Modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjusting device and method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of spaceborne antennas, in particular to a modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjusting device and method. Comprising an active adjusting device and a passive adjusting device, wherein the active adjusting device comprises a displacement adjusting device and an angle adjusting device which are detachably connected; on the premise that normal folding and unfolding of the modular antenna are not affected, the antenna subunits are adjusted through the arranged active adjusting device and the arranged passive adjusting device, the active adjusting device can achieve displacement and angle changes between the subunits, and the passive adjusting device can guarantee that the antenna subunits can be adjusted while displacement or angle changes are adjusted. And the stress relation and the displacement relation between the subunits are balanced, so that module splitting or module collision of the whole antenna is prevented.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of satellite-borne antennas, and in particular to a modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device and method. Background Art

[0002] The modular deployable reflector antenna is a large reflector antenna used for space applications. This type of antenna is usually composed of many antenna sub-units, which are compactly folded together before launch to save space to the maximum extent. Once entering the predetermined orbit, the sub-units will be unfolded through the truss structure and spliced ​​into a large-size reflector, greatly enhancing the gain and coverage of the communication system.

[0003] However, while disassembling large-sized antennas into multiple sub-units for manufacturing and transportation, how to re-synthesize the large-sized reflective surface after unfolding has become an urgent problem to be solved. Due to the gap between the mechanisms or errors in the unfolding process, the sub-units may be positioned inaccurately, which in turn affects the surface accuracy of the entire reflective surface, which will not only reduce the electrical performance of the antenna, such as signal gain and directivity, but may also pose a threat to the structural integrity of the antenna.

[0004] In order to solve this problem, an adjustment device is urgently needed to solve the above-mentioned problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] In response to the problems mentioned in the prior art, the present invention proposes a modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device and method, which can enable each antenna subunit to have adjustment capabilities. The adjustment device of the present invention has six-degree-of-freedom adjustment capabilities in space, ensuring that each subunit can be accurately positioned to form a perfect reflector surface. In addition, the passive adjustment device provided can have a reliable locking mechanism in the non-adjustment state, ensuring the long-term stability of the antenna structure.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: The present invention discloses a modular deployable reflector antenna subunit posture adjustment device, comprising an active adjustment device and a passive adjustment device, wherein the active adjustment device comprises a displacement adjustment device and an angle adjustment device which are detachably connected; the displacement adjustment device comprises a first driving member and a pushing rod connected to the first driving member, wherein the other end of the pushing rod is hingedly connected to a first base; the angle adjustment device comprises a bracket, wherein one end of the bracket is connected to at least one second driving member, and the other end is connected to an adjustment base.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the passive adjustment device includes a second shell and a sliding rod arranged in the second shell, wherein a baffle is provided in the middle of the sliding rod, elastic parts are respectively sleeved on both ends of the baffle, and both ends of the sliding rod are respectively hingedly connected to the third base.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, it also includes a connecting cover arranged between the third base and the sliding rod.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first driving member is disposed in the first housing, and one end of the first housing away from the push rod is hingedly connected to the first base.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, a push rod sleeve is also sleeved on the push rod.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the second driving member is arranged on the motor base, and the motor base is connected to the bracket; the bracket is connected to the adjustment base bracket through a plurality of adjustment push rods.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the adjusting base is also hingedly connected to the bracket.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the active adjustment device is used to adjust the spatial posture between the sub-units.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, a passive adjustment device is used to balance the displacement and force between the sub-units.

[0015] A method for a modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device, comprising: An active adjustment device or a passive adjustment device is installed between multiple sub-units to drive the first drive member to achieve displacement adjustment between the sub-units and the second drive member to achieve angle adjustment between the sub-units. During the adjustment process, the passive adjustment device is used to ensure force balance between the sub-units to prevent modules from colliding with each other in the antenna as a whole.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects: The present invention can adjust the antenna subunits by using the active adjustment device and the passive adjustment device without affecting the normal folding and unfolding of the modular antenna. The active adjustment device can realize the displacement and angle change between the subunits, and the passive adjustment device can ensure that the force relationship and displacement relationship between the subunits are balanced while adjusting the displacement or angle change, thereby preventing the antenna as a whole from module splitting or module collision.

[0017] The present invention realizes the adjustment requirements for arbitrary degrees of freedom of the antenna subunit space, which not only ensures that the antenna can be compactly folded during the launch phase to maximize the use of the space in the spacecraft, but also can be quickly and accurately unfolded after entering orbit to form a complete large-size reflecting surface, greatly improving the surface accuracy and structural stability of the modular antenna. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the use of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the displacement adjustment device of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the angle adjustment device of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the active adjustment device of the present invention; Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the passive adjustment device of the present invention.

[0019] Figure numerals: 1. first shell; 2. first driving member; 3. push rod; 4. push rod sleeve; 5. ball joint; 6. first base; 7. motor base; 8. second driving member; 9. bracket; 10. adjustment push rod; 11. adjustment base; 12. second shell; 13. elastic member; 14. slide rod; 15. connecting cover; 16. third base. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In the following, only some exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the described embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings and descriptions are considered to be exemplary and non-restrictive in nature.

[0021] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0022] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0023] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0024] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0025] It should be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "include" and "comprises" indicate the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0026] It should also be understood that the terms used in the present specification are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the present specification and the appended claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include plural forms.

[0027] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" used in the present description and the appended claims refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0028] Various structural schematic diagrams of the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. These figures are not drawn to scale, and some details are magnified and some details may be omitted for the purpose of clear expression. The shapes of various regions and layers shown in the figures and the relative sizes and positional relationships therebetween are only exemplary, and may deviate in practice due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations, and those skilled in the art may additionally design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions according to actual needs.

[0029] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] The present invention discloses a modular deployable reflector antenna subunit posture adjustment device, comprising an active adjustment device and a passive adjustment device, wherein the active adjustment device comprises a displacement adjustment device and an angle adjustment device that are detachably connected; the displacement adjustment device comprises a first driving member 2 and a pushing rod 3 connected to the first driving member 2, wherein the other end of the pushing rod 3 is hingedly connected to a first base 6; the angle adjustment device comprises a bracket 9, wherein one end of the bracket 9 is connected to at least one second driving member 8, and the other end is connected to an adjustment base 11.

[0031] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the antenna subunit attitude adjustment device proposed in the present invention is composed of two devices, namely an active adjustment device and a passive adjustment device. During the adjustment process, the active adjustment device or the passive adjustment device is selected to be installed according to the positional relationship between the subunits. Figure 1 As shown, the antenna structure is composed of multiple subunits, and each subunit is distinguished by a number. For example, subunit No. 12 and subunit No. 11 are both connected to subunit No. 4, so No. 4 is the reference unit. Then, active adjustment devices are installed between subunit No. 12, subunit No. 11 and subunit No. 4 for adjustment. When subunit No. 12 and subunit No. 4, and subunit No. 11 and subunit No. 4 are connected one-to-one, respectively, a passive adjustment device is installed. The passive adjustment device can be used to balance the displacement relationship and the force relationship during the adjustment process of the active adjustment device to prevent the antenna from module splitting or module collision.

[0032] The passive adjustment device includes a second housing 12 and a slide bar 14 disposed in the second housing 12, wherein a baffle is disposed in the middle of the slide bar 14, elastic members 13 are sleeved at both ends of the baffle, and both ends of the slide bar 14 are hingedly connected to a third base 16. A connection cover 15 is also included between the third base 16 and the slide bar 14.

[0033] like Figure 5 As shown, the second housing 12 in the embodiment is a tubular structure, and both ends are provided with openings, and a slide bar 14 is provided inside the second housing 12, wherein the length of the slide bar 14 is greater than the length of the second housing 12, so that both ends of the slide bar 14 extend to the outside of the second housing 12 through the openings and are connected to the external third base 16; Figure 5 As shown, a baffle is fixedly provided in the middle of the slide rod 14. In order to ensure the effect of the elastic member 13 in the embodiment, the shape of the baffle is adapted to the shape of the slide rod 14, preferably in a circular shape, but not limited to this. A suitable shape structure can be selected according to specific use and installation.

[0034] In the embodiment, elastic members 13 are provided at the left and right ends of the baffle, wherein the elastic member 13 is sleeved on the slide bar 14. In the embodiment, the elastic member 13 is preferably a compression spring; Figure 5 In the figure, the left end slide rod 14 extends out of the second shell 12 and is connected to the third base 16. The third base 16 is a ball joint structure, which includes a spherical head and a cup body (or a concave structure of other shapes) with a groove in the inner cavity. The ball head can rotate in the cup body. The other end of the cup body is connected to a mounting plate, and the mounting plate is connected to the side of the unit.

[0035] In the embodiment, the right end slide bar 14 is also connected to a connecting cover 15, wherein the connecting cover 15 is sleeved on the right end of the slide bar 14 and is arranged in the second shell 12. The size of the connecting cover 15 is smaller than the size of the second shell 12, and the size of the connecting cover 15 is also smaller than the size of the opening, so that the connecting cover 15 will not fall off from the opening. The purpose of setting the connecting cover 15 is to realize the overall structural packaging by utilizing the connecting cover 15 and the second shell 12.

[0036] The passive adjustment device in the embodiment not only provides a bidirectional telescopic force for the entire device through the two compression springs, but also ensures the balance when subjected to force. When the active adjustment device is adjusted, as the external force is adjusted, the slide bar 14 and the compression spring cooperate to make the slide bar 14 move and under the balancing action of the bidirectional telescopic force of the compression spring, the antenna module as a whole is avoided from splitting or colliding due to uneven force between the sub-units.

[0037] The first driving member 2 is arranged in the first housing, and the first housing is hingedly connected to a first base 6 at one end away from the push rod 3. The push rod sleeve 4 is also sleeved on the push rod 3.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, in the embodiment, the first driving member 2 is preferably a motor, but is not limited to this, and other structures can be selected according to the actual layout; the motor is arranged in the first shell, the size of the first shell is adapted to the size of the motor, and the left end face of the first shell is connected to the first base 6; a through hole is provided on the right end face of the first shell 1, and the output end of the motor is connected to the push rod 3, the push rod 3 extends from the opening to the outside and is connected to the push rod sleeve 4, and the push rod sleeve 4 is sleeved on the push rod 3 for connecting the push rod 3 to the first base 6.

[0039] In the embodiment, the first base 6 structure is connected to the ball joint 5. The specific structure of the ball joint 5 has been described above, so it is not elaborated here. The driving motor drives the pushing rod 3 to push the first base 6 connected at the right end, which is used to adjust the distance between the first base 6 at the right end and the first base 6 at the left end, thereby realizing the distance adjustment between the two subunits. The first base 6 is connected to the hinge of the antenna subunit by bolts, so that the initial state of the displacement adjustment device remains perpendicular to the side of the subunit.

[0040] The second driving member 8 is arranged on the motor base 7, and the motor base 7 is connected to the bracket 9; the bracket 9 is connected to the adjustment base 11 through a plurality of adjustment push rods 10. The adjustment base 11 is also connected to the bracket 9 in an articulated manner.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the bracket 9 in the embodiment is a disc structure, and the left end of the bracket 9 is connected to the second driving member 8. In the embodiment, the second driving member 8 is preferably a circular propulsion motor, but is not limited to this, and other structures can be selected according to the actual arrangement; the number of circular propulsion motors is preferably 4, but is not limited to this, and 6 or 8 can be set according to the actual arrangement. When the circular propulsion motors are arranged, they are centered on the center of the circle of the bracket 9 and are arranged in sequence around the center, so that when the circular propulsion motor is driven, the overall movement of the bracket 9 can be guaranteed.

[0042] In the embodiment, a plurality of weight-reducing holes are provided on the bracket 9, which can reduce the overall weight of the bracket 9 while ensuring structural strength and stability, and optimize the structure of the bracket 9 to make it more compact and efficient.

[0043] In the embodiment, the second driving member 8 is arranged in the motor base 7, and the motor base 7 can wrap the second driving member 8. In addition, the motor base 7 can also be connected to the first housing 1. When the displacement adjustment device and the angle adjustment device need to be connected, such as Figure 4 As shown, the motor base 7 is mounted on the first housing 1 by screws, so that the active adjustment device can achieve displacement and angle adjustment.

[0044] The number of the adjusting push rods 10 in the embodiment is the same as the number of the second driving members 8. Each second driving member 8 corresponds to an adjusting push rod 10. In addition, the output end of the second driving member 8 passes through the bracket 9 and is connected to the adjusting push rod 10. The bracket 9 is provided with a connecting hole for the output end of the second driving member 8 to pass through. Figure 3 As shown, the structure of the adjusting push rod 10 includes a straight block and a connecting block connected by bolts, wherein the connecting block is a C-shaped structure, the opening of the connecting block is sleeved on the straight block, and the other end is connected to the adjusting base 11; a ball joint is also provided at the center of the adjusting base 11 and the center of the bracket 9, and the angle change can be achieved through the ball joint. When the relative angle between the two sub-units needs to be adjusted, the circular propulsion motor is driven to input different extension and contraction amounts to control the ball joint angle, and the motor is locked after it is in place to prevent the angle from changing. When the present invention is used, active adjustment devices or passive adjustment devices are selectively installed between sub-units. On the premise that each sub-unit has the ability to adjust six degrees of freedom in space, the number of active adjustment devices is minimized, which can reduce the complexity of the system; the displacement adjustment between the sub-units is achieved through the first driving member 2, and the ball joint angle control is then achieved through four second driving members 8 to achieve rotational freedom adjustment between the sub-units. The passive adjustment device is installed at the connection where the active adjustment device is not needed to perform displacement and force balance, thereby preventing the antenna as a whole from module splitting or module collision.

[0045] The above shows and describes the basic principles and main features of the present invention and the advantages of the present invention. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or basic features of the present invention. Therefore, no matter from which point of view, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the attached claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are included in the present invention. Any figure mark in the claims should not be regarded as limiting the claims involved.

[0046] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described in accordance with the implementation modes, not every implementation mode contains only one independent technical solution. This description of the specification is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation modes that can be understood by those skilled in the art. The above content is only to illustrate the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any changes made on the basis of the technical solution according to the technical idea proposed by the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device, characterized in that: It includes an active adjustment device and a passive adjustment device, wherein the active adjustment device includes a displacement adjustment device and an angle adjustment device that are detachably connected; The displacement adjustment device comprises a first driving member (2) and a pushing rod (3) connected to the first driving member (2), wherein the other end of the pushing rod (3) is hingedly connected to the first base (6); The angle adjustment device comprises a bracket (9), wherein one end of the bracket (9) is connected to at least one second driving member (8), and the other end of the bracket (9) is connected to an adjustment base (11).

2. According to claim 1, a modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device is characterized in that: The passive adjustment device comprises a second shell (12) and a slide rod (14) arranged in the second shell (12), wherein a baffle is provided in the middle of the slide rod (14), elastic members (13) are respectively sleeved on both ends of the baffle, and both ends of the slide rod (14) are respectively hingedly connected to a third base (16).

3. According to claim 2, a modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device is characterized in that: It also includes a connecting cover (15) arranged between the third base (16) and the sliding rod (14).

4. According to claim 1, a modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device is characterized in that: The first driving member (2) is disposed in the first housing, and one end of the first housing away from the push rod (3) is hingedly connected to a first base (6).

5. The modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A push rod sleeve (4) is also sleeved on the push rod (3).

6. The modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second driving member (8) is arranged on the motor base (7), and the motor base (7) is connected to the bracket (9); the bracket (9) is connected to the adjustment base (11) and the bracket (9) via a plurality of adjustment push rods (10).

7. The modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The adjusting base (11) is also hingedly connected to the bracket (9).

8. The modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The active adjustment device is used to adjust the spatial posture between subunits.

9. The modular deployable reflector antenna subunit attitude adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The passive adjustment device is used to balance the displacement and force between sub-units.

10. A method for adjusting the attitude of a modular deployable reflector antenna subunit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: include: An active adjustment device or a passive adjustment device is installed between multiple sub-units to drive the first drive member to achieve displacement adjustment between the sub-units and the second drive member to achieve angle adjustment between the sub-units. During the adjustment process, the passive adjustment device is used to ensure force balance between the sub-units to prevent modules from colliding with each other in the antenna as a whole.

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