Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. Shielding device for optical and/or electronic apparatuses, which cooperates with incident electromagnetic radiation, the shielding device including:at least two filters for interacting with said incident electromagnetic radiation, for selectively filtering said radiation; andan inflatable support structure for the filter which is able to achieve an operating stand-by configuration, in which it is substantially folded together, and an active operating configuration, in which it extends along a longitudinal extension axis and is essentially completely unfolded; whereineach of the filters includes a filter body comprising a shielding portion and a pass-through portion, which is transversely positioned with respect to said longitudinal extension axis when the support structure reaches its active operating configuration;wherein at least the pass-through portions of the filters have transversal dimensions, with respect to the longitudinal extension axis, said transversal dimensions decreasing with a decrease in distance between filters and optical and/or electronic apparatuses, the shielding portions of the filters shielding the incident electromagnetic radiation having incident angles increasing with a decrease in transversal dimensions of the pass-through portions. 2. Shielding device according to claim 1, wherein the incident electromagnetic radiation comprises radiation having a frequency within the frequency range from X-rays to γ-rays. 3. Shielding device according to claim 1, wherein said longitudinal extension axis coincides with the focal axis or pointing axis of said optical and/or electronic apparatuses. 4. Shielding device according to claim 1, wherein the incident electromagnetic radiation may form incident angles relative to said longitudinal extension axis, said incident angles being different from one another, the filters selectively filtering incident electromagnetic radiation according to respective incident angles. 5. Shielding device according to claim 1, wherein theeach filter body is a substantially plate-like body;a first portion of the incident electromagnetic radiation may pass through each pass-through portion, said first portion of the incident electromagnetic radiation having incident angles within a first range of the incident angles; andeach shielding portion, shields said optical and/or electronic apparatuses from a second portion of the incident electromagnetic radiation, said second portion of the incident electromagnetic radiation having incident angles within a second range of the incident angles, said second range being distinct from said first range. 6. Shielding device according to claim 5, wherein the pass-through portion is a pass-through aperture, and wherein the shielding portion extends around said pass-through aperture. 7. Shielding device according to claim 1, including a plurality of filters, the filters being arranged in an aligned and mutually distanced way, according to predefined distances along said longitudinal extension axis, when the support structure reaches its active operating configuration. 8. Shielding device according to claim 1, wherein the support structure is a tubular structure, extending around said longitudinal extension axis, when in the active operating configuration. 9. Shielding device according to claim 1, wherein the support structure includes a plurality of inflatable chambers, which may achieve a longitudinal extension, and are arranged in a mutually contiguous manner around said longitudinal extension axis. 10. Shielding device according to claim 1, wherein said support structure comprises polymeric resins, which polymerize when exposed to solar radiation, in order to stiffen the support structure. 11. Shielding device according to claim 1, including a fixed baffle, which is provided at or near said optical and/or electronic apparatuses. 12. Shielding device according to claim 11, wherein the fixed baffle is a tubular rigid baffle, which extends around said longitudinal extension axis, said fixed baffle extending inside the support structure when said structure reaches the active operating configuration. 13. Space vehicle including a shielding device according to claim 1. 14. Space vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said vehicle is a satellite including a space telescope.