A rope net launching device with adjustable launching angle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rope net launch device with adjustable launch angles. It comprises a rope net bag, a hot knife mechanism, a net bag tether, a net silo, an adjustable launch mechanism, and a chamber base. The silo is a columnar structure with a hyperbolic main line. The silo wall is provided with multiple evenly distributed weight-reducing holes. The rope net bag is disposed within the silo. A hot knife mechanism is provided on the silo's outer wall. The net bag tether is wound around the silo's periphery in an interlaced manner, and the hot knife mechanism is used to secure the rope net bag and cut the net bag tether. The adjustable launch mechanism comprises four assembled launch tubes evenly disposed around the silo. A chamber base is provided at the bottom of the silo. The chambers within the chamber base are connected to the assembled launch tubes. The ends of the assembled launch tubes are connected to the chamber base via a cap to adjust the launch angle. The present invention enables the launch of a rope net traction body at multiple angles with a wide adjustment range, enabling the capture and removal of space debris.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of space debris capture and cleaning, and particularly relates to a rope net launching device with adjustable launching angle. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as countries around the world have deepened their efforts in space exploration, an increasing number of space payloads have been launched into outer space, most of which are primarily located in low-Earth orbit. However, the failure of these space payloads generates a significant amount of space debris, posing a serious threat to the safety of human space assets. The increasing frequency of space launches inevitably leads to a dramatic increase in the amount of space debris, including space junk, waste, and debris. According to the "cascade effect" of space debris, when the amount of space debris reaches a critical point, the continuous collisions of large pieces of space debris generate new debris. As more space debris is generated, collisions between them become increasingly frequent, forming a vicious cycle that ultimately hinders future human exploration of outer space. This proves that the increase in the amount of space debris in space is an inevitable trend, and the development of space debris cleanup technology is the fundamental way to address the current threat posed by space debris. Within the field of space debris cleanup, space net cleanup technology has become increasingly mature. This technology primarily involves launching a flexible net from a space platform to capture space debris and tow it to a "low orbit" or graveyard orbit for destruction, completing the space debris cleanup mission.

[0003] While existing rope net launchers can capture and clean up residual satellite debris in space, once they are put into production, the launch angle of the rope net traction body cannot be adjusted, greatly limiting the applicability of the rope net launcher. Therefore, through analysis of past rope net launchers, we have identified the following two issues:

[0004] 1. Existing rope net launching devices have great limitations. Once a model is determined and put into production, the launching tube of the rope net launching device cannot be adjusted, resulting in the launch angle of the rope net traction body being unable to be adjusted. This greatly limits the scope of application of the rope net launching device, which is limited to launching at only one angle.

[0005] 2. Most net launchers lack a proper mechanism for pre-tensioning and releasing the net after the net is installed. The net inside the net can shift due to external vibrations, causing it to become tangled during launch and ultimately leading to launch failure. Furthermore, the net may not be launched successfully due to delayed feedback from the release mechanism, significantly reducing the success rate of the net launch. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a rope net launching device with an adjustable launch tube angle and a hot knife mechanism. The invention enables adjustment of the launch tube's launch angle; the hot knife mechanism pre-tightens and fuses the net's tether, ensuring that once the gunpowder in the chamber is ignited, the tractor is pushed out by the high-pressure gas and successfully flies out, carrying the net with it, thereby capturing and clearing space debris.

[0007] The technical solution for achieving the object of the present invention is: a launching angle adjustable rope net launching device, comprising a rope net bag, a hot knife mechanism, a net bag tether, a net bin, an adjustable launching mechanism and a chamber base;

[0008] The net silo is a column with a hyperbolic busbar. A plurality of evenly distributed weight-reducing holes are provided on the wall of the net silo. The rope net bag is arranged in the net silo. A hot knife mechanism is provided on the outer wall of the net silo. The rope of the net bag is wound around the outer periphery of the net silo in an inner and outer staggered manner. The hot knife mechanism is used to tighten the rope net bag and cut the rope of the net bag.

[0009] The adjustable launching mechanism includes four assembled launching tubes evenly arranged on the outer periphery of the net warehouse, a chamber base is provided at the bottom of the net warehouse, the chamber in the chamber base is connected to the assembled launching tube, and the end of the assembled launching tube is connected to the chamber base through a cap. The cap enables the launching angle of the assembled launching tube to be adjusted within the range of 45° to 60°.

[0010] Furthermore, the assembled launch tube includes an upper launch tube, a lower launch tube and a bent tube connected in sequence;

[0011] A threaded hole is provided in the base of the chamber to be threadedly connected to the elbow and fixed by a cap. A baffle, a traction body and a piston are provided in the upper launch tube. When the high-pressure gas in the chamber of the base of the chamber flows toward the elbow of the launch tube in four directions, the high-pressure gas in the pipeline pushes the piston and the traction body to impact the baffle.

[0012] Furthermore, the traction body is connected to the rope net bag through a traction rope, and the blocking cover is provided with a hole for the traction rope to pass through and achieve sealing.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes an igniter for igniting the chamber, and a bottom cover arranged at the lower part of the chamber base, and the igniter is installed through the bottom cover.

[0014] Furthermore, the net bag tether includes two upper and lower ones, and the upper and lower parts of the hot knife mechanism matching the net bag tether are arranged on the periphery of the net bin.

[0015] Furthermore, the hot knife mechanism includes a hot knife base, a heating rod, a spring and a pressure rod;

[0016] The hot knife mechanism is connected to the net compartment through the hot knife base. There are two heating rods. A pressure rod is set between the two heating rods. The lower end of the pressure rod is rotatably connected to the hot knife base. A spring is provided between the hot knife base and the pressure rod, which is in a compressed state when not fired.

[0017] The net bag tether is wound around the heating rod and around the outer circumference of the pressure rod. The outward force of the spring causes the pressure rod to support the net bag tether outward, so that the net bag tether is in a tensioned state, thereby effectively fixing the rope net bag.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following significant advantages:

[0019] (1) The present invention adopts an adjustable launching mechanism. By adjusting the angle of the launching tube, the launching angle of the launching tube of the rope net device can be freely adjusted within the range of 45° to 60° and the launching angle of the rope net traction body can be multiple. It is applicable to a wide range of working conditions.

[0020] (2) The hot knife mechanism of the present invention can realize the pre-tightening of the rope net bag and the melting of the binding rope, which can not only ensure the reliability of the net bag during binding and prevent the rope net in the net bag from shifting due to external vibration; but also ensure the timeliness of the melting of the binding rope of the net bag, which plays an important role in the successful launch of the rope net in the net bag. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the rope net launching device with adjustable launching angle according to the present invention in the unlaunched state.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rope net launching state of the rope net launching device with adjustable launching angle of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 It is the overall structure and partial cross-sectional view of the launching device of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of the adjustable launching mechanism of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 It is a structural diagram of the hot knife mechanism of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 Workflow diagram for clearing space debris for a rope net launcher.

[0027] Description of reference numerals:

[0028] 1-rope net bag, 2-hot knife mechanism, 3-net bag tether, 4-net warehouse, 5-adjustable launching mechanism, 6-lower launching tube, 7-parallel cap, 8-bottom cover, 9-igniter, 10-chamber base, 11-bend pipe, 12-upper launching tube, 13-piston, 14-traction body, 15-blocking cover, 16-hot knife base, 17-heating rod, 18-spring, 19-pressure rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] The present invention discloses a rope net launching device with an adjustable launch tube angle and a hot knife mechanism. The launch angle of the launch tube is adjusted by screwing into the launch tube and positioning the cap. When the launch angle needs to be adjusted, the cap is loosened and the launch tube angle is rotated. After the adjustment is completed, the launch angle of the launch tube can be adjusted by tightening the cap. The actual adjustable angle range of the launch tube is 45° to 60°, and the adjustment range is 15°, which can realize the launch of a rope net traction body at multiple angles and a large adjustment range. The hot knife mechanism can realize the pre-tightening and fuse release of the tether of the net bag, ensuring that when the gunpowder in the powder chamber is ignited, the traction body is pushed out by the high-pressure gas and can successfully fly out with the rope net in the net bag, thereby realizing the capture and cleaning of space debris.

[0031] A rope net launcher with adjustable launch angles consists of an adjustable launch mechanism 5, a hot knife mechanism 2, and a net compartment module 4. The adjustable launch mechanism 5 is the launch portion of the entire rope net launcher. The launch tube section, consisting of a lower launch tube 6, an upper launch tube 12, and a curved tube 11, can be rotated to adjust the launch angle. To adjust the launch angle, simply loosen the locking cap 7 and rotate the entire launch tube section. Once adjustment is complete, tighten the locking cap 7. The adjustable angle range is 45° to 60°. When the rope net launcher identifies space debris and approaches it, the pressure rod 19 in the hot knife mechanism 2 compresses the spring 18, causing it to contract and the tether 3 to tighten. The net bag 1 is securely bound by the preload of the tether 3. When the rope net launcher is ready to capture space debris, the heating rod 17 in the hot knife mechanism 2 heats and melts the tether 3, causing the net bag 1 to relax. Igniter 9 then ignites the charge, instantly filling chamber base 10 with high-pressure gas. This gas then flows upward along curved tube 11, lower launch tube 6, and upper launch tube 12. This high-pressure gas pushes piston 13 and traction element 14 outward, which in turn propels the net within net bag 1 outward at a speed v, capturing the space debris and completing the space debris cleanup mission.

[0032] The adjustable launch mechanism 5 comprises four assembled launch tubes, evenly distributed around the net pod 4. Each launch tube has a curved tube 11 at its base connected to the chamber base 10. The upper launch tube 12 houses a baffle 15, a traction element 14, and a piston 13. When high-pressure gas within the chamber base 10 flows in four directions through the launch tube curved tube 11, the gas pushes the piston 13 and the traction element 14 against the baffle 15. The traction element 14 is then launched along the axial direction of the upper launch tube 12, driving the rope net within the net bag 1 outward, completing the target satellite debris removal operation.

[0033] The hot knife mechanism 2 is provided in two sets, which are respectively installed on the upper and lower parts of the periphery of the net bin 4. The design of the hot knife mechanism is mainly due to the fact that after the rope net bag 1 is loaded into the net bin, when the upper and lower parts of the rope net bag 1 are bound and constrained, the net bag tether 3 lacks a pre-tightening force, which easily leads to slackness and looseness; and there is a problem of melting and releasing the tether that binds the net bag when the rope net is launched. The use of the hot knife mechanism 2 can ensure that the net bag tether 3 has a pre-tightening force when binding the upper and lower parts of the rope net bag 1, ensuring the reliability of the binding of the rope net bag 1; at the same time, when the rope net needs to be launched, the tether 3 can be melted by the hot knife mechanism 2 in time, ensuring that the rope net can be successfully launched from the rope net bag 1, thereby greatly improving the success rate of the rope net launch in the net bag.

[0034] The net bin 4 is one in number, and its main function is to store the rope net bag 1. The openings around the net bin 4 facilitate the tying of the rope 3 to the net bag. The middle part of the net bin is concave inwards in the design, which facilitates the structural restraint of the middle part of the net bag.

[0035] As above Figure 6 This is a workflow diagram for clearing space debris using a rope net launcher with adjustable launch angle; the specific workflow is as follows: Phase 1: The rope net launcher identifies space debris and approaches it.

[0036] Phase 2: When the space debris cleaning device is close enough to the space debris, the hot knife mechanism cuts the net bag tether.

[0037] The third stage: The igniter in the base ignites the primer, and the rope net launcher launches the rope net to capture space debris.

Claims

1. A launching angle adjustable rope net launching device, characterized in that: It comprises a rope net bag (1), a hot knife mechanism (2), a net bag tether (3), a net bin (4), an adjustable launching mechanism (5) and a chamber base (10); The net bin (4) is a column with a hyperbolic busbar. A plurality of evenly distributed weight-reducing holes are provided on the wall of the net bin (4). The rope net bag (1) is arranged in the net bin (4). A hot knife mechanism (2) is provided on the outer wall of the net bin (4). The net bag tether (3) is wound around the outer periphery of the net bin (4) in an inner and outer staggered manner. The hot knife mechanism (2) is used to fasten the rope net bag (1) and cut the net bag tether (3). The adjustable launching mechanism (5) comprises four assembled launching tubes evenly arranged on the periphery of the net warehouse, a chamber base (10) is provided at the bottom of the net warehouse (4), a chamber in the chamber base (10) and the assembled launching tube are connected, and the ends of the assembled launching tubes are connected to the chamber base (10) via a cap, and the launching angle of the assembled launching tubes is adjustable within the range of 45° to 60° via the cap. The hot knife mechanism (2) comprises a hot knife base (16), a heating rod (17), a spring (18) and a pressure rod (19); the hot knife mechanism is connected to the net compartment via the hot knife base, there are two heating rods (17), a pressure rod (19) is arranged between the two heating rods (17), the lower end of the pressure rod (19) is rotatably connected to the hot knife base, and a spring (18) which is in a compressed state in an unfired state is arranged between the hot knife base (16) and the pressure rod (19); the net bag tether (3) is wound around the heating rod and around the outer periphery of the pressure rod, and the outward force of the spring (18) causes the pressure rod to support the net bag tether (3) outward, thereby making the net bag tether (3) in a tensioned state, thereby achieving effective fixation of the rope net (1).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The assembled launch tube comprises an upper launch tube (12), a lower launch tube (6) and a bent tube (11) which are connected in sequence; A threaded hole is provided in the chamber base (10) for threaded connection with the bent pipe (11) and is fixed by a cap. A blocking cover (15), a traction body (14) and a piston (13) are provided in the upper launch tube (12); when the high-pressure gas in the chamber of the chamber base (10) flows toward the launch tube bent pipe (11) in four directions, the high-pressure gas in the pipeline pushes the piston (13) and the traction body (14) to impact the blocking cover (15).

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The traction body (14) is connected to the rope net bag (1) through a traction rope, and a hole for the traction rope to pass through and achieve sealing is provided on the blocking cover (15).

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that It also includes an igniter (9) for igniting the chamber, and a bottom cover (8) arranged at the lower part of the chamber base (10), wherein the igniter (9) is installed through the bottom cover (8).

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that The net bag tether (3) comprises two upper and lower ones, and the hot knife mechanism (2) is matched with the net bag tether (3) and is arranged on the outer periphery of the net bin (4) at the upper and lower ends.

Images