Foster-miller, Inc.

Physical Sciences, Inc.

Peter A Warren

Jason D Hinkle

Victor Leemon

Michael R Winter

David J Shane

John Williams

Lee D Peterson

A lightweight flexible patient litter includes, in one example, spaced compression longerons each foldable at spaced legs, a bed between the compression longerons, and a longitudinal truss structure on each side of the litter each including a longeron, its spaced legs, and one or more flexible tension members connected thereto. One or more lateral truss structures may each include opposing legs on each side of the litter and one or more flexible tension members connected thereto. A bed truss structure may include one or more tension members.

Lightweight foldable patient litter

A flexible hinge including a first set of plies and a second set of plies, and a hinge area where the first set of plies and the second set of plies bend. A damping material is disposed between plies of the first set and the second set at least at the hinge area thereof to control the deployment of the hinge.

Flexible, deployment rate damped hinge

A method of making a mirror structure includes assembling a supporting isogrid framework, assembling an isogrid back plane, interconnecting the supporting isogrid framework with the isogrid back plane by a truss core, and disposing an optical surface on the supporting isogrid framework.

Open lattice mirror structure and method of making same

A foldable member including a first structural section foldable flat and biased to have an open configuration and a second structural section also foldable flat and biased to have an open configuration. The second section is longitudinally aligned with the first structural section when both structural sections are in the open configuration. A hinged connection between the first and second structural sections allows the first structural section to be folded against the second structural section when both structural sections are folded flat.

Stiffener reinforced foldable member

A flexure including a plurality of plies of composite material consolidated everywhere except at at least one predefined region where preselected adjacent plies are purposefully delaminated so they can move relative to each other when the flexure is bent.

Flexure and precision clamp

An open-lattice, foldable, self-deployable structure with a number of spaced, bendable longitudinal members each having a curved cross section forming cells each bounded by a portion of two spaced longitudinal members and two spaced diagonal members. The diagonal members are joined to the longitudinal members at the cell boundary intersections of the diagonal members and the longitudinal members. The longitudinal members are made of a material which bends and flattens by a predetermined amount below the material's yield point and the diagonal members are made of a material which both bends and twists by a predetermined amount below the material's yield point so that the structure can be collapsed and then self resurrected.

Open lattice, foldable, self deployable structure

A damping system is disclosed which includes a housing that receives vibrations, a mounting platform movably disposed with respect to the housing, at least one bearing surface on or attached to one of the housing and the platform, and at least one frictional member on or attached to the other of the housing and the platform in contact with the bearing surface. The system frictionally dampens vibrations received by the housing and isolates the platform from vibrations.

High precision vibration damping system

A foldable member in the shape of a tube with at least one predetermined hinge area along the length of the tube and opposing sets of elongated slots in the tube at the hinge area thereof forming separated longitudinal strips of tube material between the slots which fold when subjected to localized buckling forces, each slot of each set of elongated slots separated longitudinally along the length of the tube from each adjacent slot by a bridge element of tube material. A collapsible structure constructed of such foldable members.

Foldable member

An open-lattice, foldable, self-deployable structure with a number of spaced, bendable longitudinal members forming cells each bounded by a portion of two spaced longitudinal members and two spaced diagonal members. The diagonal members are joined to the longitudinal members at the cell boundary intersections of the diagonal members and the longitudinal members. The longitudinal members are made of a material which bends by a predetermined amount below the material's yield point and the diagonal members are made of a material which both bends and twists by a predetermined amount below the material's yield point so that the structure can be collapsed and then self resurrected.

Open-lattice, foldable, self-deployable structure

A foldable member in the shape of a tube with at least one predetermined hinge area along the length of the tube, and a plurality of opposing elongated slots in the tube at the hinge area thereof forming separated longitudinal strips of tube material between the slots which fold when subjected to localized buckling forces. A collapsible structure constructed of such foldable members.

Growing community of inventors

Newton, MA, United States of America

Peter A Warren