Patent ID: 7464900

Claim:
A folding retractable covering on a space vehicle for protecting a feature disposed on an exterior surface of the vehicle, wherein the covering comprises: a plurality of semicircular ribs, each having opposite ends respectively pinioned at opposite sides of the feature at about the exterior surface of the vehicle for rotational movement about an axis of rotation extending through the opposite ends thereof and through a hemispherical path of revolution extending over the feature; a continuous, flexible cover attached to each of the ribs in such a way that, in a fully deployed position of the covering, in which adjacent ribs are rotated apart from each other at a maximum relative angle therebetween, the cover is stretched generally tangentially between the adjacent ribs to form a generally hemispherical shield over the feature, and in a fully retracted position of the covering, in which adjacent ribs are rotated together at a minimum relative angle therebetween, the flexible covering is collapsed to form a plurality of folded pleats of substantially the same size, each disposed between a respective pair of adjacent ribs; an annular bezel disposed on the exterior surface of the vehicle and aligned generally concentrically with the feature; and each rib having an external periphery larger than the external periphery of the feature and smaller than the internal periphery of the bezel.