claim 1 wherein said first and second reinforcing bar means are additionally bonded to said core structure at the midplane portion thereof.

Claim 4

The panel of claim 1 wherein said first and second reinforcing bar means are each in the form of a pair of ''''V'''' cross section bars positioned on opposite sides of a respective one of said rows of said nodes.

Claim 5

The panel of claim 1 wherein said bar means are each in the form of a C cross-section bar having a flat top portion and leg portions which extend inwardly from said top portion, the top portion being attached to the apices of the nodes of said first and second row of nodes respectively, the leg portions being attached to the sides of the rows of nodes adjacent to said first and second row of nodes respectively.

Claim 6

The panel of claim 1 wherein the first and second rows of nodes are oriented normally to each other and are each located midway between a pair of opposite edges of the panel.

Claim 7

The panel of claim 1 wherein said bar means structurally extend between opposite edges of said panel through the central portion thereof to provide reinforcement for long span flexure.

Claim 8

The panel of claim 1 wherein said bar means extend from the edges of the panel only part way towards the center of the panel to provide shear reinforcement in short span flexure.

Claim 9

The panel of claim 6 and further including third and fourth reinforcing bar means extending from the edges of the panel only part way towards the center of the panel, said third and fourth bar means running along third and fourth rows of said nodes extending in a direction opposite to said first and second rows of nodes and being attached to the sides of said third and fourth rows of nodes and to a surface of the other of the face sheets.

Claim 10

In a sandwich panel formed from a cellular core structure sandwiched between a pair of face sheets, said core structure having nodes which project in opposite directions from a midplane with the apices of said nodes abutting against said face sheets, the improvement comprising: first reinforcing bar means running between a first pair of edges of the panel along the sides of a first row of said nodes spaced midway between a second pair of opposite edges of said panel, said bar means being bonded to the core along the sides of nodes thereof and at the midplane of the core, the ends of said bar means being bonded to a surface of one of said face sheets and second reinforcing bar means running between a second pair of edges of the panel along the sides of a second row of said nodes spaced midway between said first pair of edges, said second bar means being oriented normally to the first bar means and being bonded to the core along the sides of the nodes thereof and at the core midplane, the ends of said bar means being bonded to said surface of said one of said face sheets.

Claim 11

In a sandwich panel formed from a cellular core structure sandwiched between a pair of face sheets, said core structure having nodes which project in opposite directions from a midplane with the apices of said nodes abutting against said face sheets, the improvement comprising: first reinforcing bar means running between a first pair of edges of the panel along the sides of a first row of said nodes spaced midway between a second pair of opposite edges of said panel, said bar means being bonded to the core along the sides of nodes thereof and at the midplane of the core, the ends of said bar means being bonded to a surface of one of said face sheets and second reinforcing bar means running between a second pair of edges of the panel along the sides of a second row of said nodes spaced midway between said first pair of edges, said second bar means being oriented normally to the first bar means and being bonded to the core along the sides of the nodes thereof and at the core midplane, the ends of said bar means being bonded to said surface of said one of said face sheets.

Claim 12

The panel of claim 9 wherein said reinforcing bar each comprises a pair of V cross-section bars positioned on opposite sides of one of the rows of said nodes.

Claim 13

The panel of claim 9 wherein said bar means are each in the form oF a C cross-section bar having a flat top portion and leg portions which extend inwardly from said top portion, the top portion being attached to the apices of the nodes of said first and second row of nodes respectively, the leg portions being attached to the sides of the rows of nodes adjacent to said first and second row of nodes respectively.