Deployable Telescope Shade With Pivotable Panels

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional space telescope covers are heavy, consume excessive space, and have a large moment of inertia, limiting deployment speed and causing spatial constraints in testing environments, which prevents functional optical testing and efficient thermal management.

Innovation Solution

A deployable shade assembly with pivotable and interleaved panels that collapse inwardly to protect optical components and expand outwardly to expose them, reducing spatial and weight constraints, and allowing for faster deployment and collapse.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a conventional cover is used to protect the optical component, then the optical component is protected from light and debris, but the cover consumes excessive space and has large weight

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection from stray light and debrisVSAvoidspatial envelope

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cover is divided into multiple pivotable panels that can independently rotate about hinge axes. Each panel is a separate segment that collectively forms the complete cover structure, allowing the cover to collapse into a compact configuration when not in use while still providing full protection when deployed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cover transitions from a static conventional design to a dynamic structure with panels that can pivot between deployed and collapsed states. This dynamic capability allows the cover to adapt its spatial envelope based on operational requirements, consuming minimal space during launch and testing while providing full protection during operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a conventional cover is used to protect the optical component, then the optical component is protected from light and debris, but the cover has large moment of inertia which reduces deployment speed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection from stray light and debrisVSAvoiddeployment speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The cover is divided into multiple pivotable panels that can independently rotate about hinge axes. Each panel is a separate segment that collectively forms the complete cover structure, allowing the cover to collapse into a compact configuration when not in use while still providing full protection when deployed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cover transitions from a static conventional design to a dynamic structure with panels that can pivot between deployed and collapsed states. This dynamic capability allows the cover to adapt its spatial envelope based on operational requirements, consuming minimal space during launch and testing while providing full protection during operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a conventional cover is used to protect the optical component, then the optical component is protected from light and debris, but the cover prevents functional optical testing in constrained test environments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection from stray light and debrisVSAvoidcompatibility with test tower constraints

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cover transitions from a static conventional design to a dynamic structure with panels that can pivot between deployed and collapsed states. This dynamic capability allows the cover to adapt its spatial envelope based on operational requirements, consuming minimal space during launch and testing while providing full protection during operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The cover is divided into multiple pivotable panels that can independently rotate about hinge axes. Each panel is a separate segment that collectively forms the complete cover structure, allowing the cover to collapse into a compact configuration when not in use while still providing full protection when deployed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS7557995B1Deployable telescope shade

Publication Date: 2009.07.07 HARRIS CORP

AI summary

According to one aspect of this invention, a deployable shade assembly is provided. The deployable shade assembly comprises a plurality of pivotable panels arranged circumferentially about a common central axis. Each pivotable panel is configured to pivot about a hinge axis oriented in a plane substantially perpendicular to the common central axis. The deployable shade assembly further comprises a plurality of interleaved panels, whereby each interleaved panel is hingedly coupled between adjacent pivotable panels. The pivotable and interleaved panels form a closed structure in a collapsed state of the shade assembly, and the pivotable and interleaved panels form an opening in a deployed state of the shade assembly.