Patent ID: 8042702

Claim:
A reconfigurable container comprising: at least one deformable active material member; wherein the at least one deformable active material member is at least one heat-activatable, shape memory polymer material having a glass transition temperature above which a decrease in modulus of elasticity occurs; wherein the at least one deformable active material member is configured to deform to adopt a first configuration and a second configuration and is reconfigurable between one of the first configuration and the second configuration to the other of the first configuration and the second configuration; wherein the at least one deformable active material member is configured to deform from the first configuration to the second configuration upon the application of a temperature greater than the glass transition temperature in combination with the application of an external load thereto; wherein the at least one deformable active material member is configured to automatically return to the first configuration from the second configuration upon the application of the temperature greater than the glass transition temperature in combination with the removal of the application of the external load; wherein the at least one deformable active material member is configured to remain deformed in the second configuration when the applied temperature is reduced below the glass transition temperature before the external load is removed; wherein one of the first and second configurations defines a storage space and the other of the first and second configurations is more compact than the configuration defining the storage space; and wherein the at least one deformable active material member includes multiple deformable active material members arranged in approximately orthogonal relationship to one another when the container has the first configuration.