US3694059A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Lightweight composite reflector dish
Assignee: Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp
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Filing: 1970-09-30
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Granted: 1972-09-26
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Expires: 1990-09-30
Abstract
Abstract A lightweight precision dish structure for reflectors, particularly large parabolic microwave reflectors for space applications. The dish structure has a laminated reflector dish with a central core and bonded facing sheets of differing coefficients of thermal expansion, and a rigid reinforcing ring secured by adjustable fastening means to the rear convex side of the reflector dish and having a coefficient of thermal expansion closely approximating the resultant coefficient of the dish. The reinforcing ring and its adjustable fastening means permit initial adjustment of the dish to a precise parabolic or other configuration and prevent later thermal distortion of the dish as a consequence of the differing coefficients of its core and facing sheets in an adverse, asymmetric thermal environment.
Inventors
- 👤 William B J Shakespeare
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 13:19
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B7/00; G02B7/18; G02B7/181; F; F24; F24S; F24S23/00; F24S23/70; F24S23/71; G02B5/00; G02B5/08; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/21; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/2414; Y10T428/24174; Y10T428/24355; Y10T428/24446
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
A lightweight precision reflector dish structure comprising a laminated reflector dish including a central core having a front concave face and a rear convex face, and facing sheets conforming and bonded to said core faces: said core and facing sheets having differing coefficients of thermal expansion such that said dish tends to creep in a thermal environment, thereby creating wavelike distortions within a concentric annular region of said dish adjacent its rim; a relatively rigid reinforcing ring of smaller diameter than the rim diameter of said dish concentrically surrounding the rear side of said dish within said annular region; adjustable fastening means joining said ring and dish at a number of positions uniformly spaced about said ring; said fastening means being adjustable to remove said distortions and conform the front facing sheet to a selected surface of revolution; and said ring having a coefficient of thermal expansion closely approximating the resultant coefficient of thermal expansion of said dish.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
158 words
A lightweight precision reflector dish structure comprising a laminated reflector dish including a central core having a front concave face and a rear convex face, and facing sheets conforming and bonded to said core faces: said core and facing sheets having differing coefficients of thermal expansion such that said dish tends to creep in a thermal environment, thereby creating wavelike distortions within a concentric annular region of said dish adjacent its rim; a relatively rigid reinforcing ring of smaller diameter than the rim diameter of said dish concentrically surrounding the rear side of said dish within said annular region; adjustable fastening means joining said ring and dish at a number of positions uniformly spaced about said ring; said fastening means being adjustable to remove said distortions and conform the front facing sheet to a selected surface of revolution; and said ring having a coefficient of thermal expansion closely approximating the resultant coefficient of thermal expansion of said dish.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A reflector dish structure according to claim 1 wherein: said fastening means comprise screws passing through said ring and threaded in said dish and adapted to receive shims between said ring and dish.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-09-26 | 1976-03-27 | 1976-09-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-09-26 | 1980-03-27 | 1980-09-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-09-26 | 1984-03-27 | 1984-09-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |