Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Trw Limited

Timothy R Stone

Vernon M Benson

Steven J Floyd

Talbot P Thrasher

Dan R Johnson

Mark A Carroll

Daniel R Sherman

Chesley Lane

A tube element including a first set of spaced apart tape strips helically wound in one direction, and a second set of spaced apart tape strips helically wound in an opposite direction as the first set of tape strips so that the tape strips in the first set periodically cross the tape strips in the second set, where the first and second sets of tape strips define a tube. A set of spaced apart straight tape strips are provided along the length of the tube. An end fitting is secured to an end of the first and second sets of tape strips at one end of the tube, and another end fitting is secured to an end of the first and second sets of tape strips at an opposite end of the tube, where the fittings are configured to be coupled to an end fitting of another tube element.

Tubular support element

A machine for manufacturing tube elements comprised of tape strips. The machine includes a shaft, a disk mounted to one end of the shaft, a motor coupled to an opposite end of the shaft, and a plate mounted to the shaft. The plate includes a plurality of spools mounted to the plate, where a separate one of the strips is wound on each spool. In one embodiment, the machine further includes a rail positioned adjacent to the disk, a slide slidably secured to the rail and including an end support configured to hold ends of the tape strips, and an indexer configured to pull the slide on the rail away from the disk. The tape strips are unwound from the spools when the indexer pulls the slide in a manner so that the tape strips ride in a spaced apart manner around the disk to form the tube element.

Structural tube element fabricator

An optical inter-satellite link (OISL) gimbalthat is particularly suited for directing an optical beam in an optical inter-satellite communications system is disclosed. The OISL gimbalincludes an azimuth drive housing, a generally cylindrical azimuth shaftrotatably connected to the azimuth drive housingand an optical payloador beam-steering mirrorrotatably connected to the azimuth shaft. The azimuth shafthas a clear aperture through which one or more optical beams may be directed to and from a stationary optical payload. A capacitive azimuth position sensordetects the rotational position of the azimuth shaftand a direct drive azimuth motordrives rotation of the azimuth shaft. The OISL gimbalpreferably provides two-axis rotation of the optical payloador beam-steering mirrorthrough approximately +/&#x2212;180 degrees of inboard (azimuth) travel and +/&#x2212;30 degrees of line-of-sight outboard (elevation) travel. Rotation of the optical payloador beam-steering mirrorabout the elevation axis may be driven by a direct-drive elevation motor. Also, a capacitive elevation position sensormay be provided for detecting the rotational position of the optical payload or beam-steering mirror about the elevation axis.

Optical inter-satellite link (OISL) gimbal

An elongated electro-optical cable ( ) is presented, which includes a plurality of elongated electrical conductors ( ), a plurality of fiber optic elements ( ), and an elongated insulating film casing enveloping the plurality of electrical conductors ( ) and the plurality of fiber optic elements ( ). The fiber optic elements ( ), electrical conductors ( ), and the elongated insulating film casing are arranged to form a generally flat cable ( ). The cable may be arranged such that the electrical conductors ( ) are shielded, for example, with a silver epoxy. An outer jacket ( ) may be placed around the electrical conductors ( ), fiber optic elements ( ), and insulating film casing, which jacket ( ) may be made from a tetrafluoroethylene polymer fiber. The electrical conductors ( ) may be made from oxygen free copper and the insulating film casing may be made from a polyimide polymer. A method for making an elongated electro-optical cable ( ) is also presented, which includes insulating a sheet of a plurality of shielded elongated electrical conductors, affixing a sheet of a plurality of fiber optic elements to the laminated insulated electrical conductors, and then insulating the fiber optic elements.

Growing community of inventors

Torrance, CA, United States of America

Timothy R Stone