Locking mechanism and space optical camera lens cover

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of aerospace remote sensing technology, and specifically to a locking mechanism applied to a space optical camera lens cover plate end structure with an opening and closing function and a follow-up rotation function. The locking mechanism specifically includes a locking base, an unlocking base, a conical base, a locking bolt, and an unlocking assembly. The locking base is arranged on the mounting base and has a first threaded hole formed therein; the unlocking base is arranged on the lens cover; the top of the conical base is connected to the unlocking base, and the bottom is movably arranged on the opening and closing base, and a second threaded hole is formed on the bottom of the conical base; the bottom of the locking bolt is screwed into the first threaded hole and the second threaded hole in sequence, and the top is passed through the conical base and the unlocking base in sequence; the unlocking assembly is arranged on the unlocking base. In this way, it is possible to simultaneously constrain the opening and closing freedom of the lens cover opening and closing mechanism and constrain the follow-up rotation freedom of the follow-up rotation mechanism, reduce the structural complexity of the locking mechanism, reduce the number of locking components, and improve the structural reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of aerospace remote sensing technology, and in particular provides a locking mechanism and a space optical camera lens cover. Background Art

[0002] The lens cap of a space optical camera, also known as a protective light shielding cover, can shield the light entrance from sunlight and reduce stray light from the Earth's atmosphere during on-orbit observation and imaging, thereby improving the quality of optical camera imaging. During non-observation and imaging, the lens cap provides thermal and physical protection for the light entrance. Typically, the lens cap of a space optical camera opens and closes via an opening and closing mechanism. However, the lens cap of a large space optical camera is larger in size and needs to be locked during launch. This locking mechanism is unlocked after the large space optical camera enters orbit, freeing up the movement of the lens cap.

[0003] Patent publication number CN113503097A discloses a locking and unlocking assembly suitable for hatches. This assembly utilizes a non-pyrotechnic method for unlocking, offering advantages such as low impact, low cost, and a compact structure. The invention can be applied to locking and unlocking mechanisms that also have opening and closing functions.

[0004] Patent publication number CN116443278A discloses a two-dimensional, spatially rotating auxiliary locking and supporting device based on a separate nut. This device addresses the issues of existing locking and unlocking mechanisms, which typically use explosive bolts for locking, resulting in high impact forces, complex devices, and difficulty in operation. This invention can be applied to locking and unlocking opening and closing mechanisms with follow-up rotation capabilities.

[0005] Based on the above-mentioned existing technology, the locking mechanism of the space optical camera lens cover can only constrain the freedom of the opening and closing mechanism or the freedom of the follow-up rotation mechanism. For a space optical camera lens cover that has both opening and closing functions and follow-up rotation functions, a locking mechanism is needed that can simultaneously constrain the opening and closing freedom and the follow-up rotation freedom. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a locking mechanism and a space optical camera lens cover, which can simultaneously constrain the opening and closing freedom of the opening and closing mechanism of the lens cover and constrain the follow-up rotation freedom of the follow-up rotation mechanism, reduce the structural complexity of the locking mechanism, reduce locking components, and improve structural reliability.

[0007] A locking mechanism is provided in an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, which is applied to a plate end structure of a lens cover of a space optical camera with an opening and closing function and a follow-up rotation function, wherein the plate end structure includes a mounting base, an opening and closing base and a lens cover in a stacked layout, and the locking mechanism specifically includes a locking base, an unlocking base, a conical base, a locking bolt and an unlocking assembly, wherein the locking base is arranged on the mounting base, and a first threaded hole is provided in the interior of the locking base along a first direction; the unlocking base is arranged on the lens cover, and a first chamber is provided in the interior of the unlocking base; the top of the conical base is connected to the unlocking base, and the bottom is movably arranged on the opening and closing base, a second chamber is provided in the interior of the conical base, and a second threaded hole is provided in the bottom of the second chamber along the first direction; the locking bolt is arranged along the first direction, the bottom of the locking bolt is screwed into the first threaded hole and the second threaded hole in sequence, and the top is passed through the second chamber and the first chamber in sequence; the unlocking assembly is arranged on the unlocking base, and the unlocking assembly is used to unlock the locking bolt.

[0008] Preferably, the locking mechanism also includes a conical interface part, which is arranged on the opening and closing base, and the conical base is movably arranged on the conical interface part; wherein, the conical interface part includes a first opening with a larger diameter and a second opening with a smaller diameter, and the first opening is located on one side of the lens cover, so that when the locking bolt is in an unlocked state, the conical base can be separated from the conical interface part.

[0009] Preferably, the unlocking assembly includes a bevel gear group, a motor and a reducer, the bevel gear group is arranged inside the first chamber, the bevel gear group is connected to the locking bolt, and the bevel gear group is used to drive the locking bolt to rotate; the motor is arranged outside the unlocking base; the reducer is connected to the motor and the bevel gear group so that the motor can drive the bevel gear group to rotate.

[0010] Preferably, the bevel gear set includes a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear, the axial direction of the first bevel gear is set along the second direction, and the first bevel gear is connected to the reducer; the axial direction of the second bevel gear is set along the first direction, and the second bevel gear is connected to the locking bolt; wherein, the second bevel gear is engaged with the first bevel gear so that the first bevel gear can drive the second bevel gear to rotate.

[0011] Preferably, a polygonal rod is provided on the top of the locking bolt, a polygonal hole is opened in the center of the second bevel gear, and the polygonal rod can be slidably passed through the polygonal hole so that the second bevel gear can drive the locking bolt to rotate; a threaded rod is provided at the bottom of the locking bolt, and the threaded rod is screwed into the first threaded hole and the second threaded hole.

[0012] Preferably, the unlocking assembly also includes a spring, a limit block is provided in the middle of the locking bolt, the spring is sleeved on the locking bolt and is located below the limit block, so that when the locking bolt is in a locked state, the spring is in a compressed state.

[0013] Preferably, the unlocking assembly also includes a protective frame, which is located inside the second chamber. The bottom of the protective frame is connected to the conical base, and a through hole is opened on the top. The protective frame is sleeved on the spring and the limit block, and the locking bolt is passed through the through hole.

[0014] An embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention provides a space optical camera lens cover, which specifically includes a mounting base, an opening and closing base, a lens cover, a follow-up rotation mechanism, an opening and closing mechanism, and a locking mechanism as provided in the embodiment of the first aspect, wherein a mounting plate is provided on the mounting base; the opening and closing base is located above the mounting base, and a conical interface member is provided on the opening and closing base; the lens cover is located above the opening and closing base; the follow-up rotation mechanism connects the mounting base and the opening and closing base; the opening and closing mechanism connects the opening and closing base and the lens cover; the locking base is provided on the mounting plate, the unlocking base is provided on the lens cover, and the conical base is movably provided on the conical interface member.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects: a locking mechanism is applied to a plate end structure of a lens cover of a space optical camera with an opening and closing function and a follow-up rotation function, wherein the plate end structure includes a mounting base, an opening and closing base and a lens cover in a stacked layout, and the locking mechanism specifically includes a locking base, an unlocking base, a conical base, a locking bolt and an unlocking assembly, wherein the locking base is arranged on the mounting base, and a first threaded hole is opened in the interior of the locking base along a first direction; the unlocking base is arranged on the lens cover, and a first chamber is opened in the interior of the unlocking base; the top of the conical base is connected to the unlocking base, and the bottom is movably arranged on the opening and closing base, a second chamber is opened in the interior of the conical base, and a second threaded hole is opened in the bottom of the second chamber along the first direction; the locking bolt is arranged along the first direction, the bottom of the locking bolt is screwed into the first threaded hole and the second threaded hole in sequence, and the top is passed through the second chamber and the first chamber in sequence; the unlocking assembly is arranged on the unlocking base, and the unlocking assembly is used to unlock the locking bolt. In this way, the opening and closing freedom of the lens cover opening and closing mechanism and the following rotation freedom of the following rotation mechanism can be constrained simultaneously, thereby reducing the structural complexity of the locking mechanism, reducing locking components, and improving structural reliability.

[0016] Among them, the locking mechanism includes a conical interface part, and the conical base can be movably arranged on the conical interface part. When the locking bolt is in the unlocked state, the conical base can be detached from the conical interface part from the side of the first opening with a larger diameter, thereby unlocking the opening and closing mechanism while unlocking the follow-up rotation mechanism.

[0017] Among them, a polygonal rod is provided on the top of the locking bolt, and a polygonal hole with a shape matching the polygonal rod is opened at the center of the second bevel gear. The polygonal rod can be slidably passed through the polygonal hole, and the polygonal hole has a limiting function, so that the polygonal rod will not rotate along its own axial direction during the sliding process, thereby driving the locking bolt to rotate through the second bevel gear.

[0018] Among them, the unlocking component also includes a spring and a protective frame. When the locking bolt is screwed out of the locking base, the spring can pop out the locking bolt, so that the locking bolt is completely separated from the locking base; the protective frame is located inside the second chamber, which can prevent the locking bolt from colliding with the top of the second chamber when it pops out under the action of the spring, thereby avoiding damage to components such as the bevel gear set. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a locking mechanism provided according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a space optical camera lens cover provided according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention.

[0021] The reference numerals in the drawings include: 1 mounting base, 11 mounting plate, 2 opening and closing base, 21 conical interface part, 3 lens cover, 4 locking base, 5 unlocking base, 51 first chamber, 6 conical base, 61 second chamber, 71 polygonal rod, 72 threaded rod, 73 limit block, 81 motor, 82 reducer, 831 first bevel gear, 832 second bevel gear, 84 spring, 85 protective frame, 91 follow-up rotation guide rail, 92 follow-up rotation drive, 93 opening and closing mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, identical modules are denoted by identical reference numerals. In the case of identical reference numerals, their names and functions are also identical. Therefore, their detailed description will not be repeated.

[0023] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention.

[0024] Refer to the following Figures 1 to 2 The following describes a locking mechanism and a space optical camera lens cover 3 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The first direction refers to the locking and opening direction of the lens cover 3 connected via the opening and closing mechanism 93, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the lens cover 3 in the locked state.

[0025] like Figures 1 to 2As shown, a locking mechanism provided according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention is applied to a plate-end structure of a lens cover 3 of a space optical camera, which has both opening and closing functions and follow-up rotation functions. The plate-end structure comprises a mounting base 1, an opening and closing base 2, and a lens cover 3, arranged in a serially stacked structure. A follow-up rotation mechanism for implementing the follow-up rotation function is disposed between the mounting base 1 and the opening and closing base 2, and an opening and closing mechanism 93 for implementing the opening and closing function is disposed between the opening and closing base 2 and the lens cover 3. The locking mechanism specifically comprises a locking base 4, an unlocking base 5, a conical base 6, a locking bolt, and an unlocking assembly. This allows for both constraining the opening and closing degrees of freedom of the opening and closing mechanism 93 of the lens cover 3 and constraining the follow-up rotation degrees of freedom of the follow-up rotation mechanism, reducing the structural complexity of the locking mechanism, reducing the number of locking components, and improving the structural reliability.

[0026] Among them, the locking base 4 is fixedly connected to the mounting base 1, and a first threaded hole is opened inside the locking base 4 along the first direction; the unlocking base 5 is fixedly connected to the lens cover 3, and a first chamber 51 is opened inside the unlocking base 5; the top of the conical base 6 is fixedly connected to the unlocking base 5, and the bottom is movably arranged on the opening and closing base 2, so that when the connection between the locking bolt and the locking base 4 is disconnected, the conical base 6 can be separated from the closing base 2, thereby realizing the synchronous locking or unlocking of the opening and closing mechanism 93 and the follow-up rotation mechanism.

[0027] The conical base 6 defines a second chamber 61 within, with a second threaded hole defined at its bottom along a first direction. A locking bolt is positioned along the first direction, with its bottom threadedly threaded into the first and second threaded holes, allowing the locking bolt to connect and lock the conical base 6 and the locking base 4, achieving synchronous locking of the opening and closing mechanism 93 and the follower rotation mechanism. The top of the locking bolt passes through the second chamber 61 and the first chamber 51, respectively. An unlocking assembly is positioned on the unlocking base 5, allowing it to connect to the locking bolt. Adjusting the unlocking assembly unlocks the locking bolt.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the locking mechanism also includes a conical interface member 21, which is mounted on the opening and closing base 2. The conical base 6 is movably mounted on the conical interface member 21. That is, when the conical base 6 and the locking base 4 are locked via the locking bolt, the conical base 6 is simultaneously engaged with the conical interface member 21. The conical interface member 21 includes a first opening with a larger diameter and a second opening with a smaller diameter. The first opening is located on one side of the lens cover 3. When the locking bolt is unlocked, the conical base 6 can disengage from the conical interface member 21 from one side of the first opening, thereby simultaneously unlocking the follower rotation mechanism and the opening and closing mechanism 93.

[0029] like Figure 1As shown, the unlocking assembly includes a bevel gear set, a motor 81, and a reducer 82. The bevel gear set is located within the first chamber 51 and is connected to the locking bolt. The bevel gear set transmits the rotation of the motor 81 to the locking bolt, thereby driving the locking bolt out of the locking base 4 to unlock the lock. The motor 81 is located outside the unlocking base 5. The reducer 82 is connected to the motor 81 and the bevel gear set, reducing the rotation of the motor 81 and increasing the torque, so that the motor 81 can smoothly drive the bevel gear set to rotate.

[0030] In some embodiments, a mounting bracket is provided on the outside of the unlocking base 5 , and the motor 81 is connected to the mounting bracket to fix the motor 81 .

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the bevel gear set includes a first bevel gear 831 and a second bevel gear 832. The axial direction of the first bevel gear 831 is set along the second direction. The reducer 82 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 81, and the first bevel gear 831 is connected to the reducer 82. The axes of the rotating shaft of the motor 81, the reducer 82, and the first bevel gear 831 are located on the same straight line to ensure that the motor 81 can drive the first bevel gear 831 to rotate. The axial direction of the second bevel gear 832 is set along the first direction. The second bevel gear 832 is connected to the locking bolt, so that the second bevel gear 832 can drive the locking bolt to rotate. The second bevel gear 832 is meshed with the first bevel gear 831, so that the first bevel gear 831 can drive the second bevel gear 832 to rotate, that is, the transmission process between the reducer 82-first bevel gear 831-second bevel gear 832-locking bolt is realized.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, a polygonal rod 71 is provided at the top of the locking bolt, and a polygonal hole is defined in the center of the second bevel gear 832. The polygonal rod 71 is slidably inserted into the polygonal hole. The polygonal hole and the polygonal rod 71 match each other in shape, allowing the polygonal rod 71 to pass through the polygonal hole and slide in a first direction. The polygonal hole also acts as a limiter, preventing the polygonal rod 71 from rotating along its own axis during sliding, thereby enabling the locking bolt to rotate via the second bevel gear 832. A threaded rod 72 is provided at the bottom of the locking bolt, which is screwed into the first and second threaded holes, thereby connecting the conical base 6 and the locking base 4 via the locking bolt.

[0033] In some embodiments, the polygonal rods 71 ​​are hexagonal rods and the polygonal holes are hexagonal holes.

[0034] like Figure 1As shown, the unlocking assembly also includes a spring 84. A stop block 73 is provided in the middle of the locking bolt. Spring 84 is sleeved around the locking bolt and positioned below the stop block 73. When the locking bolt is locked, the top of spring 84 abuts the bottom of the stop block 73, while the bottom of spring 84 abuts the bottom of the second chamber 61, compressing spring 84. When the locking bolt is unscrewed from the first and second threaded holes, spring 84 ejects the locking bolt, completely disengaging it from the locking base 4, thereby completing the unlocking process.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the unlocking assembly also includes a protective frame 85, which is located within the second chamber 61. The bottom of the protective frame 85 is connected to the conical base 6, and the top has a through hole. The protective frame 85 is mounted on the spring 84 and the stop block 73, and the locking bolt is inserted into the through hole. The provision of the protective frame 85 prevents the locking bolt from colliding with the top of the second chamber 61 when it is ejected by the spring 84, thereby preventing damage to components such as the bevel gear assembly.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, a space optical camera lens cover 3 is provided, which specifically includes a mounting base 1, an opening and closing base 2, a lens cover 3, a follow-up rotation mechanism, an opening and closing mechanism 93, and the locking mechanism provided in the embodiment of the first aspect. The plate end structure of the space optical camera lens cover 3 adopts a serial stacked structure layout. The opening and closing base 2 is located above the mounting base 1, and the lens cover 3 is located above the opening and closing base 2. The follow-up rotation mechanism connects the mounting base 1 and the opening and closing base 2, enabling follow-up rotation between the mounting base 1 and the opening and closing base 2. The opening and closing mechanism 93 connects the opening and closing base 2 and the lens cover 3, enabling opening and closing between the opening and closing base 2 and the lens cover 3. The mounting base 1 is provided with a mounting plate 11, and the opening and closing base 2 is provided with a conical interface 21. The locking base 4 is provided on the mounting plate 11, the unlocking base 5 is provided on the lens cover 3, and the conical base 6 is movably provided on the conical interface 21. Thus, the opening and closing freedom of the opening and closing mechanism 93 of the lens cover 3 and the following rotation freedom of the following rotation mechanism can be constrained simultaneously, thereby reducing the structural complexity of the locking mechanism, reducing locking components, and improving structural reliability.

[0037] Specifically, there is no restriction on the specific number and layout position of the locking mechanisms installed on the space optical camera lens cover 3. The number of locking mechanisms can be one, two, three or more, and it is only necessary to achieve simultaneous locking or unlocking of the follow-up rotation mechanism and the opening and closing mechanism 93; the layout position of the locking mechanism can be designed or adjusted according to the size of the space optical camera lens cover 3 and the envelope constraint.

[0038] Among them, the follow-up rotation mechanism includes a follow-up rotation guide rail 91 and a follow-up rotation drive 92. The follow-up rotation guide rail 91 is connected between the mounting base 1 and the opening and closing base 2. The follow-up rotation drive 92 is used to drive the opening and closing base 2 to follow the rotation movement above the follow-up rotation guide rail 91 to adjust the position of the lens cover 3.

[0039] The upper side of the space optical camera lens cover 3 refers to the side close to the lens cover 3 , and the lower side refers to the side close to the mounting base 1 .

[0040] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art may make changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

[0041] The above specific embodiments of the present invention do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. Any other corresponding changes and modifications made based on the technical concept of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A locking mechanism, applied to a plate end structure of a space optical camera lens cover (3) with an opening and closing function and a follow-up rotation function, wherein: The board end structure comprises a mounting base (1), an opening and closing base (2) and a lens cover (3) in a stacked arrangement, and is characterized by comprising: A locking base (4), the locking base (4) being arranged on the mounting base (1), and a first threaded hole being provided inside the locking base (4) along a first direction; An unlocking base (5), the unlocking base (5) being arranged on the lens cover (3), and a first chamber (51) being provided inside the unlocking base (5); A conical base (6), the top of the conical base (6) is connected to the unlocking base (5), and the bottom is movably arranged on the opening and closing base (2), a second chamber (61) is provided inside the conical base (6), and a second threaded hole is provided at the bottom of the second chamber (61) along the first direction; A locking bolt, wherein the locking bolt is arranged along a first direction, the bottom of the locking bolt is screwed into the first threaded hole and the second threaded hole in sequence, and the top of the locking bolt is passed through the second chamber (61) and the first chamber (51) in sequence; An unlocking assembly is provided on the unlocking base (5), and is used for unlocking the locking bolt.

2. The locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A conical interface part (21), wherein the conical interface part (21) is arranged on the opening and closing base (2), and the conical base (6) is movably arranged on the conical interface part (21); The conical interface member (21) comprises a first opening with a larger diameter and a second opening with a smaller diameter, and the first opening is located on one side of the lens cover (3) so that when the locking bolt is in an unlocked state, the conical base (6) can be separated from the conical interface member (21).

3. The locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The unlocking component includes: a bevel gear set, the bevel gear set being arranged inside the first chamber (51), the bevel gear set being connected to the locking bolt, and the bevel gear set being used to drive the locking bolt to rotate; a motor (81), the motor (81) being arranged outside the unlocking base (5); A reducer (82) is connected to the motor (81) and the bevel gear set, so that the motor (81) can drive the bevel gear set to rotate.

4. The locking mechanism according to claim 3, wherein: The bevel gear set comprises: a first bevel gear (831), wherein the axial direction of the first bevel gear (831) is arranged along the second direction, and the first bevel gear (831) is connected to the reducer (82); a second bevel gear (832), wherein the axis direction of the second bevel gear (832) is arranged along the first direction, and the second bevel gear (832) is connected to the locking bolt; The second bevel gear (832) is engaged with the first bevel gear (831), so that the first bevel gear (831) can drive the second bevel gear (832) to rotate.

5. The locking mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: A polygonal rod (71) is provided on the top of the locking bolt, a polygonal hole is provided at the center of the second bevel gear (832), and the polygonal rod (71) is slidably inserted into the polygonal hole so that the second bevel gear (832) can drive the locking bolt to rotate; A threaded rod (72) is provided at the bottom of the locking bolt, and the threaded rod (72) is screwed into the first threaded hole and the second threaded hole.

6. The locking mechanism according to claim 3, wherein: The unlocking component further includes: A spring (84) is provided at the middle of the locking bolt with a limiting block (73), and the spring (84) is sleeved on the locking bolt and located below the limiting block (73), so that when the locking bolt is in a locked state, the spring (84) is in a compressed state.

7. The locking mechanism according to claim 6, wherein: The unlocking component further includes: A protective frame (85), the protective frame (85) is located inside the second chamber (61), the bottom of the protective frame (85) is connected to the conical base (6), and a through hole is opened on the top, the protective frame (85) is sleeved on the spring (84) and the limit block (73), and the locking bolt is passed through the through hole.

8. A space optical camera lens cover (3), characterized in that: include: A mounting base (1), wherein a mounting plate (11) is provided on the mounting base (1); An opening and closing base (2), the opening and closing base (2) being located above the mounting base (1), and a conical interface member (21) being provided on the opening and closing base (2); A lens cover (3), the lens cover (3) being located above the opening and closing base (2); A follow-up rotation mechanism, the follow-up rotation mechanism connecting the mounting base (1) and the opening and closing base (2); An opening and closing mechanism (93), wherein the opening and closing mechanism (93) connects the opening and closing base (2) and the lens cover (3); And according to the locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the locking base (4) is arranged on the mounting plate (11), the unlocking base (5) is arranged on the lens cover (3), and the conical base (6) is movably arranged on the conical interface part (21).

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