Annular expandable mechanism

Abstract

The invention provides an annular expandable mechanism which is composed of long ring sections and short ring sections. Hinges are installed on the edges of the upper side and the lower side of the two ends of each long ring section. Hinges are installed on the edges of the upper side and the lower side of the two ends of each short ring section. In the assembling process, each long ring section is in hinge connection with the corresponding short ring sections only on the portions of the hinges on the edges of the two ends of the upper side or the lower side, and each short ring section is inhinge connection with the corresponding long ring sections only on the portions of the two hinges at opposite angles; when expanded, the mechanism is of a single-layer round ring structure formed by the long ring sections and the short ring sections distributed at intervals; when folded, the mechanism is turned over through the hinges to be of a three-layer cylindrical structure, the upper layer and the lower layer are composed of the long ring sections, the middle layer is composed of the short ring sections, the long ring sections on the upper layer are in hinge connection with the two adjacent short ring sections on the middle layer through the hinges on the edges at the two ends on the lower side, and the long ring sections on the lower layer are in hinge connection with the two adjacent short ring sections on the middle layer through the hinges on the edges at the two ends on the upper side. The annular expandable mechanism can be applied to the working condition that an annular structure needs to be folded in a relatively small size and the annular structure cannot be folded in the folding process.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the field of space systems, in particular to a ring-shaped expandable mechanism, which is a product unfolding mechanism in which both the working and folded states are ring-shaped, and the structure itself can only be segmented and cannot be folded. Background technique [0002] In some specific occasions or special structural designs, such as space systems, it is required that the ring structure can be folded to a smaller size and have the function of self-expansion. [0003] Currently, most of the ring structure expansion schemes adopt the design form of truss structure, and use tetrahedron or hexahedron expansion units to realize the ring structure expansion. However, under special working conditions, it is necessary to fold the ring structure into a smaller ring structure. In addition, due to the limitations of the use environment, the ring structure itself cannot be folded during the folding process, and can only be divide...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, under special working conditions, it is necessary to fold the ring structure into a smaller ring structure. In addition, due to the limitations of the use environment, the ring structure itself cannot be folded during the folding process, and can only be divided into limited segments. Faced with such a special The needs of the existing ring-shaped structure cannot be met, and it is necessary to carry out the design of the expansion scheme suitable for this type of working condition according to this special working condition and demand.

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