Claims
- 1. A method of inflating an inflatable structure having a plurality of inflatable cells, the method comprising,
disposing gas generators inside the inflatable cells, routing power and control lines through the inflatable cells for connecting the gas generators to an external controller, stacking the inflatable structure into a stowed position, releasing gas in one of the inflatable cells by a respective one of the gas generators, the releasing of gas is controlled by the gas generator for releasing controlled amounts of gas, and repeating the releasing step in turn under control of the external controller for each of the gas generators in each of the inflatable cells for sequentially inflating the inflatable cell in a control sequence for inflating the inflatable structure to a deployed position.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the releasing steps comprises the steps of,
incremental releasing an incremental amount of gas, sensing pressure in the respective inflatable cell, and repeating the incremental releasing step when the pressure sensed is below the desired pressure.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the releasing steps comprises the steps of,
incremental releasing an incremental amount of gas, sensing pressure and temperature, and repeating the incremental releasing step when the pressure sensed is below the desired pressure.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the releasing steps comprises the steps of,
incremental releasing an incremental amount of gas, sensing pressure of the respective inflatable cell, repeating the incremental releasing step when the pressure sensed is below the desired pressure, and communicating data signals from the gas generators to the external controller for initiating a next one of the releasing steps.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the releasing steps comprises the steps of,
incremental releasing an incremental amount of gas, sensing pressure in the respective inflatable cell, repeating the incremental releasing step when the pressure sensed is below the desired pressure, communicating data signals from the gas generators to the external controller for initiating a next one of the releasing steps, and repeating the incremental releasing step and pressure sensing step after the inflatable structure is in the deployed position for sensing gas leakage and maintaining the inflatable structure in the deployed position.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is one of three related applications including a base application entitled: Inflatable Gas Cell Structure Deploying Method, Ser. No. ______, and two specific applications entitled: Inflatable MEMS Evaporation Gas Cell Structure System Ser. No. ______, and Inflatable MEMS Ablation Gas Cell Structure System, all filed on ______ having a common named inventor and all assigned to a common assignee.