[JoeF]

Tensegrity kite

======================
If beams were sub-trussed or otherwise segmented, then a small packing could occur.

[JoeF]

Gamera HPA helicopter might be at the opposite end of tiny-pack, but what can be learned from the Gamera vehicles that may affect the tiny-packed-HG movement?

gamera2-design.pdf

(3.1 MiB) Downloaded 29 times

Could there be a packable "continuous-wound truss spar" ????

[JoeF]

Of special note from the Gamera II project paper:

The airframe truss arms of Gamera II extensively
incorporate specially developed micro-truss members,
creating a truss composed of smaller trusses. Research
efforts showed these micro-trusses were 620% more
structurally efficient (EI/mass) than carbon tubes for
buckling resistance, which was the primary constraint of
the truss members (see airframe design section). These
micro-trusses were first used in Gamera I, but in limited
quantities. For Gamera II, an even lighter micro-truss
design was developed and used for 90% of the truss
members, cutting airframe weight by 39%.

Now if such technology can be accomplished without volume-in-pack penalty, then we might have something here

[JoeF]

CoilABLE-Boom

COROTUB is a monolithic closed-section tubular thin-shelled structure that’s been shown to scale efficiently up to 50m yet maintain its strength. Its two corrugated thin shells form a closed section, which yields high bending and torsional stiffness, allowing for high dimensional stability.

Computational analysis and early tests show that the corrugation provides increased strength against buckling, enabling longer booms and targeting more demanding structural applications than noncorrugated designs

[JoeF]

https://patents.google.com/patent/US7895795B1/en

Triangular rollable and collapsible boom
Abstract
An elastic space-deployable boom of carbon fiber reinforced plastic or other resilient material having an open substantially triangular cross-section when deployed and stowed with a flattened cross-section about a circular hub.

2007-10-22
Application filed by US Air Force

============================================================================
And
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9528264B2/en

Collapsible roll-out truss
Abstract
Collapsible support structures and methods of making collapsible support structures which interconvert between a deployed condition and a collapsed planate condition which allows extensible retractable deployment of the collapsed structure from a reduced volume rolled condition.

============================================================================
And
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9840060B2/en

Rigid slit-tube laminate system
Abstract
Laminate structures and methods of making laminate structures having overwrapped laminate edges which resist delamination and fraying or including one or more stabilizer laminates which afford greater radial and torsional rigidity in longitudinally slit tube structures.

==============================================================================
And
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9863148B2/en

Sheath-based rollable lenticular-shaped and low-stiction composite boom
Abstract
Various embodiments provide rollable and deployable composite booms that may be used in a wide range of applications both for space and terrestrial structural solutions. Various embodiment composite booms may be bistable, i.e. having a stable strain energy minimum in the coiled configuration as well as the in the deployed configuration. In various embodiments, a boom may be fabricated by aligning two independent tape-springs front-to-front encircled by a durable seamless polymer sleeve. The durable seamless polymer sleeve may allow the two tape-springs to slide past each other during the coiling/deployment process so as to reduce, e.g., minimize, shear and its derived problems.

=========================================================
And something from HG pioneer Roy Haggard:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20070251185A1/en

Dual-bias airbeam
Abstract
An airbeam, inflated to create a structural member, has three functional layers in its wall: a flexible gas barrier and a braided reinforcing layer plus the novelty of an additional braided layer. Key design factors are the bias angles of the braids in the two braided layers: that of the inner one greater than 54.7 degrees bias angle and of the outer one less than 54.7 degrees bias angle. The two layers of braid being slipped over another allows the airbeam to be formed with bends for a wide variety of shapes

===========================================================
And
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20210372464A1/en

Living hinge boom
Abstract
A deformable boom device includes a pair of shells, each shell of a substantially same arc length. A pair of hinges is mechanically coupled to the pair of shells to join the pair of shells into an open cross section as deployed in an extended state, and into about a flat structure in a flattened state. At least one of the pair of shells can include an about semi-circular cross section.

=============================================================
And
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20180313083A1/en

Deformable structures
Abstract
A deformable device has an extended state, a flattened state, and a rolled state if a beam, where a stiffness and strength of the deformable beam or hinge in the extended state is greater than a different stiffness and strength of the deformable beam or hinge in the flattened state. An end face cross section includes a main C curved member which defines an about circular shape of an arc ranging between about a quarter arc and a substantially full circle. A periodic C curved member defines at least two about C shaped curves. The periodic C curved member has a first periodic C curved member end mechanically coupled to the first main C curved member end, and a second periodic C curved member end mechanically coupled to the second main C curved member end. A deformable device with a V shaped member is also described.

=============================================================
And
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20090049757A1/en

Roll-up inflatable beam structure
Abstract
A sandwich beam including in one example first and second spaced walls, a core configured to maintain a predetermined spacing between the walls when the core is filled with pressurized gas and to resist shear when the beam is loaded in bending and a port for filling the core with gas biasing both walls in tension. The tension tends to increase in the second wall and decrease and cause a compression load in the first wall in response to a sufficiently large applied bending load. A compression element is fixed only with respect to the first wall and is configured (a) to support the compression load so that the beam is stronger at a given gas pressure and (b) to flex sufficiently to allow the beam to be rolled up when the gas is emptied from the core via the port.

==============================================================
And
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9555904B2/en

Gossamer apparatus and systems for use with spacecraft
Abstract
Gossamer apparatus and systems for use with spacecraft may include a deployable gossamer apparatus. The deployable gossamer apparatus may include a plurality rib members and gossamer material extending therebetween and may be configured in a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The rib members of the deployable gossamer apparatus store potential energy used for deployment of the deployable gossamer apparatus.

==============================================================
And
https://patents.google.com/patent/US10734941B2/en

Compact, self-deploying structures and methods for deploying foldable, structural origami arrays using a compression column
Abstract
The Structural Origami ARray (SOAR) concept is an extremely high performance, deployable solar array system that delivers high power output and exceeds state-of-the-art packaging efficiencies. Unlike existing Z-folding panels or rolled architectures, this approach utilizes an origami-inspired two-dimensional packaging scheme of a flexible blanket/substrate that is coupled with a simple and compact deployable supporting structure that stabilizes the array by external tension or internal support. This enables large deployed areas populated with high efficiency photovoltaic (PV) cells or antenna elements, which compactly stows in a square form factor with thin stack height that minimizes impingement on spacecraft bus internal volume

================================================================
And a video that is suggestive for a direction of exploration .... Shown beam certainly is not tiny packable. Abstract from the show and move, perhaps, toward triangular beam that is either segmentable or coilable or telescopic.

================================================================

Statement: As yet, I am not finding prior art for the spar construction that I have been favoring recently for deep investigation for potential solving some tiny-packings for a HG that will permit polite tote on busy city buses.

[JoeF]

More details at another moment, thank you.

S001Jan1of2023.jpg (23.31 KiB) Viewed 327 times

[JoeF]

Evolution of one type of spar of coilable parts:

S002Jan3of2023.jpg (13.56 KiB) Viewed 316 times

Parts:
= compression coilable flat
= spreader coilable flats (two)
= case for spreader assembly; the spreader case is bonded to the two flats in the region where the tension cable will seat; a sewn X hinge will be bonded at the tension-cable seat.
= hook-and-loop
= straps or an overall sock case
= spar-end bridling cap (two) that is perma-fixed to a tension cable or tension webbing.

Assembly of spar at flying site:
Uncoil spreader assembly.
Uncoil compression flat.
Lay out tension element with its two bridling spar-end caps.
Set compression assembly onto the spreader assembly.
Set spar-end caps onto the ends of the compression flat.
Check that the tension element seats into spreader-assembly lower joint.
Apply hoop straps every 1 foot along the span of the spar. Or alternatively, slip a sock case over each half of the tapered spar to play a part in snugging compression flat to the spreader assembly; aim to avoid a zippered overall case.

Packing a spar for tote: (Intended: two spanwise spars in one make of HG; or four half-span spars in a KP-QP rigged HG)
Take off the overall socks. Fold the socks to a tight pack.
Take off the tension cable or webbing and remove the caps from the end of compression flat.
Unhook the compression flat from the spreader assembly. Coil the flat and safety strap the coil.
Let the spreader assembly close its V to be an I; coil the spreader assembly and safety strap the coil.
Spar coils may stack or nest or both. Coil cavities may hold other HG parts.

[JoeF]

An alternative of the above suggestions is to have the spreader assembly as told: coilable, but have the compression element be segmented to 1-m segments while tapering as needed. The lower part of the spreader flats will be in tension during positive-flight loading. The compression element segments could be snugged to the lower spreader subassembly via hook-and-loop and the tapered over-all socking or strapping.

Segmented compression element for a spar positioned-stabilized by marriage to the spreader subassembly and by assist from KP-Qp rigging and rib connections to a second spar would be helped by some interlocking shaping of segments. The shaping could be gentle V. Or two pins into holes of adjacent segment.
.

[JoeF]

Setting:
Mono-spar monoplane SS or DS, no sweep:

Consider, for a triangular cross section spar having an upper compression-element-segment set over a spreader-V flat subassembly, the opportunity of grooving the underside of the compression elements; the spreader flats would seat into the spanwise grooves and finally be pressed as a resultant of flight loads via the action of the spanwise tension cable/webbing and perhaps spar socking. Such would firm the position of the spreader flats and avoid a use of hook-and-loop runs. Keep the spreader flats coilable for half-span. Rig: KP-QP.

And consider now three-part ribs with center part hard set to the compression element segments of the spars; this would give an opportunity to control wing torque when two-point bridling the center rib part on some ribs, not all. Drag of rigging: accepted. A stay-put line might root at wing tip compression-element tip; the line would stay the position of the ribs that are set to the upper part of the compression elements countering the in-pull of ribs that the KP-QP rigging would bring. Similarly rooted stay-put lines (two) could keep the ribs aligned on designed angle to the spar. Such lines might be used to tune the wing.

[JoeF]

Awaking this morning: "Let the tension element drape the apex of the spreader subassembly! Figure ways to stay the tension element's position while letting the two spreader flats firmly meet with a flexible hinge; have the tension member drape and snug that hinge line. Thus keep the V's apex from moving. The draped tension element might be a two-lobed item to help assure stay-put seating during flight loads. Challenge: prevent the tension member two parts from dimpling the spreader flats' faces: how? Maybe an insert inside the V could be placed and removed? Bjut compression would tend to squeeze the insert and cause the insert to rise up out of place. Not sure here. Worth exploring .... [ ] "