Patent ID: 6233880
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: B64G,E04B

Abstract:
A tube-like deployable structure being foldable as a whole, the structure comprising:a side wall having a tube-like shape defined by a locus of a closed curve moved along an axis, and comprising a plurality of segments foldable in directions of the axis and the closed curve;wherein connecting creases of at least four adjacent segments are connected with one another at one point, the at least four adjacent segments having two patterns of folding, one of which is a closing pattern where the segments are folded to reduce an inner angle between connecting sides of segments adjacent each other in a circumferential direction on the closed curve as accompanied with a folding in the axial direction, another pattern of which is an opening pattern where the segments are folded to enlarge the inner angle between connecting sides of segments adjacent each other on the closed curve, as accompanied with a folding in the axial direction and the side wall being deployed and folded in the axial direction and radially in a direction of a plane by folding the segments according to the closing pattern and opening pattern with the closed curve being in a continuously closed configuration, wherein the diameter of the non-deployed structure is less than the diameter of the deployed structure.