A resettable pinch release device

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of aerospace technology, and particularly relates to a resettable compression release device, which comprises a compression device and a release device connected with each other, the compression device is fixed on a solar wing sailboard which needs to be compressed and unfolded through a screw, and the release device is fixed on a fixed component through a screw. The present application is locked by a pin extractor, and the locking and releasing of the solar wing sailboard are realized by tightening and unfolding of the separated inner part of the split nut. Compared with the unlocking by using an electromagnet component, the present application does not cause magnetic interference to the whole satellite signal due to the magnet characteristics, and also solves the problems of unstable magnetic force, low reliability and the inability to realize electromagnetic unlocking of small size devices caused by the unlocking by using the electromagnet component.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aerospace technology, in particular to a resettable compression release device. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rapid development of the national aerospace field, the number of spacecraft launched every day is increasing. Almost all spacecraft use solar wings to obtain energy. The solar wings are in a compressed state during the rocket launch process, and need to be unlocked and deployed after reaching the designated orbit to provide energy for the spacecraft.

[0003] The main function of the compression release device is to compress the solar wing during the launch of the spacecraft, so that the solar wing remains in a compressed state; and to release the solar wing after the spacecraft reaches the designated orbit, so that the solar wing can be deployed under the action of the deployment mechanism.

[0004] The solar wing is an energy supply device for providing energy for the spacecraft. It can maintain a compressed state during the launch process and receive commands to complete the release action after reaching the designated orbit, which is important for the entire spacecraft.

[0005] For traditional compression release devices, the main function is to maintain a compressed state and complete the release action according to instructions. Usually, a pyrotechnic fuse is used, which can produce a large pyrotechnic impact and chemical pollution during operation, and cannot be reused. When the device is unlocked and used again, the operability is low, and when necessary, the cover needs to be removed for resetting, which greatly affects the assembly progress and increases the risk of introducing excess material. With the rapid development of the aerospace industry, new requirements are put forward for the functionality of the compression release device. SUMMARY

[0006] To solve the problems existing in the prior art, the present application provides a resettable compression release device that breaks free from the constraints of traditional pyrotechnic compression release devices and completes the compression, release and reset actions of the product through a purely mechanical structure.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution of the present application is as follows: a resettable compression release device, comprising a compression device and a release device connected to each other;

[0008] The compression device comprises an upper connecting head and a lower connecting head arranged below the upper connecting head, the upper connecting head is internally provided with a spring, the spring is provided with a screw sleeve above, the diameter of the screw sleeve is larger than the diameter of the spring, the screw sleeve is internally provided with a locking screw, and the locking screw penetrates the screw sleeve, spring, upper connecting head and lower connecting head in sequence;

[0009] The release device includes a release device housing and a cover plate disposed above the release device housing. A fixing frame is provided at the bottom inside the release device housing. A number of rollers are evenly arranged on the fixing frame. An annular housing is provided outside the fixing frame. A number of roller grooves equal in number to the rollers are evenly arranged on the inner wall of the annular housing. A driving torsion spring for driving the annular housing to rotate is provided between the inner wall and the outer wall of the annular housing. A locking groove and a reset hole are respectively provided on the outer wall of the annular housing. A pull pin device penetrating the release device housing is provided in the locking groove. A reset track corresponding to the reset hole is provided on the release device housing. A split nut is provided inside the fixing frame. The split nut includes sub-nuts equal in number to the rollers, and compression springs are provided between the sub-nuts.

[0010] Further, the upper connector and the lower connector are connected in a form of a tapered socket and spigot.

[0011] Further, the upper connector and the lower connector are made of different materials, and a lubricant is provided at the connection between the upper connector and the lower connector.

[0012] Further, the inside of the center of the upper connector is an inverted "convex" shaped groove.

[0013] Further, an anti-detachment cover is provided above the upper connector.

[0014] Further, a tapered through hole matching the lower connector is provided at the center of the cover plate.

[0015] Further, the number of the rollers is three.

[0016] Further, the inclination angle of the side wall of the roller groove close to the roller is smaller than the inclination angle of the side wall away from the roller.

[0017] The beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are as follows:

[0018] 1. The pressing and releasing device in the present invention uses a pull pin device for unlocking. Compared with unlocking using components such as electromagnets, it will not cause magnetic interference to the signals of the entire satellite due to the magnet characteristics, and at the same time, it also solves the problems of unstable magnetic force, low reliability, and inability to achieve electromagnetic unlocking of small-sized devices caused by using electromagnet components for unlocking.

[0019] 2. The upper connector and the lower connector of the pressing device in the present invention are made of different materials, and at the same time, lubricating grease or fixed lubricant is used for lubrication between the upper connector and the lower connector to prevent fretting wear and adhesion between the upper connector and the lower connector during the mechanical process; the upper connector and the lower connector are connected in a form of a tapered socket and spigot, which can avoid structural interference during the unfolding process of the sailboard.

[0020] 3. The release device in this invention adopts a split nut as the main structure, dividing a complete nut structure into three sub-nuts. A compression spring is set between adjacent nuts to drive the nuts to unfold, increasing the reliability of unlocking.

[0021] 4. In the release device of the present invention, the roller and the annular shell are in oblique contact. The radial force of the separation of the nut can help drive the annular shell to rotate, thereby unlocking the locking screw, which has high reliability.

[0022] 5. The release device in this invention, when used with locking screws of different specifications, can achieve a locking force of 2000N to 8000N, making it highly adaptable.

[0023] 6. The release device of the present invention has a reset hole on the outer side of the annular outer shell. Without removing the product cover, the annular outer shell can be rotated in the opposite direction through the reset hole to re-tighten the split nuts, thereby improving the efficiency of reuse and greatly reducing the risk of introducing foreign objects when removing the cover. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the clamping device;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the release device;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the annular shell;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a top view of the release device in the compressed state;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a top view of the release device in the released state.

[0030] The markings in the diagram are as follows: 1. Clamping device; 2. Release device; 101. Anti-detachment cover; 102. Upper connector; 103. Lower connector; 104. Screw sleeve; 105. Spring; 106. Locking screw; 201. Cover plate; 202. Drive torsion spring; 203. Pin puller; 204. Release device housing; 205. Compression spring; 206. Roller; 207. Split nut; 208. Annular housing; 209. Fixing bracket; 210. Roller groove; 211. Locking groove; 212. Reset hole; 213. Reset track; 2071. Sub-nut. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To better understand the purpose, structure, and function of the present invention, a resettable compression release device of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] As Figure 1 shown, a resetable pressing and releasing device includes a pressing device 1 and a releasing device 2 which are connected to each other. The pressing device 1 and the releasing device 2 are connected by threads. The pressing device 1 is fixed to the solar wing panel that needs to be pressed and deployed by screws, and the releasing device 2 is fixed to the fixed component by screws.

[0033] As Figure 2 shown, the pressing device 1 includes an anti - detachment cover 101, an upper connector 102, a lower connector 103, a screw sleeve 104, a spring 105 and a locking screw 106. The lower connector 103 is arranged at the bottom of the upper connector 102. The upper connector 102 and the lower connector 103 are connected in the form of a tapered socket and spigot. This connection method can avoid structural interference during the deployment of the solar wing panel. The materials of the upper connector 102 and the lower connector 103 are different, and lubricants are provided between the upper connector 102 and the lower connector 103. The lubricants are generally lubricating grease or fixed lubricants, which can prevent the upper connector 102 and the lower connector 103 from sticking during the mechanical process.

[0034] An inverted "convex" - shaped groove is arranged inside the center of the upper connector 102. The spring 105 is arranged at the bottom of the groove of the upper connector 102. The screw sleeve 104 is arranged above the spring 105. The screw sleeve 104 is located above the groove inside the upper connector 102. The locking screw 106 is arranged in the upper groove of the screw sleeve 104. The locking screw 106 sequentially passes through the screw sleeve 104, the spring 105 and the spigot at the bottom of the lower connector 103 and is thread - connected to the split nut 207 in the releasing device 2, so as to press the upper and lower solar wing panels by the upper connector 102 and the lower connector 103 to prevent them from moving.

[0035] The anti - detachment cover 101 is arranged above the upper connector 102. The anti - detachment cover 101 completely covers the groove inside the upper connector 102, and can prevent the screw from flying out of the groove of the upper connector 102 under the elastic force of the spring 105, thus causing damage to the satellite body.

[0036] As Figures 3 to 6 shown, the releasing device 2 includes a cover plate 201, a driving torsion spring 202, a pin extractor 203, a releasing device housing 204, a compression spring 205, a roller 206, a split nut 207, an annular housing 208 and a fixing bracket 209. The cover plate 201 is arranged at the top of the releasing device housing 204, and a tapered through - hole matching the bottom of the lower connector 103 is arranged at the center of the cover plate 201. The bottom of the lower connector 103 can be stuck in the tapered through - hole.

[0037] A fixing frame 209 is provided at the bottom of the inner shell 204 of the release device. An annular shell 208 that can rotate around the fixing frame 209 is provided above the fixing frame 209. A drive torsion spring 202 for controlling the rotation of the annular shell 208 is provided in the interlayer between the outer wall and the inner wall of the annular shell 208. The upper part of the fixing frame 209 is a hollow cylindrical structure. The hollow cylindrical structure is located inside the annular shell 208. Three grooves are vertically and evenly arranged on the hollow cylindrical structure. Rollers 206 are provided in each groove. The size of the rollers 206 matches the size of the grooves. The hollow cylindrical structure of the fixing frame 209 has a segmented nut 207 inside. The bottom of the segmented nut 207 is in contact with the fixing frame 209, and the fixing frame 209 supports the segmented nut 207. The segmented nut 207 is composed of three uniformly sized sub-nuts 2071. A compression spring 205 is fixedly installed between each pair of sub-nuts 2071. The radius of the segmented nut 207 is smaller than the radius of the upper cylindrical structure of the fixing frame 209.

[0038] The inner wall of the annular housing 208 is uniformly provided with three roller grooves 210. The size of the roller grooves 210 matches that of the rollers 206. The sidewalls of the roller grooves 210 near the rollers 206 are provided with a certain inclination angle. When the annular housing 208 rotates, the resistance of the rollers 206 entering the roller grooves 210 is smaller. The radial force of the separation of the sub-nuts 2071 in the split nut 207 can assist in driving the rotation of the annular housing 208 to unlock the locking screw 106, which has high reliability. The outer wall of the annular housing 208 is provided with a locking groove 211. A pin puller 203 is provided in the locking groove 211. The pin puller 203 restricts the rotation of the annular housing 208 controlled by the drive torsion spring 202. The pin of the pin puller 203 passes through the release device housing 204 and enters the locking groove 211. A reset hole 212 is also provided on the outer wall of the annular shell 208. A reset track 213 is provided on the release device shell 204 at a position corresponding to the reset hole 212. Through the cooperation of the reset hole 212 and the reset track 213, the annular shell 208 can be rotated in the reverse direction to quickly re-tighten the split nut 207 without removing the product cover, thereby improving the reuse efficiency and greatly reducing the risk of introducing foreign objects when removing the cover.

[0039] This invention, in conjunction with the pin puller 203 for locking, achieves locking and releasing of the solar panel through the tightening and unfolding of the split nut 207.

[0040] like Figure 4As shown, the solar panel is in a compressed state. The pin of the puller 203 is inserted into the locking groove 211 of the annular housing 208, so that the annular housing 208 cannot be driven to rotate by the drive torsion spring 202. The three rollers 206 set on the fixing frame 209 cannot enter the roller groove 210, thereby pressing the three segmented nuts 2071 so that they cannot be pushed away by the compression spring 205, and maintaining them as a complete segmented nut 207, thereby locking the locking screw 106.

[0041] like Figure 6 As shown, when the solar panel needs to be released, the upper controller releases a command to unlock the puller 203. The puller 203 disengages from the locking groove 211 of the annular housing 208. The annular housing 208 rotates under the action of the drive torsion spring 202. The rollers 206 of the fixing frame 209 rotate into the roller grooves 210 of the annular housing 208. The split nut 207 unfolds under the action of the compression spring 205. The locking screw of the clamping device 1 loses its threaded connection and springs open under the action of the compression spring 205, thus releasing the solar panel.

[0042] When used repeatedly, the split nut 207 can be quickly re-tightened by rotating the annular housing 208 in the reverse direction through the reset hole 212 on the outside of the annular housing 208 without removing the product cover. This improves the efficiency of repeated use and greatly reduces the risk of introducing foreign objects when removing the cover.

[0043] When the invention needs to be reset for repeated use, the annular housing 208 is rotated in the opposite direction through the reset hole 212 on the annular housing 208, causing the roller groove 210 to squeeze the roller 206 radially back. The roller 206 overcomes the force of the compression spring 205 and re-tightens the sub-nut 2071 in the split nut 207, restoring the locking function of the split nut 207. As the annular housing 208 rotates, the pin of the pin puller 203 re-enters the locking groove of the annular housing 208, completing the return operation of the release device 2.

[0044] It is understood that the present invention has been described through some embodiments, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes or equivalent substitutions can be made to these features and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, under the teachings of the present invention, these features and embodiments can be modified to adapt to specific situations and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A resettable pinch release device, characterized by: The device comprises a compression device (1) and a release device (2) connected to each other; The compression device (1) comprises an upper connector (102) and a lower connector (103) arranged below the upper connector (102), the upper connector (102) and the lower connector (103) are connected in the form of taper socket joint, a spring (105) is arranged inside the upper connector (102), a screw sleeve (104) is arranged above the spring (105), the diameter of the screw sleeve (104) is larger than that of the spring (105), a locking screw (106) is arranged inside the screw sleeve (104), the locking screw (106) penetrates the screw sleeve (104), the spring (105), the upper connector (102) and the lower connector (103) in sequence; The release device (2) comprises a release device shell (204) and a cover plate (201) arranged above the release device shell (204), a fixed frame (209) is arranged at the inner bottom of the release device shell (204), a plurality of rollers (206) are uniformly arranged on the fixed frame (209), an annular shell (208) is arranged outside the fixed frame (209), a plurality of roller grooves (210) are uniformly arranged on the inner wall of the annular shell (208), the number of the roller grooves (210) is same as that of the rollers (206), a drive torsional spring (202) is arranged between the inner wall and the outer wall of the annular shell (208) to drive the annular shell (208) to rotate, a locking groove (211) and a reset hole (212) are respectively arranged on the outer wall of the annular shell (208), a puller (203) penetrating the release device shell (204) is arranged in the locking groove (211), a reset track (213) corresponding to the reset hole (212) is arranged on the release device shell (204); a split nut (207) is arranged inside the fixed frame (209), the split nut (207) comprises a plurality of sub-nuts (2071) with the same number as the rollers (206), a compression spring (205) is arranged between the sub-nuts (2071), the inclination angle of the side wall of the roller groove (210) close to the roller (206) is smaller than that of the side wall far from the roller (206).

2. A resettable hold-to-release device according to claim 1, wherein: The materials of the upper connector (102) and the lower connector (103) are different, and a lubricant is arranged at the connection between the upper connector (102) and the lower connector (103).

3. A resettable hold-open release according to claim 1, wherein: The center of the upper connector (102) is a inverted "convex" groove.

4. A resettable hold-open release according to claim 1, wherein: A anti-loosing cover (101) is arranged above the upper connector (102).

5. A resettable hold-open release according to claim 1, wherein: A tapered through hole matching the lower connector (103) is arranged at the center of the cover plate (201).

6. A resettable hold-open release according to claim 1, wherein: The number of the rollers (206) is three.

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