Patent ID: 6904722

Claim:
An elongated truss boom adapted to be flattened and coiled to a stowed configuration comprising: a plurality of longerons arranged parallel to and equidistant from a longitudinal axis of the truss boom forming a polygonal cross section normal to the longitudinal axis; a plurality of fixed battens; and a plurality of moveable battens; wherein the fixed battens and the moveable battens are coupled to the longerons to form a plurality of polygonal frame members which are located in a series of planes normal to the longitudinal axis; wherein a first and a second longeron of the plurality of longerons are interconnected with at least one of the fixed battens to form a first rigid ladder shaped structure, wherein a third and a fourth longeron of the plurality of longerons are interconnected with at least one other of the fixed battens to form a second rigid ladder shaped structure opposing the first rigid ladder shaped structure, the first rigid ladder shaped structure being moveably connected by movable battens to the second rigid ladder shaped structure; and wherein the first and second longerons are spaced apart from each other less than the third and fourth longerons are spaced apart from each other, so that when the truss boom is flattened the first ladder shaped structure nests between the third and fourth longerons of the second ladder shaped structure and the first, second, third and fourth longerons are substantially coplanar to permit compact stowing.