Patent ID: 7655170

Claim:
A method of re-dimensioning an active device, such as a shim, seal, spacer, washer, grommet, gasket or the like, comprising shape memory polymer, so as to maintain fixed relative spacing, alignment and/or positioning of assembled parts, said method comprising: securing the device relative to a first surface defined by a first part, wherein the device is operative to change at least one physical attribute in response to a thermal activation signal; activating the device with a thermal activation signal to substantially decrease its modulus; fixedly securing a second surface defined by a second part relative to the first, and cooperatively compressing the device with the first and second surfaces, so as to form an assembly; cooling the device to a temperature below the lowest glass transition temperature of the shape memory polymer, after forming the assembly; causing the surfaces to relatively displace, so as to form a gap between at least a portion of said first and second surfaces and the device; re-activating the device with a second signal when the surfaces are caused to relatively displace, so as to cause the device to reconfigure, and be recompressed by the surfaces, and the gap, to close; and re-cooling the device to a temperature below the lowest glass transition temperature of the shape memory polymer, after re-activation.