A self-locking standard payload quick-change interface and quick-change method for on-orbit space control

Abstract

A self-locking standard load quick-change interface and quick-change method for on-orbit space control belongs to the field of on-orbit space service technology. In order to solve the problem that the existing space docking interface is large in size and complex in structure. The present invention includes an active locking mechanism and a passive locking mechanism; the active locking mechanism includes a support shell, a shaft drive assembly, a locking assembly and a return assembly; the return assembly, the locking assembly and the shaft drive assembly are coaxially arranged in the support shell from the inside to the outside in a stacked manner, and the passive locking mechanism extends from the top of the support shell into the locking assembly and abuts against the top of the return assembly; the locking assembly locks the passive locking mechanism under the driving action of the shaft drive assembly, and the return assembly is used for the passive locking mechanism to pop out when unlocked. The present invention is mainly used for the docking of space robots and space payloads.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of space on-orbit service technology, and relates to an interface, specifically a self-locking standard load quick-change interface and a quick-change method for space on-orbit control. Background Art

[0002] On-orbit space servicing technology is a highly competitive field among nations worldwide and a crucial indicator of a nation's comprehensive national strength. Space manipulation is a crucial capability in on-orbit space servicing technology. Because it can replace humans in highly complex tasks such as space station assembly, installation, maintenance, and repair, orbital debris removal, space asset maintenance, and the capture, release, and recovery of satellites, research and development of this technology has always been a hot topic for major aerospace technology powers.

[0003] In on-orbit servicing missions, most of the captured target spacecraft are cooperative targets. That is, cooperative targets are cooperative, and they are usually equipped with features for measurement and devices for robotic arm grasping or docking. However, conventional robot end-grip devices and grasping handles are usually large in size and size. For example, the "three-finger grasping and positioning mechanism" disclosed in the Chinese patent "CN102514015A" has a large overall size, which greatly limits its use conditions. With the urgent demand for interfaces with smaller volume, size and mass, the development of a universal standard interface technology with smaller volume, size and mass suitable for on-orbit manipulation is imminent. It is also a key technology for on-orbit servicing and faces huge challenges. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the problems of large volume, size and complex structure of existing space docking interfaces, and further provides a self-locking standard load quick-change interface and quick-change method for on-orbit space control.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above technical problems is:

[0006] A self-locking standard load quick-change interface for on-orbit space control includes an active locking mechanism and a passive locking mechanism; the active locking mechanism includes a support housing, a shaft drive assembly, a locking assembly, and a return assembly; the return assembly, locking assembly, and shaft drive assembly are coaxially arranged in sequence from the inside to the outside of the support housing in a telescopic manner; the passive locking mechanism extends from the top of the support housing into the locking assembly and abuts against the top of the return assembly; the locking assembly locks the passive locking mechanism under the driving action of the shaft drive assembly, and the return assembly is used to pop out the passive locking mechanism when it is unlocked;

[0007] The shaft drive assembly includes a screw shaft as a driving end, and the screw shaft is a cylindrical structure with an inner cross-sectional size gradually increasing from top to bottom; the locking assembly includes a locking steel ball and a locking steel ball bracket, and a plurality of ball sockets are circumferentially opened on the locking steel ball bracket near the upper port, each ball socket accommodates a locking steel ball, and the two sides of the locking steel ball protrude from the inner and outer walls of the locking steel ball bracket respectively; the locking steel ball bracket is coaxially arranged in the screw shaft and fixedly mounted on the bottom of the support shell; the passive locking mechanism includes an interface guide head, which is divided into a guide docking section and a positioning locking section from bottom to top, and the guide docking section is frustum-shaped and has a guiding function; the positioning locking section is obtained by a circle of notches opened on the outer circumferential wall of the interface guide head; during the axial downward movement of the screw shaft, the inner wall of the screw shaft generates a radial driving force on the locking steel ball, and the locking steel ball is inserted into the positioning locking section of the interface guide head, thereby realizing the locking of the passive locking mechanism by the active locking mechanism.

[0008] Preferably, a socket is opened at the center position of the top of the support shell for inserting the passive locking mechanism; a central support sleeve is coaxially arranged in the support shell, and the central support sleeve and the bottom of the support shell form an installation cavity and are used as a bearing seat.

[0009] Preferably, the shaft drive assembly also includes a DC brushless motor, a motor rotor shaft, a screw nut, a linear bearing and two pairs of rolling bearings; the DC brushless motor and the motor rotor shaft are sequentially mounted on the central support sleeve from the inside to the outside, and the motor rotor shaft is rotatably mounted in the support shell through two rolling bearings arranged side by side up and down; the screw nut is fixedly mounted on the top of the motor rotor shaft and rotates around the central axis of the motor rotor shaft under the drive of the motor rotor shaft; the lower end of the screw shaft is slidably mounted in the mounting cavity through a linear bearing, and the upper end of the screw shaft extends from the opening at the upper end of the center support sleeve and extends toward the jack at the top of the support shell, and a movable gap is left between the top end of the screw shaft and the top wall of the support shell for axial movement of the screw shaft; the screw nut is threaded together with the screw shaft to form a trapezoidal screw pair, and the screw shaft moves along its own axial direction under the rotational movement of the screw nut.

[0010] Preferably, the brushless DC motor comprises a motor stator and a motor rotor, the motor stator is sleeved on a central support sleeve, and the outer ring wall of the motor rotor is connected to the inner ring wall of the motor rotor shaft.

[0011] Preferably, the outer ring wall of the upper half of the screw shaft is provided with an external thread for threaded connection with the screw nut, and the outer ring wall of the lower half of the screw shaft is a smooth section and is inserted into the linear bearing.

[0012] Preferably, the inner ring wall of the screw shaft includes a locking section, a guide section and a straight tube section from top to bottom, the inner cross-sectional size of the locking section gradually increases from top to bottom, the inner cross-sectional size of the guide section gradually increases from top to bottom, and the slope of the locking section is greater than the slope of the guide section.

[0013] Preferably, two steps are coaxially arranged on the outer ring wall of the motor rotor shaft, which are respectively set as an upper step and a lower step; two bearing seats are formed between the upper step and the lower step and the inner wall of the support shell, and are respectively used to fix two rolling bearings.

[0014] Preferably, the return assembly includes a guide column and a return spring; one end of the guide column is inserted into the bottom wall of the locking steel ball bracket and moves up and down along the axial direction of the locking steel ball bracket; the return spring is sleeved on the guide column, the bottom end of the return spring abuts against the bottom wall of the locking steel ball bracket, and the upper end of the return spring abuts against the abutment surface at the top end of the guide column.

[0015] Preferably, the passive locking mechanism also includes an interface positioning block, which is fixedly mounted on the top of the interface guide head and adopts a V-shaped design, cooperating with the V-shaped groove opened on the top of the support shell to realize the angle positioning of the passive locking mechanism and the active locking mechanism when locking.

[0016] A quick-change method for a self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control. The specific docking process is as follows:

[0017] S1, preparation stage:

[0018] Start the brushless DC motor and transmit the rotational torque to the screw nut through the motor rotor shaft. The screw shaft moves upward under the action of the screw nut until the top of the screw shaft abuts against the top of the support housing, and the side of the locking steel ball outside the locking steel ball bracket abuts against the inner wall of the screw shaft;

[0019] S2, docking and locking stage:

[0020] S21, the space manipulator drives the active locking mechanism to move toward the passive locking mechanism. The interface guide head in the passive locking mechanism is inserted from the top of the support shell into the locking steel ball bracket and abuts against the top of the return assembly. The interface guide head continues to move downward, and the return assembly accumulates a certain preload force until the positioning locking section of the interface guide head is directly opposite the ball socket.

[0021] S22, start the brushless DC motor again, and transmit the rotational torque to the screw nut through the motor rotor shaft. The screw shaft moves downward under the action of the screw nut; the screw shaft generates a radial extrusion force on the locking steel ball. As the screw shaft moves downward, the locking steel ball gradually moves toward the inner side wall of the locking steel ball bracket in the ball socket and extends into the positioning locking section of the interface guide head, thereby realizing the locking of the passive locking mechanism;

[0022] S3, unlocking and releasing stage:

[0023] S31, starting the brushless DC motor and transmitting the rotational torque to the lead screw nut through the motor rotor shaft. The lead screw shaft moves upward under the action of the lead screw nut. The lead screw shaft no longer generates abutting force on the locking steel ball and provides space for the locking steel ball to move out.

[0024] S32, the interface guide head in the passive locking mechanism moves upward under the pre-tightening force of the return assembly, and the conical surface of the positioning locking section of the interface guide head generates an extrusion force on the locking steel ball. The locking steel ball gradually moves toward the outer wall side of the locking steel ball bracket in the ball socket, and is gradually removed from the positioning locking section of the interface guide head, and no longer has a locking effect on the interface guide head, thereby realizing the release of the passive locking mechanism by the active locking mechanism.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are:

[0026] 1. The active locking mechanism in the present invention is installed in a completely overlapping manner. While reducing the overall size, the shaft drive assembly can also be used to drive the locking assembly, so that the locking steel ball in the locking assembly moves inward and produces a locking effect on the interface guide head in the passive locking mechanism, thereby realizing the locking of the active locking mechanism and the passive locking mechanism, and further realizing the rapid docking of the space robot arm and the payload.

[0027] 2. The present invention adopts a screw pair as a driving component, and utilizes the inner wall of the screw shaft with a variable cross-section to drive and lock the locking steel ball. It does not require continuous energy output and has a self-locking function.

[0028] 3. The overall volume, size and mass of the present invention are relatively small, which meets the requirements of lightweight use in space, and is an ideal interface for on-orbit control in space, especially suitable for on-orbit control tasks such as on-orbit plugging, unplugging and assembly that have strict space requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application and are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 1 This is the axonometric view of the self-locking load quick-change interface;

[0031] Figure 2 It is a top view of the self-locking load quick-change interface;

[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Cross-section at AA in the middle;

[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Cross-section at the middle BB;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the passive locking mechanism being inserted into the active locking mechanism;

[0035] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the supporting shell;

[0036] Figure 7 It is a structural diagram of the shaft drive assembly;

[0037] Figure 8 This is an assembly drawing of the locking component, return component, and interface guide head;

[0038] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the V-shaped interface positioning block mating with the V-shaped groove on the top support cover.

[0039] Explanation of reference numerals: 1-active locking mechanism; 2-passive locking mechanism; 11-support housing; 12-shaft drive assembly; 13-locking assembly; 14-return assembly; 21-interface guide head; 22-interface positioning block;

[0040] 111 - top support cover; 112 - annular support housing; 113 - bottom support plate; 114 - bottom sealing plate; 121 - brushless DC motor; 122 - motor rotor shaft; 123 - lead screw nut; 124 - lead screw shaft; 125 - linear bearing; 126 - rolling bearing; 131 - locking steel ball; 132 - locking steel ball bracket; 141 - guide post; 142 - return spring; 211 - guide docking section; 212 - positioning locking section;

[0041] 1111-socket; 1112-V-groove; 1113-protrusion; 1121-support step; 1131-center support sleeve; 1132-installation cavity; 1211-motor stator; 1212-motor rotor; 1221-upper step; 1222-lower step; 1241-locking section; 1242-guide section; 1243-straight section; 1321-ball socket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0043] Example 1:

[0044] This embodiment is to solve the problem of large volume, size and complex structure of existing space docking interfaces, and provide a self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit control in space. Figures 1 to 9 The quick-change interface includes an active locking mechanism 1 and a passive locking mechanism 2; the active locking mechanism 1 is installed at the end of the space robot's manipulator arm through stopper positioning and screw connection, and the passive locking mechanism 2 is installed on the payload. The space robot controls the capture and release of the passive locking mechanism 2 by the active locking mechanism 1, thereby facilitating the on-orbit control of the space robot over the payload.

[0045] The active locking mechanism 1 includes a support shell 11, a shaft drive assembly 12, a locking assembly 13 and a return assembly 14; the return assembly 14, the locking assembly 13 and the shaft drive assembly 12 are coaxially arranged in the support shell 11 from the inside to the outside in a stacked manner, and the passive locking mechanism 2 extends from the top of the support shell 11 into the locking assembly 13 and abuts against the top of the return assembly 14; the locking assembly 13 locks the passive locking mechanism 2 under the driving action of the shaft drive assembly 12, and the return assembly 14 is used to pop out the passive locking mechanism 2 when it is unlocked.

[0046] See also Figure 6 The support shell 11 includes a top support cover 111, an annular support shell 112, a bottom support plate 113 and a bottom sealing plate 114. The top support cover 111, the annular support shell 112, the bottom support plate 113 and the bottom sealing plate 114 are arranged in sequence from top to bottom and form an installation cavity as a whole. The shaft drive assembly 12, the locking assembly 13 and the return assembly 14 are located in this installation cavity.

[0047] Further, such as Figure 6 As shown, a socket 1111 is provided at the center of the top support cover 111 for inserting the passive locking mechanism 2; a V-shaped groove 1112 is radially provided on the top support cover 111 and is connected to the socket 1111, for guiding and positioning the active locking mechanism 1 and the passive locking mechanism 2 when they are locked; a circle of integrally formed protrusions 1113 is provided on the lower end face of the top support cover 111, and a shaft shoulder is formed between the protrusion 1113 and the inner wall of the annular support shell 112 for fixing the bearing.

[0048] Further, such as Figure 6 As shown, a circle of supporting steps 1121 is provided on the inner ring wall of the annular support shell 112 near the bottom for supporting and fixing the bearing; the annular support shell 112 and the supporting steps 1121 are made in one piece.

[0049] Further, such as Figure 6 As shown, a center support sleeve 1131 with upper and lower openings is provided at the center position of the upper surface of the bottom support plate 113. The bottom sealing plate 114 is installed on the lower surface of the bottom support plate 113 and seals the opening at the bottom of the center support sleeve 1131. An installation cavity 1132 is formed between the bottom sealing plate 114 and the center support sleeve 1131 and is used as a bearing seat for installing linear bearings.

[0050] See also Figure 7 The shaft drive assembly 12 includes a DC brushless motor 121, a motor rotor shaft 122, a screw nut 123, a screw shaft 124, a linear bearing 125 and two pairs of rolling bearings 126, all of which are cylindrical structures; the DC brushless motor 121 and the motor rotor shaft 122 are sequentially mounted on the central support sleeve 1131 from the inside to the outside, and the motor rotor shaft 122 is rotatably mounted in the annular support shell 112 through two rolling bearings 126 arranged side by side up and down; the screw nut 123 is fixedly mounted on the top of the motor rotor shaft 122 by means of stopper positioning and screw connection, and can rotate around the central axis of the motor rotor shaft 122 under the drive of the motor rotor shaft 122 The screw shaft 124 is slidably mounted in the mounting cavity 1132 formed by the bottom sealing plate 114 and the center support sleeve 1131 through a linear bearing 125. The upper end of the screw shaft 124 extends from the opening at the upper end of the center support sleeve 1131 and extends toward the top support cover 111. A certain movable gap is left between the top end of the screw shaft 124 and the top support cover 111 for axial movement of the screw shaft 124. The screw nut 123 is screwed together with the screw shaft 124 to form a trapezoidal screw pair (the trapezoidal screw pair has a self-locking feature). The screw shaft 124 moves along its own axial direction under the rotation of the screw nut 123.

[0051] Further, such as Figure 7As shown, the brushless DC motor 121 includes a motor stator 1211 and a motor rotor 1212. The motor stator 1211 is mounted on the central support sleeve 1131, which can be achieved by gluing or flat keys to ensure that the position of the motor stator 1211 is fixed; the outer ring wall of the motor rotor 1212 is connected to the inner ring wall of the motor rotor shaft 122, which can be achieved by gluing or flat keys. The motor rotor 1212 can transmit rotational torque to the motor rotor shaft 122; the motor stator 1211 and the motor rotor 1212 form a split-type inner stator and outer rotor brushless DC motor, which reduces the size of the entire active locking mechanism 1 and achieves the purpose of miniaturization.

[0052] Further, such as Figure 7 As shown, two steps are coaxially provided on the outer ring wall of the motor rotor shaft 122, which are respectively set as an upper step 1221 and a lower step 1222; the upper step 1221 and the annular protrusion 1113 at the lower end of the top support cover 111 constitute a bearing support seat, in which one rolling bearing 126 is fixed through the upper step 1221 and the annular protrusion 1113, the upper step 1221 is used to support the inner ring of the rolling bearing 126, and the annular protrusion 1113 is used to fix the outer ring of the rolling bearing 126, and a bearing washer is provided between the outer ring of the rolling bearing 126 and the annular protrusion 1113 to realize the control of the preload force of the rolling bearing 126; the The lower step 1222 and the supporting step 1121 on the annular support shell 112 form a bearing support seat, and another rolling bearing 126 is fixed through the lower step 1222 and the supporting step 1121. The lower step 1222 is used to support the inner ring of the rolling bearing 126, and the supporting step 1121 is used to fix the outer ring of the rolling bearing 126; in this embodiment, no separate bearing seat is provided for each rolling bearing 126 in the annular support shell 112, but the fixation is achieved through the cooperation of the top support cover 111, the annular support shell 112 and the motor rotor shaft 122, thereby reducing the size of the entire active locking mechanism 1 and achieving the purpose of miniaturization.

[0053] Further, such as Figure 7 As shown, the outer ring wall of the upper half of the screw shaft 124 is provided with an external thread for threaded connection with the screw nut 123, and the outer ring wall of the lower half of the screw shaft 124 is a smooth section and is inserted in the linear bearing 125. The linear bearing 125 radially limits the screw shaft 124 to realize the positioning and guidance of the screw shaft 124, and ensures that the central axis of the screw shaft 124 always coincides with the central axis of the passive locking mechanism 2; at the same time, the lower half of the screw shaft 124 is slidably connected to the linear bearing 125 to generate rolling friction. The design of the smooth surface of the screw shaft 124 reduces the friction force on the screw shaft 124 during axial movement, ensuring that the screw shaft 124 can move up and down smoothly and improve the movement efficiency.

[0054] The inner ring wall of the screw shaft 124 includes a locking section 1241, a guide section 1242 and a straight tube section 1243 from top to bottom. The inner cross-sectional size of the locking section 1241 gradually increases from top to bottom, and the inner cross-sectional size of the guide section 1242 gradually increases from top to bottom. The slope of the locking section 1241 is greater than the slope of the guide section 1242. The inner wall of the screw shaft 124 generates a driving force for the locking assembly 13 through the design of different section surfaces, thereby realizing the locking function of the locking assembly 13 on the passive locking mechanism 2.

[0055] In this embodiment, the shaft drive assembly 12 adopts a DC brushless motor 121 with a cylindrical structure, a motor rotor shaft 122, a screw nut 123 and a screw shaft 124. The whole is installed and torque is transmitted in a stacked manner, which reduces the size of the entire shaft drive assembly 12 and achieves the purpose of miniaturization.

[0056] In this embodiment, the brushless DC motor 121 is powered on and drives the motor rotor shaft 122 to rotate, and the motor rotor shaft 122 drives the screw nut 123 to rotate. The screw shaft 124 moves up and down along its own axis under the action of the screw nut 123, and the locking steel ball 131 in the locking assembly 13 is applied with abutting force or releases the abutting force through the locking section 1241 and the guide section 1242 in the screw shaft 124, thereby completing the locking or release of the passive locking mechanism 2 by the locking assembly 13.

[0057] See also Figure 8 The locking assembly 13 includes a locking steel ball 131 and a locking steel ball bracket 132. The locking steel ball bracket 132 is a barrel-shaped structure, and a plurality of spherical ball sockets 1321 are circumferentially opened on the locking steel ball bracket 132 near the upper port. Each ball socket 1321 accommodates a locking steel ball 131, and the two sides of the locking steel ball 131 protrude from the inner and outer walls of the locking steel ball bracket 132 respectively, and are prevented from escaping from the inner side of the locking steel ball bracket 132 under the limit of the ball socket 1321; the bottom end of the locking steel ball bracket 132 is provided with a through hole for the installation of the return assembly 14; the locking steel ball bracket 132 is coaxially arranged in the screw shaft 124, and is connected to the bottom sealing plate 114 by means of stopper positioning and screw connection to keep it fixed; wherein, the locking steel ball 131 is close to the locking section 1241 and the guide section 1242 of the screw shaft 124.

[0058] Furthermore, the caliber of the ball socket 1321 gradually decreases from the outer wall to the inner wall of the locking steel ball bracket 132; the diameter of the locking steel ball 131 is larger than the caliber of the ball socket 1321 at the inner wall of the locking steel ball bracket 132, preventing the locking steel ball 131 from being squeezed out of the ball socket 1321 of the locking steel ball bracket 132 by the screw shaft 124; the diameter of the locking steel ball 131 is smaller than the caliber of the ball socket 1321 at the outer wall of the locking steel ball bracket 132, which is conducive to the movement of the locking steel ball 131 along the radial direction of the locking steel ball bracket 132.

[0059] In this embodiment, when the passive locking mechanism 2 is not inserted into the active locking mechanism 1, the top end of the screw shaft 124 abuts against the lower end surface of the top support cover 111 of the support shell 11, and the locking steel ball 131 is on the side outside the locking steel ball bracket 132 and abuts against the guide section 1242 of the screw shaft 124. During the axial downward movement of the screw shaft 124, the contact surface between the screw shaft 124 and the locking steel ball 131 transitions from the guide section 1242 to the locking section 1241. Since the inner cross-sectional size of the locking section 1241 becomes smaller, a radial extrusion force is generated on the locking steel ball 131. As the distance the screw shaft 124 moves downward increases, the locking steel ball 131 gradually moves toward the inner side wall of the locking steel ball bracket 132, and locks the passive locking mechanism 2.

[0060] In this embodiment, since the locking assembly 13 is installed in the screw shaft 124, the locking assembly 13 and the screw shaft 124 cooperate in such a way that the screw shaft 124 only needs to move up and down a small distance to achieve the driving effect, and the space size requirement in the support shell 11 is relatively small; at the same time, the locking assembly 13 is installed in the screw shaft 124 without adding additional installation volume, and the overall volume is relatively small, thereby achieving the purpose of miniaturization.

[0061] See also Figure 8 The return assembly 14 includes a guide post 141 and a return spring 142. One end of the guide post 141 is externally threaded, and the other end is provided with an abutment surface. The threaded end of the guide post 141 passes through the through-hole at the bottom end of the locking steel ball bracket 132 and is locked with a nut. The guide post 141 and the locking steel ball bracket 132 have a clearance fit and can be solid lubricated. The guide post 141 moves up and down along the axis of the locking steel ball bracket 132. The return spring 142 is a compression spring that is sleeved on the guide post 141. The bottom end of the return spring 142 abuts the bottom wall of the locking steel ball bracket 132, and the top end of the return spring 142 abuts the abutment surface of the guide post 141. When the return spring 142 is in a free state, the nut and the locking steel ball bracket 132 form a mechanical limit.

[0062] In this embodiment, when the active locking mechanism 1 and the passive locking mechanism 2 are in the locked state, the return spring 142 in the return assembly 14 is in a compressed and force-storing state. When the screw shaft 124 no longer generates a driving force on the locking steel ball 131 in the locking assembly 13, the locking steel ball 131 is in a free state, the return spring 142 releases the elastic force, and generates an upward thrust on the passive locking mechanism 2 through the guide column 141, and the passive locking mechanism 2 is ejected from the active locking mechanism 1.

[0063] See also Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 and Figure 9 The passive locking mechanism 2 includes an interface guide head 21 and an interface positioning block 22. The interface positioning block 22 is fixedly mounted on the top of the interface guide head 21 by screws; the interface guide head 21 is a cylindrical structure. The interface guide head 21 is divided into a guide docking section 211 and a positioning locking section 212 from bottom to top. The guide docking section 211 is truncated cone-shaped, and the cross-sectional area gradually decreases from top to bottom, which facilitates the rapid insertion of the interface guide head 21. The bottom surface of the interface guide head 21 is a plane. When the passive locking mechanism 2 is fully inserted into the active locking mechanism 1 The bottom surface of the interface guide head 21 abuts against the top of the guide column 141; the positioning locking section 212 is obtained by a circle of notches opened on the outer circumferential wall of the interface guide head 21, and the two sides of the notch are conical surfaces. When the passive locking mechanism 2 pops out from the active locking mechanism 1, the conical surface of the positioning locking section 212 exerts a thrust on the locking steel ball 131, causing the locking steel ball 131 to reset, that is, the locking steel ball 131 moves from the inside to the outside of the locking steel ball bracket 132; the middle part of the interface guide head 21 is a specially designed conical surface, which is used to cooperate with the locking steel ball 133 for locking. The interface positioning block 22 adopts a V-shaped design and cooperates with the V-shaped groove 1112 on the top support cover 111 to achieve the angular positioning of the passive locking mechanism 2 and the active locking mechanism 1 when locked.

[0064] In this embodiment, the interface guide head 21 is relatively small in size and simple in structure, and can achieve locking and positioning with the locking steel ball 131 by utilizing only its own positioning and locking section 212 .

[0065] In this embodiment, during the process of inserting the passive locking mechanism 2 into the active locking mechanism 1, after the interface positioning block 22 is fully docked with the V-groove 1112, it can be determined that the interface guide head 21 has been fully inserted into the locking steel ball bracket 132, and then the screw shaft 124 in the shaft system drive assembly 12 is driven to generate a radial driving force on the locking steel ball 131 in the locking assembly 13, so that the locking steel ball 131 is inserted into the positioning locking section 212 of the interface guide head 21 to achieve locking.

[0066] Example 2:

[0067] In order to better illustrate the docking process of the quick-change interface, this embodiment provides a quick-change method for a self-locking standard payload quick-change interface controlled on-orbit in space. The specific docking process is as follows:

[0068] S1, preparation stage:

[0069] The brushless DC motor 121 in the shaft drive assembly 12 drives the motor rotor shaft 122 to rotate, and the motor rotor shaft 122 drives the screw nut 123 to rotate, and the screw nut 123 drives the screw shaft 124 to move upward until the top end of the screw shaft 124 abuts against the lower end surface of the top support cover 111 of the support housing 11, and the locking steel ball 131 is located on one side outside the locking steel ball bracket 132 and abuts against the guide section 1242 of the screw shaft 124;

[0070] S2, docking and locking stage:

[0071] S21, the space manipulator drives the active locking mechanism 1 to move toward the passive locking mechanism 2, and the interface guide head 21 in the passive locking mechanism 2 is inserted from the socket 1111 on the top support cover 111 into the locking steel ball bracket 132 (as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown), the interface guide head 21 continues to move under the guidance of the guide docking section 211 of the interface guide head 21. The guide docking section 211 of the head of the interface guide head 21 slides over the locking steel ball 131 and abuts against the top of the guide column 141 in the return assembly 14. The interface guide head 21 continues to move downward, and the return spring 142 is gradually compressed until the positioning locking section 212 of the interface guide head 21 is opposite to the ball socket 1321. At this time, the locking steel ball 131 is surrounded by the ball socket 1321 of the locking steel ball bracket 132, the guide section 1242 of the screw shaft 124 and the positioning locking section 212 of the interface guide head 21, and is in a free state (as shown). Figure 3 As the interface guide head 21 is inserted, the active locking mechanism 1 is rotated at the same time, so that the V-shaped interface positioning block 22 is completely docked with the V-shaped groove 1112 on the top support cover 111, thereby achieving the positioning and posture of the active locking mechanism 1 and the passive locking mechanism 2;

[0072] S22, starting the brushless DC motor 121. The motor rotor in the brushless DC motor 121 drives the motor rotor shaft 122 to rotate about its own central axis. The motor rotor shaft 122 drives the screw nut 123 to rotate. Since the screw nut 123 and the screw shaft 124 form a screw nut pair, under the action of the rotation of the screw nut 123, the screw shaft 124 moves axially downward under the guidance of the linear bearing 125.

[0073] S23, during the axial downward movement of the screw shaft 124, the contact surface between the screw shaft 124 and the locking steel ball 131 transitions from the guide section 1242 to the locking section 1241. Since the inner cross-sectional size of the locking section 1241 becomes smaller, a radial extrusion force is generated on the locking steel ball 131. As the downward movement distance of the screw shaft 124 increases, the locking steel ball 131 gradually moves toward the inner side wall of the locking steel ball bracket 132 in the ball socket 1321 and extends into the positioning locking section 212 of the interface guide head 21. At this time, the locking steel ball 131 1 is partially in the ball socket 1321 of the locking steel ball bracket 132, and partially in the positioning locking section 212 of the interface guide head 21; since the positioning locking section 212 of the interface guide head 21 is an inwardly recessed structure, under the action of the locking steel ball 131, the interface guide head 21 cannot move axially, thereby realizing the locking of the passive locking mechanism 2; at the same time, the return spring 142 in a compressed state provides a certain pre-tightening force to the combination of the active locking mechanism 1 and the passive locking mechanism 2 after capture and locking through the guide column 141.

[0074] S3, unlocking and releasing stage:

[0075] S31, starting the brushless DC motor 121. The motor rotor in the brushless DC motor 121 drives the motor rotor shaft 122 to rotate in the opposite direction about its own central axis. The motor rotor shaft 122 drives the screw nut 123 to rotate in the opposite direction. Since the screw nut 123 and the screw shaft 124 form a screw nut pair, under the action of the rotation of the screw nut 123, the screw shaft 124 moves axially upward under the guidance of the linear bearing 125.

[0076] S32, during the axial upward movement of the screw shaft 124, the contact surface between the screw shaft 124 and the locking steel ball 131 transitions from the locking section 1241 to the guide section 1242. During the upward movement of the screw shaft 124, the inner cross-sectional dimension of the screw shaft 124 gradually increases, and the screw shaft 124 no longer generates abutting force on the locking steel ball 131, thereby providing space for the locking steel ball 131 to move out.

[0077] S33, the interface guide head 21 in the passive locking mechanism 2 continues to move upward under the pre-tightening force of the guide column 141 and the return spring 142. Since the screw shaft 124 no longer generates abutment force on the locking steel ball 131, the conical surface of the positioning locking section 212 of the interface guide head 21 generates an extrusion force on the locking steel ball 131, and the locking steel ball 131 gradually moves toward the outer wall side of the locking steel ball bracket 132 in the ball socket 1321, and is gradually removed from the positioning locking section 212 of the interface guide head 21, and no longer generates a locking effect on the interface guide head 21; in this process, when the locking steel ball 131 slides over the guide docking section 211 of the interface guide head 21, the pre-tightening force of the return spring 142 disappears, and the return spring 142 returns to a free state, and the active locking mechanism 1 and the passive locking mechanism 2 are completely disengaged, thereby realizing the release of the passive locking mechanism 2 by the active locking mechanism 1.

[0078] The active locking mechanism 1 in the present application is installed in a completely overlapping manner. While reducing the overall size, the shaft drive assembly 12 can also be used to drive the locking assembly 13, so that the locking steel ball 131 in the locking assembly 13 moves inward and produces a locking effect on the interface guide head 21 in the passive locking mechanism 2, thereby realizing the locking of the active locking mechanism 1 and the passive locking mechanism 2, and thus realizing the rapid docking of the space robot arm and the payload.

[0079] Although the present invention is described herein with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the invention. It should be understood that many modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments, and that other arrangements may be devised, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that the various dependent claims and features described herein may be combined in ways other than those described in the original claims. It should also be understood that features described in conjunction with individual embodiments may be employed in conjunction with other described embodiments.

Claims

1. A self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control, characterized by: The invention comprises an active locking mechanism (1) and a passive locking mechanism (2); the active locking mechanism (1) comprises a supporting shell (11), a shaft drive assembly (12), a locking assembly (13) and a return assembly (14); the return assembly (14), the locking assembly (13) and the shaft drive assembly (12) are coaxially arranged in the supporting shell (11) from the inside to the outside in a stacked manner, and the passive locking mechanism (2) extends from the top of the supporting shell (11) into the locking assembly (13) and abuts against the top of the return assembly (14); the locking assembly (13) locks the passive locking mechanism (2) under the driving action of the shaft drive assembly (12), and the return assembly (14) is used for the passive locking mechanism (2) to pop out when unlocking; The shaft drive assembly (12) includes a screw shaft (124) as a driving end, and the screw shaft (124) is a cylindrical structure with an inner cross-sectional size gradually increasing from top to bottom; The locking assembly (13) includes a locking steel ball (131) and a locking steel ball bracket (132). A plurality of ball sockets (1321) are circumferentially opened on the locking steel ball bracket (132) near the upper end. Each ball socket (1321) accommodates a locking steel ball (131). Both sides of the locking steel ball (131) protrude from the inner and outer walls of the locking steel ball bracket (132) respectively. The locking steel ball bracket (132) is coaxially arranged in the screw shaft (124) and fixedly mounted on the bottom of the support shell (11). The passive locking mechanism (2) includes an interface guide head (21), which is divided from bottom to top into a guide docking section (211) and a positioning locking section (212). The guide docking section (211) is truncated and has a guiding function. The positioning locking section (212) is obtained by a circle of notches opened on the outer circumferential wall of the interface guide head (21). When the screw shaft (124) moves axially downward, the inner wall of the screw shaft (124) generates a radial driving force on the locking steel ball (131), and the locking steel ball (131) is inserted into the positioning locking section (212) of the interface guide head (21), thereby realizing the locking of the passive locking mechanism (2) by the active locking mechanism (1).

2. The self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control according to claim 1, characterized in that: A socket (1111) is provided at the center of the top of the support shell (11) for inserting the passive locking mechanism (2); a center support sleeve (1131) is coaxially arranged in the support shell (11), and the center support sleeve (1131) and the bottom of the support shell (11) form an installation cavity (1132) and are used as a bearing seat.

3. The self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shaft drive assembly (12) further comprises a brushless DC motor (121), a motor rotor shaft (122), a lead screw nut (123), a linear bearing (125) and two pairs of rolling bearings (126); the brushless DC motor (121) and the motor rotor shaft (122) are sequentially mounted on the central support sleeve (1131) from the inside to the outside, and the motor rotor shaft (122) is rotatably mounted in the support housing (11) via two rolling bearings (126) arranged side by side in an upper and lower manner; the lead screw nut (123) is fixedly mounted on the top of the motor rotor shaft (122) and rotates around the center of the motor rotor shaft (122) under the drive of the motor rotor shaft (122). The axis rotates; the lower end of the screw shaft (124) is slidably installed in the installation cavity (1132) through a linear bearing (125); the upper end of the screw shaft (124) extends from the opening at the upper end of the central support sleeve (1131) and extends toward the socket (1111) at the top of the support shell (11); a movable gap is left between the top end of the screw shaft (124) and the top wall of the support shell (11) for axial movement of the screw shaft (124); the screw nut (123) is screwed together with the screw shaft (124) to form a trapezoidal screw pair, and the screw shaft (124) moves along its own axis under the rotation of the screw nut (123).

4. The self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control according to claim 3, characterized in that: The brushless DC motor (121) comprises a motor stator (1211) and a motor rotor (1212); the motor stator (1211) is sleeved on a central support sleeve (1131); and the outer ring wall of the motor rotor (1212) is connected to the inner ring wall of the motor rotor shaft (122).

5. The self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer ring wall of the upper half of the screw shaft (124) is provided with an external thread for threaded connection with the screw nut (123); the outer ring wall of the lower half of the screw shaft (124) is a smooth section and is inserted into the linear bearing (125).

6. The self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner ring wall of the screw shaft (124) includes a locking section (1241), a guide section (1242) and a straight section (1243) from top to bottom. The inner cross-sectional size of the locking section (1241) gradually increases from top to bottom, and the inner cross-sectional size of the guide section (1242) gradually increases from top to bottom. The slope of the locking section (1241) is greater than the slope of the guide section (1242).

7. The self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control according to claim 3, characterized in that: Two steps are coaxially arranged on the outer ring wall of the motor rotor shaft (122), which are respectively set as an upper step (1221) and a lower step (1222); two bearing seats are formed between the upper step (1221) and the lower step (1222) and the inner wall of the support shell (11), and are respectively used to fix two rolling bearings (126).

8. The self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control according to claim 1, characterized in that: The return assembly (14) comprises a guide column (141) and a return spring (142); one end of the guide column (141) is inserted into the bottom wall of the locking steel ball bracket (132) and moves up and down along the axis direction of the locking steel ball bracket (132); the return spring (142) is sleeved on the guide column (141), the bottom end of the return spring (142) abuts against the bottom wall of the locking steel ball bracket (132), and the upper end of the return spring (142) abuts against the abutting surface of the top end of the guide column (141).

9. The self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control according to claim 1, characterized in that: The passive locking mechanism (2) further comprises an interface positioning block (22), which is fixedly mounted on the top of the interface guide head (21) and adopts a V-shaped design, cooperating with a V-shaped groove (1112) opened on the top of the support shell (11), thereby realizing the angular positioning of the passive locking mechanism (2) and the active locking mechanism (1) when locked.

10. A quick-change method for a self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control, characterized by: Based on the self-locking standard payload quick-change interface for on-orbit space control according to any one of claims 3 to 9, the specific docking process is as follows: S1, preparation stage: The brushless DC motor (121) is started, and the rotational torque is transmitted to the screw nut (123) through the motor rotor shaft (122). The screw shaft (124) moves upward under the action of the screw nut (123) until the top end of the screw shaft (124) abuts against the top of the support housing (11), and the side of the locking steel ball (131) outside the locking steel ball bracket (132) abuts against the inner side wall of the screw shaft (124); S2, docking and locking stage: S21, the space manipulator drives the active locking mechanism (1) to move toward the passive locking mechanism (2), and the interface guide head (21) in the passive locking mechanism (2) is inserted from the top of the support shell (11) into the locking steel ball bracket (132) and abuts against the top of the return assembly (14). The interface guide head (21) continues to move downward, and the return assembly (14) stores a certain pre-tightening force; until the positioning locking section (212) of the interface guide head (21) is directly opposite the ball socket (1321); S22, the brushless DC motor (121) is started again, and the rotational torque is transmitted to the screw nut (123) through the motor rotor shaft (122), and the screw shaft (124) moves downward under the action of the screw nut (123); the screw shaft (124) generates a radial extrusion force on the locking steel ball (131), and as the distance the screw shaft (124) moves downward increases, the locking steel ball (131) gradually moves toward the inner side wall of the locking steel ball bracket (132) in the ball socket (1321), and extends into the positioning locking section (212) of the interface guide head (21), thereby achieving the locking of the passive locking mechanism (2); S3, unlocking and releasing stage: S31, starting the brushless DC motor (121), and transmitting the rotational torque to the screw nut (123) through the motor rotor shaft (122), and the screw shaft (124) moves upward under the action of the screw nut (123); the screw shaft (124) no longer generates abutting force on the locking steel ball (131), and provides space for the locking steel ball (131) to move out; S32, the interface guide head (21) in the passive locking mechanism (2) moves upward under the pre-tightening force of the return assembly (14), and the conical surface of the positioning locking section (212) of the interface guide head (21) generates an extrusion force on the locking steel ball (131), and the locking steel ball (131) gradually moves toward the outer wall side of the locking steel ball bracket (132) in the ball socket (1321), and is gradually removed from the positioning locking section (212) of the interface guide head (21), and no longer has a locking effect on the interface guide head (21), thereby realizing the release of the passive locking mechanism (2) by the active locking mechanism (1).

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