High-rigidity deployment mechanism for micro-satellite solar wing

Abstract

The application discloses a high-rigidity unfolding mechanism for a micro-satellite solar wing and belongs to the technical field of aerospace. The high-rigidity unfolding mechanism is provided with a male hinge; a female hinge is rotationally connected with the male hinge through a rotating shaft; a torsional spring is sleeved on the rotating shaft and drives the relative rotation of the male hinge and the female hinge; a locking pin is threadedly connected with the female hinge and penetrates through the female hinge; a locking head is arranged at the tail end of the locking pin and is used for slidingly abutting against an arc-shaped sliding surface formed by the male hinge and then engaging with a wedge-shaped surface of the locking pin formed by the male hinge so as to form a first locking structure; the sliding surface is connected with the wedge-shaped surface of the locking pin, and the profile line of the sliding surface is not tangent to the profile line of the wedge-shaped surface of the locking pin. The high-rigidity unfolding mechanism has the characteristics of gap elimination, weakens the nonlinearity of the hinge within a certain angle range, is suitable for the high-rigidity unfolding and locking of a micro-satellite solar wing, and can realize the design and production of a low-cost and ultra-small envelope unfolding mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace technology, and in particular to a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for solar panels of microsatellites. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing number of microsatellites in orbit, the power required by the satellites is constantly increasing, resulting in large solar array size and low fundamental frequency. At the same time, traditional hinge structures are complex and occupy a large space. In order to meet the requirements of folding and high rigidity deployment within the micro-envelope range, traditional hinges are difficult to meet, and new micro-deployment mechanisms need to be developed.

[0003] Therefore, in view of the above problems, it is necessary for the present invention to provide a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for a microsatellite solar array that enables solar array folding and high-rigidity deployment locking within a small envelope space. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the defects of the existing technology and provide a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for microsatellite solar arrays, so as to achieve a small-size envelope when the solar array is folded and high rigidity after deployment. Theoretically, this mechanism has the characteristic of eliminating gaps and weakening the nonlinearity of the hinge within a certain angle range, and is suitable for high-rigidity deployment and locking of microsatellite solar arrays.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] This invention discloses a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for a microsatellite solar array, comprising:

[0007] male hinge;

[0008] A female hinge, rotatably connected to the male hinge via a pivot, on which a torsion spring is mounted to drive the male and female hinges to rotate relative to each other; and

[0009] A locking pin is threadedly connected to the female hinge and passes through the female hinge. The end of the locking pin is provided with a locking head, which is used to slide against the arc-shaped sliding surface formed by the male hinge and then engage with the wedge-shaped surface of the locking pin formed by the male hinge to form a first locking structure.

[0010] The sliding surface is connected to the locking pin wedge-shaped surface, and the outline of the sliding surface is not tangent to the outline of the locking pin wedge-shaped surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the central axis of the locking head intersects perpendicularly with the central axis of the rotating shaft.

[0012] Furthermore, the locking pin includes an externally threaded housing and a locking head that is slidably connected to the externally threaded housing;

[0013] The external threaded housing is equipped with a locking spring inside, which drives the locking head to extend and retract to remain exposed outside the external threaded housing. The external threaded housing is equipped with a set screw at the end away from the locking head.

[0014] Furthermore, the locking pin wedge-shaped surface is an inclined surface, the sliding surface is an arc surface concentric with the shaft hole for mounting the rotating shaft by the male hinge, one end of the locking pin wedge-shaped surface is connected to the sliding surface, and the other end extends upward at an angle.

[0015] Furthermore, both sides of the female hinge have protrusions extending along the axis of the rotating shaft. These protrusions cooperate with the slider assembly mounted on the male hinge and the slide rail block fixed to the female hinge to form a second locking structure.

[0016] Furthermore, a locking slider wedge-shaped surface is formed on one side of the protrusion, and a contact limiting surface is formed on the other side, wherein the locking slider wedge-shaped surface is an inclined surface.

[0017] Furthermore, the slider assembly includes a slider box fixedly connected to the male hinge and a locking slider slidably connected to the slider box;

[0018] The slider box is equipped with a slider spring for driving the locking slider to reset;

[0019] The sliding blocks are fixedly connected to both sides of the female hinge. The side of the sliding block is a sliding surface for sliding contact with the end contact head of the locking slider. The sliding block has a relief groove corresponding to the sliding limit position of the contact head so that the locking slider can perform a reset action. The locking slider is embedded into the wedge-shaped surface of the locking slider and is locked by cooperating with the contact limiting surface.

[0020] Furthermore, a bushing for contacting the torsion spring is fitted in the middle of the shaft, a spacer for contacting the female hinge is fitted at the end of the shaft, and a retaining ring is engaged at one end of the shaft to prevent the shaft from disengaging from the male hinge.

[0021] Furthermore, the clearance fit between the shaft holes of the male and female hinges and the rotating shaft is less than 0.02 mm.

[0022] Furthermore, the male and female hinges are made of aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, titanium alloy, or Invar steel.

[0023] In the above technical solution, the high-rigidity deployment mechanism for a microsatellite solar array provided by the present invention has the following advantages:

[0024] The high-rigidity deployment mechanism for microsatellites designed in this invention employs a single-sided wedge-shaped locking method, which eliminates gaps and weakens the nonlinearity of the hinge within a certain angle range. Compared to traditional hinges, it can achieve higher locking stiffness and a smaller nonlinearity range under the same size envelope, making it suitable for high-rigidity deployment and locking of microsatellite solar panels. Furthermore, by matching and selecting different locking methods, the design and manufacturing of low-cost and ultra-small envelope deployment mechanisms can be achieved. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for a microsatellite solar array in a 90° retracted state, as disclosed in this invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for a microsatellite solar array in a 180° deployed state, as disclosed in this invention.

[0028] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for a microsatellite solar array disclosed in this invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the locking pin structure of a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for a microsatellite solar array disclosed in this invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the male hinge structure of a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for a microsatellite solar array disclosed in this invention;

[0031] Figure 5a This is a schematic diagram of the mother hinge structure of a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for a microsatellite solar array disclosed in this invention;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the locking pin locking state of a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for a microsatellite solar array disclosed in this invention.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0034] 1. Male hinge; 2. Rotating shaft; 3. Spacer ring; 4. Torsion spring; 5. Bushing; 6. Female hinge; 7. Locking pin; 8. Slide block; 9. Screw; 10. Retaining ring; 11. Locking slider; 12. Slider spring; 13. Slider box; 14. Set screw; 15. External threaded shell; 16. Locking spring; 17. Locking head; 18. Locking slider wedge surface; 19. Contact limiting surface; 20. Locking pin wedge surface; 21. Sliding surface; 22. Protrusion; 23. Contact head slide; 24. Clearance groove. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] See Figure 1-3 As shown;

[0037] An invention provides a high-rigidity deployment mechanism for the solar array of a microsatellite, comprising:

[0038] Male hinge 1;

[0039] The female hinge 6 is rotatably connected to the male hinge 1 via a rotating shaft 2. A torsion spring 4, which drives the male hinge 1 and the female hinge 6 to rotate relative to each other, is mounted on the rotating shaft 2.

[0040] Locking pin 7 is threadedly connected to female hinge 6 and passes through female hinge 6. Locking pin 7 is provided with locking head 17 at the end of locking pin 7, which is used to slide against the arc-shaped sliding surface 21 formed by male hinge 1 and then engage with the locking pin wedge surface 20 formed by male hinge 1 to form the first locking structure.

[0041] The sliding surface 21 is connected to the locking pin wedge surface 20, and the outline of the sliding surface 21 is not tangent to the outline of the locking pin wedge surface 20.

[0042] Specifically, the structure comprises a male hinge 1, a rotating shaft 2, a spacer 3, a torsion spring 4, a bushing 5, a female hinge 6, and a retaining ring 10, forming the minimum deployment system, i.e., the rotating assembly. This assembly enables the most basic deployment function. During assembly, the rotating shaft 2 is sequentially passed through the female hinge 6, spacer 3, male hinge 1, bushing 5, torsion spring 4, male hinge 1, spacer 3, and female hinge 6 to connect them, and the retaining ring 10 is used to secure it at the end. This rotating assembly can be used for deploying solar panels on microsatellites without rigidity requirements. Through local modifications to the interface and dimensions, an ultra-small volume can be achieved, with the minimum size of the folded envelope being 10mm × 10mm × 6mm.

[0043] The male hinge 1 is designed with a coaxial through hole, and the clearance fit between it and the rotating shaft 2 should be less than 0.02mm. The male hinge 1 is designed with two locking and limiting structures, both of which are wedge-shaped surfaces, namely the locking slider wedge surface 18 and the locking pin wedge surface 20. The angle between the wedge surface and the locking direction should be controlled within 15°. The male hinge 1 can be made of aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, titanium alloy or Invar steel.

[0044] The female hinge 6 is designed with a coaxial through hole, and the intermittent fit between it and the rotating shaft 2 should be less than 0.02 mm. The female hinge 6 can be made of aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, titanium alloy or Invar steel.

[0045] The rotating shaft 2 and the retaining ring 10 form a limiting shaft, and its total limiting length should be greater than the outer end of the female hinge 6 to facilitate assembly and stress release. During assembly, the male hinge 1 and the female hinge 6 are connected through the rotating shaft 2. A spacer 3 is placed between the male hinge 1 and the female hinge 6, with one spacer on each contact surface. The other end of the rotating shaft 2 is fixed by the retaining ring 10. A bushing 5 is placed in the middle space of the male hinge, and a torsion spring 4 is fitted on the bushing 5.

[0046] See Figure 6 As shown, the central axis of the locking head 17 intersects perpendicularly with the central axis of the rotating shaft 2.

[0047] See Figure 4 As shown, the locking pin 7 includes an external threaded shell 15 and a locking head 17 slidably connected to the external threaded shell 15. The outer wall of the external threaded shell 15 is threadedly connected to the threaded hole of the female hinge 6. A locking spring 16 is installed inside the external threaded shell 15 to drive the locking head 17 to extend and retract, keeping it exposed outside the external threaded shell 15. A set screw 14 is installed at the end of the external threaded shell 15 away from the locking head 17. One end of the locking spring 16 abuts against the set screw 14, and the other end abuts against the locking head 17. The extension of the locking spring 16 drives the locking head 17 to remain in the extended state. When the locking head 17 is pressed, the locking head 17 can extend and retract freely in the axial direction. During the extension process, the locking head 17 contacts and slides with the sliding surface 21. When locked in place, the locking head 17 is embedded into the locking pin wedge surface 20 and locked. In this embodiment, the locking pin 7 is symmetrically arranged on the female hinge 6.

[0048] See Figure 5 , 6 As shown, the locking pin wedge surface 20 is an inclined surface, and the sliding surface 21 is an arc surface concentric with the shaft hole of the male hinge 1 for mounting the rotating shaft 2. One end of the locking pin wedge surface 20 is connected to the sliding surface 21, and the other end extends upward at an inclination.

[0049] See Figure 5a As shown, both sides of the female hinge 6 have protrusions 22 extending along the axis of the rotating shaft 2. The protrusions 22 cooperate with the slider assembly mounted on the male hinge 1 and the slide rail block 8 fixed on the female hinge 6 to form a second locking structure.

[0050] One side of the protrusion 22 has a locking slider wedge surface 18 and the other side has a contact limiting surface 19. The locking slider wedge surface 18 is an inclined surface, so that an inclined angle is formed between the locking slider wedge surface 18 and the contact limiting surface 19. The angle between the locking slider wedge surface 18 and the locking direction should be controlled within 15°.

[0051] The locking assembly includes a slider box 13 fixedly connected to the male hinge 1 and a locking slider 11 slidably connected to the slider box 13;

[0052] A slider spring 12 for driving the locking slider 11 to reset is installed inside the slider box 13;

[0053] Both sides of the female hinge 6 are fixedly connected to slide rail blocks 8;

[0054] The side of the slide block 8 is a sliding surface, which is used to slide against the end contact head 23 of the locking slider 11. The slide block 8 has a relief groove 24 at the limit position of the sliding head 23 so that the locking slider 11 can perform a reset action. The locking slider 11 is embedded into the locking slider wedge surface 18 and is locked by cooperating with the contact limiting surface 19.

[0055] Specifically, the slider box 13 is mounted on the male hinge 1 with screws, and the slider spring 12 and the locking slider 11 are encapsulated and connected to the male hinge 1 together. The locking slider 11 can freely extend and retract within the slider box 13. The slide block 8 is connected to the side of the female hinge 6 with screws. The side of the slide block 8 is a sliding surface. During the unfolding process, the sliding surface slides into contact with the contact head 23 of the locking slider 11. When the contact head 23 of the locking slider 11 slides into the locking position (i.e., the position of the clearance groove 24), the sliding surface loses its constraint, and the locking slider 11 is embedded into the locking slider wedge surface 18 on the female hinge 6, and is locked by cooperating with the contact limiting surface 19.

[0056] In actual use, one or both of the aforementioned first and second locking structures can be used simultaneously.

[0057] The locking slider 11 is an irregularly shaped part, and the contact head 23 at its end includes three cylinders: a first cylinder, a second cylinder, and a third cylinder. The second and third cylinders are arranged on both sides of the first cylinder, and the distance between the first cylinder and the second and third cylinders is greater than the wall thickness of the slide block 8. The sliding surface of the first cylinder abuts against the slide block 8, and the second and third cylinders respectively lock the slider wedge surface 18 and the contact limiting surface 19 to achieve contact locking.

[0058] Both the first and second locking structures described above use a locking method different from traditional hole locking. They both employ a single-sided wedge-shaped surface locking, which can weaken the nonlinear characteristics of the hinge within a specific angle range and completely eliminate gaps through proper matching.

[0059] The foregoing has only described certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention by way of illustration. Undoubtedly, those skilled in the art can modify the described embodiments in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-stiffness deployment mechanism for a microsatellite solar wing, characterized by, The utility model relates to a hinge structure, which comprises: a male hinge (1); a female hinge (6) rotatably connected with the male hinge (1) through a rotating shaft (2), wherein a torsion spring (4) for driving the relative rotation of the male hinge (1) and the female hinge (6) is sleeved on the rotating shaft (2); and a locking pin (7) threadedly connected with the female hinge (6) and penetrating through the female hinge (6), wherein an end of the locking pin (7) is provided with a locking head (17) for slidingly abutting against an arc-shaped sliding surface (21) formed on the male hinge (1) and then engaging with a locking pin wedge surface (20) formed on the male hinge (1) so as to form a first locking structure. The sliding surface (21) is connected with the locking pin wedge surface (20), and the profile line of the sliding surface (21) is not tangent to the profile line of the locking pin wedge surface (20). The female hinge (6) is formed with a protrusion (22) extending along the axis direction of the rotating shaft (2) on both sides, and a second locking structure is formed by the cooperation of the protrusion (22), a sliding block assembly arranged on the male hinge (1) and a sliding rail block (8) fixed to the female hinge (6).

2. The high-stiffness deployment mechanism for a small satellite solar wing of claim 1, wherein ； The central axis of the locking head (17) is perpendicular to the central axis of the rotating shaft (2).

3. The high-stiffness deployment mechanism for a micro-satellite solar wing according to claim 1 or 2, The utility model is characterized in that: the locking pin (7) comprises an outer threaded shell (15) and the locking head (17) slidingly connected with the outer threaded shell (15); the outer threaded shell (15) is internally provided with a locking spring (16) for driving the locking head (17) to be telescopically exposed outside the outer threaded shell (15), and a jackscrew (14) is arranged at the end of the outer threaded shell (15) away from the locking head (17).

4. The high-stiffness deployment mechanism for a micro-satellite solar wing of claim 1, The utility model is characterized in that: the locking pin wedge surface (20) is an inclined surface, the sliding surface (21) is a circular arc surface concentric with the shaft hole of the rotating shaft (2) arranged on the male hinge (1), one end of the locking pin wedge surface (20) is connected with the sliding surface (21), and the other end extends upwardly and obliquely.

5. The high-stiffness deployment mechanism for a micro-satellite solar wing of claim 1, The utility model is characterized in that: the protrusion (22) is formed with a locking sliding block wedge surface (18) on one side and a contact limiting surface (19) on the other side, and the locking sliding block wedge surface (18) is an inclined surface.

6. The high-stiffness deployment mechanism for a small satellite solar wing of claim 5, wherein ； The sliding block assembly comprises a sliding block box (13) fixed to the male hinge (1) and a locking sliding block (11) slidingly connected with the sliding block box (13); the sliding block box (13) is internally provided with a sliding block spring (12) for driving the locking sliding block (11) to reset; the female hinge (6) is fixed with the sliding rail block (8) on both sides, the side of the sliding rail block (8) is a sliding surface for slidingly abutting against the end contact head (23) of the locking sliding block (11), the sliding rail block (8) is formed with an avoiding groove (24) corresponding to the sliding limit position of the contact head (23) so that the locking sliding block (11) performs a resetting action, the locking sliding block (11) is embedded into the locking sliding block wedge surface (18) and locked through the cooperation with the contact limiting surface (19).

7. The high-stiffness deployment mechanism for a small satellite solar wing of claim 1, wherein ； The middle part of the rotating shaft (2) is sleeved with a bushing (5) for contacting the torsion spring (4), the end part of the rotating shaft (2) is sleeved with a spacer ring (3) for contacting the female hinge (6), and the rotating shaft (2) is clamped with a stop ring (10) at one end for blocking the rotating shaft (2) from being separated from the male hinge (1).

8. The high-stiffness deployment mechanism for a micro-satellite solar wing of claim 1, Characterized in that; The gap fit amount between the shaft hole of the male hinge (1) and the female hinge (6) and the rotating shaft (2) is less than 0.02mm.

9. The high-stiffness deployment mechanism for a small satellite solar wing of claim 1, wherein ； The material of the male hinge (1) and the female hinge (6) is aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, titanium alloy or invar material.

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