Global Patent Index - EP 1012361 A4

EP 1012361 A4 20010502 - FAILURE RESISTANT MULTILINE TETHER

Title (en)

FAILURE RESISTANT MULTILINE TETHER

Title (de)

MEHRSEITIGES FESSERESISTANT GEGEN VERSAGEN

Title (fr)

FILIN RESISTANT A LA RUPTURE A LIGNES MULTIPLES

Publication

EP 1012361 A4 20010502 (EN)

Application

EP 97936009 A 19970422

Priority

US 9705840 W 19970422

Abstract (en)

[origin: WO9848089A1] A tether (Figure 6) having the special technical feature of multiple primary load-bearing lines (601, 603) and normally slack secondary lines (605, 603). These primary and secondary lines are connected together with knotless, slipless interconnections so the tether maintains high strength and some of the lines can be cut without failure of the tether when it is operated near the ultimate failure load of the material from which it is constructed. This tether can safely carry (Figure 31) load hundreds of times longer than prior art tethers in harsh environments where a single-line tether experiences a substantial risk of failure. The specific industrial applications of an electrodynamic tether system to deorbit satellites and a low Earth orbit to lunar surface tether transport system are all part of the general innovative concept of the invention.

IPC 1-7

B64G 1/64; D04C 1/12

IPC 8 full level

B63B 21/50 (2006.01); B64G 1/64 (2006.01); B64G 1/40 (2006.01); B64G 1/42 (2006.01); B64G 9/00 (2006.01); B64G 99/00 (2009.01)

CPC (source: EP)

B63B 21/502 (2013.01); B64G 1/648 (2013.01); D04C 1/08 (2013.01); D04C 3/08 (2013.01); D04C 3/30 (2013.01); B64G 1/409 (2013.01); B64G 1/421 (2013.01); B64G 99/00 (2022.08); D10B 2403/0333 (2013.01); D10B 2507/02 (2013.01)

Citation (search report)

  • [Y] EP 0627495 A1 19941207 - OPTICAL COATING LABORATORY INC [US]
  • [XA] US 5419516 A 19950530 - LEIPOLD MANFRED [DE], et al
  • [A] JP S58163766 A 19830928 - NITSUTOU SEIMOU KK
  • [XY] FORWARD R L: "Failsafe multistrand tether structures for space propulsion", AIAA/SAE/ASME/ASEE 28TH JOINT PROPULSION CONFERENCE AND EXHIBIT, AIAA 92-3214, 6 July 1992 (1992-07-06) - 8 July 1992 (1992-07-08), Nashville, TN, USA, pages 1 - 15, XP002156118
  • [Y] FORWARD R L, HOYT R P: "Failsafe Multiline Hoytether Lifetimes", 31ST AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE JOINT PROPULSION CONFERENCE AND EXHIBIT, AIAA 95-2890, 10 July 1995 (1995-07-10) - 12 July 1995 (1995-07-12), San Diego, CA, USA, pages 1 - 10, XP002156119
  • [Y] FORWARD R L: "Tether Transport from LEO to the Lunar Surface", AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE 27TH JOINT PROPULSION CONFERENCE, AIAA PAPER 91-2322, 24 July 1991 (1991-07-24) - 27 July 1991 (1991-07-27), Sacramento, CA, USA, XP002161537
  • [YA] SANMARTIN J R ET AL: "BARE WIRE ANODES FOR ELECTRODYNAMIC TETHERS", JOURNAL OF PROPULSION AND POWER,AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS. NEW YORK,US, vol. 9, no. 3, 1 May 1993 (1993-05-01), pages 353 - 360, XP000368149, ISSN: 0748-4658
  • [YA] ECKERT A: "SYSTEMSTUDIE UEBER TETHERTECHNIK, TEIL 1", ZEITSCHRIFT FUR FLUGWISSENSCHAFTEN UND WELTRAUMFORSCHUNG,DFVLR. KOLN,DE, vol. 16, no. 5, 1 October 1992 (1992-10-01), pages 283 - 293, XP000321743, ISSN: 0342-068X
  • See references of WO 9848089A1

Designated contracting state (EPC)

BE CH DE ES FR GB IT LI NL SE

DOCDB simple family (publication)

WO 9848089 A1 19981029; AU 3877897 A 19981113; EP 1012361 A1 20000628; EP 1012361 A4 20010502

DOCDB simple family (application)

US 9705840 W 19970422; AU 3877897 A 19970422; EP 97936009 A 19970422