US 4,587,777 A · Deployable space truss beam

Abstract

A deployable truss structure particularly adapted to space applications which has high structural efficiency, packages in a volume efficient manner and can be remotely deployed in a controlled, sequential manner. The truss in its deployed configuration exhibits a "diamond" cross section. Each of the four sides of the structure is essentially a "Warren" truss. Diagonals on the opposite sides of each diamond incorporate a mid-span hinge and the other two diagonals are rigid tubes. When packaged, all elements of the truss are folded so that they are parallel to one another and contained between two guide rails. The guide rails are located on either side of the diamond truss. The horizontal strut connection points or nodes are fitted with rollers that are locked in the guide rails for movement therealong. At the start of deployment the upright truss members are lifted to the vertical position, forming the basic diamond shape of the truss. A traveling mechanism on each guide rail unlocks the node of the first truss bay and carries it to its deployed length. Sequentially, the traveling mechanism returns to the next node, unlocks it, and deploys each next bay. As the truss grows, the bays are cantilevered beyond the guide rails. This truss is useful in remotely assembled large phased array space antennas, spacing a number of communication antennas from a common hub, etc.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A deployable truss beam assembly movable between a tightly packed position and a deployed truss position comprising;

a pair of substantially parallel guide rails having guide means on their opposed surfaces, said guide rails having a length less than the length of said truss beam in the deployed position and longer than the length of said truss beam in the packed position;
a plurality of horizontal node fittings engaging said guide means for movement along and relative to said rails;
side longitudinal struts connected to and extending between each adjacent pair of horizontal node fittings along each guide rail;
cross struts connected to and extending between corresponding horizontal node fittings on opposite guide rails;
upper and lower node fittings spaced above and below said guide rails along lines equidistant from both rails;
diagonal struts connected to and extending from said horizontal node fittings to connections at said upper and lower node fittings to form diamond trusses;
upper and lower longitudinal struts connected to and extending between adjacent pairs of said upper node fittings and between adjacent pairs of said lower node fittings;
hinge means inserted at approximately the midpoint of each of said side upper and lower longitudinal struts and half of said diagonal struts so that each of those struts may be folded inwardly from a substantially straight line arrangement to a fully folded arrangement where the portions of said strut adjacent to said hinge are substantially parallel when said truss is moved from a deployed to a packed arrangement where all of said struts and strut portions are substantially parallel to each other.

5 more elements

In a truss beam assembly movable between a tightly packed storage position and a deployed expanded truss position which comprises:

a plurality of struts positioned in a flat pack arrangement between a pair of guide rails with at least some of said struts folded about their midpoint and at least some of said struts fastened to nodes locked to said guide rails in a closely packed storage position;
and node deployment means comprising means for unlocking said nodes and moving them along said guide rail to a deployed position, the improvement wherein said node deployment means comprises:
node lock means including pins on said guide rails adapted to lockingly engage said nodes in the truss storage position;
pin release means adapted to selectively release said nodes;
traveler means adapted for movement along said guide rails;
activating means on said traveler for operating said pin release means;
node latch means on said traveler to connect said traveler to said node upon release of said pin and to carry said node as said traveler moves from the node stored position to the node deployed position;
and
node release means to disconnect said latch as said traveler returns from the fully deployed position of the first node toward the second stored node;
whereby repeated operation of said node deployment means sequentially moves all nodes to the truss deployed position.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Deployable space truss beam

Life of this patent

Deployable space truss beam

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12