End effector, engine throat capture and release device and method

Abstract

The invention relates to an end effector, an engine throat capture and release device and method, comprising: an end effector housing; a capture head, disposed outside the end effector housing; a flexible component, connected between the end effector housing and the capture head; a plurality of flexible components of the flexible component arranged in a circle along the circumference; a rotating mechanism, a portion of which is rotationally connected to the end effector housing and the other portion passes through the flexible component and is connected to the capture head; a limiter, disposed in the flexible component at a position close to the capture head and connected to the capture head; wherein the outer diameter of the capture head and the limiter is smaller than the inner diameter of the channel; the flexible component is in a natural state: the diameter at the middle position of the flexible component is larger than the diameter of the channel, and the diameter at both ends of the flexible component is smaller than the diameter of the channel. The invention avoids mechanical damage to the channel and the inner wall of the throat caused by the capture head and the flexible component; has low manufacturing cost and high reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of on-orbit service technology, and in particular to an end effector, a lantern-type non-destructive capture and release device and method for the throat of an on-orbit satellite engine. Background Art

[0002] The geostationary orbit (GEO) is a vital Earth orbital resource for humanity. However, due to orbital constraints, on-orbit resources are extremely scarce. However, with the rapid development of space missions, over 40% of the satellites in the GEO belt (GEO ± 200 km) are uncontrollable or abandoned satellites and their debris. These space objects have a long natural fall cycle, posing a threat to the safety of normally operating GEO satellites and resulting in a significant waste of GEO orbital resources. Statistics also show that over 50% of GEO satellite failures in orbit are caused by a loss of a function in the service system, while the payload and platform itself, which account for over 70% of the satellite's cost, are fully functional. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a service vehicle equipped with a universal capture mechanism to assist in the deorbiting of abandoned satellites still within the GEO belt and propel them into a GEO junk orbit; or to rescue failed satellites and quickly restore their payload mission capabilities.

[0003] Regarding the attitude characteristics of a failed satellite in orbit, due to energy dissipation from the swaying of the satellite's solar panels and propellant, given a constant angular momentum, according to the concept of energy sinks, the satellite will eventually rotate about its principal axis of maximum inertia (typically east-west and Earthward), and experience small nutation motions due to external forces such as solar pressure. Regarding interface characteristics, current GEO satellites in orbit and under development are not designed for on-orbit service and maintenance and lack compatible docking interfaces. Therefore, considering the requirements for rescue services and deorbit operations for these satellites, a high-tolerance, lightweight, and rigid capture mechanism suitable for high-orbit satellites is needed to enhance the versatility, reliability, and safety of capturing satellites in orbit. An analysis of common equipment on high-orbit satellites indicates that the satellites are equipped with deployable solar arrays on their north-south surfaces, an intersatellite interface docking ring and apogee motor at the satellite-rocket docking interface, and an antenna facing the ground. The apogee motor is no longer used after the satellite is in orbit, making it a suitable candidate for capture and docking.

[0004] The apogee engine captured based on the conical rod mechanism is particularly suitable for abandoned high-orbit satellites rotating around the axis toward the Earth. It can make full use of the weak impact speed between the two spacecraft, perform isotropic guidance and capture through the inner cone surface of the engine, and reduce the relative posture control accuracy of the two spacecraft.

[0005] The capture target is the engine nozzle of an in-orbit satellite, and the capture location is the internal throat of the engine nozzle. A channel connecting the engine nozzle and the throat is smaller than the internal diameter of the engine nozzle and throat. After the capture mechanism aligns with the engine throat, it passes through the channel and enters the throat, completing the rapid capture operation within a short period of contact with the target satellite.

[0006] Currently, several conical rod capture mechanism solutions have been publicly disclosed. These mechanisms primarily target the apogee engines commonly used by GEO satellites. They consist of a telescopic mechanism and a conical rod mechanism connected in series. The telescopic mechanism enables the axial telescopic movement of the conical rod mechanism, which in turn consists of a crown-shaped expansion and locking mechanism, a distal in-position sensor, and a combined laser sensor. The crown-shaped expansion and locking mechanism also targets the engine throat. Unfortunately, this mechanism is external to the capture mechanism and lacks a telescopic function. During satellite capture, this part of the mechanism may strike first, rather than the external guide structure of the conical rod mechanism, potentially causing capture failure or even damage to the crown-shaped expansion and locking mechanism. Furthermore, the crown-shaped expansion and locking mechanism is relatively sharp and can easily damage the inner wall of the throat.

[0007] The Chinese invention patent with publication number CN105459137A discloses an engine throat capture mechanism, which belongs to the field of on-orbit service technology, including: a ball screw, a screw nut, a bearing, a limit ring, a base seat, a clamping seat, a coupling, an adapter, a probe, a movable tongue and a base plate; one end of the ball screw is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the reduction gearbox, the other end of the ball screw is fixedly connected to one end of the adapter through a coupling, and the other end of the adapter is fixedly connected to the cylindrical part of the probe; the screw nut is screwed onto the outer circumferential surface of the ball screw by screwing it with the ball screw and abuts against the end face of the limit ring; the base seat passes through the ball screw and is fixed to the limit boss of the screw nut; two or more movable tongues are evenly distributed along the circumference of the base seat at the end of the base seat away from the screw nut; one end of the movable tongue is movably connected to the base seat, and the other end is tightly abutted against the outer surface of the adapter or the probe by the action of a spring; the device can complete the capture, locking and release of non-cooperative targets. However, when the mechanism captures the throat, the expansion flap is captured by a stepped structure, and the contact area with the throat is small, which can easily cause damage to the inner wall of the throat.

[0008] It can be seen that the capture head of the capture device in the prior art is relatively sharp, and will destroy the coating of the channel and the inner wall of the throat in the process of passing through the channel into the throat, thereby causing damage to the channel and the inner wall of the throat. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the invention is to overcome the problem in the prior art that the channel and the inner wall of the throat are easily damaged during the capture process.

[0010] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides an end effector, comprising:

[0011] End effector housing;

[0012] a capture head, disposed outside the end effector housing;

[0013] A flexible component is connected between the end effector housing and the capture head; the flexible component includes a plurality of arc-shaped flexible members, and the plurality of flexible members are arranged in a circle along the circumferential direction;

[0014] A rotating mechanism, one portion of which is rotatably connected to the end effector housing and another portion of which is connected to the capture head through the flexible component;

[0015] A limiting member is provided in the flexible component at a position close to the capture head, and the limiting member is connected to the capture head;

[0016] Among them, the outer diameter of the capture head and the limiter is smaller than the inner diameter of the channel; the flexible component is in a natural state: the diameter at the middle position of the flexible component is larger than the diameter of the channel, and the diameter at both ends of the flexible component is smaller than the diameter of the channel.

[0017] In one embodiment of the invention, the rotation axis of the rotating mechanism, the axis of the flexible component and the axis of the capturing head coincide with each other.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention, the flexible component is divided into a first body, a second body and a third body along its axial direction, and the first body and the third body are located at both ends of the second body;

[0019] Wherein, when the flexible component is in a natural state: the minimum outer diameter of the second body is larger than the inner diameter of the channel; the maximum outer diameter of the first body and the maximum outer diameter of the third body are both smaller than the inner diameter of the channel.

[0020] In one embodiment of the invention, the ratio of the projection sizes of the first body, the second body and the third body on the axis of the flexible component is 1:1:1.

[0021] In one embodiment of the invention, the rotating mechanism includes a first motor and a central rotating shaft. The first motor is arranged in the end effector housing. One end of the central rotating shaft is connected to the first motor and the other end is connected to the capture head. The middle part of the central rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the end effector housing.

[0022] In one embodiment of the invention, the rotating mechanism further includes a speed reducer, which is disposed in the end effector housing and connected between the first motor and the central rotary shaft.

[0023] In one embodiment of the invention, the capture head is a cylindrical structure; along the axial direction of the capture head, a conical tapered head is provided at one end of the capture head away from the end effector housing.

[0024] In another aspect, the invention provides an engine throat capture and release device, comprising:

[0025] The end effector in the above embodiment;

[0026] shell;

[0027] A forward mechanism is disposed in the housing and connected to the end effector, and drives the end effector forward and backward;

[0028] The control unit is electrically connected to the advancing mechanism and the rotating mechanism.

[0029] In one embodiment of the invention, the advancement mechanism includes a second motor, a ball screw, and a lead screw nut;

[0030] The second motor is connected to the ball screw through a gearbox, the screw nut is threadedly connected to the ball screw, the screw nut is slidably connected in the housing, and the screw nut is fixedly connected to the end actuator.

[0031] In another aspect, the invention provides an engine throat capture and release method, which uses the engine throat capture and release device of the above embodiment to capture and release, the steps comprising: advancing into the throat; aligning and pressing against the side wall of the engine nozzle, the capture head advancing through the channel into the throat, the flexible component being squeezed and forming a double-peak bend when passing through the channel, and then entering the throat;

[0032] Capture; the capture head and the flexible component retreat due to resistance, and the flexible component produces an asymmetric single-peak deformation under the action of the limiter so that the flexible component does not exit the throat, and the capture head is located in the throat for capture;

[0033] Release; the rotating mechanism drives the capture head to twist, causing the flexible component to produce spiral deformation, and the radial size of the flexible component shrinks together with the capture head to exit the throat.

[0034] The above technical solution of the invention has the following advantages over the prior art:

[0035] The end effector of the invention has a flexible component disposed between the capture head and the end effector housing. The outer diameter of the capture head is smaller than the inner diameter of the channel, and the diameter of the flexible component at the middle position is larger than the diameter of the channel. The flexible member of the flexible component is an arc-shaped structure, which is elastic and has no sharp edges. When the capture head and the flexible component pass through the channel, the flexible component directly contacts the channel, thereby avoiding mechanical damage to the channel and the inner wall of the throat caused by direct contact between the capture head and the channel. Secondly, the flexible component includes multiple flexible members, and the multiple flexible members contact the channel and the throat at the same time, thereby increasing the contact area and further avoiding mechanical damage to the channel and the inner wall of the throat caused by the capture head and the flexible member.

[0036] The diameter of the flexible component at the middle position of the present invention is greater than the diameter of the channel, and the diameter of the flexible component at the two ends is smaller than the diameter of the channel. The flexible component is elastic and undergoes double-peak bending deformation when squeezed through the channel, so that it can smoothly pass through the channel and enter the throat. In this embodiment, a limiter is set in the flexible component. When the capture head entering the throat is retreated by resistance, the flexible component undergoes single-peak bending under the restriction of the limiter and becomes pressed against the channel, thereby preventing the capture head from exiting the throat during the capture process. After the capture is completed, the flexible component is spirally twisted and deformed under the drive of the rotating mechanism, so that the flexible component produces radial contraction and smoothly exits the throat and channel together with the capture head to achieve release. It can be seen that the flexible component and the limiter provided in this embodiment can complete lossless capture and release. The entry into the throat and the capture action do not need to be controlled, and are completely achieved by relying on the mechanical properties of the flexible component and the limiter mechanism itself, with high reliability; simple structure and low manufacturing cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] In order to make the content of the invention more clearly understood, the invention is further described in detail below based on specific embodiments of the invention and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein

[0038] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of an engine throat capture and release device;

[0039] Figure 2 It is an invention Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the end effector in an engine throat capture and release device;

[0040] Figure 3 It is an invention Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the end effector in an engine throat capture and release device;

[0041] Figure 4 It is an invention Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an engine throat capture and release device aligning the end effector against the engine nozzle sidewall;

[0042] Figure 5 It is an invention Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an engine throat capture and release device with the end effector extending into the engine nozzle;

[0043] Figure 6 It is an invention Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the capture achieved by the end effector in an engine throat capture and release device;

[0044] Figure 7 It is an invention Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the release achieved by the end effector in an engine throat capture and release device.

[0045] Description of the accompanying drawings: 100, end effector; 110, rotating mechanism; 111, first motor; 112, central rotary shaft; 113, reducer; 120, end effector housing; 130, capture head; 140, flexible component; 141, flexible member; 142, first body; 143, second body; 144, third body; 150, limit member;

[0046] 200, shell;

[0047] 300, forward mechanism; 310, second motor; 320, gearbox; 330, ball screw; 340, screw nut;

[0048] 400, throat; 410, passage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments so that those skilled in the art can better understand the invention and implement it. However, the embodiments are not intended to limit the invention.

[0050] Reference Figure 1 As shown, the invention provides an engine throat capture and release device, comprising:

[0051] End effector 100;

[0052] Housing 200;

[0053] The advancing mechanism 300 is disposed in the housing 200 and is connected to the end effector 100 . The advancing mechanism 300 drives the end effector 100 forward and backward.

[0054] The control unit is electrically connected to the advancing mechanism 300 and the rotating mechanism 110 of the end effector 100 .

[0055] Specifically, the control unit of this embodiment controls the advancing mechanism 300 to drive the end effector 100 forward and backward, and controls the rotation of the rotating mechanism 110 to achieve capture and release.

[0056] Furthermore, the forward mechanism 300 includes a second motor 310 , a gearbox 320 , a ball screw 330 , and a screw nut 340 ;

[0057] The second motor 310 is connected to the ball screw 330 through the gearbox 320 . The screw nut 340 is threadedly connected to the ball screw 330 . The screw nut 340 is slidably connected in the housing 200 . The screw nut 340 is fixedly connected to the end effector 100 .

[0058] Specifically, in this embodiment, the ball screw 330 is rotated by the rotation of the second motor 310 , thereby driving the screw nut 340 and the end effector 100 to reciprocate along the axial direction of the ball screw 330 , thereby realizing the forward and backward movement of the end effector 100 .

[0059] Reference Figures 2 and 3 , the invention provides an end effector, comprising:

[0060] End effector housing 120;

[0061] The capture head 130 is disposed outside the end effector housing 120;

[0062] The flexible component 140 is connected between the end effector housing 120 and the capture head 130. One end of the flexible component 140 is fixedly connected to the end effector housing 120, and the other end is fixedly connected to the capture head 130. The flexible component 140 includes a plurality of arc-shaped flexible members 141. The plurality of flexible members 141 are arranged in a circle along the circumference and arranged in a lantern shape. The flexible members 141 extend in the X direction, which is parallel to the axis of the throat 400. The middle portion of the flexible member 141 is arched relative to the end portion to form an arc-shaped curve. The ends of the plurality of flexible components 140 are connected to form a lantern-shaped flexible component 140. The two ends of the flexible member 141 are respectively connected to the end effector housing 120 and the capture head 130. The end face of the flexible member 141 is circular.

[0063] The rotating mechanism 110 has a portion rotatably connected to the end effector housing 120 and another portion connected to the capture head 130 through the flexible component 140;

[0064] The limiter 150 is provided in the flexible assembly 140 near the capture head 130 . The limiter 150 is connected to the capture head 130 and has a circular ring structure. The axis of the limiter 150 is parallel to, for example, coincides with, the axis of the flexible assembly 140 .

[0065] Among them, the outer diameter of the capture head 130 and the limit member 150 is smaller than the inner diameter of the channel 410; the flexible component is in a natural state: the diameter at the middle position of the flexible component 140 is larger than the diameter of the channel 410, and the diameter at both ends of the flexible component 140 is smaller than the diameter of the channel 410; the capture head 130 and the flexible component 140 pass through the channel 410 along the X direction and enter the throat 400, and the X direction is parallel to the axial direction of the capture head 130.

[0066] Specifically, in this embodiment, a flexible component 140 is provided between the capture head 130 and the end effector housing 120. The outer diameter of the capture head 130 is smaller than the inner diameter of the channel 410, and the diameter at the middle position of the flexible component 140 is larger than the diameter of the channel 410. The flexible part 141 of the flexible component 140 is an arc-shaped structure, which is elastic and has no sharp edges. When the capture head 130 and the flexible component 140 pass through the channel 410, the flexible component 140 directly contacts the channel 410, thereby avoiding the capture head 130 directly contacting the channel 410 and causing mechanical damage to the channel 410 and the inner wall of the throat 400; secondly, the flexible component 140 includes a plurality of flexible parts 141, and the plurality of flexible parts 141 are in contact with the channel 410 and the throat 400 at the same time, thereby increasing the contact area and further avoiding the capture head 130 and the flexible component 140 causing mechanical damage to the inner wall of the channel 410 and the throat 400;

[0067] In this embodiment, the diameter of the flexible component 140 at the middle position is larger than the diameter of the channel 410, and the diameter at the two end positions of the flexible component 140 is smaller than the diameter of the channel 410. The flexible component 140 is elastic and is squeezed to form a double-peak bending deformation when passing through the channel 410, so that it can smoothly pass through the channel 410 and enter the throat 400; in this embodiment, a limiter 150 is provided in the flexible component 140. When the capture head 130 entering the throat 400 is retreated by resistance, the flexible component 140 is single-peak bent under the restriction of the limiter 150 and becomes pressed against the channel 410, thereby preventing the capture head 130 from exiting the throat 400 during the capture process; after the capture is completed, the flexible component 140 is spirally twisted and deformed under the drive of the rotating mechanism 110, so that the flexible component 140 produces radial size contraction and smoothly exits the throat 400 and the channel 410 together with the capture head 130 to achieve release. It can be seen that this embodiment can achieve lossless capture and release through the provision of the flexible component 140 and the limiter 150. The entry into the throat 400 and the capture action do not need to be controlled, and are completely achieved by relying on the mechanical properties of the flexible component 140 and the limiter 150 themselves, with high reliability, simple structure and low manufacturing cost.

[0068] Furthermore, the rotation axis of the rotating mechanism 110 , the axis of the flexible component 140 , and the axis of the capturing head 130 coincide with each other.

[0069] Specifically, in this embodiment, the rotation axis of the rotating mechanism 110, the axis of the flexible component 140, and the axis of the capture head 130 coincide with each other. In this way, the centers of the three always coincide with each other during the forward and backward movement and twisting release process of the capture head 130, thereby avoiding misalignment that causes asymmetric force on the generating part of the flexible component 140 or the capture head 130, which may collide with the channel 410 or the throat 400 and cause damage.

[0070] Furthermore, the flexible component 140 is divided into a first body 142, a second body 143 and a third body 144 along its axial direction. The first body 142 and the third body 144 are symmetrically located at both ends of the second body 143.

[0071] In the flexible assembly, when in its natural state, the minimum outer diameter of the second body 143 is greater than the inner diameter of the channel 410; the maximum outer diameters of the first body 142 and the third body 144 are both smaller than the inner diameter of the channel 410. The boundary between the first body 142 and the second body 143, and between the second body 143 and the third body 144, is where their outer diameters equal the outer diameter of the channel 410. For example, the first body 142 and the third body 144 in the flexible assembly have an outer diameter smaller than that of the channel 410, while the second body 143 has an outer diameter larger than that of the channel 410.

[0072] Specifically, in this embodiment, the flexible component 140 is divided into three parts: a first body 142, a second body 143 and a third body 144. The ratio of the sizes of the projections of the first body 142, the second body 143 and the third body 144 on the axis of the flexible component 140 is 1:1:1. In this way, the peak value of the double-peak bending deformation generated when the flexible component 140 advances through the channel 410 is smaller, which makes it easier for the flexible component 140 to pass through the channel 410 smoothly. In addition, during the capture process, a single-peak bending deformation with a larger peak value can be formed at the end close to the capture head 130, thereby avoiding a part of the flexible component 140 close to the capture head 130 from exiting the throat 400, thereby avoiding the capture head 130 from exiting the throat 400 and ensuring the smooth progress of the capture work.

[0073] Furthermore, the rotating mechanism 110 includes a first motor 111 and a central rotating shaft 112. The first motor 111 is arranged in the end effector housing 120. One end of the central rotating shaft 112 is connected to the first motor 111, and the other end is connected to the capture head 130 through a key. The middle part of the central rotating shaft 112 is rotatably connected to the end effector housing 120 through a bearing.

[0074] Specifically, the rotating mechanism 110 of this embodiment is realized by the first motor 111 driving the rotation of the central rotating shaft 112 , and the structure is stable and reliable.

[0075] Furthermore, the rotating mechanism 110 further includes a speed reducer 113 . The speed reducer 113 is disposed in the end effector housing 120 , and the speed reducer 113 is connected between the first motor 111 and the central rotary shaft 112 .

[0076] Specifically, in this embodiment, a reducer 113 is provided between the first motor 111 and the central rotating shaft 112. On the one hand, the reducer 113 plays a role in protecting the first motor 111 during transmission for the following reasons: during operation, the reducer 113 bears a large torque, and when overloaded, only the value of the overload divided by the reduction ratio is transmitted to the first motor 111. If the overload is directly borne by the first motor 111, it may cause damage to the first motor 111. On the other hand, when the overload is very large, the reducer 113 will be damaged first, and the reducer only needs to replace spare parts to be restored to use, which is relatively inexpensive. If the first motor 111 is directly damaged without the reducer 113, the repair will be relatively slow and the cost will be high. It can be seen from this that the reducer 113 plays a protective role for the first motor 111.

[0077] Furthermore, the capture head 130 is a cylindrical structure; along the axial direction of the capture head 130 , a conical tapered head is provided at one end of the capture head 130 away from the end effector housing 120 .

[0078] Specifically, this embodiment provides a conical head at the front end of the capture head 130, thereby reducing the resistance of the capture head 130 when the capture head 130 moves forward into the throat 400. On the one hand, it reduces the driving force for advancement, reduces the kinetic energy output, and reduces the cost; on the other hand, it reduces the force on the capture head 130 and increases its service life.

[0079] The present invention provides an engine throat capture and release method, which uses the engine throat capture and release device of the above embodiment to capture and release, and the steps include:

[0080] The capture head 130 moves forward and enters the throat 400; aligns and clings to the side wall of the engine nozzle, and moves forward through the channel 410 to enter the throat 400 (entry is achieved under the control of the moving mechanism). When the flexible component 140 passes through the channel 410, it is squeezed to produce a double-peak bend and then enters the throat 400;

[0081] Capture; the capture head 130 and the flexible component 140 are retreated by resistance, and the flexible component 140 produces an asymmetric single-peak deformation under the action of the limit member 150 so that the flexible component 140 does not exit the throat 400, and the capture head 130 is located in the throat 400 for capture;

[0082] the rotating mechanism 110 drives the capture head 130 to twist, so that the flexible component 140 is twisted into a spiral helical deformation, the radial dimension of the flexible component 140 shrinks together with the capture head 130 to exit (under the control of the moving mechanism to exit) the throat 400.

[0083] It should be noted that if Figures 4 and 5 As shown, it moves forward into the throat 400; when the end effector 100 is aligned with the side wall of the engine nozzle, the capture head 130 moves forward at a constant speed and smoothly passes through the channel 410 and enters the throat 400. When the flexible component 140 passes through the channel 410, because the outer diameter of the limiter 150 is smaller than the inner diameter of the channel 410, it can pass smoothly, and the lantern-shaped flexible component 140 is squeezed by the inner wall of the channel 410 to cause a double-peak bending deformation (as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown), since the potential energy of the double-peak bending deformation is higher than that of the single-peak bending (the flexible component 140 in the free state is a single-peak bending), the flexible component 140 can smoothly pass through the channel 410 and enter the throat 400;

[0084] Capture; After the capture head 130 and the flexible component 140 pass smoothly through the channel 410 and enter the throat 400, the capture head 130 stops moving forward and captures. The capture head 130 is subjected to resistance and moves backward with the flexible component 140. When the flexible component 140 exits the channel 410, it bends and deforms. The bending deformation process is restricted by the limiter 150, so that the flexible component 140 produces an asymmetric single-peak deformation (such as Figure 6 As shown, a peak is formed at the position of the limiter 150. The potential energy of the asymmetric single-peak deformation is higher than that of the double-peak bending deformation, so it does not jump to the double-peak bending state. That is, the flexible component 140 is blocked at the position of the channel 410 and cannot completely exit the channel 410. As a result, the capture head 130 cannot exit the throat 400 until the capture is completed.

[0085] Release, such as Figure 7 As shown, the rotating mechanism 110 drives the capture head 130 to twist, and the flexible component 140 connected between the capture head 130 and the end effector housing 120 is spirally wound under the drive of the capture head 130, so that the flexible component 140 produces radial dimension contraction, so that the flexible component 140 can smoothly pass through the channel 410 and exit the throat 400, and the capture head 130 also synchronously exits the throat 400 to achieve release.

[0086] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for clarity of explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation methods. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all implementation methods here. Obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom remain within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. An end effector, characterized in that: include: End effector housing; a capture head, disposed outside the end effector housing; A flexible assembly is connected between the end effector housing and the capture head; the flexible assembly includes a plurality of arc-shaped flexible members, the plurality of flexible members being arranged in a circle along the circumferential direction; the flexible assembly is divided into a first body, a second body, and a third body along its axial direction, the first body and the third body being located at both ends of the second body; a rotating mechanism, a portion of which is rotatably connected to the end effector housing and another portion of which passes through the flexible component and is connected to the capture head; a limiting member, provided in the flexible component at a position close to the capturing head, the limiting member being connected to the capturing head; Among them, the outer diameter of the capture head and the limiter is smaller than the inner diameter of the channel; when the flexible component is in a natural state: the minimum outer diameter of the second body is larger than the inner diameter of the channel; the maximum outer diameter of the first body and the maximum outer diameter of the third body are both smaller than the inner diameter of the channel.

2. The end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotation axis of the rotating mechanism, the axis of the flexible component and the axis of the capturing head coincide with each other.

3. The end effector according to claim 1, wherein: The ratio of the projection sizes of the first body, the second body and the third body on the axis of the flexible component is 1:1:

1.

4. The end effector according to claim 1, wherein: The rotating mechanism includes a first motor and a central rotating shaft. The first motor is arranged in the end effector housing. One end of the central rotating shaft is connected to the first motor and the other end is connected to the capture head. The middle part of the central rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the end effector housing.

5. The end effector according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rotating mechanism further includes a speed reducer, which is disposed in the end effector housing and connected between the first motor and the central rotating shaft.

6. The end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The capture head is a cylindrical structure; along the axial direction of the capture head, a conical tapered head is provided at one end of the capture head away from the end effector housing.

7. An engine throat capture and release device, characterized in that: include: The end effector according to any one of claims 1 to 6; shell; A forward mechanism is provided in the housing and is connected to the end effector, and drives the end effector forward and backward; The control unit is electrically connected to the forward movement mechanism and the rotation mechanism.

8. The engine throat capture and release device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The forward mechanism includes a second motor, a ball screw and a screw nut; The second motor is connected to the ball screw, the screw nut is threadedly connected to the ball screw, the screw nut is slidably connected in the housing, and the screw nut is fixedly connected to the end effector.

9. An engine throat capture and release method, characterized in that: The engine throat capture and release device according to claim 7 is used for capture and release, and the steps include: The capture head moves forward and enters the throat; the capture head is aligned and pressed against the side wall of the engine nozzle, and moves forward through the channel and enters the throat; when the flexible component passes through the channel, it is squeezed to produce a double-peak bend and then enters the throat; Capture; the capture head and the flexible component retreat due to resistance, and the flexible component produces an asymmetric single-peak deformation under the action of the limiter so that the flexible component does not exit the throat, and the capture head is located in the throat for capture; Release; the rotating mechanism drives the capture head to twist, causing the flexible component to produce a spiral deformation, and the radial size of the flexible component shrinks together with the capture head to exit the throat.

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