A bistable cubic satellite telescopic module

Abstract

The present invention discloses a bistable cubic satellite telescopic module, both sides of which are provided with origami mechanisms that can extend outward and fold inward, and the origami mechanisms include a constraint frame, a transition plate, a trapezoidal long plate, a trapezoidal short plate, a folding power mechanism and an unfolding power mechanism; the two constraint frames are arranged opposite to each other, and the side edges thereof are connected with transition plates; the bottom long sides of multiple trapezoidal long plates and multiple trapezoidal short plates are respectively connected to the multiple transition plates on the two constraint frames to form a foldable structure, and the top short sides of the multiple trapezoidal short plates are respectively connected to the top short sides of the multiple trapezoidal long plates to form a foldable structure; the folding power mechanism and the unfolding power mechanism are arranged in a space surrounded by the same constraint frame, the folding power mechanism is used to pull the origami mechanism to fold, and the unfolding power mechanism is used to pull the origami mechanism to extend; the module has the characteristics of bistable characteristics, high folding and unfolding ratio, simple structure, lightweight, etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of cubic satellites, and in particular to a bistable cubic satellite telescopic module. Background Art

[0002] As humanity's exploration of space continues to deepen, CubeSat technology is booming, with lightweighting and miniaturization becoming inevitable trends in satellite development. Standard CubeSats are based on a "U" unit, with 1U measuring 10cm x 10cm x 10cm. Based on this unit, modular development is pursued. CubeSats boast small size, light weight, low development and launch costs, and a short development cycle, making them ideal for flight demonstrations to validate innovative technologies and design concepts.

[0003] In the development of space technology, retractable structures play an important role and have a wide range of application scenarios, including: retractable cubic satellite structures, space robotic arms, retractable selfie stick devices for spacecraft, retractable solar panels for spacecraft, retractable antennas, operating rods, machine detection mechanisms, etc.

[0004] Origami is a traditional art form that folds two-dimensional surfaces into various three-dimensional shapes. Drawing inspiration from traditional origami, origami techniques are widely used in engineering. Their portability, deployability, miniaturization, and lightweight design have laid the foundation for their application in space structures, providing inspiration for their design. Large structures aboard spacecraft, such as solar arrays, antenna arrays, sunshades, and even the space capsule, are folded and stowed within fairings before launch, unfolding into a defined position upon entering orbit. Portability, deployability, miniaturization, and lightweighting are key elements in spacecraft structural design. Origami utilizes mathematical theory to analyze this process and obtain optimal solutions. This provides not only computational methods for improving compression efficiency but also a technical path for studying deployment characteristics, thus laying the foundation for their application in structural design.

[0005] Bistability refers to a system with two stable states, or energy minima. The difference between the maximum and minimum energy can be considered an energy barrier. The system can be switched between these states by external forces. Simultaneously, the energy stored in the energy barrier can be rapidly released, amplifying the output force or energy. Bistability is a common phenomenon in nature and in our daily lives, such as in Venus flytraps and light switches. Due to the unique mechanical behavior of bistable structures, they can output high forces with fast response times, making them widely used in soft actuators, energy absorbers, smart switches, and microlens surfaces.

[0006] In summary, developing a CubeSat that can achieve bistable state has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. However, most existing CubeSats have a fixed frame structure. Except for the antennas, solar panels and other structures that will unfold autonomously after launch, the overall frame of the CubeSat remains basically unchanged.

[0007] To address this issue, origami technology could be considered for use in CubeSats. However, applying origami technology to space structures requires addressing additional engineering challenges. These include issues such as the thickness, tension, strength, and stiffness of the folded material; motion interference, hinge placement, and drive mechanism design. However, the current maturity of most origami technologies remains low, and origami structures still suffer from poor stability and low stiffness. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a bistable cubesat telescopic module to solve the problem of poor stability of existing folding structures.

[0009] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a bistable cubic satellite telescopic module, wherein the two opposite sides of the bistable cubic satellite telescopic module are provided with an origami mechanism that can be extended outward and folded inward, and the origami mechanism includes a constraint frame, a transition plate, a trapezoidal long plate, a trapezoidal short plate, a folding power mechanism and an unfolding power mechanism; the two constraint frames are arranged relative to each other, and the transition plates are connected to multiple side edges of the two constraint frames; the height of the trapezoidal long plate is greater than the height of the trapezoidal short plate, and the bottom long sides of multiple trapezoidal long plates are respectively connected to multiple transition plates on one constraint frame to form a foldable structure; multiple trapezoidal long plates are connected to the multiple transition plates on the constraint frame to form a foldable structure. The bottom long sides of the trapezoidal short plates are respectively connected to the multiple transition plates on the other constraint frame to form a foldable structure, and the top short sides of the multiple trapezoidal short plates are respectively connected to the top short sides of the multiple trapezoidal long plates to form a foldable structure; the folding power mechanism and the unfolding power mechanism are arranged in the space surrounded by the same constraint frame; the folding power mechanism is connected to the other constraint frame by rope, and the folding power mechanism is used to pull the origami mechanism to fold; the unfolding power mechanism is connected to the folding connection of the trapezoidal short plates and the trapezoidal long plates by rope, and the unfolding power mechanism is used to pull the origami mechanism to stretch.

[0010] In one embodiment, the constraint frame includes a rectangular inner frame and an L-shaped outer frame; the outer sides of the four sides of the rectangular inner frame are connected to the transition plate; the four L-shaped outer frames are respectively arranged at the four end corners outside the rectangular inner frame, and the L-shaped outer frame and the rectangular inner frame jointly clamp and fix the transition plate.

[0011] In one embodiment, the paper folding mechanism further includes an elastic hinge, which is respectively connected to the trapezoidal long plate and the trapezoidal short plate; and the unfolding power mechanism is rope-drivenly connected to the elastic hinge.

[0012] In one embodiment, the elastic hinges are respectively connected to the outer surfaces of the trapezoidal long plate and the trapezoidal short plate.

[0013] In one embodiment, the deployment power mechanism includes a deployment power motor and a deployment rope; the deployment power motor is used to release and retract the deployment rope; the deployment rope is wound out to the outside of the bistable cube satellite telescopic module to be connected to the elastic hinge.

[0014] In one embodiment, the elastic hinge includes a hinge plate and a return spring; the two hinge plates are rotatably connected, and the two hinge plates are respectively connected to the trapezoidal long plate and the trapezoidal short plate, and the two hinge plates are made of PEEK; the return spring is arranged at the rotation connection of the two hinge plates.

[0015] In one embodiment, the folding power mechanism includes a folding power motor and a folding rope, and the folding power motor is used to release and retract the folding rope; the folding rope is placed in the space surrounded by the constraint frame.

[0016] In one embodiment, the transition plate is a carbon fiber plate.

[0017] In one embodiment, the trapezoidal long plate and the trapezoidal short plate are PVC plates.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0019] Based on the principle of origami, the present invention designs a CubeSat telescopic module with bistable characteristics. The module has the characteristics of bistable characteristics, high folding and unfolding ratio, simple structure, and lightweight. Before launch, the bistable CubeSat telescopic module can be folded into a smaller module, thereby reducing the launch cost of the CubeSat. After the CubeSat is launched into orbit, the module will expand from 1U size to 3U size. The overall structure after expansion can increase the internal space by about 2U and more surface area to achieve the spatial expansion of the CubeSat. This module has two innovative features:

[0020] Bistable characteristics: The telescopic module has two stable states: folded and unfolded, and both states have sufficient rigidity to maintain the stable state.

[0021] High folding and unfolding ratio: The telescopic structure has a high folding and unfolding ratio, which can be expanded from 1U to 3U.

[0022] Furthermore, the present invention's bistable CubeSat telescopic module offers innovative applications. When used as a single module, the expandable space within the module can be designed for applications such as space farming. Furthermore, multiple modules can be assembled to form large-scale structures such as solar-powered space stations and planetary research stations. Furthermore, through adaptive modifications and expansion, the module can also be used in robotic arms and variable-section telescopic antennas. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the implementation. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some implementation methods of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the folded state;

[0026] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the origami mechanism structure;

[0027] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the folded state;

[0028] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the disassembly structure of the constraint framework;

[0029] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the elastic hinge structure;

[0030] Figure 7 This is the experimental result of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0031] Figure 8 This is the experimental result of the present invention Figure 2 .

[0032] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0033] 100, origami mechanism;

[0034] 10. Constraint frame; 11. Rectangular inner frame; 12. L-shaped outer frame;

[0035] 20. Transition plate;

[0036] 30. Trapezoidal longboard;

[0037] 40. Trapezoidal short board;

[0038] 50. Folding power mechanism; 51. Folding power motor; 52. Folding rope;

[0039] 60. Deployment power mechanism; 61. Deployment power motor; 62. Deployment rope;

[0040] 70. Elastic hinge; 71. Hinge plate; 72. Return spring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0042] The present invention provides a bistable cubic satellite telescopic module, which is implemented as follows: Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the two opposite sides of the bistable cubic satellite telescopic module are provided with an origami mechanism 100 that can extend outward and fold inward, and the origami mechanism 100 includes a constraint frame 10, a transition plate 20, a trapezoidal long plate 30, a trapezoidal short plate 40, a folding power mechanism 50 and an unfolding power mechanism 60; the two constraint frames 10 are arranged opposite to each other, and the transition plates 20 are connected to multiple side edges of the two constraint frames 10; the height of the trapezoidal long plate 30 is greater than the height of the trapezoidal short plate 40, and the bottom long sides of the multiple trapezoidal long plates 30 are respectively connected to the multiple transition plates 20 on one constraint frame 10 to form a foldable structure; the bottom long sides of the multiple trapezoidal short plates 40 are respectively connected to the multiple transition plates 20 on the other constraint frame 10 The connection is a foldable structure, and the top short sides of the multiple trapezoidal short plates 40 are respectively connected to the top short sides of the multiple trapezoidal long plates 30 to form a foldable structure; the folding power mechanism 50 and the unfolding power mechanism 60 are arranged in the space surrounded by the same constraint frame 10. For example, in this embodiment, the folding power mechanism 50 and the unfolding power mechanism 60 are arranged in the constraint frame 10 below the direction shown in the figure; the folding power mechanism 50 is connected to the other constraint frame 10 by rope drive, and the folding power mechanism 50 is used to pull the paper folding mechanism 10 to fold; the unfolding power mechanism 60 is connected to the folding connection of the trapezoidal short plates 40 and the trapezoidal long plates 30 by rope drive, and the unfolding power mechanism 60 is used to pull the paper folding mechanism 100 to stretch.

[0043] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, at this time, the paper folding mechanism 100 is in an extended state, and its shape is roughly a cube; if the folding power mechanism 50 is started, the folding power mechanism 50 can pull the upper constraint frame 10 toward the lower constraint frame 10 by means of a rope drive. Under the pulling force, the lower trapezoidal long plate 30 will fold outwards, and the upper trapezoidal short plate 40 will fold inwards, thereby forming Figure 2 and Figure 4The state shown means that the folding of the paper folding mechanism 100 is completed.

[0044] If the paper-folding mechanism 100 needs to be unfolded, the unfolding power mechanism 60 can be started, and the unfolding power mechanism 60 can apply a pulling force to the connection between the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40, so that the trapezoidal short plate 40 is folded outward and the trapezoidal long plate 30 is folded inward, thereby realizing the unfolding of the paper-folding mechanism 100.

[0045] Therefore, when the two origami mechanisms 100 are folded, the bistable cubic satellite telescopic module becomes Figure 2 When the two origami mechanisms 100 are extended, the bistable cube satellite telescopic module becomes Figure 1 The status shown.

[0046] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment provides a constraint frame 10 including a rectangular inner frame 11 and an L-shaped outer frame 12; the outer sides of the four sides of the rectangular inner frame 11 are connected to transition plates 20; the four L-shaped outer frames 12 are respectively arranged at the four end corners outside the rectangular inner frame 11, and the L-shaped outer frame 12 and the rectangular inner frame 11 jointly clamp and fix the transition plate 20.

[0047] After adopting this setting method, corresponding holes can be set on the rectangular inner frame 11, the L-shaped outer frame 12, and the transition plate 20. Then, screws can be used to pass through the L-shaped outer frame 12, the transition plate 20 and the rectangular inner frame 11, and nuts can be tightened to fix the three, thereby ensuring the firmness of the installation of the transition plate 20.

[0048] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the paper folding mechanism 100 of this embodiment further includes an elastic hinge 70 , which is connected to the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40 respectively; and the unfolding power mechanism 60 is connected to the elastic hinge 70 by rope drive.

[0049] After adopting this setting method, since the default state of the elastic hinge 70 is the extended state, when the elastic hinge 70 is not affected by other external forces, the elastic hinge 70 will drive the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40 to flip to the same plane; if the bistable cubic satellite telescopic module is changed from the folded state to the extended state, the elastic hinge 70 can release the potential energy stored in the folded state, thereby generating a force at the same time as the deployment power mechanism 60, thereby making the deployment of the bistable cubic satellite telescopic module smoother and more efficient.

[0050] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, elastic hinges 70 are provided to connect the outer surfaces of the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40 respectively.

[0051] After adopting this setting method, if the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40 are folded, the elastic hinge 70 will be placed outside the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40, so as not to occupy the space at the folding point of the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40, ensuring that the folding effect of the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40 is optimized.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a deployment power mechanism 60 including a deployment power motor 61 and a deployment rope 62; the deployment power motor 61 is used to release and retract the deployment rope 62; the deployment rope 62 is wound out to the outside of the bistable cube satellite telescopic module, thereby connecting to the elastic hinge 70.

[0053] After adopting this setting, the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the unfolding power motor 61 can realize the retraction and extension of the unfolding rope 62, so when the unfolding rope 62 is tightened, the elastic hinge 70 can be pulled from the inside to the outside, thereby realizing the extension of the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40.

[0054] like Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, this embodiment provides an elastic hinge 70 including a hinge plate 71 and a return spring 72; the two hinge plates 71 are rotatably connected, and the two hinge plates 71 are respectively connected to the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40, and the two hinge plates 71 are both made of PEEK; the return spring 72 is provided at the rotation connection of the two hinge plates 71.

[0055] PEEK, or poly(ether-ether-ketone), is a specialty polymer consisting of repeating units containing one ketone bond and two ether bonds in its main chain. It exhibits physical and chemical properties such as high-temperature resistance and chemical corrosion resistance. It is a semi-crystalline polymer material used as a high-temperature structural material and electrical insulation material, and can be composited with glass fiber or carbon fiber to produce reinforcement materials. It is generally a polyarylether polymer derived by condensation with aromatic dihydric phenols. This material has numerous applications in aerospace, medical devices (as artificial bone for bone defect repair), and industry.

[0056] Therefore, after adopting this configuration, the two hinge plates 71 can still have strong rigidity even though they are thin, thereby improving the structural performance of the bistable cubic satellite telescopic module.

[0057] like Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a folding power mechanism 50 including a folding power motor 51 and a folding rope 52 . The folding power motor 51 is used to release and retract the folding rope 52 ; the folding rope 52 is placed in the space surrounded by the constraint frame 10 .

[0058] After adopting this setting, the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the folding power motor 51 can realize the retraction and extension of the folding rope 52, so when the folding rope 52 is tightened, the constraint frame 10 can be pulled from top to bottom, thereby realizing the folding of the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the transition plate 20 is configured as a carbon fiber plate.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the trapezoidal long plate 30 and the trapezoidal short plate 40 are configured to be PVC plates (Polyvinylchloride).

[0061] To verify the bistability of the telescopic module, the present inventors conducted experimental verification and testing, focusing on the evolution of the contraction force as a key criterion. However, due to the complex material composition and geometry, it is difficult to use analytical methods to study the impact of the module's geometric design parameters on its mechanical properties. Therefore, this study designed an experiment to verify the bistability.

[0062] First, a cube module with a side length of 40 mm, a lock body width of 8 mm, and a material of acrylic board was selected as a reference for the experiment.

[0063] Then, the Mark-10 was used to test the compression characteristics of the telescopic module. In order to fully demonstrate the bistable characteristics, the Mark-10 was slowly compressed at a speed of 2 mm / s while recording the data.

[0064] According to the compression process, it can be divided into three stages:

[0065] State 1: The module is fully deployed, the force is 0, and it is in a steady state;

[0066] State 2: The module is compressed and the plates begin to deform. Once the compression force disappears, they will quickly return to State 1.

[0067] State 3: The module is fully contracted, the force is 0, and it is in a steady state.

[0068] Generally speaking, as long as the energy input to the system is greater than the energy barrier, it can easily switch between stable states. Therefore, the bottom surface can be fixed and a force can be applied to the top surface. When the force increases to a certain value, the module contracts, achieving the transition between the two stable states.

[0069] For a module with four acrylic panels of equal cross-section, its initial height is 110mm and its height after compression is 30mm. At the beginning, the module with four equal cross-sections may be in an uncompressed state and maintain its original shape. As the compressive force is applied, the module may begin to produce axial deformation. Under low compressive force, the deformation may be relatively small, but as the loading force increases, the degree of deformation will gradually increase. It may be observed that under a certain compressive force, the deformation of the module maintains a linear relationship. However, after exceeding a certain compressive force, nonlinear deformation may occur, which may be caused by the nonlinear properties of the material. When the compressive force increases from 2N to 5N, the deformation is uniform, such as Figure 7 shown.

[0070] It can be seen that there is always a peak between State 1 and State 3. When the required force exceeds the maximum force, the required force begins to decrease, and folding occurs quickly. It can also be seen that although the compression height is 30mm, folding occurs at around 70mm. The reason is that the energy threshold has exceeded the folding energy threshold, directly entering another stable state.

[0071] In the following research, it was found that carbon fiber boards have better performance in terms of strength and flexibility, so similar experiments were conducted on carbon fiber board modules. However, it is worth noting that carbon fiber boards are stronger, so carbon fiber boards with a thickness of 0.3mm were selected for the experiment. Figure 8 As shown:

[0072] For the carbon fiber panel module, its initial height was 110mm and its compressed height was 30mm. When the compression force increased from 0.75N to 3.25N, the deformation was uniform. For the three-sided carbon fiber panel module with uniform cross-section, its initial height and compressed height were the same as those of the three-sided module. When the compression force increased from 0.5N to 1.5N, the deformation was roughly uniform.

[0073] The above is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bistable CubeSat telescopic module, characterized in that: The bistable cube satellite telescopic module is provided with an origami mechanism on opposite sides that can extend outward and fold inward, and the origami mechanism includes a constraint frame, a transition plate, a trapezoidal long plate, a trapezoidal short plate, a folding power mechanism, and an unfolding power mechanism; The two constraint frames are arranged opposite to each other, and the transition plates are connected to multiple sides of the two constraint frames; The height of the trapezoidal long plate is greater than that of the trapezoidal short plate, and the bottom long sides of the plurality of trapezoidal long plates are respectively connected to the plurality of transition plates on the constraint frame to form a foldable structure; The bottom long sides of the plurality of trapezoidal short plates are respectively connected to the plurality of transition plates on the other constraint frame to form a foldable structure, and the top short sides of the plurality of trapezoidal short plates are respectively connected to the top short sides of the plurality of trapezoidal long plates to form a foldable structure; The folding power mechanism and the unfolding power mechanism are arranged in a space surrounded by the same constraint frame; The folding power mechanism is connected to the other constraint frame by a rope drive, and the folding power mechanism is used to pull the paper folding mechanism to fold; The unfolding power mechanism is connected to the folding connection of the trapezoidal short plate and the trapezoidal long plate by a rope drive, and the unfolding power mechanism is used to pull the paper folding mechanism to stretch.

2. The bistable CubeSat telescopic module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The constraint frame includes a rectangular inner frame and an L-shaped outer frame; The outer sides of the four sides of the rectangular inner frame are connected with the transition plates; The four L-shaped outer frames are respectively arranged at the four end corners outside the rectangular inner frame, and the L-shaped outer frames and the rectangular inner frame jointly clamp and fix the transition plate.

3. The bistable CubeSat telescopic module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The paper folding mechanism further includes elastic hinges, which are respectively connected to the trapezoidal long plate and the trapezoidal short plate; The unfolding power mechanism is connected to the elastic hinge rope drive.

4. The bistable CubeSat telescopic module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic hinges are respectively connected to the outer surfaces of the trapezoidal long plate and the trapezoidal short plate.

5. The bistable CubeSat telescopic module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The deployment power mechanism includes a deployment power motor and a deployment rope; The deployment power motor is used to release and retract the deployment rope; The deployment rope is wound out to the outside of the bistable cubesat telescopic module and connected to the elastic hinge.

6. The bistable CubeSat telescopic module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic hinge includes a hinge plate and a return spring; The two hinge plates are rotatably connected, and the two hinge plates are respectively connected to the trapezoidal long plate and the trapezoidal short plate, and the two hinge plates are both made of PEEK; The return spring is arranged at the rotation connection of the two hinge plates.

7. The bistable CubeSat telescopic module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folding power mechanism includes a folding power motor and a folding rope. The folding power motor is used to release and retract the folding rope; The folding rope is placed in the space surrounded by the restraint frame.

8. The bistable CubeSat telescopic module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transition plate is a carbon fiber plate.

9. The bistable CubeSat telescopic module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trapezoidal long plate and the trapezoidal short plate are PVC plates.

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