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. 01, 2012
Filed:
Apr. 05, 2010
Dean R. Daily, Torrance, CA (US);
David J. Rohweller, Ojai, CA (US);
Tiffany Glassman, Hawthorne, CA (US);
Dean R. Daily, Torrance, CA (US);
David J. Rohweller, Ojai, CA (US);
Tiffany Glassman, Hawthorne, CA (US);
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A space-based occulter is selectively movable between stowed and deployed configurations. A base hub has a longitudinally oriented center axis. A plurality of petals are provided, each petal extending radially outward from, and spaced radially apart from, the base hub when in the deployed configuration. Each petal has a hypergaussian edge made up of a plurality of hypergaussian edge panels. Each hypergaussian edge panel defines a portion of the hypergaussian edge of the petal. Each hypergaussian edge panel is made substantially of a material having a near zero coefficient of thermal expansion. A circular central portion is located radially between the base hub and the plurality of petals. A covering skin extends laterally between the hypergaussian edges of each petal and over the circular central portion. The covering skin defines a substantially planar surface oriented substantially perpendicular to the center axis when the occulter is in the deployed configuration.