BENDABLE ELEMENT THAT CAN BE BENT BY INFLATING AN ENVELOPE, BENDABLE BATTEN AND STRUCTURE COMPRISING SUCH AN ELEMENT AND ASSOCIATED BENDING METHODS

摘要

A bendable element is formed at least from an inflatable envelope, a first bendable, elongate base plate attached to a first face of the inflatable envelope, a second bendable, elongate base plate, attached to a second face of the inflatable envelope and shorter than the first base plate, and links connecting the first base plate to the second base plate. The links are slack when the inflatable envelope is in a deflated state. The action of inflating the inflatable envelope causes the first and second base plates to bend in a direction of curvature extending from the first base plate to the second base plate, by means of the tensioning of the links such that the links extend along radii of curvature common to the first and second base plates while keeping the second base plate centered longitudinally relative to the first base plate.