Claw for assisting an astronaut extravehicular operations manipulator and adapting to a space station handrail

Abstract

The invention relates to a gripper for assisting astronauts in extravehicular operations and adapting to space station handrails, and relates to a broken and dispersed machine set. In order to solve the problem that the existing space station mechanical arm is limited by reachable space and pose, resulting in the flexibility of single-handed operation of astronauts, and the operation object and execution efficiency of astronauts in extravehicular work are affected, the first claw head and the second claw head are oppositely arranged, the lower parts of the first claw head and the second claw head are connected by a single shaft through a hinge, the upper parts of the first claw head and the second claw head form an elliptical cavity, the middle parts of the first claw head and the second claw head take the hinge as a vertex to form a V-shaped cavity, one end of a main arm rod is connected with the first claw head through bolts, an operating arm rod is connected with the second claw head through bolts, a self-locking assembly is installed at the connection between the operating arm rod and the second claw head to realize the friction self-locking of the second claw head. The invention is used for assisting astronauts in extravehicular operations.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a gripper, in particular to a gripper for assisting astronauts in extravehicular operation mechanical arm and adapting to the handrails of Chinese space station, belonging to the field of aerospace technology. BACKGROUND

[0002] Space station, also known as space station, space station. It is a kind of manned spacecraft that can run in near-earth orbit for a long time, visit, work and live for a long time. Space station is divided into single module space station and multi module space station. Single module space station can be launched into orbit by space vehicle once, and multi module space station is composed of modules sent into orbit by space vehicle in batches. In space station, all facilities for human life, space station does not have the ability to return to earth.

[0003] During the construction of the main cabin section of Chinese space station, a large number of astronauts are needed to work outside the cabin to complete the installation, maintenance and repair of complex loads. There are mainly two ways for astronauts to go out of the cabin:

[0004] One is to operate single-handedly or double-handedly on the end operation platform of space station extravehicular mechanical arm;

[0005] The other is that astronauts fix their bodies by holding the space station extravehicular handrail with one hand and complete the load operation with the other hand. However, due to the limitations of reachable space and pose of space station mechanical arm, the flexibility of single-handed operation of astronauts is limited. Outside the reachable space, astronauts still need to go out of the cabin to reach the designated position to carry out work, such as routine maintenance and inspection. At this time, they must hold the handrail with one hand to ensure safety, and only rely on the other hand to work. The operation object and execution efficiency of astronauts' extravehicular work are affected. Single-handed operation is extremely flexible, not only difficult for astronauts to practice, but also makes the operation time longer in actual extravehicular operation. The auxiliary extravehicular mechanical arm can free the hands of astronauts and operate tools flexibly like on the ground.

[0006] In summary, the mechanical arm of the existing space station is limited by the reachable space and pose, which leads to the problem that the flexibility of single-handed operation of astronauts and the operation object and execution efficiency of astronauts' extravehicular work are affected. SUMMARY

[0007] The purpose of the present application is to solve the problem that the mechanical arm of the existing space station is limited by the reachable space and pose, which leads to the problem that the flexibility of single-handed operation of astronauts and the operation object and execution efficiency of astronauts' extravehicular work are affected. And to provide a gripper for assisting astronauts in extravehicular operation mechanical arm and adapting to the handrails of space station.

[0008] The technical scheme of the present application is: the gripper for assisting astronauts in extravehicular operation mechanical arm and adapting to the handrail of space station comprises a first claw head, a second claw head, a main arm rod, an operating arm rod, a self-locking assembly and a hinge, the first claw head and the second claw head are oppositely arranged, the lower parts of the first claw head and the second claw head are connected by the hinge to realize single-axis connection, the upper parts of the first claw head and the second claw head form an elliptical cavity, the middle parts of the first claw head and the second claw head form a "V" shaped cavity with the hinge as the vertex, one end of the main arm rod is connected with the first claw head through a bolt, the operating arm rod is connected with the second claw head through a bolt, and the self-locking assembly is installed at the connecting position of the operating arm rod and the second claw head to realize friction self-locking of the second claw head.

[0009] Further, a plurality of concaves are arranged on the operating arm rod.

[0010] Further, the operating arm rod comprises a vertical segment and an inclined segment, the vertical segment is arranged in parallel with the main arm rod, the upper part of the vertical segment is connected with the second claw head, and the lower part of the vertical segment is connected with the inclined segment.

[0011] Further, an acute angle is formed between the inclined segment of the operating arm rod and the main arm rod.

[0012] Further, the acute angle is 30-40°.

[0013] Further, the self-locking assembly comprises a connecting arc plate, a mounting seat and a self-locking rod, the connecting arc plate is installed on the second claw head, and a groove is arranged on the outer surface of the connecting arc plate along the circumferential direction of the connecting arc plate, the mounting seat is installed on the vertical segment of the operating arm rod, and the self-locking rod is rotatably installed on the mounting seat, and when the first claw head and the second claw head are closed, the upper part of the self-locking rod is arranged in the groove on the outer surface of the connecting arc plate to realize self-locking.

[0014] Further, the self-locking rod is an obtuse angle rod.

[0015] Further, the self-locking rod and the mounting seat are connected through a pin shaft and a torsion spring.

[0016] Further, the hinge comprises a rotating shaft, a plurality of hinges and a plurality of torsion springs, the rotating shaft is arranged in the columnar segment of the lower part of the first claw head and the second claw head, the plurality of hinges are sleeved on the rotating shaft through the plurality of torsion springs, and the plurality of hinges are respectively installed on the inner side end faces of the middle parts of the first claw head and the second claw head.

[0017] Further, it further comprises a flexible anti-skid sheet, and the flexible anti-skid sheet is installed in the elliptical cavity.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following effects:

[0019] 1、The invention can provide 100N·M support torque in space environment; in space, 100N·M can effectively support astronauts to keep their own pose unchanged (data from a conversation when visiting NASA). The clamp jaw of the invention also supports astronauts to open and close manually, and the clamping torque is provided by the torsional spring between the jaw heads (the torque is relatively large, and direct driving is very laborious), and the operating arm lever is designed in the form of a lever, which can make astronauts easily open and close with one hand. With self-locking function: when the clamp jaw is closed, the self-locking stop lever is rotated to abut against the outer surface of the connecting arc plate, at this time, if the clamp jaw wants to open, a force will be applied to the self-locking stop lever, the force is located in the ±5° of the contact surface vertical plane, and due to the friction angle self-locking principle, the self-locking cannot be opened. When the clamp jaw needs to be opened, the other side of the stop lever is pressed to release the self-locking. The structure is simple, the function is reliable, and the volume is only 278470.837 cubic millimeters. The mechanical arm is designed to be folded to the waist of the astronaut when idle, which is small in size, convenient to carry, and also convenient to operate and clamp.

[0020] 2、The basic shape of the space station extravehicular handrail of the invention is shown in Figure 5 , and the palm holding place of the astronaut is an oval shape. The jaw head of the clamp jaw adopts the same shape as the extravehicular handrail, and the shape positioning is very reliable.

[0021] 3、The invention adopts the coaxial design of the clamp jaw, so that the size of the clamp jaw is small, the bearing torque and the transmission shaft size are small, which means that the strength of the shaft is limited by the size. Therefore, the small-size shaft is replaced by a three-section hinge (composed of a hinge and a torsional spring) with higher integration, which can have higher strength under small size and is more convenient to assemble.

[0022] 4、When the astronaut wears a spacesuit, it is difficult to operate various instruments, and the palm can only hold things that are not too large. The handle of the clamp jaw is small, and the required torque is small, which is very suitable for single-handed operation of the astronaut (one hand holds the extravehicular handrail, and the other hand operates the clamp jaw to complete clamping). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the invention; Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 2 ; Figure 4 is a top view of Figure 2 ; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the basic shape of the space station extravehicular handrail; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the upper part of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Specific implementation one: combined with Figures 1 to 4The gripper for assisting the astronaut extravehicular operation mechanical arm and adapting to the space station handrail of the embodiment comprises a first claw head 1, a second claw head 2, a main arm rod 3, an operating arm rod 4, a self-locking assembly 5 and a hinge 6, the first claw head 1 and the second claw head 2 are oppositely arranged, the lower parts of the first claw head 1 and the second claw head 2 are connected by the hinge 6 to realize single-axis connection, the upper parts of the first claw head 1 and the second claw head 2 form an elliptical cavity 7, the middle parts of the first claw head 1 and the second claw head 2 form a “V”-shaped cavity 8 with the hinge 6 as the top point, one end of the main arm rod 3 is connected with the first claw head 1 by a bolt, the operating arm rod 4 is connected with the second claw head 2 by a bolt, and the self-locking assembly 5 is installed at the connection between the operating arm rod 4 and the second claw head 2 to realize friction self-locking of the second claw head 2.

[0025] In the embodiment, the self-locking is realized by the friction angle self-locking mode.

[0026] In the embodiment, the principle of the self-locking assembly 5 is similar to that of the self-locking wire stripper.

[0027] The bottom of the main arm rod 3 of the embodiment is provided with a special connecting slot hole, and the reliable connection with the next joint can be realized by matching a special connector.

[0028] The clamping shape of the gripper of the embodiment is the same as the extravehicular handrail of the Chinese space station, the shape positioning can be realized, the clamping force is effective, the structure is simple, the gripper is completely composed of mechanical structures, and the gripper still has extremely high reliability in the space environment; the torsion spring is located on the main shaft, the operating arm rod is longer, the self-locking torque is large, and the torque required by the astronaut for operation is small; the concave lines on the operating arm rod are adapted to the line distribution of the Chinese space suit gloves, and the ergonomic design is met; the self-locking rack can realize auxiliary self-locking. The safety is stronger; as the end clamping mechanism of the astronaut extravehicular mechanical arm, the mechanism is reliable and strong enough, and the lack of the astronaut extravehicular auxiliary operation mechanism of the Chinese space station is made up.

[0029] Specific implementation method two: in combination with Figure 1 It is explained that the operating arm rod 4 of the embodiment is provided with a plurality of concave lines 9. In this way, the line distribution of the Chinese space suit gloves can be adapted, and the ergonomic design is met. The other components and connection relationships are the same as those of the specific implementation method one.

[0030] Specific implementation method three: in combination with Figure 1 and Figure 2 It is explained that the operating arm rod 4 of the embodiment comprises a vertical section 4-1 and an inclined section 4-2, the vertical section 4-1 is arranged in parallel with the main arm rod 3, the upper part of the vertical section 4-1 is connected with the second claw head 2, and the lower part of the vertical section 4-1 is connected with the inclined section 4-2.

[0031] Thus, astronauts can hold the inclined section 4-2 and use the lever principle to achieve clamping with smaller force. The other components and connection relationships are the same as those in the first or second embodiment.

[0032] Fourth embodiment: combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the acute angle between the inclined section 4-2 of the operating arm rod 4 and the main arm rod 3 is formed. In this way, the inclined section forms a lever, reducing the required torque and increasing the opening angle of the claw head. The other components and connection relationships are the same as those in the first, second, or third embodiment.

[0033] Fifth embodiment: combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the acute angle is 30°-40°. In actual use, the acute angle is preferably 32°. In this way, when the clamping jaw reaches the opening limit, 32° can make the inclined section 4-2 just flat into the recess prepared in advance. The other components and connection relationships are the same as those in the first, second, third, or fourth embodiment.

[0034] Sixth embodiment: combination Figures 1 to 2 In this embodiment, the self-locking assembly 5 includes a connecting arc plate 5-1, a mounting seat 5-2, and a self-locking stop rod 5-3. The connecting arc plate 5-1 is installed on the second claw head 2, and a groove 5-4 is formed in the circumferential direction of the connecting arc plate 5-1. The mounting seat 5-2 is installed on the vertical section 4-1 of the operating arm rod 4, and the self-locking stop rod 5-3 is rotatably installed on the mounting seat 5-2. When the first claw head 1 and the second claw head 2 are closed, the upper part of the self-locking stop rod 5-3 is arranged in the groove 5-4 on the outer surface of the connecting arc plate 5-1 to achieve self-locking. In this way, it does not need to be arranged on the upper part except when it is closed. The other components and connection relationships are the same as those in the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth embodiment.

[0035] Seventh embodiment: combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the self-locking stop rod 5-3 is an obtuse angle stop rod. In this way, when the self-locking stop rod is rotated and arranged on the outer surface of the connecting arc plate, the other end of the stop rod is almost flush with the operating arm rod. When the clamping jaw is tightly gripped to achieve unlocking, it can also drive the connecting arc plate to achieve unlocking. The other components and connection relationships are the same as those in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth embodiment.

[0036] Eighth embodiment: combination Figure 6The self-locking gear lever 5-3 of the embodiment is connected with the mounting seat 5-2 through a pin shaft and a torsion spring. In this way, the pin shaft connection can determine the position along the tangential direction of the shaft but does not affect the rotation, and the torsion spring connection has a return function. The other components and connection relationships are the same as those in any one of embodiments one, two, three, four, five, six or seven.

[0037] Embodiment nine: Figure 6 The hinge 6 of the embodiment includes a rotating shaft 6-2, a plurality of hinges 6-1 and a plurality of torsion springs. The rotating shaft 6-2 is arranged in the columnar section of the staggered protrusions at the lower part of the first claw head 1 and the second claw head 2. The plurality of hinges 6-1 are sleeved on the rotating shaft 6-2 through the plurality of torsion springs, and are respectively arranged on the inner side end faces of the middle parts of the first claw head 1 and the second claw head 2. In this way, the torsion springs apply torque to the two claw heads through the hinges, and this form makes the force on the inner sides of the claw heads more uniform. The hinges and the claw heads are connected through screws, and the transmission link is fixed very reliably and has high strength. The other components and connection relationships are the same as those in any one of embodiments one to eight.

[0038] Embodiment ten: Figure 1 and Figure 2 The embodiment further includes a flexible anti-skid piece 10 arranged in the oval cavity 7. In this way, when the clamping jaws close to grab the extravehicular handrail, the flexible anti-skid piece is pressed tightly against the handrail, has a large friction coefficient, and after deformation, the contact area between the anti-skid piece inside the clamping jaws and the handrail also becomes larger, so that better axial positioning can be achieved, that is, axial movement does not occur when supporting the astronaut. The other components and connection relationships are the same as those in any one of embodiments one to nine.

[0039] Embodiment eleven: Figures 1 to 6 The working principle of the present application is as follows:

[0040] The present application is used on a portable multi-degree-of-freedom passive support mechanical arm. One end of the mechanical arm is connected with a central fixed hanging point of a space suit waist through a quick docking interface, and the other end is connected with an extravehicular handrail of a space station through a clamping jaw with a self-locking function. The mechanical arm body has three rotary joints and one spherical joint, and each joint is designed with an electromagnetic locking mechanism. When an astronaut needs to adjust his / her posture, the astronaut can realize the unlocking of the joints of the mechanical arm through a button; when the astronaut is working, the astronaut can realize the locking of the joints of the mechanical arm through a button, so as to realize the fixation of the own pose.

[0041] The corresponding problems and needs are found in the process of the astronaut's extravehicular activity, and the research is independently launched. The design of the end gripper meets the needs of the astronaut's extravehicular activity of the Chinese space station, and the implementation scheme refers to the existing equipment characteristics and constraint elements of the Chinese space station. The design process considers the current situation of the astronaut's extravehicular work, and has good practical application potential.

[0042] Although the present application has been disclosed in the above preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present application, and those skilled in the art can make other changes within the spirit of the present application, and apply it to the fields not mentioned in the present application. Of course, these changes made according to the spirit of the present application should be included in the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A gripper for assisting an astronaut extravehicular activity robotic arm and adapting to a space station handrail, characterized in that: It comprises a first claw head (1), a second claw head (2), a main arm rod (3), an operating arm rod (4), a self-locking assembly (5) and a hinge (6), The first claw head (1) and the second claw head (2) are oppositely arranged, and the lower parts of the first claw head (1) and the second claw head (2) are connected by the hinge (6) to realize single-axis connection, the upper parts of the first claw head (1) and the second claw head (2) form an elliptical cavity (7), and the middle parts of the first claw head (1) and the second claw head (2) form a "V" shaped cavity (8) with the hinge (6) as the vertex, One end of the main arm rod (3) is connected with the first claw head (1) by a bolt, the operating arm rod (4) is connected with the second claw head (2) by a bolt, and the self-locking assembly (5) is installed at the connection between the operating arm rod (4) and the second claw head (2) to realize friction self-locking of the second claw head (2).

2. The gripper for assisting an EVA robotic arm and adapting to a space station handrail according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of concave lines (9) are arranged on the operating arm rod (4).

3. The gripper for assisting an EVA robotic arm and adapting to a space station handrail according to claim 2, characterized in that: The operating arm rod (4) comprises a vertical section (4-1) and an inclined section (4-2), the vertical section (4-1) is arranged in parallel with the main arm rod (3), the upper part of the vertical section (4-1) is connected with the second claw head (2), and the lower part of the vertical section (4-1) is connected with the inclined section (4-2).

4. The gripper for assisting an EVA robotic arm and adapting to a space station handrail according to claim 3, characterized in that: An acute angle is formed between the inclined section (4-2) of the operating arm rod (4) and the main arm rod (3).

5. The gripper for assisting an EVA robotic arm and adapting to a space station handrail of claim 4, wherein: The acute angle is 30°-40°.

6. The gripper for assisting an EVA robotic arm and adapting to a space station handrail of claim 5, wherein: The self-locking assembly (5) comprises a connecting arc plate (5-1), a mounting seat (5-2) and a self-locking stop rod (5-3), the connecting arc plate (5-1) is installed on the second claw head (2), and a groove (5-4) is formed in the circumferential direction of the connecting arc plate (5-1), the mounting seat (5-2) is installed on the vertical section (4-1) of the operating arm rod (4), the self-locking stop rod (5-3) is rotatably installed on the mounting seat (5-2), and when the first claw head (1) and the second claw head (2) are closed, the upper part of the self-locking stop rod (5-3) is arranged in the groove (5-4) on the outer surface of the connecting arc plate (5-1) to realize self-locking.

7. The gripper for assisting an EVA robotic arm and adapting to a space station handrail of claim 6, wherein: The self-locking stop rod (5-3) is an obtuse angle stop rod.

8. The gripper for assisting an EVA robotic arm and adapting to a space station handrail of claim 7, wherein: The self-locking stop rod (5-3) and the mounting seat (5-2) are connected by a pin shaft and a torsion spring.

9. The gripper for assisting an EVA robotic arm and adapting to a space station handrail of claim 8, wherein: The hinge (6) comprises a rotating shaft (6-2), a plurality of hinges (6-1) and a plurality of torsion springs, the rotating shaft (6-2) is arranged in the columnar section of the lower parts of the first claw head (1) and the second claw head (2), the plurality of hinges (6-1) are sleeved on the rotating shaft (6-2) by the plurality of torsion springs, and the plurality of hinges (6-1) are respectively installed on the inner side end faces of the middle parts of the first claw head (1) and the second claw head (2).

10. The gripper for assisting an EVA robotic arm and adapting to a space station handrail of claim 9, wherein: It further comprises a flexible anti-skid sheet (10) installed in the elliptical cavity (7).

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