Load carrying structure having variable flexibility

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United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 6182929
SERIAL NO

09161083

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Abstract

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A load carrying structure having a selectively rigid or flexible characteristic includes a thermoplastic material (7) having a softening temperature above the operating temperature range of the load carrying structure, and a heating arrangement (8) provided to selectively heat the thermoplastic material to above its softening temperature. During normal operation, the thermoplastic material is in a rigid state and the overall load carrying structure is rigid to the prevailing loads. By activating the heating arrangement to heat the thermoplastic material to at least its softening temperature, the thermoplastic material and therewith the load carrying structure becomes flexible so that it may be deformed to a different configuration by applying a deforming load. Once the desired deformed configuration is achieved, the heating arrangement is deactivated, and the thermoplastic material is allowed to cool below its softening temperature so that it once again becomes rigid and rigidly fixes the new deformed configuration. The deforming force may be applied by any actuating mechanism, or for example by arranging shape memory alloys in connection with the thermoplastic material.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
DAIMLERCHRYSLER AGEPPELSTRASSE 225 70567 STUTTGART

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Himmel, Norbert Bad Kreuznach, DE 1 47
Kuhn, Marcel Kaiserslautern, DE 5 72
Martin, Willi Reichertshausen, DE 3 70
Siegling, Hans-Friedrich Egmating, DE 4 84

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