Patents by Inventor Nicholas B. Dailey

Nicholas B. Dailey has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Starshade with attributes facilitating assembly
    Patent number: 9897723
    Abstract: An exemplary starshade comprises a tensegrity truss structure having a central hub with radially extending, telescoping booms. Telescoping tension struts connected to the central hub and booms provide a compressive force on the booms during final truss deployment. Opaque petals, not supported by the tensegrity truss structure prior to its final deployment, are each sequentially placed on and attached to the tensegrity truss structure in side by side position to form a concentric ring of petals spaced apart from the central hub. A fan fold covering, not supported by the tensegrity truss structure prior to its final deployment, is placed on and attached to the tensegrity truss structure to form an opaque, concentric inner ring about the central hub. An outer edge of the inner ring is adjacent an interior edge of the concentric ring of petals to block light from the petals to the central hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Dean R. Dailey, Nicholas B. Dailey
  • STARSHADE WITH ATTRIBUTES FACILITATING ASSEMBLY
    Publication number: 20170254929
    Abstract: An exemplary starshade comprises a tensegrity truss structure having a central hub with radially extending, telescoping booms. Telescoping tension struts connected to the central hub and booms provide a compressive force on the booms during final truss deployment. Opaque petals, not supported by the tensegrity truss structure prior to its final deployment, are each sequentially placed on and attached to the tensegrity truss structure in side by side position to form a concentric ring of petals spaced apart from the central hub. A fan fold covering, not supported by the tensegrity truss structure prior to its final deployment, is placed on and attached to the tensegrity truss structure to form an opaque, concentric inner ring about the central hub. An outer edge of the inner ring is adjacent an interior edge of the concentric ring of petals to block light from the petals to the central hub.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Dean R. Dailey, Nicholas B. Dailey