Unlocking mechanism and separation mechanism of aerospace equipment having the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an unlocking mechanism and an aerospace equipment having the same. The unlocking mechanism includes: a pressing block, the pressing block is used to be fixedly connected to the structure to be locked, and a locking portion is provided on the pressing block; an unlocking assembly, the unlocking assembly includes an unlocking rod and a pushing rod, the first end of the unlocking rod has a locking position connected to the locking portion and an unlocking position separated from the locking portion, and the first end of the pushing rod is connected to the second end of the unlocking rod; a motor driving assembly, the motor driving assembly is drivingly connected to the second end of the pushing rod to drive the unlocking rod to switch between the locking position and the unlocking position. The unlocking mechanism in the present invention can realize redundant design, is safe and reliable, can realize precise resetting, can be reused, has a wide range of uses, and is highly practical.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aviation unlocking devices, and in particular to an unlocking mechanism and a separation mechanism of aerospace equipment having the unlocking mechanism. Background Art

[0002] Regarding the separation of small satellites, the traditional pyrotechnic unlocking mechanism cannot meet the separation requirements of small satellites in terms of structural weight, volume, separation impact, etc. In recent years, in response to the launch needs of cubic satellites, various research institutions have successfully developed a variety of separation mechanisms suitable for cubic satellite loading and release, such as: memory alloy separation mechanism, electromagnetic drive separation mechanism, etc.

[0003] However, the structure of the above-mentioned separation mechanism usually does not have redundant unlocking, and has high impact, high quality, and a relatively narrow scope of application. Summary of the invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide an unlocking mechanism and a separation mechanism of an aerospace device having the same, so as to solve the problem that the unlocking mechanism in the prior art has a narrow application range.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, according to one aspect of the present invention, an unlocking mechanism is provided, including: a pressing block, which is used to be fixedly connected to the structure to be locked, and a locking portion is arranged on the pressing block; an unlocking assembly, which includes an unlocking rod and a pushing rod, and the first end of the unlocking rod has a locking position connected to the locking portion and an unlocking position separated from the locking portion, and the first end of the pushing rod is connected to the second end of the unlocking rod; and a motor driving assembly, which is drivingly connected to the second end of the pushing rod to drive the unlocking rod to switch between the locking position and the unlocking position.

[0006] Furthermore, the motor drive assembly includes: a motor bracket; a screw stepper motor, the screw stepper motor is mounted on the motor bracket; a lead screw nut, the lead screw nut is sleeved on the screw of the screw stepper motor, and the second end of the push rod is fixed to the lead screw nut.

[0007] Furthermore, the motor drive assembly also includes a stepper motor and a coupling, the stepper motor is mounted on the motor bracket, and the output shaft of the stepper motor is connected to the screw of the screw stepper motor through the coupling.

[0008] Furthermore, the middle portion of the unlocking rod is fixed to a predetermined structure via a rotating shaft.

[0009] Furthermore, the locking portion is a slot, and the first end of the unlocking rod is provided with a locking hook matched with the slot.

[0010] Furthermore, the push rod includes a horizontal section and a vertical section, the first end of the vertical section is connected to the first end of the horizontal section, the second end of the horizontal section is provided with a protrusion, the second end of the unlocking rod is provided with a slot, and the protrusion is hinged in the slot.

[0011] Furthermore, long holes extending along the length direction of the push rod are provided on both sides of the slot, and the protrusion is hinged in the slot via a pin passing through the long holes.

[0012] Furthermore, the second end of the vertical section is provided with at least two locking holes, and the vertical section is fixed to the lead screw nut by means of a locking piece inserted through the locking holes.

[0013] Furthermore, the locking member is a screw, a pin or a bolt.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a separation mechanism of an aerospace device is provided, comprising an unlocking mechanism, wherein the unlocking mechanism is the unlocking mechanism described above.

[0015] By applying the technical solution of the present invention, in actual use, the clamping block is fixedly connected to the structure to be locked, and the driving action of the motor drive assembly can drive the push rod to drive the unlocking rod to switch between the locked position and the unlocked position, thereby connecting or separating the unlocking rod from the clamping block. It can be seen that the unlocking mechanism in the present invention is realized by the motor drive assembly driving the unlocking rod to move. Compared with the memory alloy separation mechanism and the electromagnetic drive separation mechanism, the unlocking mechanism in the present invention can realize redundant design, is safe and reliable, can realize accurate reset, can be reused, has a wide range of uses, and is highly practical.

[0016] In addition to the above-described purposes, features and advantages, the present invention has other purposes, features and advantages. The present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings constituting a part of the present invention are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 An exploded view of the unlocking mechanism of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0019] Figure 2 Schematically shows a front view of the unlocking mechanism of the present invention when it is in a locked position; and

[0020] Figure 3 The figure schematically shows a front view of the unlocking mechanism of the present invention when it is in the unlocking position.

[0021] The above drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0022] 10. Clamping block; 11. Locking part; 20. Unlocking assembly; 21. Unlocking rod; 212. Long hole; 22. Push rod; 221. Horizontal section; 222. Vertical section; 2221. Locking hole; 223. Bump; 30. Motor drive assembly; 31. Motor bracket; 32. Screw stepper motor; 33. Screw nut; 34. Stepper motor; 35. Coupling; 40. Rotating shaft. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0024] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the scheme of the present invention, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so as to describe the embodiments of the present invention described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0026] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0027] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an unlocking mechanism is provided. The unlocking mechanism in this embodiment includes a pressing block 10 , an unlocking assembly 20 and a motor driving assembly 30 .

[0028] Among them, the clamping block 10 is used to be fixedly connected to the structure to be locked, and the structure to be locked here can be a structure such as a hatch, and a locking portion 11 is provided on the clamping block 10; the unlocking assembly 20 includes an unlocking rod 21 and a pushing rod 22, and the first end of the unlocking rod 21 has a locking position connected to the locking portion 11 and an unlocking position separated from the locking portion 11, and the first end of the pushing rod 22 is connected to the second end of the unlocking rod 21; the motor drive assembly 30 is drivingly connected to the second end of the pushing rod 22 to drive the unlocking rod 21 to switch between the locking position and the unlocking position.

[0029] In actual use, the pressing block 10 is fixedly connected to the structure to be locked, and the driving action of the motor drive assembly 30 can drive the push rod 22 to drive the unlocking rod 21 to switch between the locked position and the unlocked position, thereby connecting or disconnecting the unlocking rod 21 from the pressing block 10. It can be seen that the unlocking mechanism in this embodiment is realized by the motor drive assembly 30 driving the unlocking rod 21 to move. Compared with the memory alloy separation mechanism and the electromagnetic drive separation mechanism, the unlocking mechanism in this embodiment can realize redundant design, is safe and reliable, can realize accurate reset, can be reused, has a wide range of uses, and is highly practical.

[0030] Specifically, the motor drive assembly 30 in this embodiment includes a motor bracket 31 , a screw stepper motor 32 and a lead screw nut 33 .

[0031] The screw stepping motor 32 is mounted on the motor bracket 31 ; the lead screw nut 33 is sleeved on the screw of the screw stepping motor 32 , and the second end of the push rod 22 is fixed on the lead screw nut 33 .

[0032] When the screw stepper motor 32 is working, it can drive the lead screw nut 33 and the push rod 22 connected to the lead screw nut 33 to move, and then drive the push rod 22 to switch between the unlocking position and the locking position.

[0033] Preferably, the motor drive assembly 30 in this embodiment also includes a stepper motor 34 and a coupling 35 . During actual installation, the stepper motor 34 is installed on the motor bracket 31 , and the output shaft of the stepper motor 34 is connected to the screw of the screw stepper motor 32 through the coupling 35 .

[0034] In actual operation, the screw stepper motor 32 and the stepper motor 34 are driven separately, which can realize redundant design, safety and reliability, simple structure, easy manufacturing and low cost.

[0035] In order to facilitate the unlocking of the unlocking rod 21, the middle part of the unlocking rod 21 in this embodiment is fixed to a predetermined structure through a rotating shaft 40. The predetermined structure here can be an external device of the unlocking mechanism. When the motor drive assembly 30 drives the push rod 22 to drive the unlocking rod 21 to move, the unlocking rod 21 rotates along the rotating shaft 40, and the first end of the unlocking rod 21 swings to connect or separate from the locking part 11 of the clamping block 10 to switch between the unlocking position and the locking position. The structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0036] Preferably, the locking portion 11 in this embodiment is a card slot, and a lock hook is provided at the first end of the unlocking rod 21, and the unlocking and locking of the pressing block 10 are facilitated by the cooperation and connection between the lock buckle and the card slot. Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, the locking portion 11 can also be set as a hook, and a buckle is correspondingly provided at the first end of the unlocking rod 21. As long as it is other deformation methods under the conception of the present invention, they are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0037] See again Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the push rod 22 in this embodiment includes a horizontal section 221 and a vertical section 222, wherein the first end of the vertical section 222 is connected to the first end of the horizontal section 221, the second end of the horizontal section 221 is provided with a protrusion 223, and the second end of the unlocking rod 21 is provided with a slot, in which the protrusion 223 is hinged. When the motor drive assembly 30 drives the push rod 22 to move, it can push the second end of the unlocking rod 21 to swing along the rotating shaft 40, thereby driving the first end of the unlocking rod 21 to connect or separate with the pressing block 10, thereby achieving unlocking or locking.

[0038] In order to prevent interference between the push rod 22 and the unlocking rod 21, long holes 212 extending along the length direction of the push rod 22 are provided on both sides of the slot in this embodiment, and the protrusion 223 is hinged in the slot through a pin (not shown in the figure) passing through the long hole 212, so as to facilitate relative movement between the push rod 22 and the unlocking rod 21, and the structure is stable and reliable.

[0039] The second end of the vertical section 222 is provided with at least two locking holes 2221 , and the vertical section 222 is fixed to the lead screw nut 33 by means of locking members passing through the locking holes 2221 , so as to improve the stability of the entire structure.

[0040] Preferably, the locking member in this embodiment is a screw, a pin or a bolt. As long as it is other deformation modes under the conception of the present invention, it is within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0041] See again Figures 1 to 3As shown, the lead screw nut 33 in this embodiment is installed on the screw of the screw stepper motor 32, and the stepper motor 34 and the screw stepper motor 32 are respectively installed and fixed on both ends of the motor bracket 31. At the same time, the stepper motor 34 and the screw stepper motor 32 are connected by a coupling 35, and the push rod 22 is connected and fixed to the lead screw nut 33, and the side protrusion 223 at the other end is installed in the slot of the unlocking rod 21; the upper end of the unlocking rod 21 is installed in the slot of the clamping block 10, and the rotating shaft 40 is installed in the shaft hole of the unlocking rod 21.

[0042] The rotating shaft 40 should be fixed on the external product and its position should be fixed as needed; there should be a certain gap between the push rod 22 and the unlocking rod 21 to facilitate the movement of the parts; the push rod 22 and the lead screw nut 33 should be fixed to each other by screws, and the lead screw nut 33 is installed on the screw of the screw stepping motor 32, and the lead screw nut 33 and the screw are connected by ordinary threads. The clamping block 10 has a reserved installation hole for the parts that need to be locked and opened by the external unlocked product, such as the hatch of the cubic satellite separation device, which has a simple structure and is easy to implement.

[0043] The present invention uses two stepper motors as the driving source of the release mechanism, and the clamping block 10 is externally connected to the unlocked structure. The unlocking rod 21 locks and unlocks the clamping block 10 to achieve the function of locking and unlocking the mechanism for the external unlocked product. Figure 2 As shown, the locking hook on the unlocking rod 21 contacts and presses the card slot of the clamping block 10. At this time, the clamping block 10 is in a locked position, and the external product of the clamping block 10 is in a locked position (for example, when the hatch of the external cubic satellite separation device is connected, the hatch will be clamped).

[0044] The stepper motor 34 and the screw stepper motor 32 are driven and controlled separately. When receiving the separation signal, the stepper motor 34 and the screw stepper motor 32 start working at the same time. The stepper motor 34 and the screw stepper motor 32 drive the screw to rotate, and the push rod 22 moves left along the axial direction of the screw with the lead screw nut 33 (the degree of freedom of the lead screw nut 33 determines that it can only move left and right on the screw and cannot rotate). At the same time, the push rod 22 will push the lower end of the unlocking rod 21, and the unlocking rod 21 will rotate around the rotating shaft 40. The upper end of the unlocking rod 21 will swing to the right, and finally the unlocking rod 21 will separate from the contact surface of the clamping block 10, and the external product of the clamping block 10 will complete the unlocking (for example, when the hatch of the external cubic satellite separation device is connected, the hatch will open). Subsequently, the stepper motor 34 and the screw stepper motor 32 are controlled by the motor drive to stop working, and the unlocking position of the unlocking mechanism is as shown in FIG. Figure 2 shown.

[0045] The stepper motor 34 and the screw stepper motor 32 are controlled by motor drive, and the unlocking position of the unlocking mechanism can be reset to the locking position by changing the rotation direction of the stepper motor 34 and the screw stepper motor 32. During the movement of the unlocking mechanism, only one of the stepper motor 34 and the screw stepper motor 32 needs to work normally to complete the unlocking action, which can realize the function of the mechanism redundancy design.

[0046] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a separation mechanism for an aerospace device, comprising an unlocking mechanism, wherein the unlocking mechanism is the unlocking mechanism described above.

[0047] From the above description, it can be seen that the above embodiments of the present invention achieve the following technical effects:

[0048] The unlocking mechanism of the present invention is driven by two motors respectively, which can realize redundant design and is safe and reliable. The unlocking mechanism can realize self-locking and unlocking functions, can realize accurate resetting, and can be reused. The present invention utilizes the principle of lever, and the screw stepping motor only needs to generate a very small axial thrust to complete the unlocking. At the same time, the mechanism can withstand a certain overload force, and has the characteristics of low impact, large load, and weak unlocking. In addition, the motor redundant unlocking mechanism module design has a wide range of applications, strong practicality, simple structure, easy manufacturing, and low cost.

[0049] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of the parts and steps described in these embodiments, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​do not limit the scope of the present invention. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The technology, method and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant field may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, method and equipment should be regarded as a part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, so once a certain item is defined in an accompanying drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0050] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used here to describe the spatial positional relationship between a device or feature and other devices or features as shown in the figure. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figure. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0051] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "lateral, vertical, perpendicular, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. The directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contours of each component itself.

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An unlocking mechanism, characterized in that: include: A pressing block (10), the pressing block (10) being used for being fixedly connected to a structure to be locked, the pressing block (10) being provided with a locking portion (11); An unlocking assembly (20), the unlocking assembly (20) comprising an unlocking rod (21) and a pushing rod (22), the first end of the unlocking rod (21) having a locking position connected to the locking portion (11) and an unlocking position separated from the locking portion (11), the first end of the pushing rod (22) being connected to the second end of the unlocking rod (21); a motor drive assembly (30), the motor drive assembly (30) being drivingly connected to the second end of the push rod (22) so as to drive the unlocking rod (21) to switch between the locking position and the unlocking position; The motor drive assembly (30) comprises: Motor bracket (31); A screw stepper motor (32), wherein the screw stepper motor (32) is mounted on a motor bracket (31); A lead screw nut (33), wherein the lead screw nut (33) is sleeved on a screw of the screw stepping motor (32), and the second end of the push rod (22) is fixed on the lead screw nut (33); The motor drive assembly (30) further comprises a stepper motor (34) and a coupling (35), wherein the stepper motor (34) is mounted on the motor bracket (31), and the output shaft of the stepper motor (34) is connected to the screw of the screw stepper motor (32) via the coupling (35); The stepper motor (34) and the screw stepper motor (32) are driven and controlled separately. When receiving the separation signal, the stepper motor (34) and the screw stepper motor (32) start working at the same time. The stepper motor (34) and the screw stepper motor (32) drive the screw to rotate. The push rod (22) moves left along the axial direction of the screw with the lead screw nut (33). The lead screw nut (33) can only move left and right on the screw due to its degree of freedom and cannot rotate. At the same time, the push rod (22) pushes the lower end of the unlocking rod (21), and the unlocking rod (21) rotates around the rotating shaft (40). The upper end of the unlocking rod (21) swings to the right. Finally, the unlocking rod (21) separates from the contact surface of the clamping block (10), and the external product of the clamping block (10) is unlocked. Subsequently, the stepper motor (34) and the screw stepper motor (32) are controlled by the motor drive to stop working. The stepper motor (34) and the screw stepper motor (32) are controlled by a motor drive. By changing the rotation direction of the stepper motor (34) and the screw stepper motor (32), the unlocking position of the unlocking mechanism is reset to the locking position. During the movement of the unlocking mechanism, only one of the stepper motor (34) and the screw stepper motor (32) needs to work normally to complete the unlocking action.

2. The unlocking mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle portion of the unlocking lever (21) is fixed to a predetermined structure via a rotating shaft (40).

3. The unlocking mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking portion (11) is a slot, and the first end of the unlocking rod (21) is provided with a lock hook matched with the slot.

4. The unlocking mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The push rod (22) comprises a horizontal section (221) and a vertical section (222); the first end of the vertical section (222) is connected to the first end of the horizontal section (221); the second end of the horizontal section (221) is provided with a protrusion (223); the second end of the unlocking rod (21) is provided with a slot, and the protrusion (223) is hinged in the slot.

5. The unlocking mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: Long holes (212) extending along the length direction of the push rod (22) are provided on both sides of the slot, and the protrusion (223) is hinged in the slot via a pin penetrating through the long holes (212).

6. The unlocking mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second end of the vertical section (222) is provided with at least two locking holes (2221), and the vertical section (222) is fixed to the lead screw nut (33) via a locking piece inserted into the locking hole (2221).

7. The unlocking mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The locking member is a screw, a pin or a bolt.

8. A separation mechanism for aerospace equipment, comprising an unlocking mechanism, characterized in that: The unlocking mechanism is the unlocking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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