Patent ID: 7374301

Claim:
An improved design for a reflector, radiator, or receiver of electromagnetic, acoustic, or other energy, comprising a frame structure that provides a near-perfectly round shape with a raised planar circumferential surface, and creating an internal cavity within, a non-porous reflective, transmissive, translucent or opaque membrane or plurality of membranes, a means of attaching and sealing said membrane material to said raised planar surface, and to each other in the case of multiple membranes, such that a sealed cavity results between said frame structure and said membrane or membranes, a means of applying sub-ambient or super-ambient pressure to said sealed cavity, deforming said membrane or membranes thereby resulting in membrane deformations which are capable of manipulating electromagnetic, acoustic, or other energy, wherein improvements are comprised of a near perfectly flat and round semi rigid planar structural surface element, having parallel opposed major faces with predetermined distance between them, and predetermined fill material contained within a near perfectly round ring element or plurality of ring elements that provide circumferential reinforcement, having a predetermined cross-sectional shape, being of a predetermined material, and having a predetermined rigidity, a means of attaching said planar surface to said ring, and said rings to each other, thus forming a near-perfect raised circumferential planar surface with an internal cavity, a means of attaching and sealing said membrane or plurality of membranes to said circumferential planar surface, and also to each other, a means of applying sub ambient or super ambient pressure, thereby resulting in membrane deformations which are capable of manipulating electromagnetic, acoustic, or other energy, and thereby also inducing a lesser convex or concave deformation into the semi-rigid structural planar backplane material a means of inhibiting wrinkles in said non-porous membrane elements comprising a circular floating batten element, formed inside the circumference of said membrane element comprised of an annular, flat, batten of slightly less circumference than the membrane, of a predetermined material, of a predetermined width and thickness, with a predetermined rigidity, and constructed as one piece, or in sections, a means of attaching said batten to said membrane or membrane elements with a predetermined strength and flexibility, such that said batten is solely supported by said non-porous membrane element a means of dynamically tensioning said non-porous membrane or plurality of membranes.