Telescoping articulated composite honeycomb structure with inflatable expansion means

Claim 1

AN ARTICULATED, EXPANSIBLE HONEYCOMB STRUCTURE COMPRISING: AT LEAST TWO TUBULAR SECTIONS OF EXPANDIBLE HONEYCOMB; EACH SECTION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE RIBBONS BONDED TO ONE ANOTHER AT SPACED INTERVALS WITH THE BONDING POINTS OF ALTERNATE RIBBONS STAGGERED RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER; A PLURALITY OF HINGE MEANS EACH ATTACHING AT LEAST ONE RIBBON OF EACH SAID TWO SECTIONS OF HONEYCOMB TO ONE AN OTHER AT ADJOINING RIBBON ENDS FOR AFFORDING RELATIVE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID RIBBONS; SAID HINGE MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO PERMIT ARTICULATION OF SAID TWO SECTIONS FROM A RELATIVELY FOLDED POSITION TO AN EXTENDED POSITION AT WHICH SAID TWO SECTIONS DEFINE MUTUAL EXTENSIONS OF EACH OTHER; SAID TWO HONEYCOMB SECTIONS WHEN ARTICULATED TO SAID EXTENDED POSITION BEING EXPANSIBLE IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO SAID RIBBONS INTO THE SHAPE OF A CURVED BODY; AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO FLUID PRESSURE FOR EXERTING EXPANSIVE PRESSURE AGAINST THE INTERIOR SURFACES OF SAID TWO HONEYCOMB SECTIONS TO CAUSE THE SAME TO HINGEDLY MOVE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID HINGE MEANS FROM FOLDED TO EXTENDED POSITIONS, AND TO CAUSE EXPANSION OF THE HONEYCOMB SECTIONS IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO THE RIBBONS INTO THE SHAPE OF SAID CURVED BODY.