A maintenance power tool for maintaining the drive of a large space station robot arm

Abstract

The present invention relates to a maintenance electric tool for maintaining a large space station mechanical arm drive, comprising a split shaft end and an electric body. The split shaft end and the electric body are respectively followed by the astronauts to exit the cabin. After reaching the designated position, the split shaft end is first inserted into the end of the mechanical arm joint to achieve connection and fixation between the split shaft end and the mechanical arm joint; then the electric body is connected to the split shaft end to complete the assembly of the electric tool, and the rotation of the electric tool is achieved by operating the angle adjustment switch and the rotation direction adjustment switch, thereby achieving the driving of the mechanical arm joint. The present invention is provided with a split shaft end with an active axial locking mechanism and a follower axial locking mechanism, so that the electric body can be quickly docked and separated when the astronaut operates with one hand.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a maintenance electric tool for maintaining a large space station mechanical arm drive, belonging to the field of aerospace technology. Background Art

[0002] The robotic arm has a limited on-orbit working life. In order to ensure that the robotic arm can continue to complete the construction and maintenance tasks of the space station after a failure, the robotic arm must have on-orbit operable maintainability. Through maintenance, the on-orbit working life of the robotic arm can be extended.

[0003] Due to the unique gravity environment in space, in order to provide astronauts with more load-bearing support and safety guarantees, two extravehicular robotic arm maintenance work points were set up, and maintenance configurations that adapt to a variety of maintenance tasks were designed. The robotic arm needs to crawl from the on-orbit fault location to the maintenance point and move from the randomly generated fault configuration to the maintenance configuration. After the maintenance operation safety conditions are met, the astronauts go out of the cabin to the robotic arm maintenance point for maintenance work. However, if the robotic arm joint fails and cannot be used normally, it will seriously affect the smooth progress of the on-orbit maintenance task. At present, the technical content of the relevant robotic arm on-orbit maintenance has not been made public. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem solved by the present invention is: to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, to propose a maintenance electric tool for maintaining the drive of a large space station robot arm, to install the tool at the rear end shell of the faulty joint, and to interact with the limited interface inside the joint to achieve connection and fixation; and to send motion instructions by setting a knob on the tool to drive the faulty joint to move, thereby assisting the robot arm to move / crawl to a maintenance configuration, to provide a reliable operating location for subsequent on-orbit maintenance work, and to ensure the smooth progress of on-orbit maintenance tasks.

[0005] The solution of the present invention is:

[0006] A maintenance electric tool for maintaining the drive of a large space station robot arm comprises a split shaft end and an electric body. The split shaft end and the electric body are respectively accompanied by the astronauts to leave the cabin. After reaching the designated position, the split shaft end is first inserted into the end of the robot arm joint to achieve connection and fixation of the split shaft end and the robot arm joint; then the electric body is connected to the split shaft end to complete the assembly of the electric tool, and the rotation of the electric tool is achieved by operating the angle adjustment switch and the rotation direction adjustment switch, thereby achieving the driving of the robot arm joint.

[0007] The split shaft end includes a docking mechanism and a locking mechanism.

[0008] The docking mechanism includes a spline head, a connecting rod, a limiter and a housing.

[0009] The locking mechanism includes an active axial locking mechanism and a follower axial locking mechanism;

[0010] The locking mechanism is arranged inside the housing and is used for locking and unlocking between the split shaft end and the electric body;

[0011] The spline head is fixedly connected to the connecting rod, and a characteristic key and a fillet are arranged on the spline head. The characteristic key is embedded in the spline groove of the large gear inside the joint, and the fillet is used for local guidance;

[0012] The limiting member is connected to the housing, and a set of bearings are respectively installed inside the limiting member and the housing for supporting the connecting rod;

[0013] The limiter is provided with a guide spline, which is embedded in the four petal grooves of the internal structure plate of the robot arm joint to realize the torque closed loop between the split shaft end and the robot arm joint;

[0014] The housing is equipped with a handle, and a clamp is installed at the end of the handle, which is used to fix the handle with the armrest structure on the joint of the mechanical arm to achieve temporary fixation of the split shaft end;

[0015] A spring pressure key is provided on the housing, which, under the action of the pressure spring, acts with the shaft hole on the internal structure plate of the mechanical arm joint, and relies on friction to achieve axial limit of the tool;

[0016] The active axial locking mechanism includes an unlocking wrench, a locking pin, a locking spring, and a locking shaft;

[0017] Under normal conditions, the unlocking wrench is closed, and the locking pin protrudes out of the docking surface under the action of the locking spring, and acts with the locking ring on the electric body to achieve axial locking;

[0018] In the unlocked state, by opening the unlocking wrench, the locking pin is retracted into the inside of the docking surface, and under the action of external force, the locking ring is disengaged from the housing, thereby achieving unlocking;

[0019] The follower axial locking mechanism includes a follower shaft, a limiting shaft rod, and a follower compression spring;

[0020] Under normal conditions, the follower shaft protrudes from the docking surface. During the docking process of the electric body, under the action of the locking ring, the follower shaft and the follower compression spring move toward the inside of the docking surface and then fall into the annular groove. Under the action of the annular protrusion, the axial locking of the electric body is achieved.

[0021] Astronauts operate the unlocking wrench of the active axial locking mechanism to close and open, thereby achieving the on-orbit assembly / disassembly of the split shaft end and the electric body; the follow-up axial locking mechanism provides axial locking force, which is used for anti-drifting fixation during the docking process to prevent drifting away.

[0022] The main structure of the electric body is the main shell, which is equipped with: a rotation direction adjustment quick switch for realizing positive and negative adjustment of the output end; an angle adjustment switch for realizing the rotation displacement of the output end relative to the joint; a power switch for realizing the on and off of the power supply; a standard interface core for realizing the connection between the electric body and the standard workbench on the space suit; a status indicator for displaying the operating status, battery power and fault status information; a battery box installed on the main shell for installing batteries; a handle and a handle, both installed below the main shell for astronauts to grasp;

[0023] The electric body includes a motor, a male flange, and a locking ring: the motor is installed inside the main housing, and the output end drive shaft and the rear end structure of the connecting rod act to achieve torque transmission; the male flange is installed on the output end drive shaft side, and the torque closed loop of the electric body is achieved through the first indexing tooth groove on the male flange and the female flange on the split shaft end;

[0024] The locking ring includes an annular groove and an annular protrusion. The locking ring is installed on the output end drive shaft. The annular protrusion acts on the structural docking surface of the shell to achieve a guiding effect. The annular groove acts on the follower shaft to achieve axial locking of the follower shaft.

[0025] Active axial locking is achieved through the action of the annular groove and the locking shaft; the annular groove on the locking ring is an annular structure, so that when the electric body is docked with the split shaft end, the driving shaft can be used as the center and the indexing tooth groove as the indexing to achieve 360-degree rotation;

[0026] The female end flange of the split shaft end is provided with a second graduated tooth groove, which is used for docking the teeth and tooth grooves with the male end flange on the electric body, and is used for the torque closed loop between the electric body and the split shaft end; one end of the connecting rod of the split shaft end is provided with a slot structure, which is used to adapt to the driving square shaft of the electric body, thereby realizing the torque transmission of the joint; the slot structure has 12 evenly distributed diamond grooves to match the square shaft of the electric body, providing 12 insertion directions to adapt to the working posture of the astronauts.

[0027] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are:

[0028] (1) The present invention provides a split shaft end with an active axial locking mechanism and a follower axial locking mechanism, so that the electric body can be quickly docked and separated when the astronaut operates with one hand;

[0029] (2) The electric tool designed in the present invention adopts a step-by-step split installation. The split shaft end can be adaptively adjusted to match any failure angle of the joint product, and the split shaft end has four installation directions. When astronauts are in a complex operating space for installation, they can adjust the tool installation angle to adapt to the space working environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 This is a diagram of the internal interface of the joint of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electric tool of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 It is a multi-viewing structure of the split shaft end structure of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 The split shaft end of the present invention is in unlocked state;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electric main body of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the composition of the electric tool body of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 It is a multi-view schematic diagram of the connection between the electric body 2 and the split shaft end 1 of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 8 The electric tool of the present invention and the joint are combined;

[0038] Fig. 9 The process of inserting the power tool of the present invention into the joint;

[0039] Fig.10 The electric tool of the present invention is installed with joints in different angle states. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, a maintenance power tool for maintaining the drive of a large space station robot arm includes a split shaft end 1 and an electric body 2. The split shaft end 1 and the electric body 2 are respectively accompanied by the astronauts out of the cabin. After reaching the designated position, the split shaft end 1 is first inserted into the end of the robot arm joint to achieve the connection and fixation between the split shaft end 1 and the robot arm joint; then the electric body 2 is connected to the split shaft end 1 to complete the assembly of the power tool, and the rotation of the power tool is achieved by operating the angle adjustment switch and the rotation direction adjustment switch, thereby achieving the driving of the robot arm joint.

[0042] The split shaft end 1 includes a docking mechanism and a locking mechanism.

[0043] The docking mechanism includes a spline head 1-1, a connecting rod 1-2, a stopper 1-3 and a housing 1-4.

[0044] The locking mechanism includes an active axial locking mechanism and a follower axial locking mechanism;

[0045] The locking mechanism is arranged inside the housing 1-4 and is used for locking and unlocking between the split shaft end 1 and the electric body 2;

[0046] The spline head 1-1 is fixedly connected to the connecting rod 1-2, and a characteristic key 1-1a and a fillet 1-1b are provided on the spline head 1-1. The characteristic key 1-1a is embedded in the spline groove of the large gear inside the joint, and the fillet 1-1b is used for local guidance;

[0047] The limiting member 1-3 is connected to the housing 1-4, and a set of bearings are installed inside the limiting member 1-3 and the housing 1-4 for supporting the connecting rod 1-2;

[0048] The limiter 1-3 is provided with a guide spline 1-3a, which is embedded in four petal grooves of the internal structure plate A of the robot arm joint to realize a torque closed loop between the split shaft end 1 and the robot arm joint;

[0049] The housing 1-4 is provided with a handle 1-5, and a clamp 1-6 is provided at the end of the handle for fixing the handle to the armrest structure on the joint of the mechanical arm, so as to achieve temporary fixation of the split shaft end 1;

[0050] A spring pressure key 1-19 is provided on the housing 1-4, which, under the action of the compression spring 1-20, acts with the shaft hole on the internal structure plate B of the mechanical arm joint, and relies on friction to achieve axial limitation of the tool;

[0051] The active axial locking mechanism includes an unlocking wrench 1-9, a locking pin 1-10, a locking spring 1-11, and a locking shaft 1-12;

[0052] In the normal state, the unlocking wrench 1-9 is closed, and the locking pin 1-10 protrudes out of the docking surface 1-4a under the action of the locking spring 1-11, and acts with the locking ring 2-6 on the electric body 2 to achieve axial locking;

[0053] In the unlocking state, by opening the unlocking wrench 1-9, the locking pin 1-10 is retracted into the inside of the docking surface 1-4a, and under the action of external force, the locking ring 2-6 is disengaged from the housing 1-4, thereby achieving unlocking;

[0054] The follower axial locking mechanism includes a follower shaft 1-15, a limit shaft rod 1-16, and a follower compression spring 1-17;

[0055] Under normal conditions, the follower shaft 1-15 protrudes from the docking surface 1-4a. During the docking process of the electric body 2, under the action of the locking ring 2-6, the follower shaft 1-15 and the follower compression spring 1-17 move toward the inside of the docking surface 1-4a, and then fall into the annular groove 2-6a, and under the action of the annular protrusion 2-6b, the axial locking of the electric body 2 is achieved;

[0056] Astronauts operate the unlocking wrench 1-9 of the active axial locking mechanism to close and open, thereby realizing the on-orbit assembly / disassembly of the split shaft end 1 and the electric body 2; the follow-up axial locking mechanism provides an axial locking force for anti-drifting fixation during the docking process to prevent drifting away.

[0057] The main structure of the electric body 2 is the main shell 2-14, which is provided with: a rotation direction adjustment switch 2-1 for realizing positive and negative adjustment of the output end; an angle adjustment switch 2-2 for realizing the rotation displacement of the output end relative to the joint; a power switch 2-8 for realizing the on and off of the power supply; a standard interface core for realizing the connection between the electric body 2 and the standard workbench on the space suit; a status indicator 2-10 for displaying the operating status, battery power and fault status information; a battery box 2-7, installed on the main shell 2-14, for installing batteries; handles A2-11 and B2-12, both installed below the main shell 2-14, for astronauts to grasp;

[0058] The electric body 2 includes a motor, a male end flange 2-5, and a locking ring 2-6: the motor is installed inside the main housing 2-14, and the output end drive shaft 2-13 acts on the rear end structure 1-2a of the connecting rod 1-2 to achieve torque transmission; the male end flange 2-5 is installed on the output end drive shaft side, and the torque closed loop of the electric body is achieved through the first indexing tooth groove 2-5a on the male end flange 2-5 and the female end flange 1-8 on the split shaft end 1;

[0059] The locking ring 2-6 includes an annular groove 2-6a and an annular protrusion 2-6b. The locking ring 2-6 is installed on the output end drive shaft. The annular protrusion 2-6b acts on the structural docking surface 1-4a of the housing 14 to achieve a guiding effect. The annular groove 2-6a acts on the follower shaft 1-15 to achieve axial locking of the follower shaft.

[0060] The annular groove 2-6a and the locking shaft 1-12 are used to realize active axial locking; the annular groove 2-6a on the locking ring 2-6 is an annular structure, so that the electric body 2 can be driven as the center and the indexing tooth groove 2-5a as the indexing to realize 360-degree rotation during the docking process with the split shaft end 1;

[0061] The female end flange 1-8 of the split shaft end 1 is provided with a second graduated tooth groove 1-8a, which is used for tooth-to-tooth docking with the male end flange 2-5 on the electric body 2, and is used for a torque closed loop between the electric body 2 and the split shaft end 1; a slot structure 1-2a is provided at one end of the connecting rod 1-2 of the split shaft end, which is used for adapting to the driving square shaft 2-13 of the electric body 2, thereby realizing torque transmission to the joint; the slot structure 1-2a is provided with 12 evenly distributed diamond grooves to cooperate with the square shaft of the electric body 2, providing 12 insertion directions to adapt to the working posture of the astronauts.

[0062] The present invention realizes the function of driving the faulty joint of the large mechanical arm of the space station by installing the split shaft end 1 and the electric body 2 in steps;

[0063] The present invention provides a split shaft end 1 with an active axial locking mechanism and a follower axial locking mechanism, so that the electric body 2 can be quickly connected and separated when the astronaut operates with one hand.

[0064] The electric tool of the present invention can drive the internal transmission gear of the joint through the characteristic key 1-1a, and self-lock the body on the joint product through the guide spline 1-3a, thereby realizing a force closed-loop design. The astronauts operating the tool are not subjected to force during the entire process of using the tool, thereby improving the safety of the tool and ensuring the personal safety of the astronauts during maintenance tasks.

[0065] The electric tool designed by the present invention adopts a step-by-step split installation. The split shaft end 1 can be adjusted adaptively to match any fault angle of the joint product, and the split shaft end 1 has 4 installation directions. When astronauts are in a complex operating space for installation, they can adjust the tool installation angle to adapt to the space working environment.

[0066] The electric tool body 2 of the present invention can be indexed within the axial range of 360 degrees by means of indexing tooth grooves, so as to realize rapid docking with the split shaft end 1 at different angles;

[0067] The electric tool of the present invention can set the angle, speed and direction of the mechanical arm joint to meet various maintenance drive requirements, and has an emergency stop design to avoid inevitable emergencies in the mechanical arm joint during movement;

[0068] The electric tool of the present invention has been verified by astronauts' operation, including the installation interface layout, operation knob layout, product identification indicative design, tool installation alignment operation design, etc., which meet the astronauts' requirements on operability, accessibility, visibility, etc.; the electric tool of the present invention has installation position force feedback and position identification design, which ensure the visibility and feedback sense of astronauts during operation.

[0069] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above in the form of a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present invention by using the methods and technical contents disclosed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A maintenance power tool for maintaining a large space station robot arm drive, characterized in that: The utility model comprises a split shaft end (1) and an electric body (2). The split shaft end (1) and the electric body (2) are respectively accompanied by the astronauts to exit the cabin. After reaching the designated position, the split shaft end (1) is first inserted into the end of the mechanical arm joint to achieve connection and fixation between the split shaft end (1) and the mechanical arm joint; then the electric body (2) is connected to the split shaft end (1) to complete the assembly of the electric tool, and the rotation of the electric tool is achieved by operating the angle adjustment switch and the rotation direction adjustment switch, thereby achieving the driving of the mechanical arm joint; the operation of assembling / disassembling the split shaft end (1) and the electric body (2) on-orbit is achieved by operating the unlocking wrench (1-9) of the active axial locking mechanism to close and open; the follow-up axial locking mechanism provides an axial locking force for anti-drift fixation during docking; The split shaft end (1) comprises a docking mechanism and a locking mechanism, the docking mechanism comprises a spline head (1-1), a connecting rod (1-2), a limiter (1-3) and a housing (1-4), and the locking mechanism comprises an active axial locking mechanism and a follower axial locking mechanism; The locking mechanism is arranged inside the housing (1-4) and is used for locking and unlocking the split shaft end (1) and the electric body (2); The spline head (1-1) is fixedly connected to the connecting rod (1-2), and the spline head (1-1) is provided with a characteristic key (1-1a) and a fillet (1-1b), the characteristic key (1-1a) is embedded in the spline groove of the large gear inside the joint, and the fillet (1-1b) is used for local guidance; A guide spline (1-3a) is provided on the limiting member (1-3), and the guide spline (1-3a) is embedded in four petal grooves of the internal structure plate A of the mechanical arm joint, so as to realize a torque closed loop between the split shaft end (1) and the mechanical arm joint; The active axial locking mechanism comprises an unlocking wrench (1-9), a locking pin (1-10), a locking spring (1-11) and a locking shaft (1-12); In a normal state, the unlocking wrench (1-9) is closed, and the locking pin shaft (1-10) protrudes from the docking surface (1-4a) under the action of the locking spring (1-11), and acts with the locking ring (2-6) on the electric body (2) to achieve axial locking; In the unlocking state, by opening the unlocking wrench (1-9), the locking pin shaft (1-10) is retracted into the interior of the docking surface (1-4a), and under the action of an external force, the locking ring (2-6) is disengaged from the housing (1-4), thereby achieving unlocking; The follower axial locking mechanism comprises a follower shaft (1-15), a limiting shaft rod (1-16), and a follower compression spring (1-17); In a normal state, the follower shaft (1-15) protrudes from the docking surface (1-4a). During the docking process of the electric body (2), under the action of the locking ring (2-6), the follower shaft (1-15) and the follower compression spring (1-17) move toward the inside of the docking surface (1-4a), and then fall into the annular groove (2-6a). Under the action of the annular protrusion (2-6b), the electric body (2) is axially locked.

2. A maintenance power tool for maintaining a large space station mechanical arm drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main structure of the electric body (2) is a main shell (2-14), which is provided with: a rotation direction adjustment switch (2-1) for realizing positive and negative adjustment of the output end; an angle adjustment switch (2-2) for realizing the rotation displacement of the output end relative to the joint; a power switch (2-8) for realizing the on and off of the power supply; a standard interface core for realizing the connection between the electric body (2) and a standard workbench on the space suit; a status indicator light (2-10) for displaying the operating status, battery power and fault status information; a battery box (2-7) installed on the main shell (2-14) for installing batteries; and a handle A (2-11) and a handle B (2-12) both installed below the main shell (2-14) for the astronaut to grasp.

3. A maintenance power tool for maintaining a large space station mechanical arm drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting member (1-3) is connected to the housing (1-4), and a group of bearings are respectively installed inside the limiting member (1-3) and the housing (1-4) for supporting the connecting rod (1-2).

4. A maintenance power tool for maintaining a large space station mechanical arm drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (1-4) is provided with a handle (1-5), and a clamp (1-6) is provided at the end of the handle for fixing the handle to the handrail structure on the joint of the mechanical arm, thereby achieving temporary fixation of the split shaft end (1).

5. The maintenance power tool for maintaining a large space station mechanical arm drive according to claim 1, characterized in that: A spring pressure key (1-19) is provided on the housing (1-4), and under the action of a pressure spring (1-20), it interacts with an axial hole on a structural plate B inside a joint of the mechanical arm, and relies on friction force to achieve axial limiting of the tool.

6. A maintenance power tool for maintaining a large space station mechanical arm drive according to claim 2, characterized in that: The electric body (2) comprises a motor, a male end flange (2-5), and a locking ring (2-6): the motor is installed inside the main housing (2-14), and the output end driving square head shaft (2-13) and the rear end structure of the connecting rod (1-2) function to achieve torque transmission; the male end flange (2-5) is installed on the output end driving shaft side, and the torque closed loop of the electric body is achieved through the action of the first indexing tooth groove (2-5a) on the male end flange (2-5) and the female end flange (1-8) on the split shaft end (1).

7. A maintenance power tool for maintaining a large space station mechanical arm drive according to claim 6, characterized in that: The locking ring (2-6) comprises an annular groove (2-6a) and an annular protrusion (2-6b). The locking ring (2-6) is mounted on the output end drive shaft. The annular protrusion (2-6b) acts on a structural docking surface (1-4a) of the housing (1-4) to achieve a guiding effect. The annular groove (2-6a) also acts on a follower shaft (1-15) to achieve follower axial locking.

8. The maintenance power tool for maintaining the drive of a large space station robot arm according to claim 7, characterized in that: Active axial locking is achieved through the action of the annular groove (2-6a) and the locking shaft (1-12); the annular groove (2-6a) on the locking ring (2-6) is an annular structure, so that the electric body (2) can be driven as the center and the first indexing tooth groove (2-5a) as the indexing to achieve rotation within a range of 360 degrees during the docking process with the split shaft end (1).

9. The maintenance power tool for maintaining the drive of a large space station robot arm according to claim 6, characterized in that: The female end flange (1-8) of the split shaft end (1) is provided with a second graduated tooth groove (1-8a) for engaging the male end flange (2-5) on the electric body (2) to engage in tooth-to-tooth connection, and is used for a torque closed loop between the electric body (2) and the split shaft end (1); a slotted hole structure is provided at one end of the connecting rod (1-2) of the split shaft end, and is used for matching with a driving square shaft (2-13) of the electric body (2), thereby realizing torque transmission to the joint; the slotted hole structure is provided with 12 evenly distributed rhombus grooves for matching with the square shaft of the electric body (2), and provides 12 insertion directions to adapt to the working posture of astronauts.

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