Deployable Root Stiffness Mechanism for Tubular Slit Booms and Method for Increasing the Bending and Torsional Stiffness of a Tubular Slit Boom

Abstract

A deployable root stiffness mechanism and method increases the bending and torsional stiffness and strength of a tubular slit boom while allowing the slit boom to be flattened and rolled to a compact stowage volume. The slit booms may be flattened and rolled into a compact cylindrical stowage volume and once released, elastically and immediately deploy from the rolled stowed configuration to the final structural tube shape. An embodiment of the disclosed apparatus comprises a base member which is engaging contact with a bottom surface of the tubular slit boom and a reaction member which translates along the base member as the tubular slit boom transitions between the storage configuration to the deployed configuration and between the deployed configuration to the storage configuration. The reaction member provides an opposing reactive force to a load conveyed through the thin-wall construction of the boom. The method provides a means for increasing the bending and torsional stiffness and strength of a tubular slit boom by reacting external loads through the boom walls into a structure which generally conforms to the shape of the boom as it is deployed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . In a spacecraft having a tubular slit boom attached to the spacecraft by a structural interface, wherein the tubular slit boom comprises a thin-wall construction and the tubular slit boom has a storage configuration in which at least a first portion of the tubular slit boom is flattened and configured into a stowage volume and wherein the tubular slit boom has a deployed configuration in which at least a second portion of the tubular slit boom is extended to assume a tubular shape, a root stiffness mechanism comprises:
 a base member which is engaging contact with a bottom surface of the tubular slit boom; and   a reaction member which provides an opposing reactive force to a load conveyed through the thin-wall construction of the tubular slit boom as the base member as the tubular slit boom transitions from the storage configuration to the deployed configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The stiffness mechanism of  claim 1  wherein the reaction member comprises a first side plate and a second side plate wherein an end of the tubular slit boom is captured between the first side plate and the second side plate as the tubular slit boom achieves the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The stiffness mechanism of  claim 2  wherein the first side plate and the second side plate are deployed into a position in which the first side plate and the second plate are tangentially disposed against the end of the tubular slit boom after the tubular slit boom achieves the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The stiffness mechanism of  claim 2  wherein a biasing mechanism urges the first side plate and the second side plate against the end of the tubular slit boom as the tubular slit boom transitions into the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The stiffness mechanism of  claim 2  wherein the first side plate and the second side plate each comprise a lower edge, wherein each lower edge is constrained with respect to the base member. 
     
     
         6 . The stiffness mechanism of  claim 5  wherein the base member comprises slots and the lower edge of the first side plate and the lower edge of the second side plate each comprise an outwardly extending pin, each outwardly extending pin disposed within a corresponding slot of the base member, each outwardly extending pin translatable within its corresponding slot. 
     
     
         7 . The stiffness mechanism of  claim 1  wherein the at least second portion of the tubular slit boom comprises a longitudinally extending strip attached to an inner wall of the tubular slit boom. 
     
     
         8 . The stiffness mechanism of  claim 1  wherein the reaction member translates long the base member as the tubular boom slit transitions from the storage configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         9 . In a spacecraft having an onboard system wherein the onboard system has a stowage configuration and a deployment configuration and deployment of the onboard system is achieved, at least in part, by a tubular slit boom attached to the spacecraft by a structural interface, wherein the tubular slit boom comprises a thin-wall construction and has a storage configuration in which at least a first portion of the tubular slit boom is flattened and configured into a stowage volume and wherein the tubular slit boom has a deployed configuration in which at least a second portion of the tubular slit boom is extended to assume a tubular shape, a method of increasing the bending and torsional stiffness of the tubular slit boom comprises the following steps:
 initiating deployment of the tubular slit boom so that the at least second portion boom transitions into the tubular shape;   capturing an end of the tubular slit boom within a structure having a reaction member which provides an opposing reactive force to a load realized by the tubular slit boom during a transition of the onboard system from the stowage configuration into the deployment configuration; and   completing deployment of the tubular slit tube boom into the deployed configuration, the end of the tubular slit boom remaining captured within the structure.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the structure comprises a first side plate, a second side plate, and a base member wherein the end of the tubular slit boom is captured between the first side plate, the second side plate and the base member during a transition of the onboard system from the stowage configuration into the deployment configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the first side plate and the second side plate are deployed into a position in which the first side plate and the second plate are tangentially disposed against the end of the tubular slit boom after the tubular slit boom achieves the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein a biasing mechanism urges the first side plate and the second side plate against the end of the tubular slit boom as the tubular slit boom transitions into the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the first side plate and the second side plate each comprise a lower edge, wherein each lower edge is constrained with respect to the base member. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the base member comprises slots and the lower edge of the first side plate and the lower edge of the second side plate each comprise an outwardly extending pin, each outwardly extending pin disposed within a corresponding slot of the base member, each outwardly extending pin translatable within its corresponding slot. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the at least second portion of the tubular slit boom comprises a longitudinally extending strip attached to an inner wall of the tubular slit boom. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the reaction member translates long the base member as the tubular boom slit transitions from the storage configuration to the deployed configuration.