Thermally activated variable stiffness composites for aircraft seals

An aircraft comprising:

• a fuselage;
• an outboard wing structure;
• an inboard wing structure;
• a hinge unit configured to allow the outboard wing structure to move relative to the inboard wing structure between a deployed position and a stowed position;
• an activated seal attached to at least one of the outboard wing structure and the inboard wing structure, such that the activated seal has a variable stiffness that may be changed in response to a stimulus to the activated seal such that the activated seal is configured to be deformed from a first shape when the outboard wing structure moves from a deployed position to a stowed position, and to substantially reform to the first shape when the outboard wing structure moves from the stowed position to the deployed position;
• and
• an activation unit configured to apply the stimulus to the activated seal activated seal is substantially compliant.

An apparatus comprising:

• a first structure;
• a second structure beside the first structure such that a gap exists between the first structure and the second structure;
• a hinge between the first structure and the second structure, configured such that the first structure and second structure move relative to each other unimpinged by each other without requiring either structure to move in both a rotational and linear motion relative to each other;
• and
• an activated seal attached to at least one of the first structure and the second structure, such that the activated seal is configured to at least one of:
• fill, or cover the gap, the activated seal further having a variable stiffness that may be changed in response to a stimulus, the stimulus comprising at least one of:
• a temperature, a stress, a moisture, a pH, an electrical field, and a magnetic field, the activated seal being further configured to deform from a first shape when at least one of the first structure and the second structure move from an original orientation relative to each other, the activated seal being further configured to substantially reform to the first shape when the first structure and the second structure return to their original orientation relative to each other.