US 4,539,786 A · Biaxial scissors fold, post tensioned structure

Abstract

A structure capable of being expanded and retracted. The structure includes a pair of cells each including a plurality of leg elements which are pivotally joined at one end to form an apex point and which are pivotally joined at their opposite ends from the apex point connection to the corresponding leg element from the other cell to form a plurality of common base points. The structure also includes a plurality of hinged elements connected between adjacent common base points to thereby form a common base and the hinged elements each have a pair of sections that are connected at a hinge point approximately midway between the adjacent common base points to which the other end of each section is connected. The structure further includes an actuator means having its ends pivotally attached to the apex points and a means associated with the actuator means for biasing the apex points to which the actuator means is attached towards and away from each other whereby the leg elements pivot about the apex points and the base points, the sections of the hinged elements pivot about the base points and the hinge points to thereby expand or retract the structure, respectively.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A structure capable of being expanded and retracted comprising:

(a) a pair of cells;
(b) said cells each including a plurality of leg elements which are pivotally joined at one end to form an apex point and which are pivotally joined at their ends opposite from the apex point connection, to the corresponding leg element from said other cell to form a plurality of common base points, said leg elements comprising means for sustaining compressive loads;
(c) a plurality of tensional, hinged, elements connected between adjacent common base points to thereby form a common base;
(d) said hinged elements each having a pair of sections that are connected at a hinge point approximately midway between said adjacent common base points to which said other end of each section is connected, said hinged elements comprising means for forming a linear configuration sustaining tensional loads and for folding into a compacted configuration upon the application of compressive loads;
(e) an actuator means having its ends pivotally attached to said apex points;
and
(f) biasing means associated with said actuator means for biasing said apex points, to which said actuator means is attached, towards and away from each other whereby said leg elements pivot about said apex points and said base points, said sections of said hinged elements pivot about said base points and said hinge points to thereby expand or retract said structure, respectively;
(g) wherein said actuator means further comprises means for expanding said structure from a compacted to an expanded configuration by drawing said apex points toward each other and for applying compressive loads upon said leg elements for displaying said ends of said leg elements opposite said apex points mutually outwardly against constraining, tensional forces exerted by said hinged elements.

5 more elements

A method for assembling a large structure formed from a plurality of smaller structures where each of said smaller structures includes a pair of cells each having a plurality of leg elements that are pivotally joined at one end to form an apex point and which are pivotally joined at their opposite ends to the corresponding leg element from said other cell to form a plurality of common base points, a plurality of hinged elements connected between adjacent common base points to thereby form a common base where said hinged elements each have a pair of sections that are connected at a hinge point approximately midway between said adjacent common base points to which said other end of each section is connected, an actuator means having its end pivotally attached to said apex points, and means associated with said actuator means for biasing said apex points to which said actuator means is attached towards and away from each other whereby said leg elements pivot about said apex points and said base points, said sections of said hinged elements pivot about said base points and said hinge points to thereby expand or retract said structure, respectively, and that is capable of being expanded and retracted such that said larger structure can be similarly expanded and retracted, comprising:

(a) longitudinally separating said smaller structures;
(b) simultaneously tensioning each of said smaller structures along this longitudinal direction of expansion sufficiently to ensure that said sections of said hinged elements have formed a continuous element and that said hinge points are no longer broken;
(c) simultaneously activating said actuator means for each of said smaller structures to bias the ends of said actuator means inwardly towards each other to thereby bias said apex points towards one another;
and
(d) adjusting and locking said actuator means to ensure that the inwardly directed bias is maintained on each of said individual smaller structures.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Biaxial scissors fold, post tensioned structure

Life of this patent

Biaxial scissors fold, post tensioned structure

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10