Shape-change material and method
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorTerry M. Sanderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shape-change material includes a shape memory material layer with an electrically conductive layer on a surface of the shape memory material layer. The conductive material may be used to heat the shape memory material by electrical resistance heating. The conductive material may be a primary heater, providing the heating to cause softening or shape change in the shape memory material, or may be a secondary heater in conjunction with a greater amount of heating from a primary heater, such as a conductive plate that provides electrical resistance heating to a surface of the shape memory material on an opposite side of the shape memory material from the conductive material. One use for the shape-change material is as the skin material for a shape changing material.
Claims8
A shape-change material comprising:
- a shape memory material layer;
- an electrically conductive layer on a surface of the shape memory material layer;
- and
- a thermal insulating layer that thermally insulates the conductive layer, so as to prevent heat loss from the conductive layer and direct heat substantially from the conductive layer to the shape memory material layer;
- wherein the conductive layer is flexible and changes shape along with the shape memory material layer;
- wherein the electrically conductive layer is between the shape memory material layer and the insulating layer;
- wherein the shape-change material is part of a configurable aircraft wing;
- wherein the conductive layer is between the shape memory material layer and an external surface of the configurable aircraft wing;
- wherein the conductive layer has an outer surface and an inner surface, with the outer surface closer than the inner surface to the external surface of the configurable aircraft wing;
- wherein the outer surface of the conductive layer is in contact with the thermal insulating layer;
- and
- wherein the inner surface of the conductive layer is on the surface of the shape memory material layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.