Expandable Panel

Abstract

A lightweight, compressible panel structure can include a collapsible portion that includes outer facing sections and inner core sections connected by hinge points and/or hinge assemblies. One or more longitudinal support structures can be included to hold the expandable panel structure in its expanded configuration. Methods and apparatus are described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a collapsible panel structure configured to form an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, the collapsible panel structure comprising;
 outer facing sections forming a first side and a second side of the collapsible panel structure, the first and second sides comprising facing pair hinge points that pivotally couple adjoining outer facing sections; and 
 inner core sections arranged in a zig-zag manner between the first side and the second side with vertex hinge points pivotally coupling adjoining inner core sections; 
   wherein the inner core sections and the outer facing sections form a series of adjoining triangular prisms when the collapsible panel structure is in the expanded configuration, and wherein the inner core sections and outer facing sections form a series of adjoining quadrilateral prisms when the collapsible panel structure is transitioning into the collapsed configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a support structure that extends along a length of the collapsible panel structure in the expanded configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the support structure comprises at least one of an open channel that is configured to cap a first end of the collapsible panel structure, a telescoping segment that allows the support structure to at least partially collapse, and a plurality of joinable segments. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the support structure extends through openings located along the inner core sections. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the support structure is curved. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein in the extended configuration, the vertex hinge points are located at an apex of each triangular prism of the series of adjoining triangular prisms. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein two outer facing sections jointed at a facing pair hinge point are aligned with an opposite vertex hinge point joining two inner core sections. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein when the collapsible panel structure is transitioning into the collapsed configuration, a facing pair hinge point of the facing pair hinge points is located at a top or a bottom of each quadrilateral prism of the series of adjoining quadrilateral prisms. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus comprising:
 a collapsible panel structure configured to form an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, the collapsible panel structure comprising;
 outer facing sections forming a first side and a second side of the collapsible panel structure, the first and second sides comprising facing pair hinge points that pivotally couple adjoining outer facing sections; 
 inner core sections arranged in a zig-zag manner between the first side and the second side with 
 inner core hinge points that pivotally couple adjoining inner core sections, 
 extensions that extend between each coupling of an inner core section and an inner core hinge point thereby offsetting the inner core hinge point from a longitudinal length of the inner core section; and 
 supplemental hinge points that pivotally couple adjoining outer facing sections and inner core sections; 
   wherein the inner core sections, the extensions, and the outer facing sections form a series of adjoining quadrilateral prisms when the collapsible panel structure is in the expanded configuration, and wherein the inner core sections, the extensions, and the outer facing sections form a series of adjoining six-sided prisms when the collapsible panel structure is transitioning into the collapsed configuration.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a support structure that extends along a length of the collapsible panel structure in the expanded configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the support structure comprises at least one of an open channel that is configured to cap a first end of the collapsible panel structure, a telescoping segment that allows the support structure to at least partially collapse, and a plurality of joinable segments. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the support structure extends through openings located along the inner core sections. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the support structure is curved. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein in the extended configuration, two outer facing sections are in an alignment and jointed at a facing pair hinge point that is disposed opposite an inner core hinge point. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein when the collapsible panel structure is transitioning into the collapsed configuration, the facing pair hinge points and inner core hinge points are alternately located at a top and a bottom of each hexagonal prism of the series of adjoining quadrilateral prisms. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 expanding a collapsible portion of a collapsible panel structure along an axis perpendicular to faces of a plurality of inner core sections of the collapsible panel structure;   completing the expanding of the collapsible portion upon planar alignment of two outer facing sections of the collapsible panel structure joined at a facing pair hinge point that is disposed opposite a vertex hinge point joining two of the inner core sections, wherein the inner core sections are arranged in a zig-zag manner between a first side of outer facing sections and a second side of outer facing sections with vertex hinge points pivotally coupling adjoining inner core sections.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising joining a longitudinal support structure to the expanded collapsible portion. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising removing the longitudinal support structures. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising re-collapsing the collapsible portion. 
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 expanding a collapsible portion of a collapsible panel structure along an axis perpendicular to faces of a plurality of inner core sections of the collapsible panel structure;   completing the expanding of the collapsible portion upon planar alignment of two outer facing sections of the collapsible panel structure joined at a facing pair hinge point that is disposed opposite an inner core hinge point joining two of the inner core sections, wherein the inner core sections are arranged in a zig-zag manner between a first side of outer facing sections and a second side of outer facing sections with inner core hinge points pivotally coupling adjoining inner core sections and are offset from longitudinal lengths of the adjoining inner core sections by extensions, and wherein supplemental hinge points pivotally couple adjoining outer facing sections and inner core sections.