CONVERTIBLE UMBRELLA REFLECTOR HINGE Russian patent published in 2023 - IPC F16C11/04 

FIELD: space engineering.

SUBSTANCE: opening folding reflectors of umbrella-type space antennas. The essence of the invention lies in the fact that the intelligent hinge of a transformable umbrella-type reflector contains an elastic profiled tape that generates an elastic driving force for opening, characterized in that the elastic profiled tape is placed between the mating disks: the support and the rib lock made in the shape of a semicircle, with rigid fastening of one end of the elastic profiled tape on the working surface of the support, and the other – on the working surface of the rib lock, while the support is connected to the rib lock using strips that allow the rib lock to move relative to the support, as well as brackets equipped with heating elements that ensure smoothness and controllability of the opening process by making them from shape memory material.

EFFECT: ability to prevent a sudden release of the accumulated energy of elastic profiled tapes and ensuring smooth opening of the folding reflectors of the umbrella-type space antennas.

1 cl, 6 dwg