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:
May. 16, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 29, 1998
William D Nygren, Jr, Denver, CO (US);
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD (US);
Abstract
An improved support boom is disclosed for supporting instrumentation on extraterrestrial vehicles. The support boom includes first and second support legs which are each pivotably mountable at corresponding first ends to a support structure and which are interconnected at second ends to define a support boom structure. In one embodiment, flexure members are interposed in each of the support legs so as to pivot the support boom structure from a stowed position to a deployed, cantilevered position. The flexure members may be elongated with an arcuate cross-sectional configuration when straight (e.g., of carpenter's tape construction). Preferably, three support legs are included to define a tripod support arrangement, wherein each of the support legs includes at least one flexure member. In this regard, one of the support legs may be advantageously disposed for pivotal movement coincident with that of the longitudinal center axis of the support boom, wherein such support leg may include two oppositely oriented flexure members.