Clutch mechanism for satellite solar array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge

Abstract

The present invention proposes a clutch mechanism for a satellite solar array deployment synchronization mechanism and a deployment hinge, comprising: a central shaft, a cable pulley support assembly, a cable pulley, a compression spring, and a compression spring cover. The cable pulley support assembly includes at least one rolling bearing, with the outer ring of the bearing forming a rolling pair with the end face of the cable pulley to support the cable pulley. The cable pulley is provided with a through-hole corresponding to the outer ring of the bearing to facilitate disengagement and restoration of the cable pulley from the central shaft spline pair. The compression spring is disposed externally to the central shaft, with one end contacting the cable pulley and the other end contacting the compression spring cover, and applies a downward driving force to the cable pulley through the compression spring cover. During the deployment of the solar array, the present invention maintains the linkage between the synchronization mechanism cable pulley and the deployment hinge shaft, thereby ensuring synchronous deployment of the solar array. Once the solar array is locked, the linkage between the deployment synchronization mechanism cable pulley and the deployment hinge shaft is automatically released, thereby ensuring the solar array's ability to orient itself toward the sun.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of deployment drive devices for satellite solar cell arrays, and more particularly to a clutch mechanism for a satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge. Background Art

[0002] Typically, the satellite solar array drive unit (SADA) achieves solar array orientation via one-dimensional motion. However, when a satellite is operating in certain specific orbits, achieving solar array orientation via one-dimensional motion often fails to yield the ideal solar incidence angle, leading to reduced power generation efficiency. In such cases, two-dimensional solar orientation motion must be implemented to ensure the ideal solar incidence angle is obtained in real time, such as... Figure 1 As shown.

[0003] During the on-orbit deployment of the solar array, the deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) must maintain a linkage with the corresponding deployment hinge shaft to ensure the synchronization of deployment between the substrates and connecting frames. However, when the solar array has completed deployment and locked into its working state, if... Figure 1 The deployment synchronization mechanism at the location shown as "another dimensional axis that needs to be added" cannot disengage from the deployment hinge axis, which will prevent the solar array from completing its solar-oriented rotation around that axis. Therefore, to achieve the desired effect... Figure 1 The two-dimensional solar-oriented motion of the solar array shown requires the design of a clutch mechanism to release / restore the linkage between the deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) and the deployment hinge shaft.

[0004] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the installation relationship between a typical satellite solar array deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) and the deployment hinge. It can be seen that, under normal circumstances, the installation relationship between the solar array deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) and the deployment hinge is fixed, which cannot meet the requirements for two-dimensional solar-oriented directional movement of the solar array. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to adapt to... Figure 1 To address the requirement for two-dimensional solar-oriented motion of the solar array shown, a clutch mechanism is provided for the deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge of the satellite solar array.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this invention is that the clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and the deployment hinge includes:

[0007] Central axis;

[0008] The cable pulley support assembly includes at least one rolling bearing;

[0009] The cable pulley, wherein the cable pulley support assembly forms a rolling pair with the end face of the cable pulley via the outer ring of the bearing, thereby supporting the cable pulley. The cable pulley is provided with a through hole corresponding to the outer ring of the bearing to allow for disengagement and repositioning of the cable pulley from the splined pair of the central shaft.

[0010] Spring-loaded cover;

[0011] A compression spring is disposed outside the central shaft, with one end in contact with the cable pulley and the other end in contact with the compression spring cover, and applies a downward driving force to the cable pulley through the compression spring cover.

[0012] In one embodiment, an external spline is provided along the axis of the central shaft, and the sheave forms a spline pair with the central shaft through the external spline.

[0013] In one embodiment, the compression spring cover is connected to the central shaft via a threaded joint.

[0014] In one embodiment, the number, location, and size of the through holes are matched with the number, location, and outer ring size of the bearings.

[0015] In one embodiment, the cable pulley support assembly includes a bearing cap, which supports the cable pulley when the outer ring of the bearing rolls into the through hole, causing the cable pulley to disengage from the external spline of the central shaft under the downward driving force of the compression spring.

[0016] In one embodiment, the sheave support assembly and the through hole of the sheave have a large gap, and the maximum radial envelope dimension of the sheave support assembly is 1.3 mm smaller than the diameter of the through hole.

[0017] In one embodiment, the splined pair between the sheave and the central shaft is H10 / d10.

[0018] In one embodiment, the bearing is mounted on the support assembly by a nut.

[0019] In one embodiment, the clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge further includes: a cable wheel positioning nut, disposed outside the central shaft, for limiting the cable wheel when the cable wheel moves upward along the central shaft.

[0020] In one embodiment, the clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge further includes a connecting screw, disposed outside the central shaft and on the side of the cable pulley away from the compression spring, for connecting the central shaft and the external structure.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has at least the following advantages:

[0022] The clutch mechanism for the satellite solar array deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) and deployment hinge described in this invention maintains the linkage between the synchronization mechanism pulley and the deployment hinge shaft during the deployment of the solar array, thereby ensuring the synchronous deployment of the solar array. Once the solar array is locked, the linkage between the synchronization mechanism pulley and the deployment hinge shaft is automatically disengaged, thus ensuring the solar array's solar-oriented directional movement function. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a two-dimensional solar-oriented rotation axis for a solar cell array in this field;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the installation relationship between a solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and a deployment hinge in this field.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly relationship in the solar cell array deployment hinge according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a cable pulley structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 According to the embodiments of the present invention Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the splined pair between the central shaft and the cable pulley in its restored state (CC sectional view);

[0028] Figure 6 According to the embodiments of the present invention Figure 3 A schematic diagram (CC section view) showing the disengaged spline pair between the central shaft and the cable pulley.

[0029] Figure 7 According to the embodiments of the present invention Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the central axis and the male hinge (BB sectional view).

[0030] Figure Labels

[0031] 1. Cable pulley support assembly; 2. Male hinge; 3. Female hinge; 4. Bearing cover; 5. Cable pulley; 6. Compression spring cover; 7. Central shaft; 8. Compression spring; 9. Bearing; 10. Mounting nut; 11. Cable pulley positioning nut; 12. Connecting screw. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention in achieving its intended purpose, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0033] In the first embodiment of the present invention, a clutch mechanism for a satellite solar array deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) and a deployment hinge is provided, such as... Figures 3-7 As shown, it includes a central shaft 7, a cable pulley support assembly 1, a cable pulley 5, a compression spring cover 6, and a compression spring 8.

[0034] In this embodiment, the sheave 5 is disposed outside the central shaft 7, and the sheave support assembly 1 includes at least one bearing 9 on the side near the sheave 5. Exemplarily, there may be two bearings. The sheave support assembly 1 forms a rolling pair with the end face of the sheave 5 through the outer ring of the bearing 9. The compression spring 8 is disposed outside the central shaft 7 and on the side of the sheave 5 away from the sheave support assembly 1. The compression spring 8 can contract in response to the action of external force. In the contracted state, it applies a downward driving force to the sheave 5.

[0035] This embodiment is applied to the linkage between the clutch mechanism pulley 5 and the deployment hinge shaft during the deployment of the solar cell array. Specifically, the deployment hinge shaft may include a male hinge 2 and a female hinge 3. The female hinge 3 and the pulley support assembly 1 are provided with two connection parts, and the male hinge 2 and the central shaft 7 are provided with one connection part. The connection part corresponding to the male hinge 2 is located between the two connection parts of the female hinge 3 along the axial direction.

[0036] Based on the above structure, the cable pulley 5 is linked with the central shaft 7 and can rotate around the axis of the central shaft 7.

[0037] In this embodiment, reference Figure 4 The pulley 5 is provided with through holes corresponding to the outer ring of the bearing 9. Furthermore, the number, position, and size of the through holes are all matched with the number, position, and outer ring size of the bearings 9.

[0038] In other words, during one revolution of the sheave 5, there will always be at least one moment when the outer ring of the bearing 9 rotates to the position corresponding to the through hole of the sheave 5. At this time, in response to the downward driving force of the compression spring 8 on the sheave 5, the bearing 9 will be inserted into the through hole of the sheave 5. Furthermore, the spline pair connecting the sheave 5 and the central shaft 7 will disengage, and the sheave 5 will be supported by the bearing cover 4 above the sheave support assembly 1. After disengaging from the spline pair, the compression spring 8 still exerts downward pressure on the sheave 5, which can prevent the sheave 5 from undergoing radial and axial displacement.

[0039] refer to Figure 5It is understandable that when the sheave 5 rotates in conjunction with the central shaft 7 to the position where the solar array is deployed and locked, it corresponds to the position where the bearing 9 is embedded in the sheave 5. In other words, during the deployment of the solar array, the sheave 5 and the central shaft 7 are linked through a spline joint. At this time, the compression spring 8 continuously applies a downward vertical force to the sheave 5. However, supported by the bearing 9 of the sheave support assembly 1, the spline joint between the sheave 5 and the central shaft 7 will not slip, thus maintaining the linkage between the deployment synchronization mechanism and the deployment hinge shaft. When the solar array is deployed and locked, the through hole on the sheave 5 rotates to just above the bearing 9 of the sheave support assembly 1, losing its support. At this time, under the positive force applied by the compression spring 8, the sheave 5 will move downwards, thus disengaging the spline joint and releasing the linkage.

[0040] refer to Figure 6 When the linkage needs to be restored, simply rotate the central shaft 7 back to the disengaged position, manually lift the sheave 5, and move it upward along the spline joint against the pressure of the compression spring 8 to the end face positioning position. Specifically, it can be moved upward to the sheave positioning nut 11 located outside the central shaft 7. This sheave positioning nut 11 is used to limit the sheave 5 when it moves upward along the central shaft 7. At this time, the spline joint has been restored and the sheave support assembly 1 no longer hinders the rotation of the sheave 5 around the axis of the central shaft 7, that is, the function of the deployment synchronization mechanism is restored, and the solar array can be manually retracted.

[0041] In this embodiment, a spring cover 6 is provided at the end of the compression spring 8 away from the cable pulley 5. The spring cover 6 is connected to the central shaft 7 through a threaded pair. A downward driving force can be applied to the spring 8 by applying the spring cover 6, and then the spring 8 is further converted into a downward driving force on the cable pulley 5.

[0042] In this embodiment, the radial envelope dimension of the cable pulley support assembly 1 and the through hole diameter of the cable pulley 5 can be separated by a large gap to ensure that the spline pair between the cable pulley 5 and the central shaft 7 can be smoothly released under the pressure of the compression spring 8. For example, in this embodiment, the maximum radial envelope dimension of the cable pulley support assembly 1 is 1.3 mm smaller than the through hole diameter of the cable pulley 5.

[0043] In this embodiment, the spline joint between the sheave 5 and the central shaft 7 can adopt a large clearance fit to ensure that the spline joint between the sheave 5 and the central shaft 7 can be smoothly released under the pressure of the compression spring 8. It also ensures that the spline joint can be easily manually restored. For example, in this embodiment, the spline joint between the sheave 5 and the central shaft 7 adopts an H10 / d10 fit.

[0044] In this embodiment, the cable pulley support assembly 1 can be mounted on the female hinge 3 by mounting nut 10.

[0045] refer to Figure 7In this embodiment, a connecting screw 12 is provided at a position outside the central shaft 7 and on the side of the cable pulley 5 away from the compression spring 8, which is used to connect the central shaft 7 and the male hinge 2.

[0046] Compared with the prior art, this embodiment has at least the following advantages:

[0047] The present invention provides a clutch mechanism for the deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) and deployment hinge of a satellite solar array. During the deployment of the solar array, the linkage between the synchronization mechanism's pulley and the deployment hinge shaft is maintained, ensuring the synchronous deployment of the solar array. Once the solar array is locked, the linkage between the synchronization mechanism's pulley and the deployment hinge shaft is automatically disengaged, thus ensuring the solar array's directional movement function.

[0048] Meanwhile, the present invention also takes into account the needs of ground assembly and testing of solar cell arrays, and has the linkage function of manual recovery deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) cable pulley and deployment hinge rotation center shaft.

[0049] The second embodiment of the present invention is an application example based on the first embodiment described above. The following is a description of the application example. Figures 1 to 7 This embodiment will be further described.

[0050] In this embodiment, the spring cap 6 is connected to the central shaft 7 via a threaded joint, used to adjust the pressure of the spring. The spring 8 applies positive pressure to the pulley 5. With the spline joint between the pulley 5 and the central shaft 7 in place, this positive pressure is borne by the rolling joint formed by the outer rings of the rolling bearings on the two pulley support assemblies 1 and the lower end face of the pulley 5. At this time, the deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) will function to ensure the synchronous deployment of the connecting frame and each substrate during the deployment of the solar cell array.

[0051] The working process of the clutch mechanism for the satellite solar array deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) and deployment hinge provided by this invention is as follows: After the solar array is deployed and locked, the two through holes on the pulley 5 will rotate above the pulley support assembly 1. The rolling pair formed between the outer ring of the bearing 9 on the pulley support assembly 1 and the lower end face of the pulley 5 will disappear. The pulley 5 will move along the central axis of the outer spline of the central shaft 7 under the positive pressure applied by the compression spring 8 until it is completely disengaged from the outer spline of the central shaft 7. Subsequently, the pulley 5 is supported by the bearing cover 4, and the compression spring 8 still maintains a certain positive pressure on the pulley 5. At this time, the spline pair between the pulley 5 of the synchronization mechanism (CCL) and the central shaft 7 of the deployment hinge has been disengaged, ensuring that the subsequent solar array will rotate around the central shaft 7 for solar orientation under the drive of the motor.

[0052] When manually retracting the solar array, the splined joint between the pulley 5 and the central shaft 7 must first be restored before the manual retraction operation can begin. During restoration, the motor drives the base plate and connecting bracket back to the disengaged splined joint position, at which point the outer spline of the central shaft 7 is roughly aligned with the inner spline of the pulley 5. Then, the spline groove of the pulley 5 is manually aligned with the spline of the central shaft 7 and pushed upwards until it contacts the pulley positioning nut 11. At this point, the splined joint is fully restored. A special fixture is used to maintain the current position of the pulley 5, thus restoring the synchronization mechanism (CCL) function. The solar array retraction operation then begins. When the solar array is retracted to a certain angle, the rolling joint between the outer ring of the bearing of the pulley support assembly 1 and the lower end face of the pulley 5 is restored. The special fixture can then be removed, and the rolling joint between the pulley support assembly 1 and the pulley 5 provides support for the pulley 5, thus maintaining the splined joint between the pulley 5 and the central shaft 7.

[0053] In summary, the clutch mechanism for the satellite solar array deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) and deployment hinge provided by this invention can maintain the linkage between the synchronization mechanism pulley and the deployment hinge shaft during the deployment of the solar array, thereby ensuring the synchronous deployment of the solar array. Once the solar array is locked, the linkage between the deployment synchronization mechanism pulley and the deployment hinge shaft can be automatically disengaged, thus ensuring the solar array's solar-oriented movement function.

[0054] Meanwhile, the present invention also takes into account the needs of ground assembly and testing of solar cell arrays, and has the linkage function of manual recovery deployment synchronization mechanism (CCL) cable wheel and deployment hinge shaft.

[0055] Through the description of specific embodiments, a more in-depth and specific understanding should be gained of the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve the intended purpose. However, the accompanying drawings are only for reference and illustration and are not intended to limit the present invention.

Claims

1. A clutch mechanism for a satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and a deployment hinge, characterized in that, include: Central axis; The cable pulley support assembly includes at least one rolling bearing; The cable pulley, wherein the cable pulley support assembly forms a rolling pair with the end face of the cable pulley through the outer ring of the bearing to support the cable pulley; the cable pulley is provided with a through hole corresponding to the outer ring of the bearing to realize the disengagement and restoration of the cable pulley from the spline pair of the central shaft; Spring-loaded cover; A compression spring is disposed outside the central shaft, with one end in contact with the cable pulley and the other end in contact with the compression spring cover, and applies a downward driving force to the cable pulley through the compression spring cover; During the deployment of the solar array, the cable pulley and the central shaft are linked through a spline joint. When the solar array is deployed and locked in place, the through hole on the cable pulley rotates to the bearing of the cable pulley support assembly. At this time, under the positive pressure applied by the compression spring, the cable pulley will move downward to complete the disengagement of the spline joint and realize the release function of the linkage joint.

2. The clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, An external spline is provided along the axis of the central shaft, and the sheave forms a spline pair with the central shaft through the external spline.

3. The clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The compression spring cover is connected to the central shaft via a threaded joint.

4. The clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number, location, and size of the through holes are all matched with the number, location, and outer ring size of the bearings.

5. The clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cable pulley support assembly includes a bearing cap. When the outer ring of the bearing rolls into the through hole, the cable pulley is driven downward by the compression spring and disengages from the external spline of the central shaft. The bearing cap is used to support the cable pulley.

6. The clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The maximum radial envelope dimension of the cable sheave support assembly is 1.3 mm smaller than the diameter of the through hole of the cable sheave.

7. The clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge according to claim 2, characterized in that, The spline joint between the sheave and the central shaft is H10 / d10.

8. The clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing is mounted on the support assembly by a nut.

9. The clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A sheave positioning nut is disposed outside the central shaft and is used to limit the sheave when the sheave moves upward along the central shaft.

10. The clutch mechanism for the satellite solar cell array deployment synchronization mechanism and deployment hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A connecting screw, located outside the central shaft and on the side of the cable pulley away from the compression spring, is used to connect the central shaft to the external structure.

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