Deployment mechanism with integral actuation device

Abstract

An apparatus includes an integral, additively manufactured, actuation device having a rigid portion comprising a shaped structural member and a flexible portion comprising a helical torsion spring. In a spacecraft application, a spacecraft appendage may be coupled with a deployment mechanism, the deployment mechanism including at least one integral, additively manufactured, actuation device having a rigid portion comprising a shaped structural member and a flexible portion comprising a helical torsion spring.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An actuation apparatus, comprising:
 a first tube;   a first helical torsion spring connected at a first end to the first tube, the first helical torsion spring wraps around the first tube, the first helical torsion spring and the first tube together are a first integral and additively manufactured structure; and   a first coupling attached to the first helical torsion spring.   
     
     
         2 . The actuation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first tube, the first helical torsion spring and the first coupling together are an integral and additively manufactured structure; and   the first coupling is configured to attach to an appendage of a spacecraft.   
     
     
         3 . The actuation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first helical torsion spring includes the first end and a second end, the first end the second end extend from a wall of the first tube.   
     
     
         4 . The actuation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first tube is hollow.   
     
     
         5 . The actuation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first tube has a circular cross-section.   
     
     
         6 . The actuation apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of connected legs each of which are orthogonal to each other, the first tube comprises one of the legs.   
     
     
         7 . The actuation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first helical torsion spring includes the first end and a second end, the first coupling is attached to the first helical torsion spring at the second end of the first helical torsion spring.   
     
     
         8 . The actuation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first tube and the first helical torsion spring are formed from a polymeric or metallic material.   
     
     
         9 . The actuation apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second tube connected to the first tube;   a second helical torsion spring connected to the second tube, the second helical spring wraps around the second tube; and   a second coupling attached to the second helical torsion spring.   
     
     
         10 . The actuation apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first coupling and the second coupling are configured to attach to an appendage of a spacecraft.   
     
     
         11 . The actuation apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first tube is orthogonal to the second tube.   
     
     
         12 . The actuation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupling is configured to attach to an appendage of a spacecraft; and   the first helical torsion spring is configured to deploy the appendage by relieving a torsional pre-load of the first helical torsion spring.   
     
     
         13 . A spacecraft deployment apparatus configured to deploy an appendage of a spacecraft, the apparatus comprising:
 a first shaped structural member; and   a first spring connected to the first shaped structural member, the first spring wraps around the first shaped structural member, the first spring and the first shaped structural member together are an integral and additively manufactured structure; and   a coupling attached to the first spring and configured to attach to the appendage of the spacecraft.   
     
     
         14 . The spacecraft deployment apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a second shaped structural member connected to the first shaped structural member;   a second spring connected to the second shaped structural member, the second spring wraps around the second shaped structural member; and   a second coupling attached to the second spring and configured to attach to the appendage of the spacecraft.   
     
     
         15 . The spacecraft deployment apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the first spring and the second spring are configured to deploy the appendage by relieving a torsional pre-load of the first helical torsion spring and the second helical torsion spring.   
     
     
         16 . A spacecraft, comprising:
 a spacecraft appendage; and   a deployment mechanism comprising:
 a first shaped structural member, 
 a first spring connected to the first shaped structural member, the first spring wraps around the first shaped structural member, the first spring and the first shaped structural member together are an integral and additively manufactured structure, and 
 a first coupling attached to the first spring and the spacecraft appendage. 
   
     
     
         17 . The spacecraft of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the first shaped structural member, the first spring and the first coupling together are an integral and additively manufactured structure.   
     
     
         18 . The spacecraft of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the first spring is configured to deploy the appendage by relieving a torsional pre-load of the first spring.   
     
     
         19 . The spacecraft of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a second shaped structural member connected to the first shaped structural member;   a second spring connected to the second shaped structural member, the second spring wraps around the second shaped structural member; and   a second coupling attached to the second spring and configured to attach to the appendage of the spacecraft.   
     
     
         20 . The spacecraft of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the first spring and the second spring are configured to deploy the appendage by relieving a torsional pre-load of the first helical torsion spring.