Drilling tool suitable for astronaut in zero-gravity environment

Abstract

The invention provides a drilling tool suitable for astronauts in a zero-gravity environment. The drilling tool comprises a motor driving part, a drilling part and a protection part. The protection component is used for providing outboard protection for the drilling component in a non-operation stage, and during operation, the protection component is taken down, and a tool bit of the drilling component is aligned to a drilling area of outboard equipment; the motor driving part is used for providing stable rotation output in the drilling direction; and the drilling component takes the output of the motor driving component as the input to ensure that the tool bit is always in close contact with an object to complete drilling through the applied downward pressing acting force in the operation process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of spacecraft mechanism motion technology, and in particular to the field of space maintenance technology. Background Art

[0002] With the development of my country's aerospace technology, space maintenance missions in the extravehicular environment involving astronauts will increase day by day.

[0003] In order to meet the maintenance needs of drilling operations on extravehicular equipment of the space station, it is necessary to provide a drilling tool with electric rotation to assist astronauts in completing the drilling operations of extravehicular equipment through simple operations. In view of the characteristics of the gravity-free space environment outside the cabin, in order to ensure that the drilling tool with electric rotation can be easily operated by astronauts, solve the technical problems of the operability of astronauts using drilling operations in a gravity-free environment, and ensure the safety of astronauts throughout the process. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem solved by the present invention is: to provide a drilling tool suitable for use by astronauts in a zero-gravity environment, in view of the characteristics of the zero-gravity space environment outside the cabin, to ensure that the astronauts can operate the drilling tool conveniently and realize electric rotation, to solve the technical problem of the operability of the drilling operation used by astronauts in a zero-gravity environment, and to ensure the personal safety of the astronauts throughout the whole process.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is: a drilling tool suitable for use by astronauts in a zero-gravity environment, comprising a motor drive component, a drilling component and a protective component;

[0006] The protective component is used to provide extravehicular protection for the drilling component during the non-operating stage. During operation, the protective component is removed and the cutter head of the drilling component is aligned with the drilling area of ​​the extravehicular equipment; the motor drive component is used to provide a smooth rotation output in the drilling direction; the drilling component uses the output of the motor drive component as input to ensure that during the operation, the cutter head maintains close contact with the object by applying a downward force to complete the drilling.

[0007] Preferably, the motor drive component includes a housing armrest, a battery, a motor, a button switch and an output shaft;

[0008] The battery is an energy storage device that drives the motor to rotate; the motor adopts an axial rotation method that is converted into a stable torque output under electromagnetic action; the button switch is a switch that provides astronauts with operation to control the power supply between the battery and the motor; the output shaft converts the output end of the motor into a smooth rotation in the tool output direction.

[0009] Preferably, the button is installed at a position at the front end of the housing armrest for easy holding and operation.

[0010] Preferably, the drilling component includes a rotating transmission rod, a release component, a pressurizing component and a cutter head component;

[0011] It includes a rotating transmission rod, a release component, a pressurizing component and a cutter head component;

[0012] The rotation transmission rod is used to transmit the rotational power to the cutter head component;

[0013] The release component is used to lock the pressure component when not processing; the pressure component is released during processing, and the pressure component applies a downward pressure force on the upper end of the cutter head component to ensure that the cutter head is stably under pressure and in close contact with the cutting object during rotation.

[0014] Preferably, the release component includes an operating handle, a return spring, a locking pin, a baffle, and a housing;

[0015] The shell is provided with a through hole for the rotating transmission rod to pass through, and a groove perpendicular to the axis of the through hole, one end face of the groove is connected to the through hole, and the locking pin is installed in the groove, the large diameter end of the locking pin is a free end, the operating handle and the small diameter end of the locking pin are connected by a rotating shaft, and the movement path of the operating handle is limited by the baffles on both sides installed on the shell to prevent the operating handle from rotating with the positioning pin as the center; the reset spring is sleeved on the small diameter end of the locking pin placed in the groove, and in the locked state, the reset spring is compressed with the shell as the reference and keeps the elastic force acting on the locking pin, and in the pressurized state, the operating handle is subjected to force, and the locking pin is pulled up by the rotating shaft, and the locking pin is released from the locked position and unlocked.

[0016] Preferably, the operating handle includes an operating rod and a triangular platform with angles at the front end, and the triangular platform consists of three surfaces A, B, and C respectively, wherein the A and B planes are state-fixed platforms, and the C plane is connected to the operating rod; the A and B planes are set with arc surfaces to transition to become the rotation contact points of the triangular platform; a positioning pin hole is set between the A and B planes as the center of overall rotation of the operating handle; the length of the A plane is set to be more than twice the length of the B plane to ensure that the distance between the positioning pin hole and the B plane is more than 3 times the distance between the A planes; the operating rod consists of two planes E and F, wherein the E plane is parallel to the B plane, and the F plane is parallel to the A plane; the positioning pin makes the A plane or B plane of the operating handle contact with the shell through the rotating shaft to maintain a stable state; in the pressurized state, the operating handle is subjected to force, and the operating handle rotates from the A plane to the B plane with the front contact point as the fulcrum. Because the distance between the positioning pin hole and the B plane is more than 3 times the distance between the A planes, the rotating shaft is lifted with the position of the positioning pin hole, and the locking pin is pulled up at the same time, and the locking pin is disengaged from the locking position.

[0017] Preferably, the pressurizing component includes an energy storage spring, a housing structure, an observation port and a reset handle;

[0018] The shell structure is a cylindrical structure, the upper end of which is installed below the through hole of the release component shell, forming an integral sleeve outside the cutter head component. The lower end of the shell structure opens an observation port for observing the movement of the cutter head component. The energy storage spring is installed in the shell structure and arranged at the upper end of the cutter head component. In the released state, the energy storage spring expands and releases elastic force, exerting a downward pressure on the upper end of the cutter head component to ensure that the cutter head is stably under pressure and in close contact with the cutting object during rotation; the reset handle is installed at both ends of the release component shell, which is used to overcome the external force of the energy storage spring and drive the shell structure and the release component shell to reset to the locked position.

[0019] Preferably, the rotating transmission rod is composed of an outer shell and an internal power transmission shaft, the upper port of the shell is provided with a mechanical constraint interface of a power device that provides rotational power, and the lower port is provided with an annular locking surface, and the pressure-applying component can effectively achieve a 360° locking state around the annular locking surface.

[0020] Preferably, the upper end of the shell structure is connected to the release component shell through a stepped flange surface, and an annular groove with an opening facing upward is arranged inside the shell structure. A stepped surface is arranged on the outer side of the inner wall of the annular groove for cooperating with the lower end of the annular locking surface. The center through hole of the annular groove is used to place the lower end of the rotating transmission rod and the upper end of the cutter head component, and the cutter head component is fixed at the bottom of the annular groove.

[0021] Preferably, the tool head component includes a transmission shaft adapter, a tool head adapter, and a drilling tool head;

[0022] The drilling cutter head is connected to the rotating transmission rod through a cutter head adapter and a transmission shaft adapter; the transmission shaft adapter is a sleeve structure with a flange, the rotating transmission rod is sleeved in the sleeve structure and connected to the cutter head adapter through a flange.

[0023] Preferably, the drilling head includes a blade body and blades distributed on the blade body, and the blades are multiple and evenly distributed on the blade body in the circumferential direction; each blade includes a front angle indicating the degree of inclination of the front blade face, a back angle indicating the degree of friction of the back blade face during the cutting process, a side angle indicating the beveling angle of the blade during the beveling process, and a blade tip according to the movement mode of the blade; the side angle is set to 24.9°~25.1° to ensure that in a vacuum environment, under the low-speed condition that the blade shaft rotates at a speed not exceeding 50° / s, the blade tip can feed and cut autonomously under constant pressure.

[0024] Preferably, the front angle of the blade is set to 59.9° to 60.1°, the back angle of the blade is set to 28.4° to 28.6°, the tip of the blade is a round head at the front end, and the diameter ranges from 0.5mm to 1mm.

[0025] Preferably, the protective component includes a protective shell, a limiting spring and an anti-drifting hook and loop fastener;

[0026] The protective shell is a five-sided structure, with the open end face facing the direction for inserting extravehicular equipment. The anti-floating Velcro is fixed to the inner side of the protective shell facing the opening direction. The top surface is a U-shaped structure, and a limiting spring is installed on the inner side of the U-shaped structure. The limiting function is achieved through the deformation elastic force of the limiting spring and the cylindrical characteristics of the extravehicular equipment to constrain the freedom in the front and rear directions. Guide limiting grooves are arranged on both sides of the protective shell to cooperate with the extravehicular equipment to constrain the freedom in the four directions of up, down, left and right.

[0027] Preferably, the U-shaped structure on the top surface of the protective shell includes a bottom surface with a U-shaped opening and grooves arranged around the bottom surface for placing limiting springs. The bottom of the groove is a plane, and the two ends of the plane are semicircular grooves. The two side surfaces of the groove are perpendicular to the bottom of the groove, and the insertion guide end of the top surface is formed by a rounded corner between the U-shaped front end of the bottom surface and the front end of the groove side surface.

[0028] Preferably, the limiting spring body is a U-shaped structure placed on the bottom surface, the U-shaped bottom surface of the limiting spring is a plane used to achieve connection with the bottom of the groove, semicircular structures protruding outward on both sides of the bottom surface of the limiting spring serve as spring deformation areas, inwardly protruding semicircles are arranged on the two arms of the U-shape as limiting areas, and the U-shaped opening end is inclined outward as a guide area.

[0029] Preferably, the limiting dimension between the two arms of the U-shape should match the diameter of the limiting object, and the limiting dimension is controlled within 12 to 30 mm; the arc radius of the spring deformation zone is controlled within 2 to 5 mm; the arc radius of the limiting zone is controlled within 1 to 2.5 mm; the outward inclination angle of the guide zone is controlled within the range of 130° to 160° to facilitate the entry of the limiting object.

[0030] The beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are:

[0031] The present invention ensures the long-term safe operation of the space station by improving the operability of drilling maintenance operations for extravehicular equipment of the space station.

[0032] The drilling component of the present invention is a pressurized drilling tool suitable for a zero-gravity environment, and is an important guarantee for ensuring that astronauts can quickly and conveniently perform rotation operations in a zero-gravity environment. A pressurized rotation mechanism suitable for a zero-gravity environment is composed of a rotation transmission rod, a release component, a pressurized component, and a cutter head component. It can enable Chinese astronauts to conveniently perform tool rotation operations outside the cabin, demonstrating my country's aerospace technology.

[0033] The drilling component of the present invention ensures that the cutter head is stably pressed and in close contact with the cutting object during the rotation process under the action of the pressure component, thereby improving the rotation and grinding efficiency of the cutter head component and solving the technical problem of operability of astronauts in a zero-gravity environment. The pressure component can be repeatedly operated by resetting the handle to ensure the feasibility of repeated operation of astronauts' extravehicular maintenance operations.

[0034] The drilling component of the present invention can realize the stable application of downward pressure on the upper end of the cutter head component through the "release" operation of the release component, and the stable downward pressure is provided by the mechanism through simple operation conversion, so that the tool can still realize the characteristic of rotating grinding of the cutter head component in a zero-gravity environment.

[0035] The drilling component of the present invention has the characteristic of automatically locking the release component after the cutter head component returns to its original initial position through the reset handle, which reduces the locking operation of the astronaut and facilitates the next feeding operation of the cutter head component.

[0036] The drilling component of the present invention is arranged in a specific shape between the transmission shaft adapter and the rotating transmission rod, and adopts a floating connection method to effectively ensure that the cutter head can still effectively transmit the rotational force under the load-bearing downward pressure state.

[0037] The drilling component of the present invention is arranged through the annular locking surface of the power transmission rod shape, and the pressure component can effectively achieve a 360-degree locking state around the locking surface of the power transmission rod.

[0038] The protective component of the present invention can realize the reliable fixation and quick separation operation capability of the astronauts in the weightless environment outside the cabin by conveniently taking and placing and fixing the protective device, thereby reducing the difficulty of the extravehicular operation while ensuring the personal safety of the astronauts. Through the unique limit constraint structure, the connection between the protective device and the extravehicular equipment is effectively realized, and the limit matching of the spring leaf provides a constraint force to prevent the protective device from floating away; at the same time, the separation of the protective device can be realized after overcoming the constraint force of the spring leaf deformation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the drilling tool of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram for installing the electric drive component and the drilling component;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the hexagonal constraint interface;

[0042] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of electric drive components;

[0043] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a pressurized rotating mechanism suitable for a zero-gravity environment;

[0044] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the release component composition;

[0045] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the locking state of the release component;

[0046] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the release state of the release component;

[0047] Fig. 9It is a schematic diagram of the pressurized components;

[0048] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the rotating transmission rod;

[0049] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the cutter head components;

[0050] Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the transmission shaft adapter;

[0051] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the initial position of a pressurized rotating mechanism suitable for a zero-gravity environment;

[0052] Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram of lifting and releasing the components;

[0053] Fig.15 This is a schematic diagram of the spring release of the pressurized component;

[0054] Fig.16 This is a schematic diagram of the spring pressing down and releasing the pressurized component;

[0055] Fig.17 Schematic diagram of lifting the handle to reset the pressurized component;

[0056] Figure 18-23 Schematic diagram of the cutter head parts

[0057] Fig.24 This is a schematic diagram of the operating handle;

[0058] Fig.25 Schematic diagram of the protection components;

[0059] Fig.26 It is a schematic diagram of the protective shell structure;

[0060] Fig. 27 Schematic diagram of the limit spring structure;

[0061] Fig.28 The figure is the structural dimension diagram of the limit spring;

[0062] Fig.29 This is a schematic diagram of the anti-floating hook and loop position;

[0063] Fig.30 Schematic diagram of the installation direction of the protection device

[0064] Fig.31 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation of the protective device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0066] A drilling tool suitable for use by astronauts in a zero-gravity environment, such as Figure 1The figure shows the motor drive components, drilling components and protection components; tool operation process:

[0067] Before the operation, the astronauts need to assemble the electric drive component, the drilling component and the protection component. The electric drive component and the drilling component are screwed together by screwing the locking screws to deform the deformation lock buckle to provide a pressing force so that the transmission rod housing and the output shaft housing are in close contact and fixed ( Figure 2 ), the power transmission rod and the output shaft adopt a hexagonal constraint interface to realize the quick connection between the electric drive component and the drilling component ( Figure 3 ). The protection component and the drilling component are fixed to the transmission rod housing through a limiting spring.

[0068] When operating, the astronauts remove the protective parts and expose the drill bit of the drilling part in front of the tool. The astronauts aim the drill bit at the drilling area of ​​the extravehicular equipment by pinching the outer shell handrail. Lift the operating handle to pressurize the drilling part and push the drill bit to directly contact the extravehicular equipment.

[0069] The astronaut presses the button switch of the electric drive component, the motor is energized and the output shaft rotates, and the output shaft drives the drilling head to rotate through the power transmission rod, thereby realizing the drilling operation of the space station's extravehicular equipment.

[0070] The preferred embodiments are as follows:

[0071] 1. Electric drive components

[0072] like Figure 4 As shown, the motor drive component consists of a housing, a battery, a motor, a push button switch and an output shaft.

[0073] The battery is the energy storage that drives the motor to rotate; the motor is an axial rotation that is converted into a stable torque output under electromagnetic action; the push button switch is the switch that provides astronauts with operation to control the power supply between the battery and the motor; the output shaft converts the motor output end into a smooth rotation in the tool output direction.

[0074] Astronauts control the rotation and stop of the motor by operating the button switch. By setting up handrails outside the tool, astronauts can conveniently hold the drilling tool and effectively prevent the drilling tool from floating away.

[0075] 2. Drilling parts

[0076] like Figure 5 As shown, the drilling component consists of four parts: a rotating transmission rod, a releasing component, a pressurizing component and a cutter head component.

[0077] The astronauts squeeze the operating handle of the release component, and the operating handle drives the locking pin to release the pressurized component. The pressurized component releases the elastic force in the "released" state through the energy storage spring, exerting a downward pressure on the upper end of the cutter head component to ensure that the cutter head is stably under pressure and in close contact with the cutting object during rotation.

[0078] The cutter head component is the target component of the pressure component. By applying a downward pressure force on the upper end of the cutter head component, the rotational grinding efficiency of the cutter head component is improved. The transmission shaft adapter ensures that the cutter head can still effectively transmit the rotational force under the load and downward pressure.

[0079] 1) Turn the transmission rod

[0080] The rotating transmission rod provides the function of transmitting the rotating power of the power device to the cutter head component, and is composed of an outer shell and an inner power transmission shaft. Fig.10 ) The power transmission shaft can effectively transmit the rotational power source from the power input interface to the lower end cutter head component;

[0081] The upper port of the shell is provided with a mechanical constraint interface of the power device, and the lower port is provided with an annular locking surface. The locking surface of the pressurized component around the power transmission rod can effectively achieve a 360° locking state.

[0082] The power transmission shaft can effectively transmit the rotational power from the power input interface to the lower power output interface, and the lower port is provided with a rotational power rotation feature that matches the cutter head component.

[0083] 2) Release components

[0084] The release component is set to two states, corresponding to the "pressurized" and "locked" states, and there are no other states.

[0085] The release component consists of an operating handle, a locking pin, a rotating shaft, a baffle, a housing and a return spring ( Figure 6 The housing is provided with a through hole for the rotating transmission rod to pass through, and a groove perpendicular to the axis of the through hole, one end face of the groove is connected to the through hole, a locking pin is installed in the groove, the large diameter end of the locking pin is a free end, the operating handle and the small diameter end of the locking pin are connected by a rotating shaft, and the movement path of the operating handle is limited by the baffles on both sides installed on the housing to prevent the operating handle from rotating around the positioning pin as the center; the return spring is sleeved on the small diameter end of the locking pin placed in the groove, in the locked state, the return spring is compressed with the housing as the reference and keeps the elastic force acting on the locking pin, in the pressurized state, the operating handle is subjected to force, and the locking pin is pulled up by the rotating shaft, and the locking pin is released from the locked position and unlocked.

[0086] like Fig.24As shown, the operating handle includes an operating rod and a triangular platform with angles at the front end. The triangular platform consists of three surfaces A, B, and C, respectively, wherein the A and B planes are state-fixed platforms, and the C plane connects the operating rod. The A and B planes are 60° to each other and a circular arc surface is set to transition to become the rotation contact point of the triangular platform; a positioning pin hole is set between the A and B surfaces, which is also the center of the overall rotation of the operating handle. The length of the A plane is set to be more than twice the length of the B plane, ensuring that the distance between the positioning pin hole and the B plane is more than 3 times the distance between the A planes; the operating rod consists of two planes E and F, wherein the E plane is parallel to the B plane, and the F plane is parallel to the A plane, so that the E plane and the F plane are 120° to each other. When the operating handle is rotated, the E surface or the F surface appears as a state plane, which is convenient for operation.

[0087] After the return spring is compressed with the housing as the reference, it always keeps the elastic force acting on the positioning pin. The positioning pin makes the A plane or B plane of the operating handle contact with the housing through the rotating shaft to maintain a stable state ( Figure 7 ); When the pressure is applied, the operating handle is stressed, and the operating handle rotates from plane A to plane B with the front contact point as the fulcrum. Because the distance between the positioning pin hole and plane B is more than 3 times the distance between the A planes, the rotating shaft is lifted along with the positioning pin hole, and the locking pin is pulled up at the same time, and the locking pin is out of the locking position. ( Figure 8 )

[0088] The reset spring is compressed at the same time, continuously providing elastic force to act on the positioning pin. When the reset operation is performed, when the locking surface appears at the front end of the transfer transmission rod, it will automatically move forward into the locking position under the action of the spring force. The operating handle plane contacts the housing and maintains a stable state.

[0089] The baffles on both sides of the operating handle are used to limit the movement path of the operating handle to prevent the operating handle from rotating with the positioning pin as the center.

[0090] The return spring force should be controlled within the range of 5N to 10N. When the spring force is too large, it will affect the astronauts' release of the operating handle; when the spring force is too small, it will affect the effective entry of the positioning pin into the positioning hole.

[0091] 3) Pressurized parts

[0092] like Fig. 9 As shown, the pressurizing component consists of an energy storage spring, a housing structure, an observation port and a reset handle.

[0093] The shell structure is a cylindrical structure, the upper end of which is installed below the through hole of the release component shell, forming an integral sleeve outside the cutter head component. The lower end of the shell structure opens an observation port for observing the movement of the cutter head component. The energy storage spring is installed in the shell structure and arranged at the upper end of the cutter head component. In the released state, the energy storage spring expands and releases elastic force, exerting a downward pressure on the upper end of the cutter head component to ensure that the cutter head is stably pressed and in close contact with the cutting object during the rotation process; the reset handle is installed at both ends of the release component shell to overcome the external force of the energy storage spring and drive the shell structure and the release component shell to reset to the locked position. It is convenient for astronauts to evenly bear force on both sides during the reset operation, compress the energy storage spring to restore the pressurized component to the original locked position.

[0094] like Fig.10 As shown, the rotation transmission rod is composed of an outer shell and an inner power transmission shaft. The upper end of the shell is provided with a mechanical constraint interface of a power device that provides rotational power, and the lower end is provided with an annular locking surface. The pressure component can effectively achieve a 360° locking state around the annular locking surface. The annular locking surface and the lower end surface of the shell are a fixed integrated structure. The outer diameter of the annular locking surface is twice the diameter of the middle section of the shell, which is used for limiting the load when the pressure component moves. The shell and the power rotation shaft are connected through bearings A and B. The inner diameter of the annular locking surface is smaller than that of bearing B and larger than the diameter of the power transmission shaft, which can effectively limit the bearing B.

[0095] The upper end of the shell structure is connected to the release component shell through a stepped flange surface. An annular groove with an opening facing upward is arranged inside the shell structure. A stepped surface is arranged on the outer side of the inner wall of the annular groove for cooperating with the lower end of the annular locking surface. The central through hole of the annular groove is used to place the lower end of the rotating transmission rod and the upper end of the cutter head component. The cutter head component is fixed at the bottom of the annular groove.

[0096] The energy storage spring and the housing structure are arranged at the upper end of the cutter head component, and the housing structure is provided with a cutter head component observation port to facilitate astronauts to observe the movement of the cutter head component. Fig.16 As shown in the figure, the energy storage spring expands and releases elastic force in the pressurized state, exerting a downward pressure on the upper end of the cutter head component to ensure that the cutter head is stably under pressure and in close contact with the cutting object during rotation; in the "locked" state, the energy storage spring is compressed to store elastic force, canceling the downward pressure on the upper end of the cutter head component.

[0097] The energy storage spring force should be controlled within the range of 25N to 30N. When the spring force is too large, it will increase the difficulty for astronauts to reset the cutter head component. In order to overcome the 25N to 30N elastic force of the energy storage spring, a reset handle is specially provided on two sides of the cutter head component. When the spring force is too small, it will not be possible to effectively pressurize the cutter head component. In a zero-gravity environment, pressurization by the energy storage spring force can effectively achieve effective contact between the cutter head and the maintenance object.

[0098] 4) Blade head parts

[0099] like Fig.11 As shown, the cutter head component is composed of a transmission shaft adapter, a cutter head adapter, and a drilling cutter head. The device is set in a specific shape between the transmission shaft adapter and the rotating transmission rod, and adopts a floating connection method to effectively ensure that the cutter head can still effectively transmit the rotational force under the load-bearing downward pressure state.

[0100] The drive shaft adapter adopts a regular hexagonal hole with an inscribed circle diameter of 6mm ( Fig.12 ), which matches the regular hexagonal shaft of the output interface of the power transmission shaft, and the two transmit the rotational torque through the hexagonal surface contact.

[0101] The drive shaft adapter hole is 25mm deep, and the pressure component is in the "lock" ( Fig.13 ) and "release" ( Fig.16 ) The moving space distance required for the two states is 10mm. Therefore, there is no mechanical connection between the power transmission shaft and the transmission shaft adapter, and a floating limit is used. Under the action of the energy storage spring of the pressure component, the transmission shaft adapter can move in the axial direction of the power transmission shaft.

[0102] The cutter head is the target part of the pressure component. By applying downward pressure on the upper end of the cutter head, the cutting efficiency of the drilling cutter head is improved. The transmission shaft adapter mainly ensures that the cutter head can effectively transmit the rotational force after the cutter head moves downward due to pressure when the rotating transmission rod is fixed.

[0103] The drilling tool head of the present invention is a low-speed rotating tool head structure suitable for vacuum environment. In order to ensure the safety of drilling operation outside the astronaut cabin, the tool shaft rotation speed is not more than 50° / s. At the same time, the cutting feed of the blade is completed autonomously after the blade is subjected to constant pressure. It consists of a blade body 1 and a blade 2.

[0104] 1) Blade

[0105] The blade is set with a 20mm diameter space and an 11mm hexagonal hole at the bottom. The hexagonal shape facilitates installation while satisfying the transmission of rotational force. The blade is evenly distributed on the top of the blade ( Fig.18 ).

[0106] 2) Blade

[0107] The blade has four parts: front angle 21, back angle 22, side angle 23 and blade tip 24. Fig. 20). In order to effectively improve the drilling efficiency, this blade parameter is particularly important. The rake angle indicates the inclination of the front cutting edge, which is the angle between the front cutting edge of the cutting edge and the surface of the material being cut. The larger the rake angle, the sharper the tool, but the blade strength will decrease; the back angle refers to the angle between the back cutting edge of the cutting edge and the surface of the material being cut, indicating the degree of friction of the back cutting edge during the cutting process. The larger the back angle, the less friction, the better the surface quality, and the sharpness of the cutting edge; the side angle refers to the angle between the side surface between the front cutting edge and the back cutting edge and the feed direction of the cutter head, indicating the cutting angle of the cutting edge during the cutting process. The smaller the side angle, the smaller the cutting force, which improves the cutting accuracy.

[0108] In view of the characteristics of low-density metal materials used in the outer shell of space capsule equipment, a large angle is selected in the design of the blade rake angle. When cutting the bevel blade to extrude the metal material, the stealing stress can be reduced, the thermal stress can be reduced, and the cutting surface finish can be effectively improved; a large angle is selected in the design of the blade back angle to improve the processing surface quality; a small angle is selected in the design of the blade side angle to reduce the cutting force and improve the processing accuracy.

[0109] According to the movement of the cutter head, 12 blades are evenly distributed around the blade; one blade is set every 30° ( Fig.19 ), according to the characteristics of low-speed rotation of the tool shaft, the structural form of the blade is innovatively designed (the blade side angle is 24.9°~25.1°, the blade front angle is set to 59.9°~60.1°, the blade back angle is set to 28.4°~28.6°, and the metal tip angle at the front end of the tool tip is within the range of 0.5mm~1mm). The front angle design in the direction of blade movement ensures the sharpness of the blade surface, and the blade back angle design reduces blade friction; according to the characteristics of the tool head used by astronauts in a vacuum environment, the above-mentioned parameter design ensures that the tool head can still process the cutting object under the conditions of low-speed movement and small cutting force on the tool tip, and has the characteristics of high-precision processing.

[0110] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the blade rake angle is set to 60° ( Fig.21 ), the blade back angle is set to 28.5°( Fig. 22 ) forms a cutting angle of 31.5°, which increases the blade strength while ensuring the sharpness of the front blade and the small friction of the back blade; the blade side angle is set to 25° ( Fig.23 ), ensuring the sharp angle of the blade tip and the strength of the blade tip.

[0111] In order to remind astronauts that the cutter head is a dangerous item and is prohibited from touching it, red vacuum paint is applied to the outside of the cutter head so that astronauts can clearly see the cutter head area inside their space suits outside the cabin.

[0112] 3. Protective components

[0113] There is no electric equipment for drilling operations on extravehicular equipment in the space station in China, and this invention is the only one in China. Ground-based electric drilling equipment all use high-speed rotation output, which can efficiently complete the hole-turning operation, but the tool requires the operator to operate stably, otherwise there will be safety hazards. Drilling operations in extravehicular environments are subject to the low friction of the drill bit and the safety requirements of astronauts, so only a low-speed (2 turns / minute) rotation output method can be used. In low-speed mode, the drilling tools used by astronauts need to take measures to enhance friction in a zero-gravity environment and sharpen the blade of the drilling head. For this purpose, a special safety protection shell is designed to ensure the safety of astronauts.

[0114] The protective component consists of a protective shell, a limit spring and an anti-drifting hook and loop. Fig.25 ).

[0115] 1) Protective case

[0116] The protective shell is mainly used to protect the protection area of ​​extravehicular equipment from being exposed to the extravehicular environment. The outer shape of the protective shell is set to a 5-sided closed configuration. The open end face is the direction for inserting extravehicular equipment. The inner side of the opening is set with an anti-drifting Velcro installation area. The top surface is set with a limit spring to facilitate astronauts to observe the installation process. The two sides are set with guide limit grooves (the reset handle is placed in the guide limit groove) to constrain the four degrees of freedom of up and down and left and right. The shape of the protective shell is ergonomically designed to facilitate astronauts to pinch and hold. ( Fig.26 ). Made of aluminum alloy, its performance meets the requirements of effectively resisting atomic oxygen, -100℃-100℃ high and low temperature changes and the impact of tiny debris in the extravehicular environment.

[0117] The specific U-shaped structure of the top surface includes a bottom surface with a U-shaped opening and grooves arranged around the bottom surface for placing limiting springs. The bottom of the groove is a plane, and the two ends of the plane are semicircular grooves. The two side surfaces of the groove are perpendicular to the bottom of the groove, and the insertion guide end of the top surface is formed by a rounded corner between the front end of the U-shaped bottom surface and the front end of the side surface of the groove.

[0118] 2) Limiting spring

[0119] like Fig. 27 As shown, the limiting spring body is a U-shaped structure placed on the bottom surface, the U-shaped bottom surface of the limiting spring is a plane used to achieve connection with the bottom of the groove, and semicircular structures protruding outward on both sides of the bottom surface of the limiting spring serve as spring deformation areas. Semicircles protruding inwardly as limiting areas are set on the two arms of the U-shape, and the U-shaped opening end is inclined outward as a guide area.

[0120] The limiting spring fixes the protective shell device on the outside of the extravehicular equipment, which is convenient for astronauts to easily take or fix the protective shell. The outer diameter of the transfer transmission rod is 18mm, and the limiting spring is designed to be "U"-shaped. The "U"-shaped limiting size is designed to match the outer diameter of the transfer transmission rod and is designed to be 18mm. The "U"-shaped opening area is designed to be tilted outward at a 150° angle to facilitate the guiding of the protective shell into the extravehicular equipment. A semicircular protrusion of R1.6 is designed on each side of the "U". The size of the "U"-shaped opening is consistent with the size of the extravehicular equipment. The semicircular protrusion surrounds the fixing point of the extravehicular equipment in a ring, effectively constraining the freedom of the protective shell in the front and rear directions. A semicircular arc of R3 is designed on both sides of the root of the limiting spring. When the limiting area is subjected to force, the spring can release the stress borne by the limiting area through deformation. A mounting hole is designed at the root of the limiting spring, which is installed on the protective shell ( Figure 3 ). The limit spring is made of 0.5mm beryllium bronze strip, which has elasticity and forming rigidity.

[0121] 3) Anti-floating Velcro

[0122] The anti-drifting velcro is fixed to the mounting area inside the protective shell opening, and the anti-drifting velcro is also fixed to the same area of ​​the extravehicular equipment ( Fig.29 ). Astronauts can adjust the operating force and separation force by adjusting the contact area of ​​the anti-drifting buckle according to the operation requirements in orbit. The anti-drifting buckle area is designed in the groove of the protective shell, which can effectively protect the anti-drifting buckle from damage by the atomic oxygen environment outside the cabin.

[0123] 4) Operation process

[0124] During installation, the astronauts pinch the outer shell of the protective device and put it into the protection position of the extravehicular equipment. The protective device is guided and limited by the appearance of the extravehicular equipment, and connected to the extravehicular equipment through the limit spring. The anti-drifting buckle of the protective device is attached to the anti-drifting buckle on the surface of the extravehicular equipment. ( Fig.30 )( Fig.31 )

[0125] When removing, the astronauts pinch the outer shell of the protective device and apply pulling force to the outside, separating the anti-drifting Velcro of the protective device from the anti-drifting Velcro on the surface of the extravehicular equipment. The protective device moves outward to deform the limiting spring, and finally the protective device is separated from the extravehicular equipment.

[0126] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above in the form of a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present invention by using the methods and technical contents disclosed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drilling tool suitable for use by astronauts in a zero-gravity environment, characterized in that: Including motor drive components, drilling components and protection components; The protection component is used to provide protection for the drilling component outside the cabin during the non-operation phase. During operation, the protection component is removed and the cutter head of the drilling component is aligned with the drilling area of ​​the equipment outside the cabin. The motor drive component is used to provide a smooth rotation output in the drilling direction; the drilling component uses the output of the motor drive component as input to ensure that the cutter head maintains close contact with the object through the downward pressure force applied during the operation to complete the drilling.

2. The drilling tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motor drive component includes a housing armrest, a battery, a motor, a button switch and an output shaft; The battery is an energy storage device that drives the motor to rotate; the motor adopts an axial rotation method that is converted into a stable torque output under electromagnetic action; the button switch is a switch that provides astronauts with operation to control the power supply between the battery and the motor; the output shaft converts the output end of the motor into a smooth rotation in the tool output direction.

3. The drilling tool according to claim 2, characterized in that: The button is installed at a position at the front end of the housing armrest that is convenient for holding and operating.

4. The drilling tool according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drilling component includes a rotating transmission rod, a release component, a pressurizing component and a cutter head component; It includes a rotating transmission rod, a release component, a pressurizing component and a cutter head component; The rotation transmission rod is used to transmit the rotational power to the cutter head component; The release component is used to lock the pressure component when not processing; the pressure component is released during processing, and the pressure component applies a downward pressure force on the upper end of the cutter head component to ensure that the cutter head is stably under pressure and in close contact with the cutting object during rotation.

5. The drilling tool according to claim 4, characterized in that: The release component includes an operating handle, a return spring, a locking pin, a baffle, and a housing; The shell is provided with a through hole for the rotating transmission rod to pass through, and a groove perpendicular to the axis of the through hole, one end face of the groove is connected to the through hole, and the locking pin is installed in the groove, the large diameter end of the locking pin is a free end, the operating handle and the small diameter end of the locking pin are connected by a rotating shaft, and the movement path of the operating handle is limited by the baffles on both sides installed on the shell to prevent the operating handle from rotating with the positioning pin as the center; the reset spring is sleeved on the small diameter end of the locking pin placed in the groove, and in the locked state, the reset spring is compressed with the shell as the reference and keeps the elastic force acting on the locking pin, and in the pressurized state, the operating handle is subjected to force, and the locking pin is pulled up by the rotating shaft, and the locking pin is released from the locked position and unlocked.

6. The drilling tool according to claim 5, characterized in that: The operating handle comprises an operating rod and a triangular platform with angles at the front end, wherein the triangular platform is composed of three surfaces A, B and C respectively, wherein the A and B planes are state-fixing platforms, and the C plane is connected to the operating rod; the A and B planes are provided with arc surfaces to transition to become the rotation contact points of the triangular platform; a positioning pin hole is provided between the A and B planes as the center of rotation of the operating handle as a whole; the length of the A plane is set to be more than twice the length of the B plane, ensuring that the distance between the positioning pin hole and the B plane is more than three times the distance between the A planes; the operating rod is composed of two planes E and F, wherein the E plane is parallel to the B plane, and the F plane is parallel to the A plane; the positioning pin makes the A plane or the B plane of the operating handle contact with the shell through the rotating shaft to maintain a stable state; in the pressurized state, the operating handle is subjected to force, and the operating handle rotates from the A plane to the B plane with the front contact point as the fulcrum, because the distance between the positioning pin hole and the B plane is more than three times the distance between the A planes, the rotating shaft is lifted along with the position of the positioning pin hole, and the locking pin is pulled up at the same time, and the locking pin is disengaged from the locking position.

7. The drilling tool according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pressurizing component includes an energy storage spring, a housing structure, an observation port and a reset handle; The shell structure is a cylindrical structure, the upper end of which is installed below the through hole of the release component shell, forming an integral sleeve outside the cutter head component. The lower end of the shell structure opens an observation port for observing the movement of the cutter head component. The energy storage spring is installed in the shell structure and arranged at the upper end of the cutter head component. In the released state, the energy storage spring expands and releases elastic force, exerting a downward pressure on the upper end of the cutter head component to ensure that the cutter head is stably under pressure and in close contact with the cutting object during rotation; the reset handle is installed at both ends of the release component shell, which is used to overcome the external force of the energy storage spring and drive the shell structure and the release component shell to reset to the locked position.

8. The drilling tool according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rotating transmission rod is composed of an outer shell and an inner power transmission shaft. The upper port of the shell is provided with a mechanical constraint interface of a power device that provides rotational power, and the lower port is provided with an annular locking surface. The pressure-applying component can effectively achieve a 360° locking state around the annular locking surface.

9. The drilling tool according to claim 8, characterized in that: The upper end of the shell structure is connected to the release component shell through a stepped flange surface. An annular groove with an opening facing upward is arranged inside the shell structure. A stepped surface is arranged on the outer side of the inner wall of the annular groove for cooperating with the lower end of the annular locking surface. The central through hole of the annular groove is used to place the lower end of the rotating transmission rod and the upper end of the cutter head component. The cutter head component is fixed at the bottom of the annular groove.

10. The drilling tool according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cutter head components include a transmission shaft adapter, a cutter head adapter, and a drilling cutter head; The drilling cutter head is connected to the rotating transmission rod through a cutter head adapter and a transmission shaft adapter; the transmission shaft adapter is a sleeve structure with a flange, the rotating transmission rod is sleeved in the sleeve structure and connected to the cutter head adapter through a flange.

11. The drilling tool according to claim 4 or 10, characterized in that: The drilling tool head includes a blade body and blades distributed on the blade body, wherein the number of the blades is multiple and uniformly distributed on the blade body in the circumferential direction; each blade includes a front angle indicating the degree of inclination of the front blade face, a back angle indicating the degree of friction of the back blade face during the cutting process, a side angle indicating the beveling angle of the blade during the beveling process, and a blade tip according to the movement mode of the blade; the side angle is set to 24.9°~25.1° to ensure that in a vacuum environment, under the low-speed condition that the blade shaft rotation speed is not greater than 50° / s, the blade tip can feed and cut autonomously under the action of constant pressure.

12. The drilling tool according to claim 11, characterized in that: The front angle of the blade is set to 59.9°~60.1°, the back angle of the blade is set to 28.4°~28.6°, the tip of the blade is a round head at the front end, and the diameter ranges from 0.5mm to 1mm.

13. The drilling tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective component includes a protective shell, a limiting spring and an anti-drifting hook and loop; The protective shell is a five-sided structure, with the open end face facing the direction for inserting extravehicular equipment. The anti-floating Velcro is fixed to the inner side of the protective shell facing the opening direction. The top surface is a U-shaped structure, and a limiting spring is installed on the inner side of the U-shaped structure. The limiting function is achieved through the deformation elastic force of the limiting spring and the cylindrical characteristics of the extravehicular equipment to constrain the freedom in the front and rear directions. Guide limiting grooves are arranged on both sides of the protective shell to cooperate with the extravehicular equipment to constrain the freedom in the four directions of up, down, left and right.

14. The drilling tool according to claim 13, characterized in that: The U-shaped structure on the top surface of the protective shell includes a bottom surface with a U-shaped opening and grooves arranged around the bottom surface for placing limiting springs. The bottom of the groove is a plane, and the two ends of the plane are semicircular grooves. The two side surfaces of the groove are perpendicular to the bottom of the groove, and the insertion guide end of the top surface is formed by a rounded corner between the U-shaped front end of the bottom surface and the front end of the groove side surface.

15. The drilling tool according to claim 14, characterized in that: The limiting spring body is a U-shaped structure placed on the bottom surface. The U-shaped bottom surface of the limiting spring is a plane used to achieve connection with the bottom of the groove. Semicircular structures protruding outward on both sides of the bottom surface of the limiting spring serve as spring deformation areas. Semicircles protruding inwardly as limiting areas are set on the two arms of the U-shape, and the U-shaped opening end is tilted outward as a guide area.

16. The drilling tool according to claim 15, characterized in that: The limiting dimension between the two arms of the U-shape should match the diameter of the limiting object, and the limiting dimension should be controlled within 12 to 30 mm; the arc radius of the spring deformation zone should be controlled within 2 to 5 mm; the arc radius of the limiting zone should be controlled within 1 to 2.5 mm; the outward inclination angle of the guide zone should be controlled within the range of 130° to 160° to facilitate the entry of the limiting object.

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