Conductive shape memory metal deployment latch hinge
AssigneeThe Aerospace Corporation
InventorsDavid A. Hinkley, Edward J. Simburger
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Abstract
A conductive hinge is made of a superelastic shape memory alloy such as nitinol (NiTi) having a large elastic strain limit for enabling the hinge to bend around a small radius during stowage and flexible return to a trained rigid hinge position. The hinge is conductive enabling use of the hinge as a conductor for routing power through multiple solar cell panels interconnected by the hinges forming a hinged solar cell array that is deployed when the hinges are released from the bent stowed configuration to the rigid deployed configuration when the hinges further function as latches to lock the panels in place.
Claims14
A hinge for moving two panels from a stowed position to a deployed position for forming a hinged surface, the deployed position being defined by a trained angle between the two panels, the panels conducting electrical current, the hinge comprising,
- a bending portion made of a shape memory alloy, the shape memory alloy is conductive for conducting the electrical current between the two panels, the bending portion trained to the trained angle, and
- opposing first and second edges made of the shape memory alloy respectively coupled to and between the two panels for securing the panels to each other, the bending portion and two opposing edges and two panels for forming the hinged surface, the panels for conducting the electrical current through the shape memory alloy of the opposing edges and bending portion, the opposing edges being joined to the bending portion disposed between the opposing first and second edges, wherein
- the bending portion is trained to the deployed position for defining the deployed position of the panels forming the hinged surface, the bending portion for bending about a hinge axis for placing the two panels in the stowed position, the bending portion for unbending about the hinge axis for deploying the two panels into the deployed position for forming the hinged surface having the trained angle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.