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AssigneeAstrium GmbH
InventorsDominique Lacour, Brigitte Defoort, Vincent Peypoudat, Cyril Gautrias
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The invention relates to a device for controlling the deployment of an inflatable structure including, in the non-deployed state, a flexible tube (12) which is folded in zigzags and fixed to one end of a plug (13) provided with a buoyant gas admission (15), the other end of the tube being closed; means (25 to 29) for controlling the change of state of the tube from the folded state (12a) to the deployed state (30), the means being arranged inside the tube (12) and consisting of a set of interconnected flexible blades (25) which are radially arranged around the strut (16) in the form of petals, in such a way that the set can be displayed along the strut; and means (28, 29) for bringing the set of petals (25) towards the plug (13) in such a way as to press the folded part (12a) of the tube, each petal (25) being applied to a series of superimposed folds (21 to 24) of the folded part of the tube.
A device for controlling the deployment of an inflatable structure comprising, in the non-deployed state, an accordion-folded flexible tube connected at one end of a plug provided with an inlet for inflation gas, an other end of the flexible tube being sealed, means for controlling passage of a folded part of the flexible tube to a deployed state, positioned inside the flexible tube, wherein the means for controlling the passage of the flexible tube from the folded state to the deployed state comprises a set of flexible blades joined together and positioned radially to a first strut, coaxial with said folded part of the flexible tube, said set of flexible blades being mounted to move along the first strut, and, means for recoiling said set of flexible blades in the direction of plug so as to press the folded part of the flexible tube, each blade being applied onto a series of superposed folds of said folded part of the tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.