An angularly self-adapting regulation central hinge for a modular deployable mechanism

Abstract

The application provides an angle self-adapting adjusting center hinge for a modular deployable mechanism, which comprises a hinge fixing support, a rotatable rotating pair capable of moving and a non-rotating rotating pair without moving. The hinge fixing support is fixed on a center link through a bolt, the rotatable rotating pair slides in an arc-shaped sliding groove in the hinge fixing support through an arc-shaped sliding block, realizes rotating movement around a center axis, and the non-rotating rotating pair is directly connected with the hinge fixing support through a fastener. The rotatable rotating pair and the non-rotating rotating pair are both connected and fixed with a connecting rod through a fastener. The rotatable hinge for the modular deployable mechanism meets different freedom requirements of different connecting rods of the modular deployable mechanism, eliminates internal stress generated during the unfolding process or after unfolding of the modular deployable mechanism, improves the forming precision of the modular deployable mechanism, and can switch the rotatable rotating pair between rotation and fixation according to specific freedom requirements through a stop screw.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical fields of aerospace, mechanical engineering, etc., and specifically relates to an angle-adaptive adjustable center hinge for modular deployable mechanisms. Background Technology

[0002] Modular mechanisms can expand the overall size of the structure and meet the requirements for splicing and networking by changing the size, quantity and arrangement of modules. They have the advantages of strong scalability and high flexibility, and have broad application prospects in various aerospace deployable mechanisms.

[0003] Modular mechanisms are composed of multiple identical deployable units. Each deployable module typically contains multiple rib units with deployable functions, and the components move in a coordinated manner during deployment. However, when deployable units are spliced ​​together, the connection points of the units often separate or their movements become uncoordinated. This is due to over-constraint during the movement. In existing modular deployable mechanisms, the angle between the central hinge and the deployable ribs is fixed. During deployment, the separation or uncoordinated movement of the connection points is compensated for and adapted by the deformation of the rods. This can easily generate large internal stresses in the rods, posing a risk of failure to deploy, reducing the overall positional accuracy of the mechanism after deployment, and worsening the stress conditions of the components during deployment.

[0004] Therefore, the present invention provides an angle-adaptive adjustable central hinge for a modular deployable mechanism, which solves the problems of motion incoordination and connection separation during the deployment process by releasing rotational degrees of freedom between the central ribs, and realizes free splicing and networking between modules. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on the above technical problems, an angle-adaptive adjustment center hinge for modular deployable mechanisms was designed. This can effectively avoid motion incoordination and connection separation problems encountered when the six rib units are freely spliced ​​and networked, reduce and eliminate the additional internal forces of the rods during and after the mechanism is deployed, and improve the forming accuracy of the modular splicing mechanism.

[0006] An angle-adaptive adjustable center hinge for a modular deployable mechanism includes a hinge fixed support, a rotatable revolute joint, and a non-rotatable revolute joint.

[0007] The hinge fixing support is characterized in that: the hinge fixing support includes an upper fixing support, a lower fixing support, and a locking screw, which are installed on the central rod by fasteners at both ends. The upper fixing support and the lower fixing support are connected as a whole by four evenly distributed bolts. The upper fixing support has a threaded hole on the side near the rotatable joint to install the locking screw. The threaded hole is located on the central axis of the upper fixing support and forms a 60° angle with the adjacent non-rotatable joint. The upper fixing support and the lower fixing support both have an arc-shaped sliding groove on the side near the rotatable joint. The central axis of the sliding groove is collinear with the central axis of the upper fixing support and the lower fixing support. The rotatable joint includes an arc-shaped slider, a connecting block, an upper hinge, a pin, and a universal lower hinge. The rotatable joint rotates around its axis by sliding the arc-shaped slider in the arc-shaped grooves of the upper and lower fixed supports. The arc-shaped slider has a threaded hole at its center and is fixed to the connecting block by bolts. The upper hinge of the rotatable joint is fixed to the connecting block by bolts. Both outer sides of the upper hinge have stepped grooves for mounting thin-edge bearings, and it is connected to the universal lower hinge by a pin. The non-rotatable joint includes an upper hinge, a pin, and a universal lower hinge. The non-rotatable joint is bolted to the side of the hinge fixed support. Both sides of the upper hinge have stepped grooves for mounting thin-edge bearings, and it is connected to the universal lower hinge by a pin.

[0008] Preferably, the hinge fixing support is hexagonal frustum shaped and has 6 evenly distributed rotating joints that can extend out. The ratio of rotatable rotating joints to non-rotatable rotating joints can be set according to specific requirements, for example, in a 1:5 ratio. The hinge fixing support is lightweight by removing excess material.

[0009] Preferably, the lower surface of the upper fixed support and the upper surface of the lower fixed support are provided with grooves on the side near the rotatable joint. The left and right contours of the grooves are determined by the left and right extreme positions of the connecting block, and the height of the grooves is slightly greater than the height of the connecting block.

[0010] Preferably, the arc-shaped slider, together with the upper and lower fixed supports and their corresponding grooves, forms a sliding structure, with the arc length of the grooves being greater than the arc length of the arc-shaped slider. A groove is provided at the center of the outer side of the arc-shaped slider to cooperate with the connecting block for positioning.

[0011] Preferably, the universal lower hinge has thin protrusions on the left and right sides near the hinge connection side, and the surface of the protrusions contacts the inner surface of the upper hinge of the rotatable joint and the upper hinge of the non-rotatable joint.

[0012] Preferably, the universal lower hinge has two threaded mounting holes on the side away from the hinge connection side.

[0013] Preferably, the pin and the universal lower hinge are interchangeable and can be used together in both rotatable and non-rotatable joints.

[0014] The advantages of the technical solution of this invention are:

[0015] 1. The adaptive adjustment center hinge releases the degree of freedom at the center hinge through a rotatable joint, and the rotation angle is adjustable. It can adapt to the motion coordination requirements of different structures, avoid the connection separation problem that occurs when the modular deployable mechanism is spliced, reduce or even eliminate the additional internal stress generated by the rods during or after the mechanism is deployed, ensure the positional accuracy of the mechanism after deployment, and improve the expected stress condition of the components at the connection of the deployable mechanism.

[0016] 2. The arc-shaped slider, together with the upper and lower fixed supports, forms a sliding structure, which increases the degree of freedom of rotation about the axis of the rotatable joint.

[0017] 3. The rotatable rotating joint can switch between rotation and fixation by loosening and tightening the stop screw, which can meet the needs of various working conditions and increase the versatility of the angle adaptive adjustment center hinge used for the modular deployable mechanism.

[0018] 4. The pin and the universal lower hinge are interchangeable and can be used in both rotatable and non-rotatable joints, reducing processing costs and simplifying the processing steps. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a simplified top-view diagram illustrating the assembly of the three-module deployable mechanism;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram and a partial enlarged view of the three-module deployable mechanism using the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 These are schematic diagrams and enlarged views of the three-module deployable mechanism without using the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge fixing support structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the rotatable rotating joint structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is an isometric view of the arc-shaped slider of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the non-rotating revolute joint structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the general lower hinge structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the main body of a modular deployable mechanism module;

[0029] In the diagram: 1. First deployable module, 2. Second deployable module, 3. Third deployable module, 4. Hinge fixed support, 5. Non-rotational joint, 6. Rotational joint, 7. Upper fixed support, 8. Lower fixed support, 9. Locking screw, 10. Arc-shaped slider, 11. Connecting block, 12. Upper hinge of the rotational joint, 13. Pin, 14. Universal lower hinge, 15. Upper hinge of the non-rotational joint, 16. Angle adaptive adjustment center hinge 1, 17. Angle adaptive adjustment center hinge 2, 18. Angle adaptive adjustment center hinge 3, 19. Center rod. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0031] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., shown in the drawings are merely for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein. They are not intended to limit the conditions under which the invention can be implemented and therefore have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives achieved by the invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed herein. Furthermore, the positional limitations used in this specification are merely for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the invention's implementation.

[0032] like Figure 1 The figure shows a top view of the three-module deployable mechanism. The naming rules for the rib unit planes are shown in the figure. For example, L1-3 is the third rib unit plane of the first deployable module (1) of the three-module deployable mechanism.

[0033] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the first deployable module (1), the second deployable module (2) and the third deployable module (3) are spliced ​​together in pairs. For example, the first module and the second module are spliced ​​together by forming a closed-loop mechanism based on the L1-2, L1-3, L2-5 and L2-6 rib unit planes. The center of each module uses three angle adaptive adjustment center hinges to form 6 linkage mechanisms, forming 6 rib unit planes.

[0034] The three-module deployable mechanism that does not use the angle-adaptive adjustable center hinge provided by this invention is as follows: Figure 2As shown, the dihedral angle between each pair of the rib unit planes of the first deployable module (1), the second deployable module (2), and the third deployable module (3) is constant at 60°. At the junction of the second and third modules after unfolding, i.e. the junction of the L3-3 rib unit plane and the L2-1 rib unit plane, there is obvious interference. Furthermore, the angle between the rib unit planes at the junction of the second and third modules is not a fixed angle during the unfolding process.

[0035] The three-module deployable mechanism using the angle-adaptive adjustable center hinge provided by this invention is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the dihedral angle between each pair of the six rib unit planes of the first deployable module (1) is constant at 60°. The second deployable module (2) and the third deployable module (3) use angle adaptive adjustment center hinges. The outermost rib unit plane can rotate freely around the axis of the central rod (19) by a certain angle. That is, the L3-3 rib unit plane and the L2-1 rib unit plane have the degree of freedom to rotate around the central rod (19). That is, the angle between the L3-4 and L3-3 rib unit planes and the angle between the L2-1 and L2-6 rib unit planes can change. Obviously, there is no interference at the splicing point of the second module and the third module after deployment, which maintains the motion coordination during the deployment process of the modular mechanism and ensures the positional accuracy of the mechanism after deployment.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention. An angle-adaptive adjustable center hinge comprises seven parts: a hinge fixing support (4), a rotatable rotating joint (6), and a non-rotatable rotating joint (5). The rotatable rotating joint (6) increases the degree of freedom of rotation around the axis compared to the non-rotatable rotating joint (5). The upper surface of the upper fixing support (7) near the rotatable rotating joint (6) has a threaded hole for installing a stop screw (9). By loosening and tightening the stop screw (9), the rotatable rotating joint (6) can switch between rotation and fixation, satisfying the degree of freedom requirements of different rib units in different modules.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge fixing support (4) of the present invention. The hinge fixing support (4) includes a stop screw (9), an upper fixing support (7) and a lower fixing support (8). The upper fixing support (7) and the lower fixing support (8) are connected to each other by fasteners to form a whole. The upper and lower fixing supports are installed on the center rod (19) by fasteners at both ends. Threaded mounting holes are evenly opened around the perimeter for installing 5 non-rotating rotating pairs (5).

[0038] The lower surface of the upper fixed support (7) and the upper surface of the lower fixed support (8) are provided with grooves on the side near the rotatable joint (6). The left and right contours of the grooves are determined by the left and right limit positions of the connecting block (11) during rotation. The height of the grooves is slightly greater than the height of the connecting block (11), which can prevent the connecting block (11) from interfering with the hinge fixed support (4) during the movement of the rotatable joint (6) and serve as a limiting structure for the rotatable joint (6). Optionally, the height gap is not greater than 1 mm, for example, the gap is 0.5 mm.

[0039] Both the upper fixed support (7) and the lower fixed support (8) have arc-shaped grooves inside on the side near the rotatable joint (6). The arc-shaped slider (10) and the grooves of the upper fixed support (7) and the lower fixed support (8) form a sliding structure. The arc length of the groove is greater than the arc length of the arc-shaped slider (10), which limits the maximum rotation angle of the rotatable joint (6). For example, if the rotatable joint (6) needs to rotate 5° to the left or right, the arc of the groove is 10° greater than the arc of the arc-shaped slider (10).

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the rotatable rotating joint (6) of the present invention. The rotatable rotating joint (6) includes an arc-shaped slider (10), a connecting block (11), an upper hinge (12) of the rotatable rotating joint, a pin (13), and a universal lower hinge (14). The arc-shaped slider (10) has a threaded hole at its center and is connected to the connecting block (11) by fasteners. The upper hinge (12) of the rotatable rotating joint is fixed to the connecting block (11) by fasteners. The specific structure of the arc-shaped slider (10) is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the upper hinge (12) of the rotatable joint has stepped grooves on both outer sides for mounting thin-edged bearings, which are connected to the universal lower hinge (14) via pins (13) to reduce friction at the hinge connection and make rotation smoother. The outer center of the arc-shaped slider (10) has a groove with the same shape as the end face of the connecting block (11) to improve the positioning accuracy and reduce error when the arc-shaped slider (10) and the connecting block (11) are installed and fixed.

[0041] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the non-rotating rotating joint (5) of the present invention. The non-rotating rotating joint (5) includes an upper non-rotating rotating joint hinge (15), a pin (13), and a universal lower hinge (14). The non-rotating rotating joint (5) is installed on the side of the hinge fixing support (4) by fasteners. Both sides of the upper non-rotating rotating joint hinge (15) are provided with stepped grooves to install thin-edge bearings, and are connected to the universal lower hinge (14) by the pin (13).

[0042] Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of the universal lower hinge (14) structure of the present invention. The universal lower hinge (14) has a certain degree of interchangeability and can be used in both rotatable rotating joints (6) and non-rotatable rotating joints (5). Thin bosses are provided on the left and right sides near the hinge connection side, and the surface of the bosses contacts the inner surface of the upper hinge (12) of the rotatable rotating joint and the upper hinge (15) of the non-rotatable rotating joint. This is used to reduce the friction of the contact surface, reduce the processing area, and save costs.

[0043] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a modular deployable mechanism, which includes three angle-adaptive adjustment center hinges: angle-adaptive adjustment center hinge 1 (16), angle-adaptive adjustment center hinge 2 (17), and angle-adaptive adjustment center hinge 3 (18). The angle-adaptive adjustment center hinge 1 (16) and angle-adaptive adjustment center hinge 3 (18) are fixed to the center rod (19) by fasteners through threaded holes on the sides of the bosses at the upper and lower ends of the hinge fixing support (4). The angle-adaptive adjustment center hinge 2 (17) slides on the center rod (19) as a slider driving element. The rotatable joints (6) of the angle-adaptive adjustment center hinge 1 (16), angle-adaptive adjustment center hinge 2 (17), and angle-adaptive adjustment center hinge 3 (18) must be kept in the same rib unit plane to achieve the purpose of allowing the rib unit to rotate left and right around the axis of the center rod (19).

Claims

1. An angle self-adaptive adjusting center hinge for a modular deployable mechanism, comprising a hinge fixed support (4), and rotatable revolute pairs (6) and non-rotatable revolute pairs (5) distributed on the side of the hinge fixed support (4), characterized in that: the hinge fixed support (4) is installed on a center rod (19) and comprises an upper fixed support (7), a lower fixed support (8), and a stop screw (9); the upper fixed support (7) and the lower fixed support (8) are connected by four evenly distributed bolts to form a whole; a threaded hole is formed on the upper surface of the upper fixed support (7) near the side of the rotatable revolute pair (6) for installing the stop screw (9); the threaded hole is located on the central axis of the upper fixed support (7) and forms a 60° angle with the adjacent non-rotatable revolute pair (5); arc-shaped sliding grooves are formed in the inner sides of the upper fixed support (7) and the lower fixed support (8) near the side of the rotatable revolute pair (6); and the central axes of the arc-shaped sliding grooves are collinear with the central axes of the upper fixed support (7) and the lower fixed support (8); the rotatable revolute pair (6) comprises an arc-shaped sliding block (10), a connecting block (11), a rotatable revolute pair upper hinge (12), a pin shaft (13), and a universal lower hinge (14); the rotatable revolute pair (6) rotates around the central axis by sliding in the arc-shaped sliding grooves of the upper fixed support (7) and the lower fixed support (8) through the arc-shaped sliding block (10); the arc-shaped sliding block (10) is connected to the connecting block (11) by a bolt; the rotatable revolute pair upper hinge (12) is fixedly connected to the connecting block (11) by a bolt; and the rotatable revolute pair upper hinge (12) is hingedly connected to the universal lower hinge (14) through the pin shaft (13) on the side away from the connecting block (11); the non-rotatable revolute pair (5) comprises a non-rotatable revolute pair upper hinge (15), a pin shaft (13), and a universal lower hinge (14); the non-rotatable revolute pair (5) is installed on the side of the hinge fixed support (4) by a fastener; and the outer side of the non-rotatable revolute pair upper hinge (15) is hingedly connected to the universal lower hinge (14) through the pin shaft (13). The hinge fixed support (4) is in the shape of a hexagonal prism; there are six rotatable revolute pairs (6) and non-rotatable revolute pairs (5) in total, which are evenly distributed along the circumference of the hinge fixed support (4); and the hinge fixed support (4) is lightweight by removing excess material.

2. An angularly self-adapting central hinge for a modular deployable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A groove is formed on the lower surface of the upper fixed support (7) and the upper surface of the lower fixed support (8) near the side of the rotatable revolute pair (6); the left and right profiles of the groove are determined by the left and right limit positions of the rotation of the connecting block (11); and the height of the groove is slightly greater than the height of the connecting block (11).

3. An angularly self-adapting central hinge for a modular deployable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arc-shaped sliding block (10), the arc-shaped sliding grooves of the upper fixed support (7) and the lower fixed support (8) form a sliding structure; the arc length of the arc-shaped sliding grooves is greater than the arc length of the arc-shaped sliding block (10); and a groove is formed in the center of the outer side of the arc-shaped sliding block (10) for matching and positioning the connecting block (11).

4. An angularly self-adapting central hinge for a modular deployable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: ​ 5. An angularly self-adapting central hinge for a modular deployable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The universal lower hinge (14) has thin protrusions on the left and right sides near the hinge connection side, and the surface of the protrusions contacts the inner side of the upper hinge (12) of the rotatable rotating pair or the upper hinge (15) of the non-rotatable rotating pair.

6. An angularly self-adapting gimbaling hinge for a modular deployable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The universal lower hinge (14) has two threaded mounting holes on the side away from the hinge connection side.

7. An angularly self-adapting central hinge for a modular deployable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pin (13) and the universal lower hinge (14) are interchangeable.

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