Aeronautics and astronautics – Spacecraft – Spacecraft formation – orbit – or interplanetary path
Patent
1989-02-23
1991-09-03
Cherry, Johnny D.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Spacecraft
Spacecraft formation, orbit, or interplanetary path
285156, 52 215, 52 218, B64G 122
Patent
active
050445790
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT
This application is related to the commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,819 granted Jul. 5, 1988, entitled "REFLECTOR ANTENNA AND METHOD OF FABRICATION".
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to new and improved inflatable foldable structures for protective devices or other auxiliary devices, their use as protective shields and protective chambers for shielding pay loads in outer space, and a method of manufacturing foldable structures.
The use of sensitive technical devices in outer space requires protective shields or protective shrouds which protect the corresponding devices against cosmic and electromagnetic radiation, solar action, meteorites etc. Furthermore, auxiliary devices are required in order to maintain defined atmospheric conditions or ambient temperatures for certain pay loads or in order to protect experiments or a specific working area from outer space. Stringent requirements are demanded of such auxiliary devices or protective devices, such requirements depending on the specific operational system of the devices. In addition to a high reliability during unfolding and in operation, there exist requirements such as a low weight and a small storage volume while possessing a sturdy construction, as well as a lowest possible price. Furthermore, it is above all of importance that the device in the operating condition can attain large overall dimensions, typically 10 meters and more.
Known devices of this type cannot be applied for larger constructions because of their complexity, their dimensions or the too high cost and have therefore structure dependent limits. Particularly, mechanical self-opening devices of larger dimensions are thereby not anymore applicable. Conventional protective shields as used in conjunction with cryostats are not unfoldable and possess small dimensions. Furthermore, known balloon-type inflatable chambers permit only very limited operational possibilities on account of their form, since essentially only ball-shaped or lense-like forms are possible. Moreover, such inflatable devices have the major disadvantage that it is hardly possible to provide openings in the surface, which openings would allow to subsequently place further objects within the chambers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing protective devices for application in outer space, so that also large pay loads can be partially shielded or entirely enclosed by means of such a device, such devices rendering possible in their geometry substantially any two-dimensional or three-dimensional structures and complying in optimum manner with the requirements as to low weight, small packaging volume, high reliability, rigidity and low price.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a foldable supporting structure or a foldable structure which can be used for such protective devices, exhibits low weight and can be folded into a small packaging volume and again unfolded with very high reliability.
Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the inflatable foldable structure of the present development is manifested, among other things, by the features that, a plurality of inflatable flexible tubes are joined to form a gas-tight skeleton and that membranes are attached between the tubes to this skeleton.
The foldable structure according to the invention is composed of a topological arrangement of flexible inflatable tubes which are joined to each other. At these tubes there are attached membranes which in the unfolded condition form the actual protective walls. Since the tubes as well as the membranes are formed of plastic material, this foldable structure is of relatively low weight. Furthermore, there is the advantage of simple manufacture, any length whatever of the tubes and a small packaging volume.
The method of manufacturing or producing a finished protective device uses such a foldable
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Bernasconi Marco C.
Kotacka Karl
Cherry Johnny D.
Kannofsky James M.
Oerlikon-Contraves AG
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