US 12,358,649 B1Granted

Extensible boom device

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsKevin Tebbe, Michael Joseph Dergance, Keith Miller

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Abstract

A telescopic boom system provides an extensible boom that may be used in spacecraft applications including supporting photovoltaic panels, communication antennas, instrumentation, and so forth. A stowed configuration is volumetrically compact, including the boom and actuators such as a motor. During deployment, threaded nuts for each nested section of the boom are self-aligning with respect to a leadscrew driven by the motor. Sections are staged for extension in staged sequence by a flexure arm engaging a ramp feature on a portion of the nested section. Extension failure mitigation is enhanced by allowing partial retraction of some sections during extension. Once fully extended, tension of the boom may be later adjusted, modifying the structural fundamental frequency. A ratchet may be engaged with extension of a final nested section to prevent retraction of the extended boom.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A device comprising:

a fixed section having a first long axis, a first end, and a second end;
a first motor proximate to the first end of the fixed section;
a leadscrew having a second long axis parallel to the first long axis, wherein the leadscrew is driven by the first motor, and the leadscrew comprises:
a first unthreaded portion proximate to the first end, and
a first threaded portion;
a first flexure arm comprising:
a third end proximate to the first end, wherein the third end is fixed,
a fourth end distal to the third end, wherein the fourth end is moveable relative to the third end, and
a first roller that is proximate to the fourth end;
a first nested section that is at least partially within the fixed section, the first nested section comprising:
a first support structure comprising a first ramp face proximate to the first end and a second ramp face proximate to the second end, wherein the first roller is in contact with the second ramp face before extension of the first nested section;
and
a first threaded feature;
and
a second nested section that is at least partially within the first nested section, the second nested section comprising:
a second support structure;
and
a second threaded feature, wherein the second threaded feature is engaged with the leadscrew.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.