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US 4,780,344 AGranted
Reversibly expandable three-dimensional structure
OwnerCharles S. Hobermaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reversibly expandable three-dimensional structure made up of a grid of elements each comprising an essentially planar four sided central zone and a pair of substantially triangular flaps hingedly connected to two opposite sides of said central zone, the elements being hingedly joined to one another central zone to central zone and flap to flap. By including some elements wherein the central zones are tapered the expanded structure will be curved.
Claims3
An assembly for providing a reversibly expandable structure comprising at least two components each component comprising two elements, each element comprising:
- a planar four-sided central zone which is essentially a parallelogram and a pair of substantially triangular flaps hingedly connected to opposite short sides of said central zone,
- each component comprising:
- two elements where one long side of said central zone of each element is hingedly connected to the other and a side of one of the flaps of each of the two elements is hingedly connected to the other,
- each assembly comprising:
- two components where two sides from two flaps of each component are hingedly or integrally connected to each other, whereby when a plurality of such assemblies are joined to one another flap-to-flap and central zone-to-central zone the combined elements can be reversibly expanded to a three-dimensional structure.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.