Light fixtures (100, 200, 400, 500, 600, 700) are provided, including a lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70), an oriented crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer (12, 22, 42, 52, 62, 72) disposed adjacent to or connected to the lighting element, and a control mechanism (14, 24, 44, 64, 74). The control mechanism is in electrical communication with the lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70) and controls an energy output of the lighting element and a temperature of the oriented crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer (12, 22, 42, 52, 62, 72). Typically, when the control mechanism changes the temperature of the oriented crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer, the shape of the polymer changes. A method of making a light fixture (100, 200, 400, 500, 600, 700) is also provided. The method includes providing a lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70), forming a crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer (12, 22, 42, 52, 62, 72), and disposing the crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer adjacent to the lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70) or connecting the crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer to the lighting element. The method further includes electrically connecting a control mechanism (14, 24, 44, 64, 74) with the lighting element.

Light fixtures (100, 200, 400, 500, 600, 700) are provided, including a lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70), an oriented crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer (12, 22, 42, 52, 62, 72) disposed adjacent to or connected to the lighting element, and a control mechanism (14, 24, 44, 64, 74). The control mechanism is in electrical communication with the lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70) and controls an energy output of the lighting element and a temperature of the oriented crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer (12, 22, 42, 52, 62, 72). Typically, when the control mechanism changes the temperature of the oriented crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer, the shape of the polymer changes. A method of making a light fixture (100, 200, 400, 500, 600, 700) is also provided. The method includes providing a lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70), forming a crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer (12, 22, 42, 52, 62, 72), and disposing the crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer adjacent to the lighting element (10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70) or connecting the crosslinked semi-crystalline polymer to the lighting element. The method further includes electrically connecting a control mechanism (14, 24, 44, 64, 74) with the lighting element.

The present invention relates to shape memory materials and to a method for controlling shape change in shape memory materials. In particular, the invention relates to a method and a system for forming complex shapes from shape memory materials and to shape memory materials having complex shapes.

The present invention relates to shape memory materials and to a method for controlling shape change in shape memory materials. In particular, the invention relates to a method and a system for forming complex shapes from shape memory materials and to shape memory materials having complex shapes.

A temperature indicating method, a temperature indicating label used by this method, and a method for manufacturing the temperature indicating label, includes: a, determining the target temperature, adopting the thermal induced shape memory polymer material to manufacture the temperature indicating label; b, heating the temperature indicating label to make it achieve or exceed the initial temperature of glass transition or melting transition but be lower than the terminal temperature of glass transition or melting transition, then finishing the predeformation treatment; and c, placing the predeformed temperature indicating label into the environment which needs temperature indication for a while, observing whether spontaneous shape recovery happens to the label and judging whether the environment temperature has once reached or exceeded the target temperature.

A temperature indicating method, a temperature indicating label used by this method, and a method for manufacturing the temperature indicating label, includes: a, determining the target temperature, adopting the thermal induced shape memory polymer material to manufacture the temperature indicating label; b, heating the temperature indicating label to make it achieve or exceed the initial temperature of glass transition or melting transition but be lower than the terminal temperature of glass transition or melting transition, then finishing the predeformation treatment; and c, placing the predeformed temperature indicating label into the environment which needs temperature indication for a while, observing whether spontaneous shape recovery happens to the label and judging whether the environment temperature has once reached or exceeded the target temperature.

The present disclosure relates to a shape memory polymer material containing at least one two dimensional region having a first amount of stored stress in a first direction and a second amount of stored stress higher than the first amount of stored stress in a second direction, wherein the two dimensional region is capable of changing shape in only one of the first or second directions.

The present disclosure is directed to a joining element having a core having first and second opposed ends that define a length therebetween along a longitudinal direction, a jacket that surrounds the core along at least a portion of the length and defining first and second opposed ends that are spaced along the longitudinal direction, where the first and second opposed ends are in mechanical communication with the first and second ends of the core; and, where one of the jacket and the core is pre-tensioned, and the other of the jacket and the core is configured to transition from a first rigid configuration where its length is constant, to a second deformed configuration where the one of the jacket and the core relaxes from a pre-tensioned state so as to draw the first and second opposed ends of the other of the jacket and the core toward each other.

The present disclosure provides a dual layer heat shrink tube having: an inner polymeric layer with a thickness t.sub.1 and an outer diameter D.sub.1; and an outer, expanded polymeric layer with a thickness t.sub.2′ and an outer diameter D.sub.2′ obtained by expanding a polymer tube from D.sub.2 to D.sub.2′ and t.sub.2 to t.sub.2′ at a selected temperature so that D.sub.2′−2(t.sub.2′)>D.sub.1, wherein a ring cut from a cross-section of the dual layer heat shrink tube, slit into a rectangle and gripped at cut ends by tension grips within a DMA, and subjected to a temperature sweep of 3° C./min at a frequency of 1 Hz from the onset of a melting endotherm of the inner polymeric layer to that of the outer, expanded polymeric layer is greater than 1° C. and less than 12° C. The disclosure further provides associated methods for preparing and using such tubes, as well as to products comprising such tubes.

Provided is a method for preparing nylon having triple shape memory effects, comprising the steps of generating amino acid, containing a biomass-derived pyrrolidone group, by using itaconic acid and a diamine; and generating a nylon copolymer by reacting the amino acid containing the pyrrolidone group and an α, ω-aliphatic amino acid. Therefore, provided is a bionylon having triple shape memory effects, capable of shape deformation, fixing and recovery through two steps and adjusting shape recovery temperature to a desired level by controlling the content of a reactant.