Expandable gravity chamber for a habitation module that is housed in an inflatable shell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776743-B2
Application number	US-201614992956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Jan 11, 2016
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A habitation module with a gravity chamber that provides an artificial gravity environment. In one embodiment, the gravity chamber includes an inner cylindrical structure, outer wall segments that are attachable to one another to form an outer cylindrical wall, and opposing side walls having support members that are extendable. The gravity chamber has a first diameter when the support members are contracted, and has a larger second diameter when the support members are extended. The gravity chamber connects to the habitation module with rotating attachment members so that the gravity chamber rotates about an axis. The habitation module also includes an inflatable shell that encompasses the gravity chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A habitation module comprising:
a gravity chamber comprising:
an inner cylindrical structure that encircles a cylindrical core member of the habitation module;
outer wall segments that are attachable to one another to form an outer cylindrical wall; and
opposing side walls having support members that are extendable, wherein a first end of the support members connects to the inner cylindrical structure, and a second end of the support members connects to at least one of the outer wall segments;
wherein the gravity chamber has a first diameter when the support members are contracted, and has a larger second diameter when the support members are extended;

rotating attachment members for attaching the gravity chamber to the cylindrical core member of the habitation module so that the gravity chamber rotates about an axis in relation to the cylindrical core member to simulate a gravitational force within the gravity chamber; and
an inflatable shell that encompasses the gravity chamber.

2. The habitation module of claim 1 wherein:
the outer wall segments connect to one another to assemble a continuous cylindrical structure that comprises the outer cylindrical wall of the gravity chamber when the support members are extended.

3. The habitation module of claim 1 wherein the rotating attachment members comprise:
support bearings for attaching the gravity chamber to the cylindrical core member of the habitation module, wherein the support bearings each include an inner race attached to the cylindrical core member of the habitation module, and an outer race attached to the gravity chamber.

4. The habitation module of claim 3 further comprising:
a drive mechanism that rotates the gravity chamber on the support bearings about the axis to create the gravitational force within the gravity chamber.

5. The habitation module of claim 4 wherein:
one of the support bearings includes teeth on the outer race;
the drive mechanism includes a drive gear having teeth that mesh with the teeth on the outer race; and
the drive mechanism is configured to spin the drive gear to impart rotational movement to the outer race.

6. The habitation module of claim 3 wherein the support bearings comprise:
a pair of support bearings spaced axially along the cylindrical core member, and attached to opposing sides of the gravity chamber.

7. The habitation module of claim 1 further comprising:
a cylindrical counter-weight member that rotates about the axis in an opposite direction than the gravity chamber.

8. The habitation module of claim 7 wherein the cylindrical counter-weight member comprises:
a counter-weight; and
support bearings for attaching the counter-weight to the cylindrical core member, wherein each of the support bearings includes an inner race attached to the cylindrical core member, and an outer race attached to the counter-weight.

9. The habitation module of claim 8 further comprising:
a drive mechanism that drives the outer race of at least one of the support bearings to rotate the counter-weight in an opposite direction about the axis.

10. The habitation module of claim 1 wherein:
the gravity chamber is hollow between the inner cylindrical structure, the outer cylindrical wall, and the side walls; and
an inner surface of the outer cylindrical wall is lined with a material for an exercise track.

11. The habitation module of claim 1 wherein:
the gravity chamber includes a plurality of partitions that extend radially from the inner cylindrical structure to the outer cylindrical wall to define compartments within the gravity chamber.

12. The habitation module of claim 1 wherein the inflatable shell includes:
at least one layer of fabric that is sealed around a circumference of the habitation module on opposing sides of the gravity chamber to encompass the gravity chamber in an airtight cavity.

13. The habitation module of claim 12 wherein:
the at least one layer of fabric includes a resin that cures after the inflatable shell is inflated.

14. The habitation module of claim 13 wherein:
the resin comprises an Ultraviolet (UV)-curable resin.

15. The habitation module of claim 1 further comprising:
stabilizer members on either side of the gravity chamber;
the stabilizer members having a first end that attaches to the habitation module, and a second end that includes a rolling member that contacts a side wall of the gravity chamber when the gravity chamber shifts laterally.

16. A habitation module comprising:
a pair of gravity chambers, where each gravity chamber includes:
an inner cylindrical structure that encircles a cylindrical core member of the habitation module;
outer wall segments that are attachable to one another to form an outer cylindrical wall; and
opposing side walls having support members that are extendable, wherein a first end of the support members connects to the inner cylindrical structure, and a second end of the support members connects to at least one of the outer wall segments;
wherein each gravity chamber has a first diameter when the support members are contracted, and has a larger second diameter when the support members are extended;

rotating attachment members for attaching each of the gravity chambers to the cylindrical core member of the habitation module, wherein the first gravity chamber rotates about an axis in relation to the cylindrical core member to simulate a gravitational force within the first gravity chamber and the second gravity chamber rotates in an opposite direction about the axis to simulate a gravitational force within the second gravity chamber; and
an inflatable shell that encompasses the gravity chambers.

17. The habitation module of claim 16 wherein the inflatable shell includes:
at least one layer of fabric that is sealed around a circumference of the habitation module on opposing sides of the gravity chambers to encompass the gravity chambers in an airtight cavity.

18. The habitation module of claim 16 wherein:
the outer wall segments of each gravity chamber connect to one another to assemble a continuous cylindrical structure that comprises the outer cylindrical wall of the gravity chamber when the support members are extended.

19. The habitation module of claim 16 wherein the rotating attachment members comprise:
support bearings for attaching the gravity chambers to the cylindrical core member of the habitation module, wherein the support bearings each include an inner race attached to the cylindrical core member of the habitation module, and an outer race attached to one of the gravity chambers.

20. An apparatus comprising:
a habitation module having a hull that defines an outer diameter of the habitation module, and having a cylindrical core member encapsulated by the hull that extends through a center of the habitation module;
a gravity chamber that includes:
an inner cylindrical structure that encircles the cylindrical core member of the habitation module;
outer wall segments that are attachable to one another to form an outer cylindrical wall; and
opposing side walls having support members that are extendable, wherein a first end of the support members connects to the inner cylindrical structure, and a second end of the support members connects to at least one of the outer wall segments;
wherein the outer wall segments connect to one another to assemble a continuous cylindrical structure that comprises the outer cylindrical wall of the gravity chamber when the support me

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Dharmaraj Raju
• Swartzell Patrick A
• Engle James Michael
• Hoffman Thomas L
• Moseman Travis Andrew
• Heiman Karl David

Classifications

• B64G1/60 Primary

  Crew or passenger accommodations · CPC title

• B64G2001/224

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64G1/46 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of devices for control of environment or living conditions · CPC title

• B64G1/465

  for controlling gravity · CPC title

• B64G1/2227

  Inflating · CPC title