Reflector systems having stowable rigid panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9331394-B2
Application number	US-201113238159-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2011
Priority date	Sep 21, 2011
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Reflector systems ( 10 ) comprising a reflector ( 11 ) formed from rigid panels ( 14 ) mounted on a centrally-located hub ( 12 ) are provided. The panels ( 14 ) can be stowed in a relatively compact manner in which the panels ( 14 ) overlap. The panels ( 14 ) can translate with a combination of rotational and linear motion so that the panels ( 14 ) become disposed in a side by side relationship, thereby deploying the reflector ( 11 ) so that the reflector ( 11 ) can focus electromagnetic energy incident thereupon.

First claim

We claim:

1. A reflector system, comprising:
a plurality of reflective panels; and
a hub comprising:
a plurality of concentric rings, each concentric ring having an outer diameter which is smaller than an inner diameter formed by an adjacent larger one of the concentric rings, and arranged so that the plurality of concentric rings are at least partially nested, said concentric rings rotatably and vertically movable relative to each other, and each said concentric ring having a respective one of the panels mounted thereon and a first central axis which is aligned with a second central axis of all other said concentric rings; and
an actuator mechanically coupled to the reflective panels through the concentric rings and comprising a single motor suspended within said plurality of concentric rings such that a third central axis of said single motor is aligned with said first and second central axes, the actuator responsive to operation of the single motor to move the panels between a stowed configuration wherein the panels are stacked in relation to each other, and a deployed configuration wherein the panels are positioned in a side by side relationship so that the panels form a reflector capable of focusing electromagnetic energy incident thereupon;
wherein each of the plurality of concentric rings include an engagement structure which is arranged to facilitate a transfer of a rotation force applied about said first central axis from said concentric ring to an adjacent larger diameter one of the concentric rings, and the single motor is mechanically coupled to an innermost one of the concentric rings to exert the rotation force upon the innermost one of the concentric rings, the engagement structure configured to progressively transfer the rotation force through each said concentric ring in sequence to the adjacent larger diameter one of the concentric rings whereby each of said concentric rings is caused to sequentially rotate about the central axis of the concentric rings when the single motor is operated, and the rigid panels are caused to fully rotate from the stowed configuration to a semi-deployed configuration in which the panels are angularly distributed about the first central axis; and
wherein the actuator is further responsive to operation of the single motor to cause the concentric rings forming the hub to retract in a direction aligned with the first central axis after the rigid panels have rotated to their semi-deployed configuration to transition each of the rigid panels from the semi-deployed configuration to the deployed configuration.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of concentric rings are partially nested within adjacent ones of the plurality of concentric rings, displaced a distance along the first central axis relative to each adjacent one of the concentric rings, when the plurality of reflective panels are in the stored and semi-deployed configurations; and
the plurality of concentric rings are fully nested within adjacent ones of the plurality of concentric rings, exclusive of being displaced from each other along the first central axis, when the plurality of reflective panels are in the deployed configuration.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the concentric rings comprises a plurality of segments;
the engagement structure includes a projection and an end portion which are formed on each of the segments;
the end portion having a height in the first direction greater than a height of the remainder of the segment;
a notch is formed between each of the segments; and
the projection of each of the segments abuts the end portion on one of the segments of an adjacent one of the concentric rings when the concentric rings are rotated, and the projection becomes disposed within one of the notches on the adjacent segment as the plurality of reflective panels move from the stowed configuration to the semi-deployed configurations.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hub further comprises a first shell positioned adjacent to and concentric with one of the plurality of concentric rings at a first end of the hub, and a second shell positioned adjacent to and concentric with another one of the plurality of concentric rings at a second end of the hub opposed from the first end.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the single motor is mounted on the upper shell; and
the actuator further comprises a ball screw mechanically coupled to the single motor so that the single motor is operable to rotate the ball screw, and a ball nut mounted on the lower shell and engaging the ball screw.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
the actuator further comprises a synchronizer that mechanically couples the ball screw for rotation with the second shell on a selective basis;
the first shell and the plurality of concentric rings are operable to rotate about the first central axis of the hub and thereby move the plurality of reflective panels between the stowed and semi-deployed configurations when the single motor is activated and the ball screw is coupled for rotation with the second shell;
the synchronizer is operable to decouple the ball screw from rotation with the second shell when the plurality of reflective panels reach the semi-deployed configuration; and
the ball screw and the first shell are configured to move substantially in the first direction in relation to the second shell to retract the hub and thereby move the plurality of reflective panels between the semi-deployed and deployed configurations when the single motor is activated and the ball screw is decoupled for rotation with the second shell.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical coupler mounted on the plurality of reflective panels for interlocking the plurality of reflective panels when the plurality of reflective panels is in the deployed configuration.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of reflective panels are solid or rigid wire-mesh panels.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reflective panels have substantially the same circumferential position about the first central axis of the hub when the plurality of reflective panels is in the stowed configuration.

10. A reflector system, comprising:
a hub comprising
a plurality of concentric rings, each concentric ring having an outer diameter which is smaller than an inner diameter formed by an adjacent larger one of the concentric rings and arranged so that the plurality of concentric rings are at least partially nested, said concentric rings rotatably and vertically movable relative to each other, and
a single motor suspended within said plurality of concentric rings such that a central axis of said single motor is aligned with a central axis of each said concentric ring; and

a plurality of rigid panels respectively mounted on the plurality of concentric rings and operable for movement between a stowed configuration wherein the plurality of rigid panels substantially overlap, and a deployed configuration wherein the plurality of rigid panels form a reflector capable of focusing electromagnetic energy incident thereupon;
wherein each of the plurality of concentric rings include an engagement structure which is arranged to facilitate a transfer of a rotation force applied about said central axis from said concentric ring to an adjacent larger diameter one of the concentric rings, and the single motor is mechanically coupled to an innermost one of the concentric rings to exert the rotation force upon the innermost one of the concentric rings, the engagement structure configured to progressively transfer the rotation force through each said concentric ring in sequence to the adjacent larger diameter one of the concentric rings wher

Assignees

• Toledo Gustavo A
• Harris Corp

Inventors

• Toledo Gustavo A

Classifications

• H01Q15/162

  composed of a plurality of rigid panels · CPC title

• H01Q15/20 Primary

  Collapsible reflectors · CPC title