FRAME STRUCTURES FOR EQUIPMENT DECOYS

PROPOSES A FRAMED STRUCTURE (TO SUPPORT THREE-DIMENSIONAL DECOY COVERS) THAT IS COLLAPSIBLE, LIGHTWEIGHT, AND RAPIDLY DEPLOYABLE. STOWED DIMENSIONS ARE APPROXIMATELY 45" X 26" X 18". THE DECOY STRUCTURE HAS THE FOLLOWING FEATURES: (1) COLLAPSES TO 2% OF DEPLOYED VOLUME; (2) DEPLOYS ON UNEVEN TERRAIN WITH NO EXPOSED FRAME; (3) INCORPORATES CANVAS INTEGRATED STRUCTURAL CABLES; (4) EFFECTS DEPLOYMENT BY THE USE OF SWIVEL-SNAP CONNECTIONS; (50 REQUIRES MINIMUM TRAINING AND NO SPECIAL TOOLS FOR ASSEMBLY; AND (6) ABSORBS LOAD THROUGH CABLE TENSIONING, MINIMIZING FRAME TUBING AND PLACING PHOTOGRAPHIC COVER IN TAUT, UNDEFORMED IMAGE AT ALL ANGLES. ADVANCED MATERIALS AND COMPONENT SELECTION REPRESENT THE PRIMARY AREAS OF RESEARCH TO BE DONE. MANUAL AND GRAPHICAL VERIFICATION AND NORMAL MODE ANALYSIS ARE PLANNED. LOADING ANALYSES ARE OUTLINED. A SCALED WORKING MODEL THAT APPROXIMATES THE KINEMATIC BOUNDARY CONDITIONS HAS BEEN SUBMITTED. THE PROPOSAL IS MADE BY A SMALL, DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS (AS DEFINED BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE GUIDELINES) WHOSE EMPLOYEES HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.