Hybrid active deformable material structure

• US 7,575,807 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Stanford, Thomas, Barvosa-Carter, William, Momoda, Leslie
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Monique R
• Application Number:
  US10/857,465
• Time in Patent Office: 1,908 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 428/411.1
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/065 using a shape memory element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]

Abstract

A hybrid active deformable material structure is presented. The hybrid active deformable material structure comprises a deformation unit. Each deformation unit includes a selectively deformable material structure and an actively deformable material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure. The selectively deformable structure may be caused to deform in response to a deformation of the actively deformable material structure and, when deformed, to retain a shape into which it was deformed. A plurality of deformation activation elements may be positioned about the structure to provide for multi-directional bending-type deformation, stretching-type deformation, and twisting-type deformation. The hybrid active deformable material structure may further comprise a passive material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure and the actively deformable material structure. The passive material structure may provide mechanical support for at least a portion of the selectively deformable material structure and may enclose the selectively deformable material structure.

Claims

1. A hybrid active deformable material structure comprising a deformation unit including:

an actively deformable material structure, wherein the actively deformable material structure may be caused to change shape in response to an external stimulus; and

a selectively deformable material structure in cooperation with the actively deformable material structure, wherein the selectively deformable material structure may be caused to become selectively stiff or malleable and deform in response to a change in shape of the actively deformable material structure and, when deformed, to nonreversible retain a shape into which it was deformed.

2. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the actively deformable material structure is formed of at least one material selected from a group consisting of liquid crystal elastomers, shape memory alloys, magnetostrictive materials, electrostrictive materials, piezoelectric ceramics, piezoelectric polymers, electroactive polymers, ionic polymer gels, ionic polymer metal composites, dielectric elastomers, conductive polymers, carbon nanotubes, and ferrogels.

3. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the actively deformable material structure includes a plurality of deformation activation elements positioned about the selectively deformable material to allow for a deformation selected from a group consisting of multi-directional bending deformation, stretching/contracting deformation, and twisting deformation.

4. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a passive material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure and the actively deformable material structure.

5. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 4, wherein the passive material structure provides mechanical support for at least a portion of the selectively deformable material structure.

6. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 5, wherein the passive material structure encloses at least a portion of the selectively deformable material structure.

7. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 6, comprising a plurality of deformation units.

8. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 7, wherein the passive material structure encloses at least one deformation unit.

9. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a deformation activation element functionally connected with the selectively deformable material structure, whereby the deformation activation element may apply a stimulus to the selectively deformable material structure.

10. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 9, wherein the deformation activation element is embedded in the selectively deformable material structure.

11. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 10, wherein the deformation activation element comprises a plurality of addressable activation units corresponding to various ones of the deformation units, whereby a stimulus may be selectively applied to different deformation units.

12. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 11, wherein the selectively deformable material structure is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of photopolymerizable materials, curable materials, irreversibly cross-linkable polymers, additively-induced curing materials, subtractively-induced curing materials, reactively-induced curing materials, signal-catalytically curing materials, crystallizing materials, sol gels, and thermally curing materials.

13. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 12, wherein the passive material structure includes a support portion for maintaining a geometric relationship between at least two of the actively deformable material structures, the selectively deformable material structure, and an activation structure comprised of deformation activation elements.

14. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 13, wherein the selectively deformable material structure is stimulated through heat and where the deformation activation element is a heating element.

15. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 14, further comprising a deformation activation element functionally connected with the actively deformable material structure, whereby the deformation activation element may apply a stimulus to the actively deformable material structure.

16. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 15, wherein the passive material structure sets through a non-reversible mechanism.

17. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 16, wherein the passive material structure is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of photopolymerizable materials, curable materials, irreversibly cross-linkable polymers, additively-induced curing materials, subtractively-induced curing materials, reactively-induced curing materials, signal-catalytically curing materials, crystallizing materials, sol gels, and thermally curing materials.

18. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the actively deformable material structure is formed of at least one material selected from a group consisting of liquid crystal elastomers, shape memory alloys, magnetostrictive materials, electrostrictive materials, piezoelectric ceramics, piezoelectric polymers, electroactive polymers, ionic polymer gels, ionic polymer metal composites, dielectric elastomers, conductive polymers, carbon nanotubes, and ferrogels.

19. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the actively deformable material structure is comprised of a plurality of deformation activation elements positioned about the selectively deformable material to allow for a deformation selected from a group consisting of multi-directional bending deformation, stretching/contracting deformation, and twisting deformation.

20. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a passive material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure and the actively deformable material structure.

21. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 20, wherein the passive material structure provides mechanical support for at least a portion of the selectively deformable material structure.

22. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 20, wherein the passive material structure encloses at least a portion of the selectively deformable material structure.

23. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 1, comprising a plurality of deformation units.

24. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 23, further comprising a passive material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure and the actively deformable material structure and wherein the passive material structure encloses at least one deformation unit.

25. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a deformation activation element in functionally connected with the selectively deformable material structure so that the deformation activation element may apply a stimulus to the selectively deformable material structure.

26. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 25, wherein the deformation activation element is embedded in the selectively deformable material structure.

27. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 25, wherein the deformation activation element comprises a plurality of addressable activation units corresponding to various ones of the deformation units, whereby a stimulus may be selectively applied to different deformation units.

28. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the selectively deformable material structure is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of photopolymerizable materials, curable materials, irreversibly cross-linkable polymers, additively-induced curing materials, subtractively-induced curing materials, reactively-induced curing materials, signal-catalytically curing materials, crystallizing materials, sol gels, and thermally curing materials.

29. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a passive material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure and the actively deformable material structure and wherein the passive material structure includes a support portion for maintaining a geometric relationship between at least two of the actively deformable material structure, the selectively deformable material structure, and an activation structure comprised of deformation activation elements.

30. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a deformation activation element in functionally connected with the selectively deformable material structure so that the deformation activation element may apply a stimulus to the selectively deformable material structure where the selectively deformable material structure is stimulated through heat and where the deformation activation element is a heating element.

31. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a deformation activation element functionally connected with the actively deformable material structure, whereby the deformation activation element may apply a stimulus to the actively deformable material structure.

32. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a passive material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure and the actively deformable material structure, with the passive material structure selected such that the passive material structure sets through a non-reversible mechanism.

33. A hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a passive material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure, wherein the passive material structure is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of photopolymerizable materials, curable materials, irreversibly cross-linkable polymers, additively-induced curing materials, subtractively-induced curing materials, reactively-induced curing materials, signal-catalytically curing materials, crystallizing materials, sol gels, and thermally curing materials.

34. A method for making a hybrid active deformable material structure comprising acts, for forming a deformation unit, of:

providing an actively deformable material structure, wherein the actively deformable material structure may be caused to change shape in response to an external stimulus;

providing a selectively deformable material structure; and

placing the selectively deformable material structure in functional cooperation with the actively deformable material structure, wherein the selectively deformable material structure may be caused to become selectively stiff or malleable and deform in response to a chance in shape of the actively deformable material structure and, when deformed, to nonreversibly retain a shape into which it was deformed.

35. A method for making a hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 34, comprising further acts of forming a deformation unit by placing a deformation activation element functionally connected with the selectively deformable material structure, whereby the deformation activation element may apply a stimulus to the selectively deformable material structure.

36. A method for making a hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 35, comprising further acts of forming a deformation unit by functionally connecting a deformation activation element with the actively deformable material structure, whereby the deformation activation element may apply a stimulus to the actively deformable material structure.

37. A method for making a hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 36, comprising further acts of forming a deformation unit by providing passive material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure and the actively deformable material structure.

38. A method for making a hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 34, comprising further acts of forming a deformation unit by a deformation activation element functionally connected with the actively deformable material structure, whereby the deformation activation element may apply a stimulus to the actively deformable material structure.

39. A method for making a hybrid active deformable material structure as set forth in claim 34, comprising further acts of forming a deformation unit by providing passive material structure in cooperation with the selectively deformable material structure and the actively deformable material structure.

40. A method for actuating a hybrid active deformable material structure, comprising acts for deforming a deformation unit comprised of an actively deformable material structure in functional cooperation with a selectively deformable material structure, wherein the actively deformable material structure may be caused to change shape in response to a stimulus and the selectively deformable material structure may be caused to become selectively stiff or malleable in response to a stimulus, by:

stimulating the selectively deformable material structure to cause the selectively deformable material structure to become malleable;

stimulating an actively deformable material structure, causing the deformation unit to deform to a desired shape; and

de-stimulating the selectively deformable material structure to cause the deformation unit to nonreversible retain the shape into which it was deformed.