Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Pliant or elastic hinge
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-26
2001-01-23
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3626)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Pliant or elastic hinge
C016S226000, C016S385000, C403S028000, C403S032000, C136S292000, C136S245000, C343S915000, C052S173300, C052S071000, C060S529000, C244S173300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06175989
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a device for deploying an object interconnected thereto, and in particular, to a hinge assembly for deploying an object interconnected thereto.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various techniques have been used to deploy instrumentation payloads or other appendages from spacecraft. Typically, deployment is initiated from a storage bay after the spacecraft has reached a selected orbit or other extraterrestrial location. The instrumentation may include solar panels, measurement equipment, imaging devices and communication antennae. As can be appreciated, such instrumentation may be very sensitive in nature and should be deployed with minimal vibration or shock.
The design of deployment devices that are capable of accurately, reliably and repeatably delivering sensitive equipment from a stowed position to a deployed position presents a number of challenges. For example, the deployment device should comprise an actuator that can apply the necessary energy to physically move the instrumentation. Further, positioning of the instrumentation should be done in a manner that reduces any risk of damage (e.g., due to rapid or uneven acceleration or deceleration).
Additionally, because the deployment device may be used on an orbiting spacecraft, the deployment device should be lightweight, have a minimal number of parts to reduce maintenance requirements, improve reliability, enhance the mass efficiency of the deployed system, have a compact arrangement in the stowed position to reduce the size of the storage or deployment bay, be resettable and repeatable at least during ground testing of the deployment device to ensure that the device will work as expected while in orbit, and have a low fabrication cost to reduce the overall cost of the spacecraft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly for deploying an object from a stowed position to a deployed position.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a deployment assembly for use in a spacecraft, the assembly for deploying an object from a spacecraft in orbit or other extraterrestrial location.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a deployment assembly which is lightweight, has a minimal number of parts, is compact, is resettable and which provides for a controlled, substantially shockless deployment of an object.
The present invention achieves one or more of these objectives by providing a hinge assembly which is capable of deploying an object in a controllable manner. Generally, for purposes of deploying or moving an object from a first position to a second position, the hinge assembly of the present invention includes at least a first member having first and second end portions and an intermediate portion therebetween, and a means, interconnectable to the first member, for controlling movement or reconfiguration of the first member from at least a first to a second configuration corresponding to first and second positions of the object, respectively. Specifically, in one embodiment, the first member is a first flexure member which is resiliently flexurable about the intermediate portion thereof, and is disposed to flex or spring from a first configuration corresponding to the object in the first position (e.g., a stowed position) to a second configuration corresponding to the object in the second position (e.g., a deployed position). The first flexure member in the first configuration (e.g., bent or folded) has a first stored energy (e.g., pretension) which is greater than a second stored energy of the first flexure member in the second configuration (e.g., straightened). In this regard, the means for controlling flexural movement of the first flexure member functions to control the release of stored energy of the first flexure member when the first flexure member flexes from the first configuration to the second configuration to pivotally move the object to be deployed from a first (e.g., stowed) position to a second (e.g., deployed) position. Of importance, in order to control such flexure to provide for a substantially shockless deployment of the object interconnected to the first flexure member, the means for controlling such springing or flexural movement of the first flexure member from a folded to a straight configuration functions to passively dampen such flexure of at least the first flexure member. In another embodiment, the means for controlling the first member comprises a means for actuating at least the first member from a first configuration corresponding to the object being in a first position, to a second configuration corresponding to the object being in a second position. In this regard, the hinge assembly of the present invention is especially useful for passively or actively deploying objects, such as sensitive instrumentation, solar arrays, antennae or other appendages, from a spacecraft.
As noted hereinabove, for purposes of providing for a substantially shockless movement of an object from a first (e.g., stowed) position to at least a second (e.g., deployed) position, the means for controlling movement of at least the first flexure member as the first flexure member reconfigures or moves from a first, folded configuration to a second, straighter configuration may comprise one of a means for absorbing the stored energy released from the flexure member as the flexure member reconfigures from a folded to a straightened configuration and a means for actuating at least the first flexure member between first and second configurations (e.g., stowed and deployed configurations), or vice versa. In one embodiment, for purposes of passively providing for a substantially shockless deployment of an object as the first flexure member flexes from the first, folded (e.g., U-, L-, or C-shaped) configuration to a second, straighter configuration, the means for absorbing the stored energy or tension from the first flexure member during flexing comprises a damping means. In this regard, the means for absorbing stored energy functions as a dashpot to cushion or dampen the first flexure member as the first flexure member flexes from a folded to a substantially straight configuration, the first flexural member having a higher stored energy in the folded configuration than in the unfolded, straighter configuration. In one embodiment, the damping means for absorbing such stored energy in the first flexure member comprises a first deformable damping member. In another, preferred embodiment, the damping means for absorbing such stored energy in the first flexure member comprises a first plastically deformable damping member of a shape memory alloy having at least a martensite phase. In this regard, as the first flexure member flexes from a folded configuration to a substantially straight configuration, the plastically deformable damping member absorbs the stored energy by plastically deforming without permanently failing the damping member. More specifically, the plastically deformable damping member comprising a shape memory alloy provides passive, substantially shockless deployment by the controlled alignment of the martensite structure by using stored energy of the first flexure member. In this regard, a substantially shockless deployment is achieved by utilizing the elastic component of the shape memory alloy damping member. As such, a hinge apparatus utilizing a plastically deformable damping member comprising a shape memory alloy having at least a martensite phase can be reset and retested for a plurality of cycles without failure of the damping member. Such plastic deformability is especially useful for ground testing of the hinge apparatus to ensure the hinge apparatus functions as designed on orbit. Further, for purposes of effectively moving the hinge to deploy the object, the transition temperature of the shape memory damping member should, at the time of deployment, be higher than the environment temperature (e.g., on orbit).
In this embodiment of the present invention,
Carpenter Bernie F.
Draper Jerry L.
Gehling Russell N.
Divney Jeffrey A.
Knight Anthony
Marsh & Fischmann & Breyfogle LLP
Pilaud Robert L.
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