A low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism

Abstract

The present invention provides a low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism, which is suitable for connecting, separating and releasing satellites from carrier rockets. It mainly includes a locking seat assembly, a separation spring assembly and a base plate; the base plate is fixed on the rocket body, and four sets of locking seat assemblies and separation spring assemblies are respectively provided, which are installed at the four corner points of the base plate in a four-point arrangement; the locking seat assembly includes a satellite docking seat connected to the satellite cabin plate, which firmly connects the satellite and the carrier rocket before entering orbit by means of locking bolts and memory metal separation nuts, and can be controllably unlocked after entering orbit; after unlocking, the separation spring in the separation spring assembly pushes the satellite cabin plate away, and separates the satellite from the rocket at a certain relative speed. The satellite-rocket separation mechanism of the present invention is unlocked by driving the memory metal separation nut, with small actuation impact and no need for additional buffering and vibration reduction structure; the separation process does not generate pollutants and does not affect sensitive components; the mechanical interface is simple, the application range is wide, and the reliability is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of satellite-rocket separation mechanisms, and in particular to a satellite-rocket separation mechanism with low impact and no pollution. Background Art

[0002] Satellite-rocket separation refers to the process of separating a satellite from a carrier rocket after the carrier rocket reaches a predetermined altitude and speed. Satellite-rocket separation technology is one of the key aerospace technologies. It is directly related to whether the satellite can enter orbit normally, and has a significant impact on the overall performance of the satellite and the completion of the space mission. The satellite-rocket separation mechanism must not only ensure that the satellite and the rocket remain reliably connected during the launch process, but also ensure that the satellite and the rocket are reliably separated after receiving the separation command. Pyrotechnic separation technology is currently commonly used in satellite-rocket separation mechanisms. However, the impact load generated by the detonation of pyrotechnics will not only cause vibrations in the satellite's main structure, but may also damage sensitive components on the satellite, making it impossible for the launch mission to proceed normally. In addition, pyrotechnic unlocking may also produce pollutants such as debris and smoke, posing a potential hazard to precision satellite-borne devices. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention mainly solves the problems existing in the prior art such as large actuation impact and impurity pollution, and provides a satellite-rocket separation mechanism with small actuation impact, no pollution, simple mechanical interface and high reliability.

[0004] The technical solution employed in this invention is a low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism comprising a locking seat assembly, a separation spring assembly, and a base plate. The base plate is a rectangular frame structure fixed to the rocket body. Four sets of locking seat assemblies and separation spring assemblies are installed at the four corners of the base plate in a four-point arrangement. The locking seat assembly ensures a secure connection between the satellite and the launch vehicle before orbital entry. After the satellite enters orbit, the locking seat assembly can be controllably unlocked. The separation spring assembly is used to push the satellite away from the cabin plate after the locking seat assembly is unlocked, allowing the satellite to separate from the rocket at a predetermined relative speed.

[0005] The locking seat assembly includes a satellite docking seat, a disengagement spring, a disengagement spring pressure cover, a locking bolt, a locking seat housing, and a memory metal separation nut. The satellite docking seat is connected to the satellite cabin panel, the locking seat housing is fixed to the base plate, and the memory metal separation nut is installed in the locking seat housing. The head of the locking bolt is connected to the disengagement spring pressure cover, and the screw portion passes through the center holes of the satellite docking seat and the locking seat housing to cooperate with the memory metal separation nut. The disengagement spring is a compression spring that is sleeved outside the locking bolt and supported between the disengagement spring pressure cover and the satellite docking seat. After the memory metal separation nut is unlocked, it can drive the locking bolt to bounce upward, releasing the connection constraint between the satellite cabin panel and the rocket body.

[0006] The separation spring assembly includes a separation spring, a separation spring pressure cap, a separation spring push rod, and a spring guide cylinder. The spring guide cylinder is a cylindrical structure with a mounting edge, fixed to the base plate. The separation spring is mounted outside the cylinder. The separation spring is supported between the spring guide cylinder's mounting edge and the separation spring pressure cap. The separation spring push rod is arranged within the spring guide cylinder, with its upper end connected to the separation spring pressure cap. When the mechanism is locked, the separation spring pressure cap rests on the satellite cabin panel, compressing the separation spring. When the mechanism is unlocked, the restoring force of the separation spring pushes the satellite cabin panel away.

[0007] Furthermore, the satellite-rocket separation mechanism of the present invention also includes a travel switch top surface. Two travel switch top surfaces are provided and are respectively fixed at the midpoints of a group of opposite sides of the base plate. The travel switch top surfaces cooperate with the travel switches installed on the satellite cabin plate to monitor and output a signal of successful satellite-rocket separation.

[0008] Furthermore, the locking seat housing and the satellite docking seat cooperate with each other through a boss-cone socket structure, which can be adaptively centered and reduce the difficulty of assembly.

[0009] Furthermore, the edge of the release spring pressure cover is provided with a flange structure for matching with the outer diameter of the release spring.

[0010] Furthermore, the locking seat assembly also includes a spherical gasket, which is placed in the ball socket at the center hole of the satellite docking seat, which can effectively reduce the difficulty of centering the locking bolt and the memory metal separation nut during installation.

[0011] Furthermore, a limiting guide hole is provided on the inner wall of the cylinder of the spring guide cylinder, and the separation spring push rod is arranged through the limiting guide hole and can move up and down along the limiting guide hole.

[0012] Furthermore, the separation spring assembly also includes a stop nut, which is connected to the lower end of the separation spring push rod and has an outer diameter larger than the aperture of the limiting guide hole, and can limit the separation spring push rod.

[0013] Furthermore, during the assembly process of the mechanism, in order to reduce the assembly difficulty caused by the restoring force of the separation spring, aligned transverse holes are set on the side wall of the spring guide cylinder and the middle of the separation spring push rod. After the separation spring assembly is folded, a tool can be used to pass through the hole to limit the separation spring and keep it in a compressed state.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0015] (1) The satellite-rocket separation mechanism of the present invention is unlocked by driving a memory metal separation nut. The actuation impact is much smaller than that of the pyrotechnic separation method. There is no need to design an additional buffer and vibration reduction structure, which can effectively avoid the risk of damage to the satellite structure due to impact vibration during the separation process.

[0016] (2) The satellite-rocket separation mechanism of the present invention will not generate pollutants during the satellite-rocket separation process and will not affect sensitive components on the satellite.

[0017] (3) The satellite-rocket separation mechanism of the present invention has a simple mechanical interface, is convenient for designing the connection structure related to the satellite and the launch vehicle, and has a wide range of applications.

[0018] (4) The satellite-rocket separation mechanism of the present invention uses a locking bolt in combination with a memory metal separation nut for locking and unlocking, and uses a two-spring structure of a disengagement spring and a separation spring to drive the unlocking and separation process. The technology is mature and can be ground tested, and the locking, unlocking and separation are highly reliable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the locking seat assembly of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a separation spring assembly of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the top surface of the travel switch of the present invention;

[0023] Explanation of the accompanying reference numerals: 1. Locking seat assembly; 2. Separation spring assembly; 3. Top surface of travel switch; 4. Bottom plate; 101. Satellite docking seat; 102. Disengagement spring pressure cover; 103. Disengagement spring; 104. Spherical gasket; 105. Locking bolt; 106. Locking seat housing; 107. Memory metal separation nut; 201. Separation spring; 202. Separation spring pressure cover; 203. Separation spring push rod; 204. Spring guide cylinder; 205. Stop nut; 206. Limit guide hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0025] The present invention provides a low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 1As shown, it includes a locking seat assembly 1, a separation spring assembly 2, a travel switch top surface 3 and a base plate 4. Among them, there are four sets of locking seat assemblies 1 and separation spring assemblies 2, and two travel switch top surfaces 3. The base plate 4 is a square frame structure, fixed on the rocket, the locking seat assembly 1 and the separation spring assembly 2 are fixed at the four corner points of the base plate 4, and the travel switch top surface 3 is fixed at the midpoint of the opposite side of the base plate 4. The function of the locking seat assembly 1 is to lock the connection between the satellite and the rocket before entering orbit, and to unlock it after the satellite enters orbit. The separation spring assembly 2 is used to push the satellite cabin board away from the locking seat assembly 1 after it is unlocked, and to separate the satellite from the rocket at a certain relative speed. The four-point arrangement of the locking seat assembly 1 and the separation spring assembly 2 can ensure a stable connection and make the angular velocity of the satellite relatively small after separation. The travel switch top surface 3 cooperates with the travel switch installed at the corresponding position on the satellite cabin board to monitor and output a signal of successful separation.

[0026] The specific structure of the locking seat assembly 1 of the present invention is as follows Figure 2 As shown, the upper end of the satellite docking station 101 is provided with a multi-hole flange (a four-hole flange in this embodiment, but a three- to six-hole flange can be used as needed) for connection to the satellite cabin panel. A conical socket is provided at the lower end of the satellite docking station 101, which mates with a conical boss structure at the upper end of the locking station housing 106. The satellite docking station 101 and the locking station housing 106 are connected via a locking bolt 105. The head of the locking bolt 105 has a central threaded hole for mating with a stud structure in the middle of a release spring pressure cap 102. The outer edge of the release spring pressure cap 102 has a downwardly facing flange structure. A release spring 103 is placed between the release spring pressure cap 102 and the satellite docking station 101. The flange structure mates with the outer diameter of the release spring 103 to prevent accidental disengagement of the release spring 103. The screw of the locking bolt 105 passes downward through the circular hole in the center of the satellite docking station 101 and the spherical washer 104, and is threadedly mated with a memory metal release nut 107. The bottom of the locking seat housing 106 is provided with a plurality of through holes for being bolted to the base plate 4 .

[0027] Before the unlocking command is issued, the locking bolt 105 and the memory metal separation nut 107 maintain a reliable connection, and the disengagement spring 103 is in a compressed state; after the unlocking command is issued, the memory metal separation nut 107 releases the limit on the locking bolt 105, and the locking bolt 105 bounces upward under the action of the restoring force of the disengagement spring 103, and the constraint between the satellite docking seat 101 and the locking seat shell 106 is released.

[0028] Preferably, the disengagement spring 103 adopts a tower-shaped compression spring, which has better stability and can ensure that the driving force provided to the locking bolt is vertically upward, effectively preventing the locking bolt 105 from accidentally getting stuck when it is separated; accordingly, the flange structure of the disengagement spring pressure cover 102 is a flared flange that matches the disengagement spring 103.

[0029] The structure of the separation spring assembly 2 of the present invention is as follows Figure 3 As shown, it includes a separation spring 201, a separation spring pressure cap 202, a separation spring push rod 203, a spring guide cylinder 204, and a stop nut 205. The spring guide cylinder 204 is a cylindrical structure with a flange mounting edge, which is used to secure the spring guide cylinder 204 to the base plate 4. A limit guide hole 206 is provided in the upper middle portion of the inner wall of the spring guide cylinder 204. The separation spring 201 is mounted on the outer cylindrical surface of the spring guide cylinder 204. The separation spring push rod 203 is disposed within the spring guide cylinder 204 through the limit guide hole 206. The separation spring push rod 203 is a double-threaded screw structure, with the threads on its upper end for connection to the separation spring pressure cap 202 and the threads on its lower end for mating with the stop nut 205.

[0030] In the locked state, the lower end of the separation spring 201 is supported by the flange mounting edge at the bottom of the spring guide cylinder 204, while the upper end is compressed by the separation spring pressure cap 202. When the locking seat assembly 1 is unlocked, the separation spring push rod 203 moves upward under the restoring force of the separation spring 201 until the stop nut 205 contacts the limiting guide hole 206. The stop nut 205 limits the travel of the separation spring push rod 203 during the separation process, thereby preventing the separation spring push rod 203, the separation spring 201, and the separation spring pressure cap 202 from uncontrollably detaching from the rocket body after satellite-rocket separation.

[0031] In addition, the side walls of the spring guide cylinder 204 and the middle of the separation spring push rod 203 are provided with orthogonally distributed transverse through holes, the positions of the holes match, and the hole centers are aligned, so that after the separation spring assembly 2 is folded, it is convenient to use tooling to pass through the spring guide cylinder 204 and the separation spring push rod 203 through the circular hole to limit the separation spring 201, so that it maintains a compressed state and is easy to install.

[0032] The structure of the top surface 3 of the travel switch of the present invention is as follows Figure 4 As shown, the top surface 3 of the limit switch is a hollow cylindrical structure; the plane on its top cooperates with the limit switch installed on the satellite cabin plate. Before the separation of the satellite and the rocket, the top surface 3 of the limit switch presses the limit switch. After the separation, the top surface 3 of the limit switch and the limit switch are separated, thereby outputting a signal of successful separation; the side of the top surface 3 of the limit switch is provided with multiple waist-shaped grooves, and the overall hollow design can reduce the structural mass; the bottom of the top surface 3 of the limit switch is provided with a flange for connecting to the bottom plate.

[0033] The parts of the present invention that are not disclosed in detail belong to the common knowledge in the field. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism, comprising a locking seat assembly (1), a separation spring assembly (2), a travel switch top surface (3) and a bottom plate (4); characterized in that: A bottom plate (4) of a frame structure is fixed on a rocket body, and four sets of locking seat assemblies (1) and separation spring assemblies (2) are respectively provided and installed at four corner points of the bottom plate in a four-point arrangement; a travel switch top surface (3) is fixed on the side midpoint of the bottom plate (4); the locking seat assembly (1) is used to firmly connect the satellite and the carrier rocket before entering orbit, and to controllably unlock after entering orbit; the separation spring assembly (2) is used to push away the satellite cabin plate after the locking seat assembly (1) is unlocked, and to separate the satellite from the rocket at a certain relative speed; the top plane of the travel switch top surface (3) cooperates with the travel switch installed on the satellite cabin plate to monitor and output a signal indicating successful satellite-rocket separation; The locking seat assembly (1) comprises a satellite docking seat (101), a disengaging spring pressure cover (102), a disengaging spring (103), a locking bolt (105), a locking seat housing (106) and a memory metal separation nut (107); the satellite docking seat (101) is connected to the satellite cabin plate, the locking seat housing (106) is fixed on the base plate (4), and the locking seat housing (106) and the satellite docking seat (101) are matched through a boss-cone socket structure; the memory metal separation nut (107) is installed in the locking seat housing (106); the locking nut The head of the bolt (105) is connected to the disengagement spring pressure cover (102), and the screw portion passes through the center hole of the satellite docking seat (101) and the locking seat shell (106) and cooperates with the memory metal separation nut (107); the disengagement spring (103) is sleeved outside the locking bolt (105) and supported between the disengagement spring pressure cover (102) and the satellite docking seat (101). After the memory metal separation nut (107) is unlocked, the disengagement spring (103) drives the locking bolt (105) to bounce upward, thereby releasing the connection constraint between the satellite cabin plate and the rocket body; The separation spring assembly (2) comprises a separation spring (201), a separation spring pressure cover (202), a separation spring push rod (203) and a spring guide cylinder (204); the spring guide cylinder (204) is a cylindrical structure with a mounting edge, fixed on the base plate (4), and the separation spring (201) is arranged on the outer cylindrical surface of the spring guide cylinder (204), the separation spring (201) is supported between the mounting edge of the spring guide cylinder (204) and the separation spring pressure cover (202), and the separation spring push rod (203) is arranged in the spring guide cylinder (204), and the upper end of the separation spring push rod (203) is connected to the separation spring pressure cover (202); when the mechanism is locked, the separation spring pressure cover (202) abuts against the satellite cabin plate, and the separation spring (201) is in a compressed state. When the mechanism is unlocked, the restoring force of the separation spring (201) pushes the satellite cabin plate away.

2. The low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two top surfaces (3) of the travel switch, which are respectively fixed at the midpoints of a group of opposite sides of the bottom plate (4).

3. The low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top surface (3) of the travel switch is a hollow cylindrical structure, and a plurality of waist-shaped grooves are opened on its side. With the overall hollow design, the weight of the structure can be reduced; the bottom of the top surface (3) of the travel switch is provided with a flange for connecting with the bottom plate (4).

4. The low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the satellite docking seat (101) is provided with a conical socket, and the upper end of the locking seat housing (106) is provided with a conical boss structure. The boss-conical socket matching mode can be adaptively centered, reducing the difficulty of assembly.

5. The low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The edge of the disengagement spring pressure cover (102) is provided with a flange structure for matching the outer diameter of the disengagement spring (103).

6. The low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The disengagement spring (103) is a tower-shaped compression spring, and the flange structure of the disengagement spring pressure cover (102) is a flared flange that matches the tower-shaped disengagement spring (103).

7. The low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking seat assembly (1) further comprises a spherical gasket (104), which is placed in a ball socket at the center hole of the satellite docking seat (101).

8. The low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the cylinder of the spring guide cylinder (204) is provided with a limiting guide hole (206), and the separation spring push rod (203) is arranged through the limiting guide hole (206) and can move up and down along the limiting guide hole (206).

9. The low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: The separation spring assembly (2) further comprises a stop nut (205), which is connected to the lower end of the separation spring push rod (203) and has an outer diameter greater than the aperture of the limiting guide hole (206).

10. The low-impact satellite-rocket separation mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The side wall of the spring guide cylinder (204) and the middle of the separation spring push rod (203) are provided with transverse through holes with matching positions and aligned hole centers.

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