The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 16, 1997
Filed:
Jul. 21, 1995
Julian W Millard, Toronto, CA;
Keith William Edwards, Solvang, CA (US);
Howard J Tucker, Oakville, CA;
Deepack Kaushal, Toronto, CA;
Spar Aerospace Limited, Brampton, CA;
Abstract
A joint for a storable tubular extendible member comprises an input housing with sets of rollers which progressively deform the storable tubular extendible member from its tubular state to a tape-like flat state. An output housing includes rollers allowing the tape-like member to recover to its tubular state. A pivot joins the input and output housings and a plurality of confining members such as nip rollers are provided between the input and output housings to maintain the member in its flat state. The nip rollers are supported by link arms much that some of the rollers may pivot about a pivot on the input housing and others may pivot about a pivot on the output housing. A medial set of nip rollers is constrained to remain medially positioned between the input housing and output housing by having link arms extending from both the input housing pivot and the output housing pivot. A drive is provided to cause the joint to selectively bend. Telescoping cylinders extend from the output housing with the innermost cylinder frictionally engaging the storable tubular extendible member such that the telescoping cylinders act as a support for the storable tubular extendible member. Telescoping cylinders extend between a storage base for the storable tubular extendible member and the joint for supporting the joint and limiting the distance it may move away from the base.