Collapsible Tubular Mast with Inter-Truss Material for Variable Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing deformable structures lack the ability to transition between states with varying stiffness properties, leading to inefficiencies in packaging and deployment, particularly in applications requiring compact storage and high structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
The development of deformable bodies with specific member configurations, such as DubC, MidC, TriC, and Z shapes, that allow for transitions between extended, contracted, and rolled states with varying stiffness properties, utilizing composite laminates and tailored fiber orientations to enhance performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If deformable structures use fixed rigid configurations, then structural integrity is maintained, but packaging compactness and deployment efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The structure transitions from a fixed rigid configuration to a dynamic deformable configuration, enabling it to change shape between extended and contracted states. The deformable body with curved portions allows the structure to adapt its volume while maintaining structural integrity through controlled deformation rather than rigid fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure is divided into multiple members with specific curved portions (first curved portion, second curved portion) that can independently deform. This segmentation allows different parts of the structure to undergo controlled shape changes, enabling compact packaging while preserving overall structural integrity during deployment.
2Device complexity
If deformable structures use simplified single-state designs, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different operational states deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable body serves multiple functions: it provides structural support in the extended state, enables compact packaging in the contracted state, and transitions between these states through controlled deformation. The same structural elements (members with curved portions) perform both structural and deformable functions, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms for each state.
3Ease of manufacture
If deformable structures use uniform member thickness, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but structural performance during state transitions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The structure employs non-uniform member thickness distribution, with thicker center portions and thinner end portions (or vice versa depending on the embodiment). This local variation in thickness optimizes stress distribution during state transitions, providing enhanced structural performance in high-stress regions while reducing material usage in low-stress regions, thereby improving reliability without significantly complicating manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
A deformable support apparatus includes a deformable body configured to transition between at least an extended state and a contracted state where a stiffness of the deformable body in the extended state is greater than a corresponding stiffness of the deformable body in the contracted state. The deformable body includes a first member and a second member coupled to and in opposition to the first member, and arranged about a longitudinal axis. In the extended state, the first member has at least a first curved portion and the second member has at least a second curved portion. The at least a first curved portion is a positive curved portion with respect to the longitudinal axis and the at least a second curved portion is a negative curved portion with respect to the longitudinal axis.