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US 7,587,862 B2Granted
Movable support armature for a curved reflector
AssigneeGossamer Space Frames
InventorsGlenn A. Reynolds, Dean R. Hackbarth, Gary N. Curtis
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AssigneeGossamer Space Frames
InventorsGlenn A. Reynolds, Dean R. Hackbarth, Gary N. Curtis
Estimating the term…
A movable support armature for a curved reflector of electromagnetic radiation is defined substantially as a double layer grid space frame. The armature has plural parallel major chord framing members each having an elongate axis and disposed in a frame major surface. The major chord members include a pair of bottom major chord members essentially in a bottom one of the frame major surfaces. Upper major chord members include a central chord member which is located between two outer upper chord members. The outer chord members lie in respective ones of two planes which also include the central upper chord member; the planes intersect at the central chord member at an included angle which is concave away from the frame bottom plane. Node connector structures are disposed at spaced locations along each major chord member. Minor chord framing members are connected between corresponding node structures on the major chord members defining the respective planes to form arrays of major and minor chord members in each plane. Strut framing members are interconnected between node connector structures in different ones of the planes. Bracing framing members are connected between non-adjacent node connector structures in each array.
A movable support armature for a curved reflector of electromagnetic radiation, the armature being defined substantially as a double layer grid space frame having upper and bottom major surfaces, the armature comprising plural parallel major chord framing members each having an elongate axis and disposed essentially in the frame major surfaces and extending parallel to an elongate extent of the frame, the major chord members including at least a pair of bottom major chord members essentially in the frame bottom major surface and only three upper major chord members, the upper major chord members including a central chord member located between two outer chord members, the upper chord members defining two planes which intersect at the central upper chord member at an included angle which is concave away from the frame bottom major surface, the armature also comprising node connector structures disposed at and connected to spaced locations along each major chord member, minor chord framing members connected between corresponding nodes on major chord members defining the respective frame surfaces aforesaid to define arrays of major and minor chord members in each frame surface, and strut framing members interconnected between nodes in different ones of the frame surfaces.
In a double-layer space frame having spaced major surfaces including substantially orthogonally disposed longitudinal and transverse structural chord framing members defining the frame major surfaces and structural strut framing members in diagonal planes oblique to the frame major surfaces and spacing the major surfaces from each other, and in which chord members and strut members are interconnected at spaced apart nodes in the frame so that strut members connected to a node in one surface of the frame are connected to respectively different nodes in the other surface of the frame, the combination with the framing members at each node in the frame of a node connector comprising an elongate body defining an open-ended circumferentially closed passage extending along the length of the body which is configured and sized to enable a longitudinal chord member to extend continuously through the body and plural strut and lateral chord member connection surfaces extending laterally from the body substantially parallel to respective planes which intersect substantially in a line extending centrally of the passage, the connection surfaces enabling struts and lateral chord members substantially disposed in respective ones of the planes to be connected to the node connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.