Satellite-borne mechanical arm

Abstract

The invention discloses a satellite-borne mechanical arm, and relates to the field of mechanical arms, the satellite-borne mechanical arm comprises a front arm, a mechanical claw is mounted on the front arm, and the mechanical claw comprises a hydraulic cylinder and a plurality of main clamping claws; the net claws are mounted on one sides of the main clamping claws, and the net claws can be unfolded and folded around the hydraulic cylinder; the folding and unfolding driver is mounted at the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder, the folding and unfolding driver comprises a plurality of telescopic rods, and the telescopic rods are rotationally connected with the net claws; the telescopic rod drives the net claws to unfold around the hydraulic cylinder through the folding and unfolding driver, gaps among the multiple main clamping claws are protected by the unfolded net claws, and the hydraulic cylinder drives the main clamping claws and the unfolded net claws to grab small garbage; the net claw is driven by the telescopic rod to be folded on the side of the main clamping claw, the hydraulic cylinder drives the main clamping claw to grab large garbage, and the problem that small space garbage escapes from a gripper gap due to a traditional mechanical arm is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of robotic arms, and more particularly to a spaceborne robotic arm. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the booming development of global space activities, the amount of space debris has shown an alarming upward trend. This debris floating in Earth's orbit poses a serious threat to spacecraft in operation. Even worse, collisions between space debris or with spacecraft can create new fragments, forming a vicious cycle with potentially disastrous consequences.

[0003] Space debris is often in a volatile and uncontrollable state, and the lack of a clear docking point makes capture operations extremely difficult. Although robotic arms have performed well in space station construction and satellite maintenance, their gripper designs typically have gaps. This allows small pieces of space debris, especially irregularly shaped fragments, to easily escape through these gaps, leading to capture failures.

[0004] The additional mechanical grippers and replacement mechanisms increase the spacecraft's overall mass, leading to higher launch costs. In space missions, every kilogram of payload represents a significant expense. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to propose a spaceborne robotic arm to solve the problem of small space debris escaping from the gripper gaps caused by traditional robotic arms.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: including a forearm, on which a mechanical claw is mounted, the mechanical claw including a hydraulic cylinder and multiple main grippers; It also includes a mesh claw, with a mesh claw installed on one side of each of the main grippers, and the mesh claw can extend and fold around the hydraulic cylinder; A retraction actuator, which is mounted on the bottom of a hydraulic cylinder, includes multiple telescopic rods that are rotatably connected to the mesh claws; The telescopic rod is driven by the retraction driver to unfold the net claw around the hydraulic cylinder. The gaps between the multiple main grippers are protected by the unfolded net claw. The hydraulic cylinder drives the main grippers and the unfolded net claw to grab small garbage. The net claw folds to the side of the main gripper via the telescopic rod, and the hydraulic cylinder drives the main gripper to grab large garbage.

[0007] As a further description of the above technical solution: a guide rail is fixedly installed on one side of the main gripper, which is coaxially arranged with the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder, and the guide rail has an arc-shaped structure; The mesh claw includes multiple secondary grippers, and the top of each secondary gripper has a guide hole adapted to the guide rail; The adjacent secondary grippers are connected by an interception net.

[0008] As a further description of the above technical solution: the retraction driver also includes a servo motor fixed to the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder, the servo motor is equipped with a brake, and the output shaft of the servo motor is fixedly mounted with a connecting seat; The two ends of the telescopic rod are rotatably connected to the secondary gripper and the connecting seat shaft, respectively.

[0009] As a further description of the above technical solution: the secondary gripper is connected to the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder through a sealing mesh.

[0010] As a further description of the above technical solution: the interception net is woven from elastic ropes.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution: a plurality of first magnets are fixed on the side of the main gripper away from the guide rail, and a second magnet that is magnetically attracted to the first magnets is fixed on the outer wall of the outer secondary gripper. As a further description of the above technical solution: the telescopic rod includes a sleeve and an insert rod, and a rubber rod is fixed on the insert rod. As a further description of the above technical solution: the cross-section of the guide rail is a rectangular structure.

[0012] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This application combines a main gripper with an extendable and foldable net gripper, enabling flexible switching between capture modes. The main gripper is suitable for grasping large space debris, while the interception space created by the unfolded net gripper effectively captures small space debris, preventing it from escaping through gaps. This eliminates the need for additional mechanical grippers, significantly improving mission efficiency and reducing the overall load. A sealing net connects the secondary gripper to the hydraulic cylinder piston rod, intercepting the opening at the top of the mechanical gripper and further preventing small space debris from escaping from above. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanical claw structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the interception network structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the main gripper structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the claw structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing mesh structure of the present invention.

[0014] Legend: 10. Forearm; 20. Mechanical gripper; 21. Main gripper; 22. Guide rail; 23. First magnet; 24. Hydraulic cylinder; 30. Mesh claw; 31. Secondary gripper; 311. Guide hole; 32. Interception net; 33. Second magnet; 34. Sealing net; 40. Retraction driver; 41. Servo motor; 42. Connector; 43. Telescopic rod; 431. Rubber rod; 432. Insert rod. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0016] like Figure 1 - Figure 6 As shown, the present invention provides a spaceborne robotic arm, including a forearm 10, on which a mechanical claw 20 is mounted. The mechanical claw 20 includes a hydraulic cylinder 24 and multiple main grippers 21. The mechanical claw 20 is known in the art. The main grippers 21 are pushed by the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder 24 to rotate around the fulcrum of the support arm, thereby realizing the gripping action. It also includes a net claw 30. Each main gripper 21 is equipped with a net claw 30 on one side. The net claw 30 can extend and fold around the hydraulic cylinder 24. When multiple main grippers 21 are in the clamping reset state, the multiple extended net claws 30 intercept the gaps between the main grippers 21 to prevent small space debris from escaping through the gaps. At the same time, when the net claw 30 is folded, the main gripper 21 is restored, and large space debris can be captured by multiple main grippers 21. The retraction driver 40 is mounted on the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder 24. The retraction driver 40 includes multiple telescopic rods 43, which are rotatably connected to the net claw 30. At the same time, the telescopic rods 43 rotate around the hydraulic cylinder 24. The telescopic rod 43 is driven by the retraction driver 40 to unfold the net claw 30 around the hydraulic cylinder 24. The gaps between the multiple main grippers 21 are protected by the unfolded net claw 30. The hydraulic cylinder 24 drives the main grippers 21 and the unfolded net claw 30 to grab small garbage. The net claw 30 is folded to the side of the main gripper 21 by the telescopic rod 43. The hydraulic cylinder 24 drives the main gripper 21 to grab large debris, so that the gripping state can be quickly switched without the need to carry an additional mechanical claw 20, thus preventing small space debris from escaping from the gaps in the main gripper 21.

[0017] like Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, a guide rail 22 is fixedly installed on one side of the main gripper 21, which is coaxially arranged with the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder 24. The guide rail 22 has an arc-shaped structure. The mesh claw 30 includes multiple secondary claws 31, and the top of the secondary claws 31 is provided with guide holes 311 that are adapted to the guide rail 22; Adjacent secondary grippers 31 are connected via an interception net 32; Furthermore, the secondary gripper 31, which is away from the main gripper 21, is rotatably connected to the telescopic rod 43 via a shaft, and the axis of the shaft is set perpendicular to the piston rod. Thus, when the telescopic rod 43 rotates clockwise around the piston rod, it can simultaneously drive the outermost (that is, the secondary gripper 31 away from the main gripper 21) to move along the guide rail 22, and the remaining secondary grippers 31 follow the movement under the drag of the interception net 32. Thus, the net claws 30 are extended by the rotation of the telescopic rod 43. Conversely, when the telescopic rod 43 rotates counterclockwise, the telescopic rod 43 drives the outermost auxiliary gripper 31 to move along the guide rail 22 toward the main gripper 21, and pushes the auxiliary grippers 31 toward the main gripper 21 one by one to achieve folding. It is worth noting that since the auxiliary grippers 31 only play the role of auxiliary support for the interception net 32, the auxiliary grippers 31 can be made of thin rods or thin plates, thereby reducing the overall weight of the net gripper 30.

[0018] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the retraction driver 40 also includes a servo motor 41 fixed to the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder 24. The servo motor 41 has a brake, and the output shaft of the servo motor 41 is fixedly mounted with a connecting seat 42. The two ends of the telescopic rod 43 are rotatably connected to the secondary gripper 31 and the connecting seat 42 via shafts. The connecting seat 42 is driven to rotate by the servo motor 41, and the connecting seat 42 then drives the multiple telescopic rods 43 to rotate. The secondary gripper 31 is rotatably connected to the connecting seat 42 via the telescopic rod 43. Thus, when the main gripper 21 flips, the rotation and extension of the telescopic rod 43 avoids interfering with the normal gripping action of the main gripper 21.

[0019] like Figure 6 As shown, the secondary gripper 31 is connected to the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder 24 through a sealing net 34. In other words, the sealing net 34 can intercept the opening area above the guide rail 22 to prevent small space debris from escaping through the top opening of the mechanical gripper 20 after being grabbed.

[0020] Preferably, both the interception net 32 ​​and the sealing net 34 are woven from elastic ropes. After the interception net 32 ​​grabs space debris of different shapes, when the debris comes into contact with the elastic rope and the elastic rope is stretched, the elastic rebound of the elastic rope can improve the binding and clamping effect on the space debris.

[0021] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, multiple first magnets 23 are fixed on the side of the main gripper 21 away from the guide rail 22, and a second magnet 33 that magnetically attracts the first magnets 23 is fixed on the outer wall of the outer auxiliary gripper 31. When the mesh gripper 30 is in the extended state, and the outermost auxiliary gripper 31 is close to the adjacent main gripper 21, the magnetic attraction of the first magnets 23 and the second magnets 33 at this time improves the connection reliability between the auxiliary gripper 31 and the adjacent main gripper 21.

[0022] like Figure 5 As shown, the telescopic rod 43 includes a sleeve and an insert rod 432. One end of the sleeve is rotatably connected to the connecting seat 42 via a shaft. The insert rod 432 is slidably inserted into the sleeve, and one end of the insert rod 432 is rotatably connected to the outermost secondary gripper 31 via a shaft. The insert rod 432 is a three-section rod, with the middle section being a rubber rod 431. The rubber rod 431 is close to the secondary gripper 31. When the mesh gripper 30 rotates with the main gripper 21, the local bending deformation of the rubber rod 431 is used to compensate for local displacement during the rotation process.

[0023] like Figure 4 As shown, the guide rail 22 has a rectangular cross-section, and a limit plate is fixed at one end away from the main gripper 21 so that the rectangular guide rail 22 can cooperate with the rectangular guide hole 311. When the main gripper 21 performs a clamping action, the secondary gripper 31 moves accordingly.

[0024] Working principle: Under normal conditions, the multiple secondary grippers 31 on each main gripper 21 are in a close proximity to each other. At this time, the main gripper 21 can capture large space debris. When small pieces of space debris need to be captured, the servo motor 41 is powered on and drives the connecting seat 42 to rotate clockwise. The connecting seat 42 drives multiple telescopic rods 43 to rotate synchronously. The insert rod 432 drags the secondary gripper 31 along the guide rail 22. The remaining secondary gripper 31 follows the movement under the drag of the interception net 32, causing the net gripper 30 to unfold. Then the brake of the servo motor 41 fixes the output shaft. The robotic arm drives the robotic gripper 20 to move, and then the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder 24 pushes the main gripper 21 to rotate at the fulcrum of the support arm, thereby realizing the gripping action. Small pieces of space debris are captured within a cage formed by interception net 32 ​​and sealing net 34 to prevent them from escaping.

[0025] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spaceborne robotic arm, comprising a forearm (10), characterized in that, The forearm (10) is equipped with a mechanical claw (20), which includes a hydraulic cylinder (24) and multiple main grippers (21). It also includes a net claw (30), and a net claw (30) is installed on one side of the main gripper (21). The net claw (30) can extend and fold around the hydraulic cylinder (24); The retraction driver (40) is mounted on the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder (24). The retraction driver (40) includes multiple telescopic rods (43), which are rotatably connected to the net claw (30). The telescopic rod (43) is driven by the retraction driver (40) to unfold the net claw (30) around the hydraulic cylinder (24). The gaps between the multiple main grippers (21) are protected by the unfolded net claw (30). The hydraulic cylinder (24) drives the main grippers (21) and the unfolded net claw (30) to grab small garbage. The net claw (30) is folded to the side of the main gripper (21) by the telescopic rod (43), and the hydraulic cylinder (24) drives the main gripper (21) to grab large garbage.

2. The spaceborne robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, A guide rail (22) coaxially arranged with the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder (24) is fixedly installed on one side of the main gripper (21). The guide rail (22) has an arc-shaped structure. The mesh claw (30) includes multiple secondary claws (31), and the top of the secondary claws (31) is provided with guide holes (311) that are adapted to the guide rail (22). The adjacent secondary grippers (31) are connected by an intercepting net (32).

3. The spaceborne robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retraction driver (40) also includes a servo motor (41) fixed to the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder (24), the servo motor (41) has a brake, and the output shaft of the servo motor (41) is fixedly mounted with a connecting seat (42). The two ends of the telescopic rod (43) are rotatably connected to the auxiliary gripper (31) and the connecting seat (42) respectively.

4. A spaceborne robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, The secondary gripper (31) is connected to the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder (24) through a sealing mesh (34).

5. A spaceborne robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, The interception net (32) is woven from elastic ropes.

6. A spaceborne robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, The main gripper (21) has a plurality of first magnets (23) fixed on the side away from the guide rail (22), and the outer wall of the outer secondary gripper (31) has a second magnet (33) that is magnetically attracted to the first magnets (23).

7. A spaceborne robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The telescopic rod (43) includes a sleeve and a plug rod (432), and a rubber rod (431) is fixed on the plug rod (432).

8. A spaceborne robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, The guide rail (22) has a rectangular cross-section.

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