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:
Jan. 24, 2017
Filed:
Dec. 08, 2014
Mma Design, Llc, Boulder, CO (US);
Thomas Jeffrey Harvey, Nederland, CO (US);
Shane Eric Stamm, Boulder, CO (US);
MMA Design, LLC, Boulder, CO (US);
Abstract
A deployable thin membrane apparatus for use with a spacecraft is provided. The apparatus includes a flexible membrane structure and a deployment mechanism for transitioning the membrane structure from an undeployed state towards a deployed state in which the membrane can perform a function needed by a spacecraft. In one embodiment, the deployment mechanism includes a plurality of pantographs that each engage the membrane structure, a rotatable disk structure that engages and coordinates the transition of the pantographs from an undeployed state towards a deployed state, and a spring system for providing energy that is used to rotate the disk structure.