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. 28, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 27, 2007
David R. Sigler, Shelby Township, MI (US);
Yen-lung Chen, Troy, MI (US);
Peter H. Foss, Oxford, MI (US);
Alan L. Browne, Grosse Pointe, MI (US);
Nilesh D. Mankame, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
David R. Sigler, Shelby Township, MI (US);
Yen-Lung Chen, Troy, MI (US);
Peter H. Foss, Oxford, MI (US);
Alan L. Browne, Grosse Pointe, MI (US);
Nilesh D. Mankame, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A shape memory polymer workpiece is attached to a second workpiece. A face of the SMP workpiece is placed against an attachment surface of the second workpiece. The second workpiece has an attachment hole(s). The SMP workpiece is activated (e.g., heated) to a softening temperature and a portion extruded into the attachment hole of the facing surface of the second workpiece. The SMP piece is held while still heated against the second workpiece, the material flowing as result of the shape memory effect to form an attachment. As the SMP material cools while still under load its modulus increases fixing the attachment geometry. Reheating the attached parts without pushing them together reverses the process.