Patents by Inventor Robert TELFORD

Robert TELFORD 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).

  • Patent number: 12234644
    Abstract: Deployable structures, methods and apparatus for deployment of deployable structures, and associated manufacturing methods. Such deployable structures suitably comprise components for space structures, such supports for solar arrays, antennas or other similar systems. The deployable structure comprises a lattice element arrangeable in a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The lattice element comprises a pre-stressed strip arranged in a clockwise helix, a pre-stressed strip arranged in an anticlockwise helix, and a plurality of fasteners for rotatably coupling the strips to one another at a plurality of positions distributed along the length of the strips. The fasteners are provided at unequal spacings along the length of the strips such that on deployment the lattice element bends to a curved deployed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK
    Inventors: Ciarán McHale, Paul Weaver, Robert Telford
  • Patent number: 12017805
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to deployable structures, to methods and apparatus for deployment of deployable structures, and to associated manufacturing methods. Such deployable structures suitably comprise components for space structures, such supports for solar arrays, antennas or other similar systems. The deployable structure (500) comprises a first lattice (514) arrangeable in a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The deployable structure also comprises a second lattice (516) arrangeable in a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein with the lattices arranged in the stowed configuration the second lattice (516) nests in the first lattice (514).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK
    Inventors: Ciarán Mchale, Paul Weaver, Robert Telford
  • Publication number: 20220333381
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to deployable structures, to methods and apparatus for deployment of deployable structures, and to associated manufacturing methods. Such deployable structures suitably comprise components for space structures, such supports for solar arrays, antennas or other similar systems. The deployable structure comprises a lattice element arrangeable in a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The lattice element (200) comprises a pre-stressed strip arranged in a clockwise helix (306, FIG. 3a), a pre-stressed strip arranged in an anticlockwise helix (308, FIG. 3a), and a plurality of fasteners (310, FIG. 3a) for rotatably coupling the strips to one another at a plurality of positions distributed along the length of the strips. The fasteners are provided at unequal spacings along the length of the strips such that on deployment the lattice element bends to a curved deployed configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Ciarán MCHALE, Paul WEAVER, Robert TELFORD
  • Publication number: 20220289406
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to deployable structures, to methods and apparatus for deployment of deployable structures, and to associated manufacturing methods. Such deployable structures suitably comprise components for space structures, such supports for solar arrays, antennas or other similar systems. The deployable structure (500) comprises a first lattice (514) arrangeable in a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The deployable structure also comprises a second lattice (516) arrangeable in a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein with the lattices arranged in the stowed configuration the second lattice (516) nests in the first lattice (514).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Ciarán MCHALE, Paul WEAVER, Robert TELFORD