Other

Daimler-benz Ag

Deutsche Aerospace Ag

Willi Martin

Hans-Friedrich Siegling

Herbert Mehren

Werner Zimmermann

Peter Janker

Norbert Himmel

Marcel Kuhn

Klaus Drechsler

A load carrying structure having a selectively rigid or flexible characteristic includes a thermoplastic material (,) having a softening temperature above the operating temperature range of the load carrying structure, and a heating arrangement (,) 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.

Load carrying structure having variable flexibility

An ergonomically shaped exterior contour of a vehicle interior handle area, support area, or resting area is provided. The contour is formed by a flexible shaped element filled with an electro-rheologic fluid to which an electrical circuit operable from the interior is connected to reduce or increase the internal friction of the fluid to accommodate changes in shape of the contour.

Adjustable shape part for an interior of a motor vehicle

A stiff elongated hollow structural member has a double-walled structure in the shape of a tube made of an interior tube which has an annular cross-section and an exterior tube which has a different cross-section, in a concentric arrangement. The interior and exterior tubes bound a hollow space filled with an incompressible liquid. Responsive to pressure increases in the liquid, the exterior tube in the elastic material range is bendingly deformable in the direction of a ring-circular cross-section or to a ring-circular cross-section. This hollow structural member can be used as an adjustable stiffness torsion member such as a vehicle steering shaft. Another disclosed adjustable stiffness hollow structural member includes a flat plate facing a corrugated plate to form a hollow space for the incompressible liquid. Increases in pressure of the liquid forces the corrugated member to a more flattened configuration.

Hollow structural member

Growing community of inventors

Reichertshausen, Germany

Willi Martin