US 12,227,310 B2
Deployable system with flexible membrane
Lyn Eric Ruhl, Golden, CO (US); and Mitchell Todd Wiens, Loveland, CO (US)
Assigned to M.M.A. DESIGN, LLC, Louisville, CO (US)
Filed by M.M.A. DESIGN, LLC, Louisville, CO (US)
Filed on Jul. 12, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/350,925.
Application 18/350,925 is a continuation of application No. 16/748,471, filed on Jan. 21, 2020, granted, now 11,724,828.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/794,385, filed on Jan. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0406543 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B64G 1/22 (2006.01); B64G 1/64 (2006.01); B64G 1/44 (2006.01); H04B 7/185 (2006.01)
CPC B64G 1/222 (2013.01) [B64G 1/64 (2013.01); B64G 1/443 (2013.01); H04B 7/185 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for extraterrestrial deployment of a flexible membrane surface, the system comprising:
a flexible membrane including a periphery and an interior and adapted to be expanded from an undeployed state to a deployed state during a membrane deployment; and
a payload base including extendable booms, each extendable boom including a proximal end and a distal end with respect to the payload base, wherein the distal end of each extendable boom is attached to the flexible membrane, the payload base and the extendable booms being positioned to one side of the flexible membrane, the extendable booms being configured to increase in length radially from the payload base and diagonally relative to a z-fold axis in a direction from the payload base along which the flexible membrane is configured to expand to form the flexible membrane surface in the deployed state, wherein the z-fold extends from an edge of the flexible membrane to an opposite edge of the flexible membrane and the flexible membrane is configured to unfold in a first direction along the z-fold axis and in a second direction along the z-fold axis opposite the first direction from the undeployed state to the deployed state during the membrane deployment.