Extendible member
AssigneeRolatube Technology Limited
InventorAndrew J. Daton-Lovett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An extendible sheet member is configurable between first and second states. The first state is a coiled state (1.1) in which the member is coiled substantially parallel to a first axis and the second state is an extended state (1.2) in which the member extends substantially parallel to a second axis at some angle to the first axis. The member is made wholly or in part from a material or materials which give rise to internal stresses upon extension, these stresses acting at some angle to the second axis such as to bias the member to the second state. In many embodiments these stresses are produced by fibers which form part of the structure of said member. Said member is preferably reversibly configurable between said first and second states.
Claims25
An extendible sheet member which is selectively configurable in at least one of a first state and a second state the first state being a coiled state in which the member is coiled about a first axis, the second state being an extended state in which the member extends substantially parallel to a second axis disposed at an angle to the first axis,
- the member being made at least in part, from at least one material which is stronger in at least one of tension and compression at an angle between 0° and 90° with respect to the first and second axes than in the direction of said axes, due to at least one of a geometric and a molecular structure of said at least one material, whereby, when the member is extended in a direction substantially parallel to the second axis, the difference in at least one of tensile and compressive strength causes a contraction force in a direction at an angle to the second axis that biases the member to said second state.
An extendible sheet member which is selectively configurable in at least one of a first state and a second state the first state being a coiled state in which the member is coiled about a first axis, the second state being an extended state in which the member extends substantially parallel to a second axis at an angle to the first axis, the member having a plurality of crossed fibres one of in and parallel to a plane of the sheet member,
- each fibre being at an angle between 0 degrees and 90 degrees to the first axis and the second axis, whereby, when the member is extended in a direction substantially parallel to the second axis, said crossed fibres give rise to a contraction force in a direction at an angle to the second axis thereby to bias the member to the second state.
A method of manufacturing an extendible sheet member which is selectively configurable in at least one of a first state and a second state the first state being a coiled state in which the member is coiled about a first axis, the second state being an extended state in which the member extends substantially parallel to a second axis disposed at an angle to the first axis, the member having a plurality of crossed fibres in or parallel to the plane of the sheet member, each fibre being at an angle between 0 degrees and 90 degrees to the first axis and the second axis, whereby, when the member is extended in a direction substantially parallel to the second axis, said crossed fibres give rise to a contraction at an angle to the second axis thereby to provide a biasing force to bias the member to the second state, said method comprising the steps of:
- passing a first layer which provides a substrate and a second layer comprising said fibres over heating means to heat said first layer thereby to bond said first and second layers together;
- and
- subsequently applying pressure to said bonded first and second layers to produce said member in its first, coiled state.
A method of manufacturing an extendible sheet member which is selectively configurable in at least one of a first state and a second state the first state being a coiled state in which the member is coiled about a first axis, the second state being an extended state in which the member extends substantially parallel to a second axis at an angle to the first axis, the member having a plurality of crossed fibres one of in and parallel to a plane of the sheet, each fibre being at an angle of between 0 degrees and 90 degrees to the first axis and the second axis, whereby, when the member is extended in a direction substantially parallel to the second axis, said crossed fibres give rise to a contraction force at an angle to the second axis thereby to bias the member to the second state, said method comprising the steps of:
- applying at least one of heat and pressure to a layer which provides a substrate and which has said fibres embedded therein to produce said member in its first, coiled state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.