Large Deployable Panel with Shape Memory Hinge and Load Elements

A deployable panel, comprising:

• a plurality of subpanels;
• a number of shape memory alloy hinges connecting the subpanels together in respective pairs of the subpanels, wherein each subpanel of the subpanels is part of at least one pair of the respective subpanels, and
• in each of the respective pairs:
• the number of shape memory alloy hinges enable the subpanels in each respective pair to move between a first position in which the subpanels of the respective pair are folded over each other and a second position in which the subpanels of the respective pair are coplanar in response to a first energy source that changes a shape of the number of shape memory alloy hinges;
• a number of shape memory alloy coil springs connected to a first subpanel of the subpanels of each of the respective pairs;
• and
• a number of respective tethers connecting the shape memory alloy springs to the second subpanel of the respective pair, wherein the shape memory alloy springs contract in response to a second energy source to pull the first subpanel and second subpanel together end-to-end via the tethers.

A deployable panel, comprising:

• nine subpanels arranged in a grid of three rows of three of the subpanels;
• in each row of the three rows:
• first nitinol hinges connecting the center subpanel of the respective row to each of the outside subpanels in the respective row, wherein the first nitinol hinges enable the outside subpanels in the respective row to move between a first, folded position in which the outside subpanels of the respective row are folded over the center subpanel of the respective row and a second, extended position in which each of the outside subpanels are coplanar with the center subpanel of the respective row in response to a first energy source that changes the shape of the first nitinol hinges;
• and
• in the center row of the three rows:
• second nitinol hinges connecting the center subpanel of the center row to the center subpanels of the other two rows of the three rows, wherein the second nitinol hinges enable the top row of the subpanels and the center row of subpanels to move between a third, folded position in which the center subpanel of the top row and the center subpanel of the center row are folded over the center subpanel of the bottom row of subpanels, and a fourth, extended position in which each of the center subpanels of the respective rows are coplanar in response to a second energy source that changes the shape of the second nitinol hinges.

A deployable panel, comprising:

• a number of subpanels;
• a number of hinges connecting the subpanels together, wherein the hinges enable the subpanels to move between a first position in which the subpanels are folded over each other in a specified fold configuration and a second position in which the subpanels are arranged coplanar as a unitary panel;
• and
• shape memory alloy springs within the hinges, wherein the shape memory alloy springs apply load to the hinges to move the subpanels from the first position to the second position in response to an energy source that changes the shape of the shape memory alloy springs.

A method of deploying a panel, the method comprising:

• folding a first subpanel over a second subpanel, wherein the first and second subpanels are connected by a shape memory alloy hinge in a folded position;
• applying a first energy source to the shape memory alloy hinge to cause the shape memory alloy hinge to straighten and unfold the first and second subpanels to an unfolded position, wherein the unfolded position is trained into the shape memory alloy hinge;
• and
• applying a second energy source to a number of shape memory alloy springs connect to the second subpanel, wherein the second energy source causes the shape memory alloy springs to contract and pull on tethers connected to the first subpanel to pull the first and second subpanels together after the first and second subpanels are in the unfolded position.