Patent ID: 6974109

Claim:
Apparatus for sealing and retraining the flexible pressure boundary of an inflatable spacecraft comprising: a. a gas membrane; b. a restraint layer; c. a retaining member; d. a plurality of loops, one end of said loops extending around said retaining member, the other end of said loops connected to said restraint layer; e. a base flange having a first face and a second face, said base flange further having an outer surface around the circumference of the base flange; f. a locking flange having a mating face, said locking flange further having an outer surface around the circumference of the locking flange, said locking flange connected to said base flange, the first face of said base flange and the mating face of said locking flange contacting to form a plurality of recesses, said recesses extending from around the retaining member to the outer surface of said base flange and said locking flange to form an opening between said locking flange and said base flange, said base flange and said locking flange further forming a plurality of passages, each said passage disposed between and in communication with an adjacent pair of said recesses, said passages for capturing said retaining member, said recesses to accommodate said loops to allow said loops to extend around said retaining member; and g. a seal flange, said seal flange having a mating face, said seal flange connected to said base flange, the mating face of said seal flange and the second face of said base flange in facing relationship, said gas membrane captured between the mating face of said seal flange and the second face of said base flange.