A folding and unfolding mechanism, solar wing and micro-nano satellite

By designing a folding mechanism with adjustable damping components, the problem of the inability to deploy the solar wings of micro-nano satellites is solved, and the synchronous deployment of the substrates of the solar wings is achieved, reducing the impact of vibration on the satellite attitude.

CN111038742BActive Publication Date: 2025-03-04CHENGDU HAOYU STARRY SPACE TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN201911424436.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2019-12-31
Publication Date
2025-03-04
Estimated Expiration
2039-12-31

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The solar wing spreading mechanism of existing micro-nano satellites cannot be expanded in an orderly manner, resulting in abnormal vibration of the solar wing and affecting the satellite's attitude and functional performance.

Method used

A folding mechanism is designed, including a first body, a second body, a rotating shaft, an elastic support member and a damping assembly. By adjusting the size of the damping assembly, the magnitude of the expansion force is adjusted to ensure that the solar wing substrates are deployed in an orderly manner.

Benefits of technology

The orderly unfolding of each substrate of the solar wing is achieved, abnormal vibration is reduced, adverse effects on the satellite's attitude are reduced, and the function and performance stability of the satellite is improved.

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Abstract

The present application relates to the field of aerospace equipment technology, and specifically, to a folding and unfolding mechanism, a solar wing, and a micro-nano satellite. The folding and unfolding mechanism is used to connect the substrates of the solar wing and the satellite body of the micro-nano satellite. The folding and unfolding mechanism includes a first body, a second body; a rotating shaft, and the first body and the second body are pivotally connected by the rotating shaft; an elastic support member, which is used to drive the first body and the second body to rotate from a folded state to an unfolded state; a damping assembly, which is used to generate damping when the first body and the second body rotate, and the magnitude of the damping is adjustable. The folding and unfolding mechanism provided in the present application can adjust the magnitude of its unfolding force so that the required unfolding force is applied to different parts of the solar wing, so that the substrates of the solar wing are synchronously unfolded at the same angular velocity, thereby solving the problem that the existing folding and unfolding mechanism cannot unfold the solar wing in an orderly manner and reducing the adverse effects of the unfolding action of the solar wing on the satellite attitude.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aerospace equipment technology, and in particular to a folding and unfolding mechanism, a solar wing and a micro-nano satellite. Background Art

[0002] The existing solar wing folding and unfolding mechanisms for large satellites mostly use hinges to connect the substrates, and use motors to drive the rope linkage system to gradually unfold the solar wing substrates to the specified position in an orderly manner. However, due to the limitations of their own size and on-board energy, micro-nano satellites are not suitable for folding and unfolding by using motor-driven rope linkage systems. Therefore, for the folding solar wings of micro-nano satellites, rigid hinges are generally used to connect the substrates, and the compression energy of their own springs or memory materials is used to provide the unfolding force to complete the unfolding action and lock it. This makes the solar wings of micro-nano satellites mainly unfold in a disordered manner, and it is impossible to predict the order in which multiple substrates are unfolded one after another. Unordered unfolding of multiple substrates will cause multiple abnormal vibrations of the solar wing, which will adversely affect the satellite attitude and may cause damage to the satellite's functions and performance. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present application aims to provide a folding and unfolding mechanism and a micro-nano satellite solar wing to solve the problem in the prior art that the folding and unfolding mechanism cannot make the solar wing unfold in an orderly manner.

[0004] The embodiment of the present application is implemented as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a folding and unfolding mechanism, comprising:

[0006] First ontology, second ontology;

[0007] a rotating shaft, through which the first body and the second body are pivotally connected;

[0008] An elastic support member, used for driving the first body and the second body to rotate from a folded state to an unfolded state;

[0009] The damping assembly is used to generate damping when the first body and the second body rotate, and the magnitude of the damping is adjustable.

[0010] Due to the material properties of torsion springs and memory materials, as well as the specifications of torsion springs or memory materials that can be purchased on the market, through conventional settings, torsion springs or memory materials of different sizes are selected to configure the folding and unfolding mechanism, and the final expansion force that can be obtained is often a fixed value. That is to say, when a torsion spring of a certain specification is selected, the expansion force obtained by the folding and unfolding mechanism has been determined as the support force that the torsion spring can provide. Since the specifications of torsion springs on the market are often fixed, when the required expansion force is inconsistent with the support force that these fixed specifications of torsion springs can provide, it is difficult to obtain the required expansion force. The folding and unfolding mechanism provided by the present application, its first body and the second body can be relatively expanded or relatively close around the rotation axis, the elastic support member of the folding and unfolding mechanism is used to provide a support force that enables the first body and the second body to be relatively expanded, and the damping component generates damping when the first body and the second body are relatively expanded, and the damping is used to resist the support force provided by the elastic support member, and the support force offset by the damping is the expansion force finally output by the folding and unfolding mechanism. The damping component is configured so that the size of the damping is adjustable, so the size of the expansion force can be adjusted.

[0011] The folding and unfolding mechanism provided in the present application can adjust the magnitude of its unfolding force so as to apply the required unfolding force to different parts of the solar wing, thereby solving the problem that the existing folding and unfolding mechanism cannot unfold the solar wing in an orderly manner.

[0012] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, a first friction surface is provided on the first body, and a second friction surface is provided on the second body, and the damping assembly includes a damping part, a first adjusting part and a second adjusting part, and the damping part cooperates with the first friction surface and the second friction surface respectively to generate damping, and the first adjusting part is used to adjust the pressure between the damping part and the first friction surface, and the second adjusting part is used to adjust the pressure between the damping part and the second friction surface.

[0013] The present application provides a damping part that frictionally cooperates with the first body and the second body respectively. Once the first body or the second body rotates, it can rub against the damping part to generate friction damping, thereby adjusting the deployment force. The adjustment is sensitive and effective. The pressure between the damping part and the first friction surface or the second friction surface is adjusted to adjust the size of the corresponding friction damping. The adjustment is convenient and the damping size is easy to control.

[0014] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the damping part includes a damping washer sleeved on the rotating shaft, an outer peripheral surface of the damping washer cooperates with the first friction surface, and an end surface of the damping washer cooperates with the second friction surface.

[0015] By setting the damping part as a damping washer, and making the outer circumferential surface of the damping washer cooperate with the first friction surface, and one end surface of the damping washer cooperate with the second friction surface, no matter how the first body and the second body rotate around the rotating axis, the position of the damping washer remains unchanged, and the positions of its outer circumferential surface and end surface are stable, so as to stably cooperate with the first friction surface and the second friction surface to generate damping.

[0016] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the first body includes a first base and a clamp, the first base is pivotally connected to the second body via the rotating shaft, and the clamp is connected to the first base; the clamp is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the damping washer, the first friction surface is the inner wall of the clamp, and the two ends of the opening of the clamp are connected by the first adjusting member.

[0017] By setting the first body as the first base and the clamp, the clamp is set on the outer peripheral surface of the damping washer, the clamp, the damping washer and the rotating shaft are all coaxial, no matter how the first body rotates around the rotating shaft, the outer peripheral surface of the clamp and the damping washer always keep in contact, ensuring that the first body and the damping washer produce stable damping; the opening size of the clamp is adjusted by the first adjusting member to change the pressure between the clamp and the damping washer, thereby realizing the adjustment of the damping size.

[0018] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the first adjusting member is an adjusting screw, and the clamp is connected to the first base via the adjusting screw.

[0019] By setting the first adjusting member as an adjusting screw and connecting the clamp to the main body through the adjusting screw, it is easy to know that, at the opening, one side of the clamp abuts against the first base, and the other side of the clamp abuts against the nut of the adjusting screw. The opening size of the clamp can be adjusted by turning the adjusting screw. This stepless adjustment method makes the adjustment accuracy of the expansion force high, the required expansion force is easy to obtain, and the adjustment structure is simple and reliable.

[0020] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, a thread is formed at one end of the rotating shaft, the second adjusting member is an adjusting nut that cooperates with the thread of the rotating shaft, and the adjusting nut and the second friction surface are respectively located at two ends of the damping washer.

[0021] By setting the second adjusting member as an adjusting nut, the pressure between the damping washer and the second friction surface can be adjusted by rotating the adjusting nut, and the damping size between the damping washer and the second friction surface can be adjusted steplessly. The adjusting structure is simple and reliable, and the adjusting accuracy is high.

[0022] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, a sleeve is formed on the second body, the rotating shaft is passed through the sleeve, the elastic support member is a torsion spring sleeved on the sleeve, and the second friction surface is an end surface of the sleeve.

[0023] By forming a sleeve on the second body and arranging the torsion spring and the second friction surface on the sleeve, the overall structure is compact and small in size, and can be applied to smaller satellites; when the first body and the second body rotate, the torsion spring and the rotating shaft are not easy to interfere with each other, and the supporting force is not affected.

[0024] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the folding and unfolding mechanism further includes a positioning component, and the positioning component is used to lock the first body and the second body in the unfolded state.

[0025] In the prior art, the final deployment position of the folding and unfolding mechanism sometimes depends on a torsion spring or a memory material. When the torsion spring is deployed to the final position, or when the memory material is deployed to the final position, the folding and unfolding mechanism reaches the final deployment position. This method makes the base plates of the solar wing unstable after deployment. By arranging a positioning component in the folding and unfolding mechanism, the final deployment position of the folding and unfolding mechanism is locked by the positioning component, thereby improving stability.

[0026] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the positioning assembly includes a locking pin and a compression spring, a receiving hole for accommodating the locking pin and the compression spring is formed on the second body, a pin hole is formed on the first body, and when the first body and the second body are in the expanded state, the locking pin is aligned with the pin hole, and the compression spring drives one end of the locking pin to be inserted into the pin hole.

[0027] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the positioning assembly further includes a reset rod detachably connected to the locking pin, and an observation port is provided on the second body, and the observation port is used to allow the reset rod to move through so as to pull the locking pin out of the pin hole.

[0028] The observation port and the reset rod are provided to facilitate resetting the folding and unfolding mechanism to the folded state.

[0029] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the first body is formed with a first limiting surface, and the second body is formed with a second limiting surface. When the first body and the second body are in the unfolded state, the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface conflict with each other to limit the unfolding angle of the first body and the second body.

[0030] The first limiting surface and the second limiting surface are provided to cooperate with each other to limit the maximum unfolding angle of the folding and unfolding mechanism, thereby preventing the folding and unfolding mechanism from being over-unfolded.

[0031] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the folding and unfolding mechanism further includes an in-position switch, and the in-position switch is installed on the first body, and when the first body and the second body are relatively rotated to the unfolded state, the second body triggers the in-position switch.

[0032] By setting the in-position switch, the ground can be informed that the deployment is in place.

[0033] Optionally, in one embodiment of the present application, the folding and unfolding mechanism is used to connect a first base and a second base, the first body is provided with a first mounting hole for connecting the first base, the second body is provided with a second mounting hole for connecting the second base, and the positions of the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole are relatively staggered.

[0034] The first substrate and the second substrate can be the base plate of the solar wing or the satellite body. When the folding mechanism is applied to other equipment, it can also be other structures. By staggering the mounting holes on the first body and the second body, when the folding mechanism is folded, the anchors or connectors arranged in the mounting holes do not interfere with each other, and the distance between the first body and the second body can be folded to a smaller size.

[0035] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a solar wing, which includes at least two substrates and the aforementioned folding and unfolding mechanism, and two adjacent substrates are connected by the folding and unfolding mechanism.

[0036] By using the aforementioned folding and unfolding mechanism to connect the substrates of the solar wing, it is convenient to apply the required unfolding force to different parts of the solar wing, thereby solving the problem that the existing folding and unfolding mechanism cannot make the solar wing unfold in an orderly manner. Each substrate of the solar wing and different parts of each substrate can obtain corresponding unfolding force, making the angular velocity of the substrate rotation consistent, thereby ensuring that each substrate unfolds in an orderly manner.

[0037] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a micro-nano satellite, which includes a satellite body and the aforementioned solar wing, wherein one of the substrates of the solar wing is connected to the satellite body via the folding and unfolding mechanism.

[0038] Under normal circumstances, the solar wings unfold in a disorderly manner, and each substrate will generate a vibration when it is unfolded into place. This vibration will inevitably be transmitted to the satellite body connected to it, and the pressure on the attitude and orbit control subsystem will increase significantly, which will also have an adverse effect on the solar cells on the substrate.

[0039] By using the aforementioned solar wing and using the aforementioned folding and unfolding mechanism to connect the solar wing and the satellite body, the unfolding force of each folding and unfolding mechanism is adjusted, and the unfolding force of each folding and unfolding mechanism is matched with the unfolding force required for its location, so that each substrate is unfolded synchronously, and the time for each substrate to be unfolded into place is consistent, the satellite body is only subjected to one vibration, and the influence of the unfolding action of the solar wing on the satellite body posture is reduced to as small as possible. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0041] Figure 1 A diagram of the folded state of the solar wing provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 2 A diagram of the unfolded state of the solar wing provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 3 A diagram showing a folding state of the folding and unfolding mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application at a certain viewing angle;

[0044] Figure 4 A diagram showing the folding state of the folding and unfolding mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application from another perspective;

[0045] Figure 5 A diagram showing the unfolding state of the folding and unfolding mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application at a certain viewing angle;

[0046] Figure 6 A diagram showing the unfolding state of the folding and unfolding mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application from another perspective;

[0047] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the folding and unfolding mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 8 An exploded diagram of the folding and unfolding mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first body provided in an embodiment of the present application at a viewing angle;

[0050] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first body provided in an embodiment of the present application from another perspective;

[0051] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first body provided in an embodiment of the present application at a viewing angle;

[0052] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first body provided in an embodiment of the present application from another perspective.

[0053] Icons: 10 - satellite body; 20 - solar wing; 21 - first substrate; 22 - second substrate; 23 - third substrate; 30 - folding mechanism; 40 - clamping rod; 50 - locking mechanism; 100 - first body; 110 - first base; 111 - first mounting surface; 112 - first abutting surface; 120 - first connecting part; 121 - pin hole; 122 - first limiting surface; 130 - clamp; 131 - first friction surface; 200 - second body; 210 - second base; 211 - second mounting surface; 212 - second abutting surface; 220 - second connecting portion; 221 - receiving hole; 222 - second limiting surface; 230 - bushing; 231 - second friction surface; 240 - limiting cover; 241 - observation port; 300 - rotating shaft; 400 - elastic support member; 500 - damping assembly; 510 - damping washer; 520 - first adjusting member; 530 - second adjusting member; 600 - positioning assembly; 610 - locking pin; 620 - compression spring; 700 - in-position switch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0055] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for which protection is sought, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0056] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, further definition and explanation thereof is not required in subsequent drawings.

[0057] In the description of this application, it should be noted that if the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or position relationship in which the product of the application is usually placed when in use. It is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application. In addition, if the terms "first", "second", etc. appear in the description of this application, they are only used to distinguish the description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0058] In addition, if the terms "horizontal" or "vertical" appear in the description of this application, it does not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0059] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set", "install", "connect", and "connect" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal connection of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0060] Example

[0061] Large satellites often use a motor-driven rope linkage system, which can largely achieve the orderly deployment of multiple substrates. However, micro-nano satellites are limited by size and energy, so this method is not suitable and not easy to use. Therefore, the multi-fold solar wings of micro-nano satellites are more likely to be deployed disorderly. When the solar wing is deployed disorderly, each part of each substrate will produce an abnormal vibration when it is deployed in place. Therefore, multiple abnormal vibrations will occur during the entire process of the solar wing deployment, which will have an adverse effect on the satellite attitude and may even cause damage to the satellite's functions and performance. To achieve orderly deployment, the deployment angular velocity of each substrate is generally controlled by selecting torsion springs or memory materials.

[0062] The material properties of torsion springs and memory materials make this selection difficult. The specifications of torsion springs or memory materials generally available on the market are generally fixed. In order to achieve orderly deployment, R&D personnel selected a variety of torsion springs, but the stiffness coefficient, torque, and energy of each torsion spring are discrete and discontinuous, so the support force provided by these fixed specifications of torsion springs is often inconsistent with the required deployment force.

[0063] Taking two adjacent substrates as an example, the two substrates may have two or more hinged parts, and the required deployment force for each hinged part may be different. Taking the case of two hinged parts as an example, according to the calculation of the R&D personnel, when the stiffness coefficient of the torsion spring of one hinge is 5.0Nmm / deg, the stiffness coefficient of the torsion spring of the other hinge can only be achieved when it is 7.6Nmm / deg, according to the corresponding deployment force requirements. At this time, it is very likely that a torsion spring of 7.6Nmm / deg cannot be found on the market. Even if it is specially customized, it cannot specify the stiffness coefficient of the torsion spring under size constraints due to factors such as the torsion spring wire diameter, outer diameter, number of turns, and support angle. This only considers the case where the two substrates are hinged at only two points. In practice, the situation is often more complicated. It is often difficult to match each hinged part of each substrate with a torsion spring of a specific stiffness coefficient.

[0064] The embodiments of the present application provide a folding and unfolding mechanism 30 , a solar wing 20 having the folding and unfolding mechanism 30 , and a micro-nano satellite having the solar wing 20 .

[0065] The folding and unfolding mechanism 30 provided in the embodiment of the present application can provide an actual unfolding force that matches the unfolding force requirement. The folding and unfolding mechanism 30 is used to connect the substrates to form the solar wing 20. The actual unfolding force of each part of the solar wing 20 can be set as required, so that the multiple substrates of the solar wing 20 can be unfolded in an orderly manner; the micro-nano satellite equipped with the solar wing 20 is also connected to the satellite body 10 through the folding and unfolding mechanism 30. When the solar wing 20 starts to unfold and completes the unfolding action, the satellite body 10 is only subjected to one vibration, which greatly reduces the impact of the unfolding action of the solar wing 20 on the satellite body 10.

[0066] Figure 1 The folding state diagram of the micro-nano satellite provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 2 FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the unfolded state of the micro-nano satellite provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the micro-nano satellite includes a satellite body 10 (partial) and a solar wing 20. The solar wing 20 includes a first substrate 21, a second substrate 22 and a third substrate 23 which are hinged in sequence, wherein the third substrate 23 is the innermost substrate of the solar wing 20, the third substrate 23 is hinged to the satellite body 10, the first substrate 21 is the outermost substrate of the solar wing 20, the first substrate 21 is far away from the satellite body 10, the second substrate 22 between the first substrate 21 and the third substrate 23 may not be provided, or may be provided as one or more, and this embodiment is exemplarily described with the number of the second substrate 22 being one.

[0067] The first substrate 21 , the second substrate 22 , the third substrate 23 and the satellite body 10 are respectively hinged via the folding mechanism 30 , so that the solar wing 20 can have an unfolded state and a folded state.

[0068] The folded state of the solar wing 20 means that the first substrate 21, the second substrate 22, the third substrate 23, and the satellite body 10 are all in the folded state. Figure 1 To maintain the folded state, a pressing and releasing mechanism is generally provided to press the multiple substrates of the solar wing 20 against the surface of the satellite body 10. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the compression release mechanism includes a locking mechanism 50 disposed on the satellite body 10, and a compression rod 40 disposed on the first substrate 21, and the compression rod 40 passes through the second substrate 22 and the third substrate 23 and is connected to the locking mechanism 50. When the locking mechanism 50 releases the compression rod 40, the solar wing 20 is unfolded under the action of the folding and unfolding mechanism 30.

[0069] The unfolded state of the solar wing 20 means that the first substrate 21, the second substrate 22, the third substrate 23, and the satellite body 10 are all in a state of unfolding at a certain angle. Figure 2 For the convenience of observation, the solar wing 20 is presented in a state where multiple substrates are unfolded at 180 degrees. This is only for the convenience of observation and does not mean that the solar wing 20 provided in this application must be unfolded at 180 degrees. The solar wing 20 can also be configured to unfold at other angles, such as 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, etc. In this embodiment, the solar wing 20 is unfolded at 90 degrees, that is, the angle between the first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22, the angle between the second substrate 22 and the third substrate 23, and the angle between the third substrate 23 and the satellite body 10 are 90 degrees respectively.

[0070] When the solar wing 20 is in the folded state, the folding and unfolding mechanism 30 is as follows: Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the unfolded state of the solar wing 20, the folding mechanism 30 is as shown Figure 5 and Figure 6 Shown in expanded state.

[0071] The folding and unfolding mechanism 30 includes a first body 100 , a second body 200 , a rotating shaft 300 , an elastic supporting member 400 and a damping assembly 500 .

[0072] The first body 100 and the second body 200 are pivotally connected by a rotating shaft 300, and two adjacent substrates (or the satellite body 10 and the third substrate 23) are respectively connected to the first body 100 and the second body 200; the elastic support member 400 is used to provide a supporting force to drive the first body 100 and the second body 200 to rotate from a folded state to an unfolded state; the damping assembly 500 is used to generate damping when the first body 100 and the second body 200 rotate, and the magnitude of the generated damping is adjustable. The actual unfolding force of the first body 100 and the second body 200 is the supporting force minus the damping, and the actual unfolding force is adjusted by adjusting the magnitude of the damping.

[0073] The damping assembly 500 includes a damping part, a first adjusting member 520 and a second adjusting member 530. The first body 100 is provided with a first friction surface 131, and the second body 200 is provided with a second friction surface 231. The first friction surface 131 and the second friction surface 231 are respectively used to cooperate with the damping part. Once the first body 100 or the second body 200 rotates, the corresponding friction surface can cooperate with the damping part to generate friction damping. The first adjusting member 520 is used to adjust the pressure between the first friction surface 131 and the damping part, thereby adjusting the magnitude of the damping generated between the first friction surface 131 and the damping part; the second adjusting member 530 is used to adjust the pressure between the second friction surface 231 and the damping part, thereby adjusting the magnitude of the damping generated between the second friction surface 231 and the damping part.

[0074] The damping part includes a damping washer 510 sleeved on the rotating shaft 300, the outer peripheral surface of the damping washer 510 cooperates with the first friction surface 131, and one end surface of the damping washer 510 cooperates with the second friction surface 231. A part of the first body 100 protrudes toward the outer peripheral surface of the damping part to form the first friction surface 131, and a part of the second body 200 protrudes toward one end surface of the damping part to form the second friction surface 231.

[0075] The first body 100 includes a first base 110, which is used to connect to a substrate or a satellite body 10. A clamp 130 is connected to the first base 110. The clamp 130 is used to be clamped on the outer peripheral surface of the damping washer 510. The first friction surface 131 is configured as the inner wall of the clamp 130. The first adjustment member 520 is arranged at the opening of the clamp 130 to adjust the degree of tightening of the clamp 130 on the damping washer 510. The first base 110 is formed with a first connecting portion 120.

[0076] The second body 200 includes a second base 210 and a sleeve 230 , the second base 210 is used to connect to a substrate or the satellite body 10 , a flange is formed at one end of the sleeve 230 to connect to the second base 210 , a second friction surface 231 is formed on an end surface of the sleeve 230 , and the second base 210 is formed with a second connecting portion 220 .

[0077] The rotating shaft 300 passes through the first connecting part 120, the second connecting part 220 and the sleeve 230 to rotatably connect the first body 100 and the second body 200. The damping washer 510 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 300. The second adjusting member 530 is an adjusting nut threadedly connected to the rotating shaft 300. The adjusting nut is used to press the damping washer 510 against the second friction surface 231 on the sleeve 230. Turning the adjusting nut can adjust the pressure between the damping washer 510 and the second friction surface 231.

[0078] The aforementioned elastic support member 400 can be a spring or the like between the first base 110 and the second base 210. In this embodiment, the elastic support member 400 is a torsion spring, which is sleeved on the shaft sleeve 230 to drive the first body 100 and the second body 200 to expand relative to each other.

[0079] By combining the first body 100, the second body 200, the rotating shaft 300, the elastic support member 400 and the damping assembly 500 as described above, the folding and unfolding mechanism 30 has a supporting force for the first body 100 and the second body 200 to unfold relative to each other, and also has two types of friction damping that can be adjusted separately, namely, the friction damping between the first body 100 and the damping assembly 500, and the friction damping between the second body 200 and the damping assembly 500, thereby forming a folding and unfolding mechanism 30 that can adjust the actual unfolding force by adjusting the damping size.

[0080] Furthermore, since there is friction damping between the first friction surface 131, the second friction surface 231 and the damping washer 510, respectively, the deployment speeds of the first body 100 and the second body 200 are respectively slowed down, and the vibration generated when the first body 100 and the second body 200 are deployed into place is reduced.

[0081] The first body 100 is as follows Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, the two surfaces of the first base 110 are staggered and recessed, and the two recessed positions are skewed and staggered. A first mounting surface 111 for connecting to a substrate or a satellite body 10 is formed at one recessed position, and a first supporting surface 112 for abutting a torsion spring is formed at another recessed position. The first connecting portion 120 is arranged on the same side as the first supporting surface 112.

[0082] The second body 200 is as follows Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown, the two surfaces of the second base 210 are staggered and recessed, and the two recessed positions are skewed and staggered. A second mounting surface 211 for connecting to a substrate or a satellite body 10 is formed at one recessed position, and a second supporting surface 212 for abutting a torsion spring is formed at another recessed position. The bushing 230 and the second connecting portion 220 are arranged on the same side as the second supporting surface 212.

[0083] The thickness of the substrate is the same as the recessed depth of the first mounting surface 111 and the second mounting surface 211. When the substrate is connected to the first mounting surface 111 or the second mounting surface 211, the recessed depth is just filled. The first abutting surface 112 and the second abutting surface 212 are recessed to be separated from the shaft sleeve 230, respectively, to form a gap for installing the torsion spring and the damping washer 510. Figure 5 and Figure 8 shown.

[0084] The substrate is mounted on the first mounting surface 111 or the second mounting surface 211 by means of anchors such as screws. A first mounting hole penetrating the first base 110 is provided on the first mounting surface 111, and a second mounting hole penetrating the second base 210 is provided on the second mounting surface 211. The first mounting hole and the second mounting hole are used to cooperate with anchors such as screws. The first mounting hole and the second mounting hole are staggered so that the first body 100 and the second body 200 are aligned with each other. Figure 1 In the folded state shown, the anchors such as screws provided in the mounting holes of the two do not interfere with or conflict with each other, and the first body 100 and the second body 200 can be folded closer together.

[0085] For weight reduction considerations, optionally, Fig.10 As shown, a recess is provided at a position where the first mounting surface 111 is not provided with the first mounting hole, such as Fig.12 As shown, a recess is provided at a position where the second mounting hole is not provided on the second mounting surface 211, and the first base 110 and the second base 210 are thinner at the recess to reduce the weight of the folding and unfolding mechanism 30. If the structural strength allows, the recess can also be hollowed out.

[0086] The first connection part 120 is inserted into the gap between the second connection part 220 and the sleeve 230, and the rotating shaft 300 passes through the second connection part 220, the first connection part 120, the sleeve 230, the damping washer 510 and the adjusting nut in sequence. The torsion spring is sleeved on the sleeve 230, and the two ends of the torsion spring are respectively abutted on the first abutting surface 112 and the second abutting surface 212.

[0087] The first adjusting member 520 is an adjusting screw, which passes through the opening of the clamp 130 and is connected to the first base 110. At the opening of the clamp 130, one side of the clamp 130 abuts against the first base 110, and the other side of the clamp 130 abuts against the nut of the adjusting screw. By turning the adjusting screw, the opening size of the clamp 130 can be adjusted, thereby achieving stepless adjustment of the friction damping between the first friction surface 131 and the damping washer 510. By turning the adjusting nut, the friction damping between the second friction surface 231 and the damping washer 510 can be steplessly adjusted.

[0088] In the prior art, the final deployment position of the folding and unfolding mechanism 30 sometimes depends on the torsion spring or the memory material. When the torsion spring is deployed to the final position where the stress is completely released, or when the memory material is deployed to the final position, the folding and unfolding mechanism 30 is fully deployed. This method makes the substrates of the solar wing 20 unstable after deployment. Therefore, the inventor configures the first body 100 and the second body 200 to have a structure with a limiting surface respectively. When the two limiting surfaces are against each other, the first body 100 and the second body 200 cannot continue to be relatively deployed, thereby controlling the maximum deployment angle of the folding and unfolding mechanism 30.

[0089] Please refer to Figure 8 The first connecting portion 120 of the first body 100 is cylindrical, and a right angle portion is formed on the circumference of the cylinder. The two planes forming the right angle are respectively the tangent planes of the circumference, and one of the planes is the first limiting surface 122, and the first limiting surface 122 is parallel to the first mounting surface 111. Figure 5 , Figure 8 and Fig.11 A second limiting surface 222 is formed at the gap between the second connecting portion 220 of the second body 200 and the shaft sleeve 230, and the second limiting surface 222 is perpendicular to the second mounting surface 211. When the first body 100 and the second body 200 are relatively unfolded to 90 degrees, the first limiting surface 122 and the second limiting surface 222 abut against each other to limit the further unfolding of the first body 100 and the second body 200. In this embodiment, the maximum unfolding angle is 90 degrees, and other settings can also be made to the first limiting surface 122 and the second limiting surface 222 to set the maximum unfolding angle to other values.

[0090] The folding and unfolding mechanism 30 is also provided with a position switch 700, which is used to send information of the position being unfolded to the ground when the folding and unfolding mechanism 30 reaches the unfolded state (i.e., when unfolded to the maximum unfolding angle). The position switch 700 is arranged on the first body 100, and when unfolded to the position, the second body 200 contacts the triggering part of the position switch 700 to trigger the position switch 700.

[0091] A groove is formed on the other surface perpendicular to the first limiting surface 122 at the right angle portion of the first connecting portion 120 of the first body 100, and the in-position switch 700 is installed in the groove. The triggering part of the in-position switch 700 faces the first limiting surface 122. When the second limiting surface 222 abuts against the first limiting surface 122, the second limiting surface 222 contacts the triggering part of the in-position switch 700.

[0092] In order to further ensure the stability after unfolding, a positioning assembly 600 is provided in the folding and unfolding mechanism 30 , and the positioning assembly 600 is used to lock the first body 100 and the second body 200 in the unfolded state.

[0093] The positioning assembly 600 includes a locking pin 610 and a compression spring 620. The locking pin 610 is mounted on the second body 200. The compression spring 620 is connected to one end of the locking pin 610 to push the other end of the locking pin 610 toward the first body 100. The first body 100 is formed with a pin hole 121. When the first body 100 and the second body 200 rotate to the unfolded state, the compression spring 620 pushes the locking pin 610 into the first body 100, thereby limiting the relative rotation of the first body 100 and the second body 200. In order to facilitate pulling back the locking pin 610 so as to reset the folding mechanism 30 to the folded state, a detachably connected reset rod is provided on the locking pin 610.

[0094] like Figure 7 As shown, a receiving hole 221 is formed in the second connecting portion 220 of the second body 200, a pin hole 121 is formed in the first connecting portion 120 of the first body 100, and a locking pin 610 and a compression spring 620 are disposed in the receiving hole 221. When the first body 100 and the second body 200 are not in the unfolded state, the locking pin 610 and the compression spring 620 are blocked in the receiving hole 221; when the first body 100 and the second body 200 are in the unfolded state, the receiving hole 221 is opposite to the pin hole 121, and the compression spring 620 pushes the locking pin 610 toward the pin hole 121.

[0095] In order to facilitate pulling the locking pin 610 out of the pin hole 121 so that the folding mechanism 30 can be reset to the folded state, an observation port 241 is provided on the second body 200, and a reset rod (the reset rod is not shown in the figure) can move through the observation port 241 to connect with the locking pin 610 to pull the locking pin 610 out of the pin hole 121.

[0096] like Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown, a stop cover 240 is provided at one end of the second connection part 220 away from the first connection part 120, the receiving hole 221 is a through hole, the stop cover 240 covers the receiving hole 221, the two ends of the compression spring 620 are respectively against the locking pin 610 and the stop cover 240, and the observation port 241 is provided on the stop cover 240. The observation port 241 corresponds to the position of the receiving hole 221, the diameter of the observation port 241 is smaller than the inner diameter of the receiving hole 221, and the diameter of the observation port 241 is smaller than the inner diameter of the compression spring 620. The reset rod can pass through the observation port 241 to connect the locking pin 610. Optionally, the reset rod is threadedly connected with the locking pin 610. The reset rod is a screw rod, and a threaded hole is provided at one end of the locking pin 610 facing the stop hole. The reset rod passes through the observation port 241 and is threadedly connected to the locking pin 610, and the reset rod is pulled backward to pull the locking pin 610 out of the pin hole 121.

[0097] In other embodiments, the observation port 241 can also be set on the circumferential surface of the second connecting portion 220 and extend in a direction parallel to the rotating shaft 300. The reset rod extends from the observation port 241 into the accommodating hole 221 and is connected to the circumferential surface of the locking pin 610. The connection method can be threaded connection, plug-in connection, snap-in connection, etc. The reset rod is pulled along the observation port 241 to pull the locking pin 610 out of the pin hole 121.

[0098] The solar wing 20 provided in this embodiment is connected by the aforementioned folding and unfolding mechanism 30. As mentioned above, the solar wing 20 includes at least two substrates, that is, the solar wing 20 includes at least a first substrate 21 and a third substrate 23. The folding and unfolding mechanism 30 is used to connect two adjacent substrates.

[0099] In this embodiment, the solar wing 20 has a first substrate 21 , a second substrate 22 and a third substrate 23 . The first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 are connected by three folding and unfolding mechanisms 30 , and the second substrate 22 and the third substrate 23 are connected by three folding and unfolding mechanisms 30 .

[0100] The damping size of each damping assembly 500 of each folding and unfolding mechanism 30 is adjusted so that the actual unfolding force provided by each folding and unfolding mechanism 30 meets the unfolding force requirement of its position, so that each substrate of the solar wing 20 and different parts of each substrate can obtain corresponding unfolding force, ensure the angular velocity of each substrate rotation is consistent, and unfold each substrate in an orderly manner. The relative unfolding time of the first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 is synchronized with the relative unfolding time of the second substrate 22 and the third substrate 23, that is, the first substrate 21, the second substrate 22, and the third substrate 23 are unfolded into place synchronously, and because the damping assembly 500 slows down the unfolding speed, the vibration of the unfolding into place is reduced, so the unfolding action of the solar wing 20 only brings a small vibration, which greatly reduces the influence of the unfolding action of the solar wing 20 on the satellite attitude.

[0101] The satellite body 10 of the micro-nano satellite provided in this embodiment is also connected to the third substrate 23 of the solar wing 20 through the three folding and unfolding mechanisms 30 mentioned above. The actual unfolding force of each folding and unfolding mechanism 30 is adjusted according to the unfolding force requirement, so that the unfolding speed of the first substrate 21 relative to the satellite body 10 is synchronized with other substrates, further ensuring that the unfolding action of the solar wing 20 is only once, thereby reducing the impact of the unfolding action of the solar wing 20 on the satellite attitude.

[0102] It should be noted that:

[0103] The number of second substrates 22, the number of folding and unfolding mechanisms 30 of any two adjacent substrates, and the number of sets of clamping rods 40 and locking mechanisms 50 are set according to factors such as the solar circuit board area requirement of the micro-nano satellite, the deployment force requirement of the solar wing 20, and the locking degree requirement of the solar wing 20.

[0104] The second substrate 22 (ie, the substrate between the first substrate 21 and the third substrate 23 ) may not be provided, or may be provided in number of one, two, three or even more. In actual use, the specific number is set according to needs.

[0105] Every two adjacent substrates can be pivotally connected via one, two, three or even more folding and unfolding mechanisms 30 , and the specific number is set according to needs.

[0106] The pressing rod 40 and the locking mechanism 50 can be matched to be provided in multiple sets. The number can be set according to factors such as the size of the substrate in actual use, and can be one set, two sets, three sets or even more.

[0107] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A folding and unfolding mechanism, characterized in that: include: first ontology; Second entity; a rotating shaft, through which the first body and the second body are pivotally connected; An elastic support member, used for driving the first body and the second body to rotate from a folded state to an unfolded state; A damping assembly, used for generating damping when the first body and the second body rotate, wherein the magnitude of the damping is adjustable; The first body is provided with a first friction surface, the second body is provided with a second friction surface, the damping assembly comprises a damping part, a first adjusting member and a second adjusting member, the damping part cooperates with the first friction surface and the second friction surface respectively to generate damping, the first adjusting member is used to adjust the pressure between the damping part and the first friction surface, and the second adjusting member is used to adjust the pressure between the damping part and the second friction surface; The folding and unfolding mechanism further includes a positioning assembly, and the positioning assembly is used to lock the first body and the second body in the unfolded state.

2. The folding and unfolding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The damping part includes a damping washer sleeved on the rotating shaft, an outer peripheral surface of the damping washer cooperates with the first friction surface, and an end surface of the damping washer cooperates with the second friction surface.

3. The folding and unfolding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first body includes a first base and a clamp, the first base is pivotally connected to the second body through the rotating shaft, and the clamp is connected to the first base; the clamp is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the damping washer, the first friction surface is the inner wall of the clamp, and the two ends of the opening of the clamp are connected by the first adjusting member.

4. The folding and unfolding mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first adjusting member is an adjusting screw, and the clamp is connected to the first base via the adjusting screw.

5. The folding and unfolding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: A thread is formed at one end of the rotating shaft, and the second adjusting member is an adjusting nut matched with the thread of the rotating shaft. The adjusting nut and the second friction surface are respectively located at two ends of the damping washer.

6. The folding and unfolding mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: A shaft sleeve is formed on the second body, the rotating shaft is inserted into the shaft sleeve, the elastic support member is a torsion spring sleeved on the shaft sleeve, and the second friction surface is an end surface of the shaft sleeve.

7. The folding and unfolding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning assembly includes a locking pin and a compression spring. A receiving hole for accommodating the locking pin and the compression spring is formed on the second body. A pin hole is formed on the first body. When the first body and the second body are in the expanded state, the locking pin is aligned with the pin hole, and the compression spring drives one end of the locking pin to be inserted into the pin hole.

8. The folding and unfolding mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that: The positioning assembly also includes a reset rod detachably connected to the locking pin. The second body is provided with an observation port, which is used to allow the reset rod to move through so as to pull the locking pin out of the pin hole.

9. The folding and unfolding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first body is formed with a first limiting surface, and the second body is formed with a second limiting surface. When the first body and the second body are in an unfolded state, the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface collide with each other to limit the unfolding angle of the first body and the second body.

10. The folding and unfolding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folding and unfolding mechanism further includes an in-position switch, which is installed on the first body. When the first body and the second body are relatively rotated to the unfolded state, the second body triggers the in-position switch.

11. The folding and unfolding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folding and unfolding mechanism is used to connect the first base and the second base. The first body is provided with a first mounting hole for connecting the first base, and the second body is provided with a second mounting hole for connecting the second base. The positions of the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole are relatively staggered.

12. A solar wing, characterized in that: It comprises at least two substrates and the folding and unfolding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and two adjacent substrates are connected by the folding and unfolding mechanism.

13. A micro-nano satellite, characterized in that: It comprises a satellite body and the solar wing as claimed in claim 12, wherein one of the substrates of the solar wing is connected to the satellite body via the folding and unfolding mechanism.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

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