Panel deployment apparatus and panel deployment method
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorsTaichi Hirose, Naoyuki Kaneko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A panel deployment apparatus includes a guide provided on a first hinge axis of a main hinge; a guide provided on a second hinge axis of a side hinge; and a deployment stop arm that stops deployment of a second side panel by sequential engagement with the guide and the guide, the deployment stop arm being fixed to the second side panel, wherein the second main panel is deployed in a state of the deployment stop arm being engaged with the guide and, when the deployment stop arm is disengaged from the guide and then engaged with the guide, the first side panel is deployed in a state of the deployment stop arm being engaged with the guide and, when the deployment stop arm is disengaged from the guide, the second side panel is deployed.
Claims9
A panel deployment apparatus that sequentially deploys a plurality of panels arranged in a stacked state before deployment, comprising:
- a main hinge that couples a first main panel and a second main panel such that they are deployable about a first hinge axis;
- a first side hinge that couples the first main panel and a first side panel such that they are deployable about a second hinge axis orthogonal to the first hinge axis;
- a second side hinge that couples the second main panel and a second side panel such that they are deployable about a third hinge axis opposite to the first side hinge;
- a first guide provided on the first hinge axis of the main hinge, the first guide being fixed to the first main panel;
- a second guide provided on the second hinge axis of the side hinge, the second guide being fixed to the first side panel;
- and
- a deployment stop member that stops deployment of the second side panel by sequential engagement with the first guide and the second guide, the deployment stop member being fixed to the second side panel,
- wherein the second main panel and the second side panel are deployed in a state of the deployment stop member being engaged with the first guide and, when the deployment stop member is disengaged from the first guide, the second side panel is deployed with respect to the second main panel.
A panel deployment method for sequentially deploying a plurality of panels arranged in a stacked state before deployment in a panel deployment apparatus including:
- a main hinge that couples a first main panel and a second main panel such that they are deployable about a first hinge axis;
- a first side hinge that couples the first main panel and a first side panel such that they are deployable about a second hinge axis orthogonal to the first hinge axis;
- a second side hinge that couples the second main panel and a second side panel such that they are deployable about a third hinge axis opposite to the first side hinge;
- a first guide provided on the first hinge axis of the main hinge, the first guide being fixed to the first main panel;
- a second guide provided on the second hinge axis of the hinge, the second guide being fixed to the first side panel;
- and
- a deployment stop member that stops deployment of the second side panel by sequential engagement with the first guide and the second guide, the deployment stop member being fixed to the second side panel,
- the panel deployment method comprising:
- deploying the second main panel by rotation of the main hinge in a state of the deployment stop member being engaged with the first guide;
- when the second main panel is deployed, disengaging the deployment stop member from the first guide, engaging the deployment stop member with the second guide, thereby maintaining a stop state of deployment of the second side panel with respect to the second main panel,
- when deploying the first side panel by rotation of the first side hinge in a state of the deployment stop member being engaged with the second guide, disengaging the deployment stop member from the second guide, causing the second side panel to be deployed with respect to the second main panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.