A flat panel satellite configuration

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of aerospace technology, in particular to a flat plate type satellite configuration. The flat plate type satellite configuration comprises a first mounting plate, a second mounting plate arranged opposite to the first mounting plate, and a frame clamped between the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate, the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are arranged on two opposite sides of the frame; the frame comprises a plurality of side beams connected head to tail, and a plurality of intermediate beams detachably fixed to the inner side of the side beams, the plurality of intermediate beams separate the inner part of the frame into a plurality of accommodation spaces for accommodating satellite units. The flat plate type satellite configuration can improve the carrying capacity by clamping the frame between the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate, can reduce the manufacturing difficulty and cost by detachably connecting the intermediate beams with the side beams, and can provide protection for the satellite units by the accommodation spaces.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace technology, and in particular to a flat-panel satellite configuration. Background Technology

[0002] The configuration design of a satellite is the result of comprehensive consideration of factors such as its main payload characteristics, predetermined orbital requirements, and thermal control needs. Common configurations include cuboids, cylinders, and polygonal prisms.

[0003] Compared to the above-mentioned configurations, the flat-panel satellite configuration, with its flat structure, has significant advantages in multi-satellite stacking, batch launches, and rapid deployment, which can improve the payload efficiency of launch vehicles and the speed of constellation deployment.

[0004] However, current flat-panel satellites generally adopt a one-piece casting design for their main structure. This design requires large casting molds, increasing manufacturing difficulty and cost. Furthermore, this main structure is poorly adaptable to changes in the shape or interfaces of individual satellite units. If the satellite unit it supports changes, the main structure and its dedicated molds need to be redesigned and remanufactured, further increasing costs. In addition, existing flat-panel satellites often use an open structure, resulting in poor overall structural strength and rigidity, and low load-bearing capacity. Moreover, the open design cannot provide effective protection for the satellite units on board, reducing their lifespan. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a flat-panel satellite configuration that can improve load-bearing capacity and adaptability, reduce processing difficulty and cost, and provide protection for individual satellite units.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a flat-panel satellite configuration, including a first mounting plate, a second mounting plate disposed opposite to the first mounting plate, and a frame sandwiched between the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate. The first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are disposed on two opposite sides of the frame. The frame includes a plurality of side beams connected end to end, and a plurality of intermediate beams detachably fixed to the inner side of the side beams. The plurality of intermediate beams divide the interior of the frame into a plurality of accommodating spaces for accommodating individual satellite units.

[0007] Optionally, each side beam and intermediate beam includes a main body plate, a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate connected to opposite sides of the main body plate, and two third connecting plates connected to opposite ends of the main body plate respectively; the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate are fixedly connected to the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate respectively, the third connecting plates of every two adjacent side beams are fixedly connected to each other, and the third connecting plate of each intermediate beam is fixedly connected to the main body plate of the side beam or the main body plate of the intermediate beam.

[0008] Optionally, the side beam includes a first side beam, a second side beam, and a third side beam detachably connected between the first side beam and the second side beam, the third side beam being inclined relative to the first side beam.

[0009] Optionally, the third side beam also includes a fourth connecting plate. The third connecting plate of the third side beam is fixedly connected to the main plate of the third side beam through the fourth connecting plate and is inclined relative to the main plate. A reinforcing rib is provided between the third connecting plate and the fourth connecting plate of the third side beam.

[0010] Optionally, the frame is provided with several reinforcing blocks, each of which has a connecting hole for mating with fasteners. The main body plate of the frame is provided with reinforcing ribs, and the opposite ends of the reinforcing ribs are respectively connected to the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate through reinforcing blocks.

[0011] Optionally, the intermediate beam includes staggered crossbeams and longitudinal beams, with at least two crossbeams and at least two longitudinal beams. The at least two crossbeams are spaced apart along the width direction of the satellite configuration, and the at least two longitudinal beams are spaced apart along the length direction of the satellite configuration.

[0012] Optionally, several weight-reducing holes are provided on the main body plate of the intermediate beam.

[0013] The flat-panel satellite configuration of the present invention also includes a plurality of scraping pads, which are respectively sandwiched in the areas of the corresponding connection holes between the frame and the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages: the flat-panel satellite configuration of the present invention can improve the load-bearing capacity by clamping the frame between the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate, and can reduce the manufacturing difficulty and cost by detachably connecting the middle beam and the side beam, and can provide protection for the satellite unit by accommodating the space. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the flat-panel satellite configuration of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the flat-panel satellite configuration of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the first mounting plate in this invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the frame in this invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the framework in this invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a crossbeam in one example of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the middle beam in one example of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the middle beam in another example of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third side beam in one example of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the third side beam in another example of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the third side beam of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 12 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of a flat-panel satellite configuration in one example of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the middle beam in one example of the present invention.

[0029] In the picture:

[0030] 1-Frame; 11-Main body plate; 12-First connecting plate; 13-Second connecting plate; 14-Third connecting plate; 15-Reinforcing block; 151-Connecting hole;

[0031] 21-Side beam; 211-First side beam; 212-Second side beam; 213-Third side beam; 213a-Fourth connecting plate; 213b-Strengthening rib;

[0032] 22-Intermediate beam; 221-Crossbeam; 222-Longitudinal beam; 223-Second through hole; 224-Weight reduction hole; 23-Reinforcing rib;

[0033] 3-Mounting plate assembly;

[0034] 31-First mounting plate; 311-First mounting surface; 312-Second mounting surface; 313-First through hole;

[0035] 32 - Second mounting plate;

[0036] 4-Scraping pad; 41-Third through hole;

[0037] 5-Fasteners. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the description of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] The terms “upper,” “lower,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of the invention is usually placed during use. They are used only for the convenience of description and simplification, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0040] The terms “first”, “second”, etc., are used merely to distinguish elements with similar properties, not to indicate or imply relative importance or a specific order.

[0041] The terms “including,” “comprising,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, which includes not only the elements listed but also other elements not expressly listed.

[0042] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 This invention provides a flat-panel satellite configuration. The satellite configuration of this invention is generally flat-panel shaped, and its projection along its thickness direction is preferably a polygon such as a quadrilateral, hexagon, or octagon. Specifically, the flat-panel satellite configuration of this invention includes a frame 1 and a mounting plate assembly 3. The mounting plate assembly 3 is fixedly connected to the frame 1 by means of fasteners or the like, and the satellite unit is fixed to the mounting plate assembly 3 by means of fasteners or the like.

[0043] In some embodiments, the mounting plate assembly 3 includes a first mounting plate 31 and a second mounting plate 32, which are fixedly connected to opposite sides of the frame 1. Specifically, the first mounting plate 31 and the second mounting plate 32 are respectively connected to the top surface and the ground surface of the frame 1.

[0044] Please see Figure 3The first mounting plate 31 has a first mounting surface 311 and a second mounting surface 312 on opposite sides, which are used to fix satellite units inside and outside the flat-panel satellite configuration of the present invention, respectively. For example, satellite units with field of view requirements, such as antennas, sensors, solar panels, and cameras, are fixed to the second mounting surface 312. The first mounting surface 311 is located on the side of the first mounting plate 31 closer to the frame 1, and the second mounting surface 312 is located on the side of the first mounting plate 31 away from the frame 1. The satellite units are preferably fixed to the first mounting surface 311 and the second mounting surface 312 respectively by means of fasteners or other methods.

[0045] The first mounting plate 31 is preferably an aluminum-skinned aluminum honeycomb core sandwich panel, which can improve strength while reducing weight and facilitating processing and installation. Understandably, the first mounting plate 31 can also be made of carbon fiber or other metal materials.

[0046] The second mounting plate 32 has a similar structure to the first mounting plate 31, and will not be described in detail here.

[0047] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the frame 1 includes several side beams 21 connected end to end and several intermediate beams 22 detachably fixed to the inside of the side beams 21. The intermediate beams 22 divide the interior of the frame 1 into multiple storage spaces for accommodating individual satellite units. These storage spaces provide protection for the individual satellite units inside the flat-panel satellite configuration, reducing the impact of the space environment on the satellite units. Preferably, the side beams 21 and intermediate beams 22 are made of aluminum alloy, which can reduce weight while ensuring the structural strength of the frame 1 and is easy to process.

[0048] The edge beam 21 is preferably detachably connected to the intermediate beam 22 via fasteners, facilitating the replacement of either the edge beam 21 or the intermediate beam 22 to adapt to different installation requirements, improve adaptability, and facilitate maintenance. Furthermore, compared to a one-piece frame structure, this reduces production difficulty and costs. Understandably, the edge beam 21 and the intermediate beam 22 can also be integrally formed or fixedly connected by riveting, welding, or other methods.

[0049] In one example, the satellite configuration is projected as an octagon along its thickness direction. The side beam 21 includes a first side beam 211, a second side beam 212, and a third side beam 213 connecting the first side beam 211 and the second side beam 212. Specifically, there are two first side beams 211 and two second side beams 212, and four third side beams 213. The two first side beams 211 are arranged opposite each other and extend along the length direction of the satellite configuration, and the two second side beams 212 are arranged opposite each other and extend along the width direction of the satellite configuration. The first side beam 211, the second side beam 212, and the third side beam 213 are connected end to end. Specifically, the two opposite ends of the third side beam 213 are detachably connected to the ends of the first side beam 211 and the second side beam 212 that are close to each other, and the third side beam 213 is inclined relative to the first side beam 211. Optionally, the angle between the length direction of the third side beam 213 and the length direction of the first side beam 211 is 100° to 170°. In one example, the angle between the length direction of the third side beam 213 and the length direction of the first side beam 211 is 120° or 135°.

[0050] The intermediate beam 22 includes a crossbeam 221 and a longitudinal beam 222, which are staggered and detachably connected to each other. Preferably, the crossbeams 221 and 222 are perpendicular to each other, and the crossbeams 221 are generally parallel to the first side beam 211, which improves rigidity and space utilization. Optionally, the crossbeams 221 may also be inclined relative to the first side beam 211. In one example, there are at least two crossbeams 221 and at least two longitudinal beams 222, with at least two crossbeams 221 spaced apart along the width direction of the satellite configuration and at least two longitudinal beams 222 spaced apart along the length direction of the satellite configuration, thereby improving the structural strength and rigidity of the satellite configuration.

[0051] In one example, the intermediate beam 22 is provided with weight-reducing holes 224, which can reduce weight and lower costs. In addition, the weight-reducing holes 224 are also used for cables to pass through. In one example, a number of weight-reducing holes 224 are provided along the length of the intermediate beam 22. The weight-reducing holes 224 are preferably oblong holes, so as to allow the cables to have a certain range of movement in the weight-reducing holes 224, which facilitates installation.

[0052] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7In some embodiments, the cross-section of each side beam 21 and intermediate beam 22 is I-shaped. In this embodiment, the cross-section refers to the section of the side beam 21 or intermediate beam 22 along the height direction of the frame 1 (i.e., the thickness direction of the satellite configuration). This improves the bending resistance of the frame 1, prevents deformation, increases stiffness and stability, and facilitates installation. Furthermore, compared to rectangular or circular cross-sections, the I-shaped cross-section can reduce weight and cost while ensuring the same mechanical properties. Understandably, the cross-section of each side beam 21 and intermediate beam 22 of the present invention can also be U-shaped or similar.

[0053] Please combine Figure 6 Specifically, each side beam 21 and intermediate beam 22 includes a main body plate 11, a first connecting plate 12, and a second connecting plate 13. The first connecting plate 12 and the second connecting plate 13 are integrally connected to opposite sides of the main body plate 11 along its height direction, and are respectively fixedly connected to the first mounting plate 31 and the second mounting plate 32. The first connecting plate 12 and the second connecting plate 13 can provide a mounting surface that meets the installation accuracy requirements for the mounting plate assembly 3. Preferably, the first connecting plate 12 and the second connecting plate 13 are parallel to each other and both are perpendicular to the main body plate 11.

[0054] Each side beam 21 and the middle beam 22 also includes a third connecting plate 14, with the third connecting plates 14 of each two adjacent side beams 21 being fixedly connected to each other. Specifically, there are two third connecting plates 14, which are integrally connected to opposite ends of each side beam 21 along its length. The first connecting plate 12, the second connecting plate 13, and the two third connecting plates 14 enclose a rectangular frame, and the main body plate 11 is integrally connected to the inner side of the rectangular frame.

[0055] Please see Figure 8 and Figure 9 In one example, each side beam 21 and the middle beam 22 has openings for fasteners 5 (see...). Figure 12 A plurality of connecting holes 151 through which the fastener 5 passes. Optionally, the inner surface of the connecting holes 151 is provided with internal threads for threaded connection with the fastener 5.

[0056] Specifically, the first connecting plate 12 and the second connecting plate 13 are respectively provided with a plurality of connecting holes 151 along the length direction of each side beam 21, such as Figure 12 As shown, in this example, the first mounting plate 31 and the second mounting plate 32 are respectively provided with a plurality of first through holes 313 that cooperate with the connecting holes 151. The fastener 5 passes through the first through holes 313 and the connecting holes 151 sequentially from the outside of the flat satellite configuration, and fixes the first mounting plate 31 and the second mounting plate 32 to the opposite sides of each side beam 21 along its height direction.

[0057] Furthermore, the main body plate 11 also has a connecting hole 151, and the third connecting plate 14 of the intermediate beam 22 has a second through hole 223 that mates with the connecting hole 151 on the main body plate 11 of the side beam 21 (see Figure 6 Optionally, the fastener 5 passes through the second through hole 223 and the connecting hole 151 in sequence to fix the intermediate beam 22 to the side beam 21.

[0058] Optionally, each side beam 21 and the middle beam 22 is provided with a plurality of reinforcing blocks 15. The plurality of reinforcing blocks 15 are respectively provided around the connecting holes 151 on the main body plate 11 of each side beam 21 and the middle beam 22 to improve the structural strength of the connection area, thereby improving the connection reliability.

[0059] Please see Figure 9 and Figure 10 The third side beam 213 is also provided with a fourth connecting plate 213a, which is integrally connected between the main body plate 11 and the third connecting plate 14 of the third side beam 213, and is used to change the angle of the third connecting plate 14 relative to the main body plate 11. Since the third side beam 213 is inclined relative to the first side beam 211, and the third connecting plate 14 is inclined at the end of the main body plate 11, the third connecting plate 14 is approximately perpendicular to the fourth connecting plate 213a, and is connected to the main body plate 11 through the fourth connecting plate 213a, which can improve the structural strength of the connection area. Optionally, a reinforcing rib 213b is provided between the third connecting plate 14 and the fourth connecting plate 213a to further improve the structural strength. The number of reinforcing ribs 213b can be one or more. In one example, at least two reinforcing ribs 213b are spaced apart along the height direction of the third side beam 213.

[0060] Please see Figure 10 and Figure 11 Optionally, the main plate 11 of the frame 1 is provided with reinforcing ribs 23. The two ends of the reinforcing ribs 23 are respectively connected to the first connecting plate 12 and the second connecting plate 13 through reinforcing blocks 15, thereby further improving the structural strength of the connection area through the reinforcing ribs 23.

[0061] In one example, the reinforcing rib 23 is located on the side of the third side beam 213 away from the receiving space. The reinforcing rib 23 is integrally connected to the first connecting plate 12 and the second connecting plate 13 by a reinforcing block 15. In this example, the connecting hole 151 on the reinforcing block 15 is used to fix the satellite unit to the outside of the frame 1 with the fastener 5.

[0062] Please see Figure 12 and Figure 13In some embodiments, the satellite configuration of the present invention further includes a scraping pad 4, which is sandwiched in the area corresponding to the connection hole 151 between the mounting plate assembly 3 and the frame 1, and the scraping pad 4 has a third through hole 41 for the fastener 5 to pass through. Specifically, scraping pads 4 are respectively provided on the surfaces of the mounting plate assembly 3 and the frame 1 close to each other. The mounting plate assembly 3 abuts against the frame 1 through the scraping pad 4. By milling the scraping pad 4, the flatness and smoothness of the mounting surface can be ensured, the processing steps can be simplified, and the production efficiency can be improved. In addition, the assembly gap can be appropriately adjusted by the scraping pad 4, reducing the installation difficulty and improving the connection reliability.

[0063] The flat-panel satellite configuration of the present invention, by sandwiching the frame 1 between the mounting plate assembly 3, and the frame 1 using an "I"-shaped cross-section, can improve the overall rigidity and strength, prevent the satellite configuration from bending and deforming, and enhance the flat-panel satellite configuration's resistance to deformation, thereby improving structural precision control and load-bearing capacity, and ensuring structural reliability; the frame 1 is detachably connected by several side beams 21 and several intermediate beams 22, which can reduce manufacturing difficulty and production cost, improve adaptability, and facilitate installation and maintenance; the accommodating space can provide protection for the individual satellite units inside the satellite configuration; in addition, both the first mounting plate 31 and the second mounting plate 32 are made of honeycomb core sandwich panels, which ensures strength while helping to reduce weight and improve the thermal conductivity of the satellite configuration.

[0064] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flat-panel satellite configuration, characterized in that: The system includes a first mounting plate (31), a second mounting plate (32) opposite to the first mounting plate (31), and a frame (1) sandwiched between the first mounting plate (31) and the second mounting plate (32). The first mounting plate (31) and the second mounting plate (32) are located on two opposite sides of the frame (1). The frame (1) includes several side beams (21) connected end to end, and several intermediate beams (22) detachably fixed to the inside of the side beams (21). The intermediate beams (22) divide the interior of the frame (1) into multiple accommodating spaces for accommodating individual satellite units. The side beams (21) include a first side beam (211), a second side beam (212), and a third side beam (213) detachably connected between the first side beam (211) and the second side beam (212). The third side beam (213) is opposite to the first side beam (211). The side beam (21) is inclined; each side beam (21) includes a main plate (11), a first connecting plate (12) and a second connecting plate (13) connected to the opposite sides of the main plate (11), and two third connecting plates (14) connected to the opposite ends of the main plate (11); the third side beam (213) also includes a fourth connecting plate (213a). The first connecting plate (12) and the second connecting plate (13) of each side beam (21) are fixedly connected to the first mounting plate (31) and the second mounting plate (32) respectively. The third connecting plates (14) of each two adjacent side beams (21) are fixedly connected to each other. The third connecting plate (14) of the third side beam (213) is fixedly connected to the main plate (11) of the third side beam (213) through the fourth connecting plate (213a) and is inclined relative to the main plate (11).

2. The flat-panel satellite configuration according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the intermediate beams (22) also includes a main body plate (11), a first connecting plate (12) and a second connecting plate (13) connected to opposite sides of the main body plate (11), and two third connecting plates (14) connected to opposite ends of the main body plate (11); the first connecting plate (12) and the second connecting plate (13) of the intermediate beam (22) are fixedly connected to the first mounting plate (31) and the second mounting plate (32) respectively, and the third connecting plate (14) of each intermediate beam (22) is fixedly connected to the main body plate (11) of the side beam (21) or the main body plate (11) of the intermediate beam (22).

3. The flat-panel satellite configuration according to claim 1, characterized in that: A reinforcing rib (213b) is provided between the third connecting plate (14) and the fourth connecting plate (213a) of the third side beam (213).

4. The flat-panel satellite configuration according to claim 2, characterized in that: The frame (1) is provided with a plurality of reinforcing blocks (15), each of the reinforcing blocks (15) being provided with a connecting hole (151) for cooperating with a fastener (5).

5. The flat-panel satellite configuration according to claim 4, characterized in that: The main body plate (11) of the frame (1) is provided with reinforcing ribs (23), and the two ends of the reinforcing ribs (23) are respectively connected to the first connecting plate (12) and the second connecting plate (13) through the reinforcing blocks (15).

6. The flat-panel satellite configuration according to claim 2, characterized in that: The intermediate beam (22) includes staggered crossbeams (221) and longitudinal beams (222), with at least two crossbeams (221) and at least two longitudinal beams (222). The at least two crossbeams (221) are spaced apart along the width direction of the satellite configuration, and the at least two longitudinal beams (222) are spaced apart along the length direction of the satellite configuration.

7. The flat-panel satellite configuration according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main plate (11) of the intermediate beam (22) has several weight-reducing holes (224).

8. The flat-panel satellite configuration according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a plurality of scraping pads (4), which are respectively sandwiched between the frame (1) and the first mounting plate (31) and the second mounting plate (32) in the area corresponding to the connecting hole (151).

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