Box truss hoop
AssigneeMartin Marietta Corporation
InventorsFred R. Schwartzberg, William H. Tobey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A box truss hoop which is defined by circumferentially adjacent collapsible boxes. The hoop is expandable radially from a compact, folded configuration to a deployed hoop configuration. Each of the boxes includes collapsible inner and outer frames, connecting side members extending between the inner and outer frames and diagonal braces. When employed as an antenna, the box truss hoop includes a shaped reflective surface extending across the hoop and a feed located at the focus of the reflective surface.
Claims26
A box truss hoop comprising a plurality of circumferentially adjacent collapsible boxes arranged whereby said box truss hoop is expandable radially from a compact, folded configuration to a deployed hoop configuration, each of said boxes comprising:
- a. a collapsible inner frame and a collapsible outer frame disposed parallel and radially apart;
- and
- b. a plurality of connecting side members extending between said inner and said outer frames.
A box truss hoop comprising:
- a. a plurality of circumferentially adjacent collapsible boxes arranged whereby said box truss hoop is expandable radially from a compact, folded configuration to a deployed hoop configuration, each of said boxes comprising:
- (1) a collapsible inner frame and a collapsible outer frame disposed parallel and radially apart, each of said inner and outer frames comprising:
- i. two rigid members;
- ii. two folding members, one of said folding members extending between each pair of corresponding ends of said rigid members and including biasing means for urging said folding members to a deployed position;
- and
- iii. axially expandable diagonal braces extending between each pair of diagonally opposite ends of said rigid members;
- (2) four foldable connecting side members, each of said connecting side members extending generally radially between a pair of corresponding corners of said inner and said outer frames and including biasing means for urging said connecting side members to a deployed position;
- and
- (3) axially expandable diagonal braces extending between each pair of diagonally opposite corners of said inner and said outer frames in the surface planes of each of said boxes;
- b. a generally curved reflective surface extending across said box truss hoop and foldable therewith;
- c. a feed disposed at approximately the focus of said reflective surface;
- and
- d. feed support means extending from a portion of said box truss hoop to said feed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.