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In combination with a vehicle and a closure, one or more lockdown regions disposed between the closure and the vehicle body, the one or more lockdown includes a device including an active material disposed in operative communication with the closure and the vehicle body, wherein the active material

In combination with a vehicle and a closure, one or more lockdown regions disposed between the closure and the vehicle body, the one or more lockdown includes a device including an active material disposed in operative communication with the closure and the vehicle body, wherein the active material includes a shape memory alloy, a magnetic shape memory material, a shape memory polymer, a magnetorheological fluid, an electroactive polymer, a magnetorheological elastomer, an electrorheological fluid, a piezoelectric material, or combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing active materials; and an activation device coupled to the active material, the activation device being operable to selectively provide an activation signal to the active material and effectuate a change in a dimension, a shape, and/or a flexural modulus property of the active material, wherein the change in the dimension, a shape, and/or flexural modulus of the active material locks down or releases the closure from the vehicle. Such active materials include shape memory alloys, magnetic shape memory alloys, electroactive polymers, shape memory polymers, magnetorheological fluids, magnetorheological elastomers, electrorheological fluids, and piezoelectric materials. Also provided herein are methods for selectively stiffening a closure hingeably attached to a vehicle body.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. In combination with a vehicle and a closure, one or more lockdown regions disposed between the closure and the vehicle body, the one or more lockdown regions comprising: a device comprising an active material disposed in operative communication with the closure and the

The invention claimed is: 1. In combination with a vehicle and a closure, one or more lockdown regions disposed between the closure and the vehicle body, the one or more lockdown regions comprising: a device comprising an active material disposed in operative communication with the closure and the vehicle body, wherein the active material comprises a shape memory alloy, a magnetic shape memory material, a shape memory polymer, a magnetorheological fluid, an electroactive polymer, a magnetorheological elastomer, an electrorheological fluid, a piezoelectric material, or combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing active materials, wherein the one or more lockdown regions comprises a plurality of hook elements formed of the active material in a releasable pressing engagement with a loop material, wherein the hook elements are disposed on a selected one of the closure or the vehicle body, and the loop material is disposed on the other one of the closure or the vehicle body; and an activation device coupled to the active material, the activation device being operable to selectively provide an activation signal to the active material and effectuate a change in a dimension, a shape, and/or a flexural modulus property of the active material, wherein the change in the dimension, a shape, and/or flexural modulus of the active material locks down or releases the closure from the vehicle. 2. The one or more lockdown regions of claim 1, wherein the one or more lockdown regions comprise a spring formed of the active material. 3. The one or more lockdown regions of claim 1, wherein the one or more lockdown regions comprise a strip formed of the active material. 4. The one or more lockdown regions of claim 1, wherein the activation signal comprises a thermal activation signal, a magnetic activation signal, an electric activation signal, a chemical activation signal, a mechanical load, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing activation signals. 5. The one or more lockdown regions of claim 1, wherein the closure comprises a door, hood, tailgate, liftgate, an engine lid, a sunroof, or a trunk lid. 6. A reversible lockdown system for a closure hingeably attached to a vehicle body, comprising: a sensor that generates a signal based on pre-impact or impact information; a controller disposed to receive the sensor signal and deliver an activation signal to at least one device in operative communication with the closure and the vehicle body, wherein the at least one device comprises an active material disposed in operative communication with the hood and the vehicle body, wherein the active material comprises a shape memory alloy, a magnetic shape memory alloy, a shape memory polymer, a magnetorheological fluid, an electroactive polymer, a magnetorheological elastomer, an electrorheological fluid, a piezoelectric material, or combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing active materials, and wherein the activation signal effectuates a change in a shape, dimension, and/or flexural modulus property of the active material, wherein the change in the shape, dimension, and/or flexural modulus of the active material locks down or releases the closure from the vehicle. 7. The reversible lockdown system of claim 6, wherein the at least one device comprises a plurality of hook elements formed of the active material in a releasable pressing engagement with a loop material, wherein the hook elements are disposed on a selected one of the closure or the vehicle body, and the loop material is disposed on the other one of the closure or the vehicle body. 8. The reversible lockdown system of claim 6, wherein the at least one device comprises a spring formed of the active material. 9. The reversible lockdown system of claim 6, wherein the at least one device comprises a strip formed of the active material, wherein the strip is intermediate the closure and the vehicle body. 10. The reversible lockdown system of claim 6, wherein the activation signal comprises a thermal activation signal, a magnetic activation signal, an electric activation signal, a chemical activation signal, a mechanical load, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing activation signals. 11. The reversible lockdown system of claim 6, wherein the closure comprises a door, a hood, a tailgate, a liftgate, an engine lid, a sunroof, or a trunk lid. 12. The reversible lockdown system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further adapted to receive a manual signal and deliver the activation signal to the at least one device in operative communication with the closure and the vehicle body. 13. A method for selectively stiffening a closure hingeably attached to a vehicle body, the method comprising: generating an activation signal, wherein generating the activation signal first comprises sensing and/or presensing an impact event; and activating at least one device in response to the activation signal, wherein the at least one device comprises an active material in operable communication with a closure and vehicle body, wherein the active material changes a shape, a dimension, or flexural modulus property of the active material upon receipt of the activation signal and stiffens an interface between the closure and the vehicle body. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the active material comprises a shape memory alloy, a shape memory polymer, a magnetorheological fluid, an electroactive polymer, a magnetorheological elastomer, an electrorheological fluid, a piezoelectric material, or combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing active materials. 15. The method according to claim 13, wherein sensing is accomplished with a pre-impact sensor. 16. The method according to claim 13, wherein sensing is accomplished with an impact sensor. 17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the generating the activation signal comprises manual activation. 18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the activation signal comprises a thermal activation signal, a magnetic activation signal, an electric activation signal, a chemical activation signal, a mechanical load, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing activation signals. 19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the at least one device comprises a plurality of hook elements formed of the active material in a releasable pressing engagement with a complementary positioned loop material, wherein the hook elements are disposed on a selected one of the hood or the vehicle body, and the loop material is disposed on the other one of the hood or the vehicle body. 20. The method according to claim 13, further comprising altering a load path during an impact event by generating the activation signal. 21. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one device reversibly changes the shape, dimension, or the flexural modulus property of the active material. 22. In combination with a vehicle and a closure, one or more lockdown regions disposed between the closure and the vehicle body, the one or more lockdown regions comprising: a device comprising an active material disposed in operative communication with the closure and the vehicle body, wherein the active material comprises a shape memory polymer, a magnetorheological fluid, an electroactive polymer, a magnetorheological elastomer, an electrorheological fluid, a piezoelectric material, or combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing active materials; and an activation device coupled to the active material, the activation device being operable to selectively provide an activation signal to the active material and effectuate a change in a dimension, a shape, and/or a flexural modulus property of the active material, wherein the change in the dimension, a shape, and/or flexural modulus of the active material locks down or releases the closure from the vehicle.