Patent ID: 8356774

Claim:
A deployable structure for storing and unfurling a flexible material, comprising: a drum having a cylindrical exterior surface, with the surface having an axis of revolution and the drum being rotatable about the axis of revolution; a plurality of flexible and resilient masts, with each of the masts having a proximal end attached to the drum suffice; the masts collectively having a collapsed configuration and a deployed configuration, with the masts being wrapped around the drum surface when in the collapsed configuration and completely unwrapped when in the deployed configuration; a bending stress arising in each mast when the masts are in a configuration other than the deployed configuration; each of the masts lying on a tangent to, and extending linearly from, the drum surface when the masts are in the deployed configuration; the masts being connected by a plurality of flexible and resilient spars, with the spars being in tension along the respective lengths of the spars; the spars circumscribing the drum when the masts are in the deployed configuration; and a plurality of flexible cords for connecting the spars, with the cords extending radially with respect to the axis of revolution and being in tension.