Flat folding tube

Abstract

A flat folding tube including a first thin walled structure having a bottom end, a second thin walled structure having a top end, and hinge flexibly securing the bottom end of the first thin walled structure to the top end of the second thin walled structure. The first thin walled structure and the second thin walled structure both have at least two states: a first state wherein both thin walled structures are flat or substantially flat, and a second state wherein the bottom end of the first thin walled structure is curved inwardly and the top end of the second thin walled structure is also curved inwardly to lock the flexible hinge thereby producing a rigid tube in the second state, the rigid tube foldable flat in the first state.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A flat folding tube comprising: 
 a first thin walled structure having a bottom portion;    a second thin walled structure having a top portion; and    a pliable hinge securing the bottom portion of the first thin walled structure to the top portion of the second thin walled structure,    the first thin walled structure and the second thin walled structure both having at least two states: 
 a first state wherein both thin walled structures are flat or substantially flat, and  
 a second state wherein the bottom portion of the first thin walled structure is curved and the top portion of the second thin walled structure is also curved to lock the pliable hinge thereby producing a rigid tube in the second state, the rigid tube folded flat in the first state.  
   
     
     
         2 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  in which both the first and second thin walled structures are biased to curve inwardly.  
     
     
         3 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  in which both the first and second thin walled structures are made of Lexan or a composite material.  
     
     
         4 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  in which, in the second state, both the first and second thin walled structures curve in an overlapping configuration.  
     
     
         5 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  in which the pliable hinge is tape.  
     
     
         6 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  further including a mechanism configured to lock the first and second thin walled structures in the second state.  
     
     
         7 . The flat folding tube of  claim 6  in which the mechanism is a hook and loop fastener.  
     
     
         8 . The flat folding tube of  claim 6  in which the mechanism includes a portion of each thin walled structure.  
     
     
         9 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges which do not overlap in the second state.  
     
     
         10 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges one of which overlaps the other in the second state.  
     
     
         11 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges which form a butt joint in the second state.  
     
     
         12 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges which curve inwardly in a mating relationship in the second state.  
     
     
         13 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  in which the pliable hinge includes a plurality of flexible strands.  
     
     
         14 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  in which the pliable hinge is a piano type hinge.  
     
     
         15 . The flat folding tube of  claim 1  in which a top end of the second thin walled structure is hingedly secured to the bottom portion of the first thin walled structure at a location spaced from a bottom end of the first thin walled structure.  
     
     
         16 . A flat folding tube comprising: 
 a first thin walled structure made of a material biased to curve and having a bottom portion;    a second thin walled structure made of a material biased to curve and having a top portion; and    a pliable hinge flexibly securing the bottom portion of the first thin walled structure to the top portion of the second thin walled structure.    
     
     
         17 . The flat folding tube of  claim 16  in which both the first and second thin walled structures are made of Lexan or a composite material.  
     
     
         18 . The flat folding tube of  claim 16  in which both the first and second thin walled structures are biased to curve inwardly in an overlapping configuration.  
     
     
         19 . The flat folding tube of  claim 16  in which the flexible hinge is tape.  
     
     
         20 . The flat folding tube of  claim 16  further including a mechanism configured to lock the first and second thin walled structures in the second state.  
     
     
         21 . The flat folding tube of  claim 20  in which the mechanism is a hook and loop fastener.  
     
     
         22 . The flat folding tube of  claim 20  in which the mechanism includes a portion of each thin walled structure.  
     
     
         23 . The flat folding tube of  claim 16  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges which do not overlap in the second state.  
     
     
         24 . The flat folding tube of  claim 16  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges one of which overlaps the other in the second state.  
     
     
         25 . The flat folding tube of  claim 16  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges which form a butt joint in the second state.  
     
     
         26 . The flat folding tube of  claim 16  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges which curve inwardly in a mating relationship in the second state.  
     
     
         27 . The flat folding tube of  claim 16  in which the pliable hinge includes a plurality of flexible strands.  
     
     
         28 . The flat folding tube of  claim 16  in which the pliable hinge is a piano type hinge.  
     
     
         29 . The flat folding tube of  claim 16  in which a top end of the second thin walled structure is hingedly secured to the bottom portion of the first thin walled structure at a location spaced from a bottom end of the first thin walled structure.  
     
     
         30 . A flat folding tube comprising: 
 a first thin walled structure;    a second thin walled structure; and    a pliable hinge securing the first thin walled structure to the second thin walled structure,    the first thin walled structure and the second thin walled structure both having at least two states: 
 a first state wherein both thin walled structures are flat or substantially flat, and  
 a second state wherein the first thin walled structure is curved inwardly in an overlapping configuration and the second thin walled structure is also curved inwardly in an overlapping configuration to lock the pliable hinge thereby producing a rigid tube in the second state, the rigid tube foldable flat in the first state.  
   
     
     
         31 . A flat folding tube comprising: 
 a first thin walled structure made of a material biased to curve inwardly in a tube configuration;    a second thin walled structure made of a material biased to curve inwardly in a tube configuration; and    a hinge securing the first thin walled structure to the second thin walled structure, the hinge operable to fold the thin walled structures together when the two structures are rendered flat, the hinge locked when the two structures are curved inwardly in the tube configuration.    
     
     
         32 . A truss structure including a plurality of axial support members each comprising at least one flat folding tube including: 
 a first thin walled structure;    a second thin walled structure; and    a pliable hinge securing the first thin walled structure to the second thin walled structure,    the first thin walled structure and the second thin walled structure both having at least two states: 
 a first state wherein both thin walled structures are flat or substantially flat, and  
 a second state wherein the first and second thin walled structures are curved to lock the flexible hinge thereby producing a rigid tube in the second state, the rigid tube foldable flat in the first state whereupon the hinge allows the thin walled structures to be folded together.  
   
     
     
         33 . The flat folding tube of  claim 32  in which both the first and second thin walled structures are biased to curve inwardly.  
     
     
         34 . The flat folding tube of  claim 32  in which both the first and second thin walled structures are made of Lexan or composite material.  
     
     
         35 . The flat folding tube of  claim 32  in which in the second state both the first and second thin walled structures curve inwardly in an overlapping configuration.  
     
     
         36 . The flat folding tube of  claim 32  further including a mechanism configured to lock the first and second thin walled structures in the second state.  
     
     
         37 . The flat folding tube of  claim 36  in which the mechanism is a hook and loop fastener.  
     
     
         38 . The flat folding tube of  claim 36  in which the mechanism includes a portion of each thin walled structure.  
     
     
         39 . The flat folding tube of  claim 32  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges which do not overlap in the second state.  
     
     
         40 . The flat folding tube of  claim 32  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges one of which overlaps the other in the second state.  
     
     
         41 . The flat folding tube of  claim 32  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges which form a butt joint in the second state.  
     
     
         42 . The flat folding tube of  claim 32  in which at least one of the thin walled structures includes opposing edges which curve inwardly in a mating relationship in the second state.  
     
     
         43 . The flat folding tube of  claim 32  in which the pliable hinge includes a plurality of flexible strands.  
     
     
         44 . The flat folding tube of  claim 32  in which the pliable hinge is a piano type hinge.  
     
     
         45 . The flat folding tube of  claim 32  in which a top end of the second thin walled structure is hingedly secured to the bottom portion of the first thin walled structure at a location spaced from a bottom end of the first thin walled structure.  
     
     
         46 . A flat folding tube comprising: 
 a first thin walled structure made of a material biased to curve inwardly and having a bottom portion;    a second thin walled structure made of a material biased to curve inwardly and having a top portion; and    a hinge flexibly securing the bottom portion of the first thin walled structure to the top portion of the second thin walled structure.    
     
     
         47 . A method of forming and folding a tube, the method comprising: 
 hingedly joining the bottom portion of a first thin walled structure to the top portion of a second thin walled structure with a flexible hinge;    forming a tube by curving both the first and second thin walled structures inwardly; and    folding the tube by flattening both the first and second thin walled structures and bringing the first thin walled structure against the second thin walled structure by flexing the flexible hinge.