The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 19, 2025
Filed:
Feb. 16, 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Yuyang Song, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Shailesh N. Joshi, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Danil V. Prokhorov, Canton, MI (US);
Umesh N. Gandhi, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
A morphing structure includes a deployable aerodynamic origami structure with an outer covering having a plurality of creases, a tether attached to the deployable origami structure, and a light-responsive polymer disposed on one or more of the creases of the outer covering. The light-responsive polymer is configured to change shape when activated by a light and the deployable origami structure configured to change from a first shape to a second shape different than the first shape when the light-responsive polymer is activated. In some variations, the morphing structure also includes at least one heating element disposed on one or more of the creases of the outer covering and the at least one heating element is configured to heat the light-responsive polymer such that the shape of the deployable aerodynamic origami structure moves from the second shape to the first shape.