权利要求：
CLAIMS
What is claimed is:
1. An active self-transformable material comprising:
a flexible base material; and
an active material disposed on the flexible base material in a predetermined pattern to form a combined structure, the combined structure having a natural shape,
wherein the active material is reactive to an external stimulus trigger, and the flexible base material is non-reactive to the external stimulus trigger, minimally reactive to the external stimulus trigger, or reactive to the external stimulus trigger differently than the active material, and
wherein exposure of at least a portion of the predetermined pattern of the active material to the external stimulus trigger changes the shape of the combined structure from the natural shape into a predetermined 3 -dimensional transformed shape.
2. The active self-transformable material of claim 1, wherein the natural shape of the combined structure is a shape of the combined structure absent an external stimulus trigger.
3. The active self-transformable material of claim 1, wherein the flexible base material is selected from stretchable and non-stretchable textiles, elastomeric materials, plastics, rubber, leather, animal skin materials, vegan alternatives to animal skin materials, and sheet foam.
4. The active self-transformable material of claim 1, wherein the flexible base material is a textile selected from the group consisting of cotton, neoprene, jersey, vinyl, velvet, brocade, silk, polyesters, wool, linen, mesh, and polyester-polyurethane copolymers, including elastane, and spandex.
5. The active self-transformable material of claim 1, wherein the active material is a material activated by exposure to temperature change, exposure to light change, exposure to solvents, exposure to moisture, exposure to energy, including electrical energy, exposure to infrared light, exposure to visible light, and exposure to ultraviolet light.
6. The active self-transformable material of claim 1, wherein the active material is a material selected from hydrogels, plastics, polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), thermoplastic polymers, and combinations thereof.
7. The active self-transformable material of claim 1, wherein the active material is reactive to the external stimulus trigger by swelling or shrinking.
8. The active self-transformable material of claim 1, wherein the active material has a thermal expansion modulus that causes the active material to shrink or swell upon exposure to a temperature change.
9. The active self-transformable material of claim 1, wherein the change in the shape of the combined structure from the natural shape into a predetermined 3 -dimensional
transformed shape is a reversible change.
10. The active self-transformable material of claim 1, wherein the change in the shape of the combined structure from the natural shape into a predetermined 3 -dimensional
transformed shape is an irreversible change.
11. The active self-transformable material of claim 1, wherein the flexible base material is in the form of a generally flat and flexible material having a plurality of flaps disposed therein,
wherein the active material is disposed on the plurality of flaps in such a manner that exposing the active material to the external stimulus trigger causes the flaps to lift and form a plurality of air vents.
12. A method of forming an active self-transformable material comprising:
providing a flexible base material; and
disposing an active material on one or more surfaces of the flexible base material or within the flexible base material in a specific pattern to form a combined structure having a natural shape,
wherein the active material is a material that is reactive to exposure to an external stimulus trigger,
wherein the flexible base material is non-reactive to the external stimulus trigger, minimally reactive to the external stimulus trigger, or reactive to the external stimulus trigger differently than the active material, and
wherein exposure of at least a portion of the specific pattern of the active material to the external stimulus trigger changes the shape of the combined structure from the natural shape into a predetermined 3 -dimensional transformed shape.
13. The method claim 12, wherein the natural shape of the combined structure is a shape of the combined structure absent exposure to the external stimulus trigger.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein disposing the specific pattern of the active material onto the flexible base material comprises 3D printing the active material, laminating or adhering the specific pattern of the active material to flexible base material, or knitting, weaving, stitching, or injecting the active material in the predetermined pattern onto or within the flexible base material.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the specific pattern further includes particular heights and widths of the active material along the pattern.
16. The method of claim 12, further comprising tailoring one or more properties of the flexible base material and the active material to achieve the predetermined transformed 3- dimensional shape, the one or more properties being selected from a composition of the flexible base material, composition of the active material, a particular shape of the flexible base material,
a thickness of the flexible base material, a stiffness of the flexible base material, a flexibility of the flexible base material, a directionality of the flexible base material, a thickness of the flexible base material, a thickness pattern of the active material, a width pattern of the active material, an overall design pattern of the active material, an amount of the active material , and a difference between one or more properties of flexible base material and the active material.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein the external stimulus trigger is selected from one or more solvents, a temperature change, energy, a pressure change, a lighting change, moisture infrared light, visible light, and ultraviolet light, and combinations thereof.
18. The method of claim 12, wherein the flexible base material is a material selected from stretchable and non-stretchable textiles, elastomeric materials, plastics, rubber, leather, animal skin materials, vegan alternatives to animal skin materials, and sheet foam.
19. The method claim 12, wherein the flexible base material is a stretchable or non- stretchable textile selected from the group consisting of cotton, neoprene, jersey, vinyl, velvet, brocade, silk, polyesters, wool, linen, mesh, and polyester-polyurethane copolymers, including elastane, and spandex.
20. The method of claim 12, wherein the active material is a material selected from materials activated by exposure to temperature change, exposure to light change, exposure to solvents, exposure to moisture, exposure to energy, including electrical energy, exposure to infrared light, exposure to visible light, and exposure to ultraviolet light.
21. The method of claim 12, wherein the active material is a material selected from hydrogels, plastics, polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), thermoplastic polymers, and combinations thereof.
22. The method of claim 12, wherein the active material is reactive to the external stimulus trigger by swelling or shrinking.
23. The method of claim 12, wherein the active material has a thermal expansion modulus that causes the active material to shrink or swell upon exposure to a temperature change.
24. The method of claim 12, wherein the change in the shape of the combined structure from the natural shape into the predetermined 3-dimensional transformed shape is a reversible change.
25. The method of claim 12, wherein the change in the shape of the combined structure from the natural shape into the predetermined 3-dimensional transformed shape is an irreversible change.
26. A method of forming a predetermined 3-dimensional manufactured shape comprising:
providing a flexible base material;
disposing an active material on one or more surfaces of the flexible base material or within the flexible base material in a specific pattern to form a combined structure having a natural shape, wherein the active material is a material that is reactive to exposure to an external stimulus trigger, and wherein the flexible base material is non-reactive to the external stimulus trigger, minimally reactive to the external stimulus trigger, or reactive to the external stimulus trigger differently than the active material; and
exposing at least a portion of the specific pattern of the active material to the external stimulus trigger to cause a change in the shape of the combined structure from the natural shape into the predetermined 3-dimensional manufactured shape.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein exposing at least a portion of the specific pattern of the active material to the external stimulus trigger comprises exposing only a portion of the specific pattern to the external stimulus trigger to achieve a localized change in the shape of the combined structure.
28. The method of claim 26, wherein disposing the specific pattern of the active material onto the flexible base material comprises 3D printing the active material, laminating or adhering the specific pattern of the active material to flexible base material, or knitting, weaving, stitching, or injecting the active material in the predetermined pattern onto or within the flexible base material.
29. The method of claim 26, further comprising tailoring one or more properties of the flexible base material and the active material to achieve the predetermined transformed 3-
dimensional shape, the one or more properties being selected from a composition of the flexible base material, composition of the active material, a particular shape of the flexible base material, a thickness of the flexible base material, a stiffness of the flexible base material, a flexibility of the flexible base material, a directionality of the flexible base material, a thickness of the flexible base material, a thickness pattern of the active material, a width pattern of the active material, an overall design pattern of the active material, an amount of the active material , and a difference between one or more properties of flexible base material and the active material.
30. The method of claim 26, wherein the external stimulus trigger is selected from one or more solvents, a temperature change, energy, a pressure change, a lighting change, moisture infrared light, visible light, and ultraviolet light, and combinations thereof.
31. The method of claim 26, wherein the flexible base material is a material selected from stretchable and non-stretchable textiles, elastomeric materials, plastics, rubber, leather, animal skin materials, vegan alternatives to animal skin materials, and sheet foam.
32. The method claim 26, wherein the flexible base material is a stretchable or non- stretchable textile selected from the group consisting of cotton, neoprene, jersey, vinyl, velvet, brocade, silk, polyesters, wool, linen, mesh, and polyester-polyurethane copolymers, including elastane, and spandex.
33. The method of claim 26, wherein the active material is a material selected from materials activated by exposure to temperature change, exposure to light change, exposure to
solvents, exposure to moisture, exposure to energy, including electrical energy, exposure to infrared light, exposure to visible light, and exposure to ultraviolet light.
34. The method of claim 26, wherein the active material is a material selected from hydrogels, plastics, polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), thermoplastic polymers, and combinations thereof.
35. The method of claim 26, wherein the active material is reactive to the external stimulus trigger by swelling or shrinking.
36. The method of claim 26, wherein the active material has a thermal expansion modulus that causes the active material to shrink or swell upon exposure to a temperature change.
37. The method of claim 26, wherein the change in the shape of the combined structure from the natural shape into the predetermined 3-dimensional transformed shape is a reversible change.
38. The method of claim 26, wherein the change in the shape of the combined structure from the natural shape into the predetermined 3-dimensional transformed shape is an irreversible change.
39. The method of claim 26 further comprising, before exposing at least a portion of the specific pattern of the active material to the external stimulus trigger forming the combined structure having a natural shape into a first 3-dimensional structure,
wherein subsequent exposing at least a portion of the specific pattern of the active material to the external stimulus trigger causes a change in natural shape of the combined structure forming the first 3-dimensional structure into the predetermined 3-dimensional manufactured shape.
40. The method of claim 39, wherein the flexible base material is in the form of a generally flat and flexible material having a plurality of flaps disposed therein, wherein the active material is disposed on the plurality of flaps in such a manner that exposing the active material to the external stimulus trigger causes the flaps to lift and form a plurality of air vents, and wherein the predetermined 3-dimensional manufactured shape is the first 3-dimensional structure with the plurality of air vents in a lifted position.
41. The method of claim 40, wherein the external stimulus trigger is a temperature change.