Adlens Limited

Richard Leefe Douglas Murray

Robert Edward Stevens

Alex Edginton

Daniel Paul Rhodes

Peter Lee Crossley

Derek Paul Forbes Bean

Benjamin Thomas Tristram Holland

Roger Brian Minchin Clarke

Dijon Pietropinto

Edwin James Stone

A deformable membrane assembly comprises an at least partially flexible fluid-filled envelope, one wall of which is formed by an elastic membrane that is held around its edge by a resiliently bendable supporting ring, a fixed support for the envelope and selectively operable means for causing relative movement between the supporting ring and the support for adjusting the pressure of the fluid in the envelope, thereby to cause the membrane to deform. The bending stiffness of the ring varies round the ring such that upon deformation of the membrane the ring bends variably to control the shape of the membrane to a predefined form. The moving means comprise a plurality of ring-engaging members that are arranged to apply a force to the ring at spaced control points. There are at least three control points, and there is a control point at or proximate each point on the ring where the profile of the ring that is needed to produce the predefined form upon deformation of the membrane exhibits a turning point in the direction of the force applied at the control point between two adjacent points where the profile of the ring exhibits an inflection point or a turning point in the opposite direction.

Deformable non-round membrane assemblies

The present invention provides a deformable membrane assemblycomprising an elastic membranethat is held under tension around its edge by a bendable membrane supporting member, a body of fluid in contact with one face of the membrane, the pressure of the fluid being controllable for adjusting the shape of the membrane, and one or more bending controllersacting on the supporting memberto control the bending of the supporting member in response to loading through tension in the membrane. The bending stiffness of the membrane-supporting membervaries round its extent to control the profile of the edge of the membrane; etc. upon actuation. A variety of different types of bending controllers are disclosed which permit out-of-plane bending of the supporting memberbut prevent or control in-plane bending or deformation of the supporting member. In some embodiments, the bending controllers permit a degree of controlled in-plane bending of the supporting memberin order to control the strain in the membraneupon actuation.

Deformable membrane assemblies

A deformable membrane assembly comprising a fluid-filled envelope, one wall of which is formed by an elastic membrane that is held around its edge by a bendable supporting ring, a support for the envelope and at least three ring-engaging members that are arranged to apply a force to the ring at spaced control points for adjusting the shape of the membrane, with the ring bending to control the shape of the membrane to a predefined form. A control point is provided at or proximate each point on the ring where the profile of the ring that is needed to produce the predefined form of the membrane exhibits a turning point in the direction of the force applied at the control point between two adjacent points where the profile of the ring exhibits an inflection point or a turning point in the opposite direction.

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Melbourn, United Kingdom

Richard Leefe Douglas Murray