US 12,296,478 B2
Morphable body
Yuyang Song, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Masato Tanaka, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Mingzhe Li, Atlanta, GA (US); and Hang Qi, Marietta, GA (US)
Assigned to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US); and Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed on Jul. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/351,878.
Prior Publication US 2025/0018559 A1, Jan. 16, 2025
Int. Cl. B25J 9/14 (2006.01); B25J 9/10 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/142 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1075 (2013.01); B25J 9/1085 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A morphable body comprising:
a body, the body being inflatable; and
one or more body support members operatively connected to the body, the one or more body support members being arranged in a first pattern to define a morphing region and in a second pattern to define a non-morphing region, the first pattern including a plurality of linear segments that are substantially parallel to each other, the second pattern including a grid pattern with a first plurality of linear segments and a second plurality of linear segments that are transverse to each other; and
a contracting member operatively connected to the body, the contracting member being a shape memory material,
when activated, the contracting member contracts to cause the body to morph from a non-activated configuration into an activated configuration, and
when subsequently deactivated, the contracting member maintains the activated configuration of the body.