Deployable Pantograph Frame for Aerospace Habitat
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aerospace supporting frames face challenges in being compact enough to pass through modern space station hatches while also needing to withstand launch accelerations and be lightweight for efficient space travel, with existing folding frames lacking structural integrity during launch and being oversized for in-orbit use.
Innovation Solution
A deployable supporting frame with a pantograph structure composed of rotatable rods and adjustable telescopic rods, which can compactly fold to pass through hatches and expand to form a housing structure, utilizing a locking system and node configuration to absorb loads during launch and provide structural rigidity during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If folding frames are designed to be compact for transport, then they can pass through hatches, but they lack structural characteristics to withstand launch accelerations
Solution Approach 1:
The frame transitions between two dynamic states: compact folded configuration for transport through hatches, and deployed configuration for withstanding launch accelerations and in-orbit use. The pantograph mechanism enables dynamic reconfiguration from compact to rigid deployed state
Solution Approach 2:
The frame is divided into multiple rod elements connected by nodes that can rotate relative to each other. This segmentation allows the frame to fold into a compact configuration for transport while maintaining the ability to form a rigid structure when deployed
2Weight of moving object
If supporting frames are made lightweight for space travel, then launch costs are reduced, but they cannot withstand high accelerations during launch
Solution Approach 1:
The frame's structural properties are dynamically adjusted through deployment. In folded state, weight is minimized for transport. When deployed, the pantograph mechanism creates a rigid structure that can withstand launch accelerations, achieving both lightweight design and structural strength at different operational phases
Solution Approach 2:
The frame utilizes rods with optimized material properties that balance weight and strength requirements, allowing the structure to be lightweight yet capable of withstanding high g-forces when properly configured
3Volume of stationary object
If frames are designed to be large enough to define minimum living space, then they provide adequate volume, but they are oversized for passing through hatches
Solution Approach 1:
The frame volume is dynamically changed through deployment. In folded configuration, the frame occupies minimal space for transport through hatches. When deployed, it expands to define the minimum required living space volume, achieving both compact transport and adequate habitat volume
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure can be nested or folded into a compact configuration that fits through hatch openings, then deployed to expand into the required living space volume, similar to a nested doll transitioning between compact and expanded states
4Ease of manufacture
If pre-assembled structures are used with standardized dimensions, then they can enter through existing hatches, but they have low configurability and modularity
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into modular rod elements that can be configured in different arrangements. This segmentation provides both ease of manufacture through standardized components and high adaptability through reconfigurable assemblies
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support during launch, defines living space volume, and can be reconfigured for different habitat configurations, enhancing versatility while maintaining standardized manufacturing
Data Source
AI summary
A supporting frame for aerospace applications comprises a plurality of rods, which are arranged along two bases substantially parallel and opposite each other, and along two sides, which are substantially parallel and opposite to each other and are coupled to each other via the two bases; the rods are coupled to each other in a mutually rotating manner by nodes so as to be able to configure the supporting frame between a deployed operating condition and a compacted operating condition; the nodes are spaced apart from one another in the deployed operating condition and are each hinged to at least two of the rods; in the compacted operating condition, each of the nodes is placed side by side with two adjacent nodes so as to form, together, two supporting members arranged at opposite longitudinal ends of the supporting frame and each being ring-shaped.