Gravity chamber that rotates on support bearings mounted on an inner surface of a hull of a habitation module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9908644-B2
Application number	US-201614992967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Jan 11, 2016
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A habitation module with a gravity chamber that provides an artificial gravity environment. In one embodiment, the gravity chamber includes an outer cylindrical wall and opposing side walls. The gravity chamber attaches to a hull of the habitation module with support bearings. The support bearing includes an outer race attached to an inner surface of the hull, and an inner race attached to the gravity chamber. A drive mechanism drives the inner race of the support bearing to rotate the gravity chamber about an axis to simulate a gravitational force within the gravity chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A habitation module comprising:
a hull that defines an outer diameter of the habitation module;
a gravity chamber that includes:
an outer cylindrical wall; and
opposing side walls that connect to the outer cylindrical wall;

first support bearings for attaching the gravity chamber to the hull of the habitation module, wherein each of the first support bearings includes an outer race attached to an inner surface of the hull, and an inner race attached to the gravity chamber; and
a first drive mechanism that drives the inner race of at least one of the first support bearings to rotate the gravity chamber in a first direction about an axis to simulate a gravitational force within the gravity chamber.

2. The habitation module of claim 1 wherein the first support bearings comprise:
a pair of support bearings spaced axially along the inner surface of the hull, and attached to opposing sides of the gravity chamber.

3. 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.

4. The habitation module of claim 3 wherein the cylindrical counter-weight member comprises:
a counter-weight; and
second support bearings for attaching the counter-weight to the hull, wherein each of the second support bearings includes an outer race attached to the inner surface of the hull, and an inner race attached to the counter-weight.

5. The habitation module of claim 4 further comprising:
a second drive mechanism that drives the inner race of at least one of the second support bearings to rotate the counter-weight in a second direction about the axis that is opposite than the first direction.

6. The habitation module of claim 1 wherein:
a first one of the first support bearings includes teeth on the inner race;
the first drive mechanism includes a drive gear having teeth that mesh with the teeth on the inner race of the first one of the first support bearings; and
the first drive mechanism is configured to spin the drive gear to impart rotational movement to the inner race of the first one of the first support bearings.

7. The habitation module of claim 1 wherein:
the gravity chamber is hollow between 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.

8. The habitation module of claim 1 wherein:
the gravity chamber includes an inner cylindrical wall, wherein the side walls extend between the inner cylindrical wall and the outer cylindrical wall; and
the gravity chamber includes a plurality of partitions that extend radially from the inner cylindrical wall to the outer cylindrical wall to define compartments within the gravity chamber.

9. The habitation module of claim 8 wherein:
at least one of the compartments is for a restroom facility.

10. The habitation module of claim 8 wherein:
at least one of the compartments is for a sleeping facility.

11. The habitation module of claim 1 wherein:
the gravity chamber includes an inner cylindrical wall, wherein the side walls extend between the inner cylindrical wall and the outer cylindrical wall;
the gravity chamber includes a divider orthogonal to the axis that divides the gravity chamber into a first annular sub-chamber and a second annular sub-chamber;
the first annular sub-chamber is hollow between the inner cylindrical wall, the outer cylindrical wall, and the side walls for an exercise track; and
the second annular sub-chamber includes a plurality of partitions that extend radially from the inner cylindrical wall to the outer cylindrical wall between the side walls to define compartments within the second annular sub-chamber.

12. The habitation module of claim 1 wherein:
the side walls include support members that connect to the outer cylindrical wall and provide rigidity to the side walls; and
the support members include spring dampeners.

13. A habitation module comprising:
a hull that defines an outer diameter of the habitation module;
a first gravity chamber that includes a first outer cylindrical wall and first opposing side walls;
a second gravity chamber that includes a second outer cylindrical wall and second opposing side walls;
first support bearings for attaching the first gravity chamber to the hull of the habitation module, wherein each of the first support bearings includes a first outer race attached to an inner surface of the hull, and a first inner race attached to the first gravity chamber;
second support bearings for attaching the second gravity chamber to the hull, wherein each of the second support bearings includes a second outer race attached to the inner surface of the hull, and a second inner race attached to the second gravity chamber; and
at least one drive mechanism that rotates the first gravity chamber on the first support bearings in a first direction about an axis, and rotates the second gravity chamber on the second support bearings in a second direction about the axis that is opposite than the first direction.

14. The habitation module of claim 13 wherein:
the first gravity chamber is hollow between the first outer cylindrical wall and the first side walls; and
an inner surface of the first outer cylindrical wall is lined with a material for an exercise track.

15. The habitation module of claim 14 wherein:
the second gravity chamber includes an inner cylindrical wall, wherein the second side walls extend between the inner cylindrical wall and the second outer cylindrical wall; and
the second gravity chamber includes a plurality of partitions that extend radially from the inner cylindrical wall to the second outer cylindrical wall to define compartments within the second gravity chamber.

16. An apparatus comprising:
a habitation module having a hull that defines an outer diameter of the habitation module;
an annular gravity chamber that includes an outer cylindrical wall, an inner cylindrical wall, and opposing side walls that connect the outer cylindrical wall and the inner cylindrical wall;
first support bearings for attaching the gravity chamber to the hull, wherein each of the first support bearings includes a first outer race attached to an inner surface of the hull, and a first inner race attached to the gravity chamber;
a first drive mechanism that drives the first inner race of at least one of the first support bearings to rotate the gravity chamber in a first direction about an axis to simulate a gravitational force within the gravity chamber;
a counter-weight;
second support bearings for attaching the counter-weight to the hull, wherein each of the second support bearings includes a second outer race attached to the inner surface of the hull, and a second inner race attached to the counter-weight; and
a second drive mechanism that drives the second inner race of at least one of the second support bearings to rotate the counter-weight in a second direction about the axis that is opposite than the first direction.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein:
a first one of the first support bearings includes teeth on the first inner race;
the first drive mechanism includes a drive gear having teeth that mesh with the teeth on the first inner race of the first one of the first support bearings; and
the first drive mechanism is configured to spin the drive gear to impart rotational movement to the first inner race of the first one of the first support bearings.

18. The apparatus of cl

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Dharmaraj Raju
• Swartzell Patrick A
• Engle James Michael
• Heiman Karl David

Classifications

• B64G1/60 Primary

  Crew or passenger accommodations · CPC title

• B64G1/46

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

• B64G1/465

  for controlling gravity · CPC title

• B64G1/12

  manned · CPC title