Corner reflector and method for fabricating same

A method for fabricating a corner reflector reflecting a radio wave comprising the steps of:

• (A) preparing a balloon which has an expanded annular shape by supply of gas to an inside thereof, and a constraint fabric,
• (B) winding the constraint fabric wound around the cylindrical balloon,
• (C) joining axial direction end portions of the cylindrical balloon around which the constraint fabric is wound, to each other to transform the balloon into an annular balloon extending in an annular direction around a virtual central axis;
• and
• (D) joining end portions of the constraint fabric in the annular direction of the annular balloon,
• fabricating the annular balloons of which number is three, by the steps (A), (B), (C), and (D),
• the method comprising the steps of:
• (E) assembling the three annular balloons to each other so that planes including expanded annular shapes of the three annular balloons are orthogonal to each other,
• (F) attaching a radio wave reflective film to an inner side of each of the annular balloons to form a corner reflector, and
• (G) removing the gas from the inside of the annular balloons to deflate the annular balloons,
• wherein the constraint fabric constricts the annular balloon in the annular shape to thereby restrict expansion of the annular balloon,
• wherein the constraint fabric includes an inner peripheral side fabric portion and an outer peripheral side fabric portion that extend in the annular direction in the expanded annular shape, wherein the outer peripheral side fabric portion is located further from the virtual central axis of the annular balloon in the expanded annular shape, than the inner peripheral side fabric portion, and
• wherein an elongation degree of the outer peripheral side fabric portion in the annular direction is higher than the elongation degree of the inner peripheral side fabric portion in the annular direction, wherein the elongation degree is defined as a numerical value representing an elongated amount of a fixed unit length of the constraint fabric when the constraint fabric is elongated due to fixed tensile force acting on the constraint fabric from a state where no external force acts on the constraint fabric.