A variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing

Abstract

This invention discloses a variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing, relating to the field of on-orbit manufacturing technology. It includes a forming angle adjustment device, a base plate, a strip storage device, and a strip positioning device. This invention achieves synchronous and independent adjustment of the forming angle and diameter through motor-driven gear meshing, eliminating the need for component disassembly and adapting to the rapid response requirements of the space environment. The concentric design of the slide rail and pulley, along with pre-tension compensation from the tension spring, ensures continuous and slip-free strip feeding. The hollow structure reduces weight, and the gear transmission and thread adjustment mechanism offer high transmission efficiency and long service life. This invention realizes variable-diameter spiral tube winding for metal pipes in on-orbit manufacturing, overcoming the limitations of traditional single-diameter equipment and providing an efficient and flexible solution for the construction of ultra-large structures in space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of on-orbit manufacturing technology, and in particular to a variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing. Background Technology

[0002] In-orbit manufacturing refers to the process of manufacturing components and other parts using onboard raw materials or locally sourced materials in a target orbit or on an extraterrestrial body. For nearly half a century, due to various limitations, the development of in-orbit manufacturing has been slow, and most of it remains in the laboratory research and testing stage. However, with the rapid development of information, materials, automation, and rapid prototyping technologies, space manufacturing technology has made breakthrough progress. Examples include in-orbit manufacturing of ultra-large space structures and multifunctional system components, and in-orbit 3D printing. Space manufacturing technology has a profound impact on the deployment strategies for future manned spaceflight, in-orbit servicing, and deep space exploration missions.

[0003] In-orbit manufacturing and assembly technology enables the construction of space structures on a kilometer scale or even larger, representing a disruptive technology that changes the way spacecraft are developed. Metal tubing is the basic unit for constructing ultra-large space structures. Deploying miniaturized metal tubing manufacturing equipment in space for the winding of metal strips is a highly feasible technical approach. However, current in-orbit metal tubing manufacturing equipment generally can only produce single-diameter metal tubing; therefore, it is necessary to design manufacturing equipment for variable-diameter metal tubing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a variable diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing, which solves the technical problems of traditional storage devices being prone to strip slippage in microgravity environments and being able to produce metal tubes with only a single diameter.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing, comprising a forming angle adjustment device, a base plate, a strip storage device, and a strip positioning device. A magnetorheological fluid locking mechanism is employed at the joints of each mechanism. During maintenance, a magnetic field is applied to liquefy the magnetorheological fluid, enabling manual disassembly. A deep learning module is added to the mechanism's control system to generate a correlation model through training on historical data, and an onboard edge computing chip is incorporated to achieve offline parameter prediction.

[0006] The forming angle adjustment device includes a sector gear, a pulley, a rectangular frame, and a bearing sleeve; the sector gear and the bearing sleeve are respectively fixedly installed on both sides of the rectangular frame, the sector gear is drivenly connected to the base plate, and the bearing sleeve is rotatably connected to the base plate;

[0007] The strip storage device includes a mounting frame, a top block, a rotating rod mechanism, and a tensioning mechanism; the mounting frame is fixedly mounted on the base plate, the rotating rod mechanism is mounted on the mounting frame, and the tensioning mechanism is mounted on the rotating rod mechanism. The strip clamping and fixing and the change of the diameter of the tensioning mechanism can be achieved by adjusting the position of the top block.

[0008] The strip positioning device includes a pair of parallel mounting plates, a first driving device, left and right limit wheels, and upper and lower limit rollers; the upper and lower limit rollers are connected to the first driving device in a transmission manner, the left and right limit wheels and the upper and lower limit rollers are all mounted on the mounting plates, and the mounting plates and the first driving device are mounted on the base plate.

[0009] In some embodiments, the base plate includes a platform and a second driving device. The second driving device is disposed on one side of the platform, and a boss is provided on the other side of the platform. A rotating shaft is fixedly installed above the boss, and the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to a bearing sleeve through a bearing.

[0010] The second drive device includes a second mounting platform, a forming angle adjusting motor, and a second drive gear. The second mounting platform is fixedly installed on the top of the platform, the forming angle adjusting motor is fixedly installed on the top of the second mounting platform, and the second drive gear is fixedly mounted on the output end of the forming angle adjusting motor. The second drive gear meshes with a sector gear for transmission.

[0011] In some embodiments, a slide rail is fixedly installed on the top of the platform, and a pulley is rotatably installed on the bottom of the rectangular frame. The pulley is movably connected to the slide rail, and the center of the slide rail coincides with the rotation center of the sector gear.

[0012] In some embodiments, the mounting bracket includes a pair of symmetrically mounted storage racks, the storage racks being fixedly mounted on a base plate, and a storage shaft being mounted in the middle of the storage racks via a bearing;

[0013] The rotating mechanism includes a fixed sleeve, which is fixedly mounted on the surface of the storage shaft. A movable sleeve is connected to the side of the fixed sleeve via a spring telescopic rod. Fixed rotating rods of equal length and parallel to each other are rotatably connected to the surface of the fixed sleeve. A movable rotating rod of equal length is rotatably connected to the surface of the movable sleeve. One end of both the fixed and movable rotating rods is movably connected to a tensioning mechanism. The side of the movable sleeve is in contact with the side of the top block.

[0014] In some embodiments, the tensioning mechanism includes an upper tensioning block, a lower tensioning block, and a tensioning spring. The lower tensioning block is connected to one end of a fixed rotating rod and a movable rotating rod. A circular baffle is fixedly installed on the receiving shaft. The tensioning spring is disposed on the circular baffle. The upper tensioning block is disposed at one end of the tensioning spring. The lower tensioning block and the upper tensioning block are in contact through the tensioning spring.

[0015] In some embodiments, the top block is connected to the receiving shaft by bolts or threads, and the axial movement of the top block along the receiving shaft is converted into the radial movement of the lower tensioning block by a rotating rod mechanism.

[0016] In some embodiments, the upper and lower limiting rollers include a first limiting roller, a second limiting roller, a driven shaft, and a driving shaft. The first limiting roller is fixedly mounted on the surface of the driven shaft, the second limiting roller is fixedly mounted on the surface of the driving shaft, and a motor drive gear is fixedly mounted on one end of the driving shaft. The motor drive gear is connected to the first driving device for transmission.

[0017] The left and right limiting wheels include a first limiting wheel, a second limiting wheel, and a mounting base. The mounting base is fixedly mounted on a mounting plate, and a long groove is provided on the mounting base. The first limiting wheel and the second limiting wheel are detachably mounted in the long groove of the mounting base by bolts.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first driving device includes a first mounting platform, a feeding motor, and a first drive gear. The first mounting platform is fixedly mounted on a rectangular frame, the feeding motor is fixedly mounted on the first mounting platform, and the first drive gear is fixedly mounted on the output end of the feeding motor.

[0019] In some embodiments, the forming angle adjustment device, the base plate, the strip storage device, and the strip positioning device all adopt a hollow weight-reducing structure.

[0020] This invention also provides a method for using a variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing, comprising the following steps:

[0021] S1, Steps for adjusting the forming angle:

[0022] The forming angle adjustment motor drives the second drive gear to mesh with the sector gear, which in turn drives the rectangular frame to rotate around the rotation axis, causing the pulley to slide along the slide rail to adjust the forming angle of the spiral tube.

[0023] S2, Tension Adjustment Procedure:

[0024] The top block moves axially along the storage axis, and the movable sleeve is pushed by the spring telescopic rod, so that the movable rotating rod is linked with the fixed rotating rod, which drives the lower tensioning block to move radially, so as to adjust the diameter of the tensioning mechanism and clamp the strip.

[0025] S3, Strip guiding step:

[0026] Start the feeding motor to drive the first drive gear, so that the upper and lower limit rollers rotate synchronously to convey the strip, and limit the strip laterally by adjusting the distance between the left and right limit rollers in the mounting seat long groove;

[0027] S4, Spiral winding step:

[0028] With the combined action of the forming angle adjustment device and the tensioning mechanism, the strip is spirally wound into a tube in a continuous diameter variation manner, and lightweight manufacturing is achieved through the hollow weight reduction structure.

[0029] Compared with related technologies, the variable diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing provided by this invention has the following advantages:

[0030] Beneficial effects:

[0031] This invention provides a variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing. It achieves synchronous and independent adjustment of the forming angle and diameter through gear meshing driven by an electric motor, without the need to disassemble parts, and adapts to the rapid response requirements of the space environment.

[0032] This invention provides a variable diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing. Through the concentric design of the slide rail and pulley and the preload compensation of the tension spring, it ensures continuous and slip-free strip feeding.

[0033] This invention provides a variable diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing. The weight is reduced through a hollow structure, and the gear transmission and thread adjustment mechanism have high transmission efficiency and long service life.

[0034] This invention provides a variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing, which realizes the variable-diameter spiral tube winding of metal pipes in on-orbit manufacturing, solves the limitation of the single diameter of traditional equipment, and provides an efficient and flexible solution for the construction of ultra-large space structures. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the strip material storage device of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the strip material storage device of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the strip positioning device of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the molding angle adjustment device of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the molding angle adjustment device of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0041] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the base plate structure of the present invention.

[0042] Labels in the diagram: 1. Strip positioning device; 2. Strip storage device; 3. Base plate; 4. Forming angle adjustment device; 101. Upper and lower limit rollers; 102. Left and right limit wheels; 103. Motor drive gear; 104. Mounting base; 105. Mounting plate; 106. First mounting platform; 107. Feeding motor; 108. First drive gear; 201. Storage frame; 202. Top block; 203. Movable rotating rod; 204. Fixed... 205. Fixed rotating rod; 206. Upper tensioning block; 207. Lower tensioning block; 208. Tensioning spring; 209. Storage shaft; 2010. Spring telescopic rod; 2011. Circular baffle; 302. Second driving gear; 303. Platform; 304. Slide rail; 305. Rotating shaft; 306. Second mounting platform; 407. Forming angle adjusting motor; 408. Sector gear; 409. Pulley; 4000. Rectangular frame; 401. Bearing sleeve. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Example 1

[0044] This embodiment provides an on-orbit manufactured variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism, the specific implementation of which is as follows:

[0045] 1. Overall Structure

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, the mechanism comprises four core modules: a strip positioning device 1, a strip storage device 2, a base plate 3, and a forming angle adjustment device 4. Each module works in concert with the mechanical transmission and electronic control system to achieve continuous feeding of the metal strip, variable diameter tube winding, and dynamic adjustment of the forming angle. All components utilize aluminum alloy or carbon fiber hollow structures to reduce weight and adapt to the space environment. A deep learning module is added to the control system to generate a correlation model through training with historical data.

[0047] θ=f(v,D,T)+ε

[0048] Where: θ: forming angle, v: feed rate, D: pipe diameter, T: ambient temperature, ε: error compensation term.

[0049] It is also equipped with a spaceborne edge computing chip to enable prediction of implementation parameters in offline working conditions.

[0050] 2. Coordination between the forming angle adjustment device 4 and the base plate 3

[0051] (1) Transmission structure of forming angle adjustment device 4

[0052] like Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the sector gear 401 and the bearing sleeve 404 are respectively fixed on both sides of the rectangular frame 403. A second drive device is provided on one side of the base plate 3 platform 302, including a forming angle adjusting motor 306 and a second drive gear 301. After the motor starts, the second drive gear 301 meshes with the sector gear 401, driving the rectangular frame 403 to rotate around the rotation axis 304, thereby adjusting the tube forming angle.

[0053] The rotation center of the sector gear 401 coincides with the center of the slide rail 303, and the pulley 402 at the bottom of the rectangular frame rolls along the slide rail 303 to ensure smooth rotation and precise angle.

[0054] (2) Support and drive of base plate 3

[0055] A rotating shaft 304 is fixed on the boss of the platform 302 and connected to the bearing sleeve 404 via a bearing, providing a fulcrum for the rotation of the rectangular frame 403. The slide rail 303 is arc-shaped, which restricts the movement trajectory of the pulley 402 and prevents deviation during adjustment.

[0056] 3. Adjustment of the diameter of the strip storage device 2

[0057] (1) Linkage between the lever mechanism and the tensioning mechanism

[0058] like Figure 2-3 As shown, the storage shaft 208 is mounted on the storage frame 201 via bearings, and a fixed rotating rod 204 and a movable rotating rod 203 are fixedly mounted on its surface. The movable rotating rod 203 is connected to the movable sleeve via a spring telescopic rod 209, and the top block 202 moves axially along the storage shaft 208 via a thread, pushing the movable sleeve to displacement.

[0059] Action logic: Top block 202 moves → movable sleeve moves horizontally → movable rotating rod 203 drives lower tension block 206 to move radially → tension spring 207 is compressed / released → the distance between upper tension block 205 and lower tension block 206 changes, realizing stepless adjustment of the tube diameter.

[0060] (2) Adaptive tensioning function

[0061] The preload of the tension spring 207 ensures that the strip remains firmly against the tension block during feeding, preventing slippage. The circular baffle 2010 restricts the strip position to prevent it from falling off, and also provides mounting positions for the tension spring 207 and the upper tension block 205.

[0062] 4. Precise guidance of strip positioning device 1

[0063] (1) Upper and lower limit rollers 101 drive the feed

[0064] like Figure 4As shown, the feeding motor 107 of the first drive device drives the drive shaft to rotate via the first drive gear 108, which in turn drives the second limit roller to rotate. The first limit roller on the driven shaft rotates synchronously in opposite directions via gear meshing, clamping the strip to achieve continuous feeding.

[0065] (2) Adjustable design of left and right limit wheels 102

[0066] like Figure 4 As shown, the first and second limit wheels are fixed in the long groove of the mounting base 104 by bolts. The spacing can be adjusted according to the width of the strip to ensure that the strip is fed in the center and avoids skewing.

[0067] Among them, the surfaces of the upper and lower rollers 101 are coated with a silicon carbide-graphene composite coating to reduce the electrostatic adsorption effect of the strip under microgravity. The left and right limit wheels 102 can integrate laser displacement sensors and micro servo motors to detect the strip offset in real time and automatically adjust the distance between the limit wheels.

[0068] Through the above embodiments, our organization has realized the variable diameter spiral winding of metal pipes in on-orbit manufacturing, which solves the limitation of the single diameter of traditional equipment and provides an efficient and flexible solution for the construction of ultra-large space structures.

[0069] 5. Coordination between strip positioning device 1 and base plate 3

[0070] The connection between the strip positioning device 1 and the base plate 3 adopts a magnetorheological fluid locking mechanism. During maintenance, the magnetorheological fluid is liquefied by applying a magnetic field, which enables manual disassembly during maintenance.

[0071] Implementation steps:

[0072] 1. Initial settings:

[0073] Adjust the distance between a pair of parallel left and right limit wheels 102 to match the width of the strip;

[0074] Rotate the top block 202 to adjust the spacing between the tensioning blocks 206 to the target tube diameter;

[0075] The initial forming angle of the spiral tube is set by the sector gear 401 driven by the forming angle adjustment motor 306.

[0076] 2. Operational Phase

[0077] Start the feeding motor 107 to drive the upper and lower limit rollers 101 to rotate synchronously and push the strip into the tube winding area;

[0078] The strip is wound and formed by the tensioning mechanism. At the same time, the forming angle adjustment device 4 dynamically adjusts the rotation angle of the sector gear 401 according to the preset program. The tilt angle of the strip feed path is changed by the rotation of the rectangular frame 403 around the rotating shaft 304, so as to realize the continuous forming of the variable diameter spiral coil.

[0079] 3. Dynamic adjustment

[0080] Variable diameter operation: The rotating top block 202 moves axially along the receiving shaft 208, pushing the movable sleeve to move, which drives the movable rotating rod 203 to move in conjunction with the fixed rotating rod 204, causing the lower tensioning block 206 to move radially, thereby changing the diameter of the rolled tube.

[0081] Forming angle adjustment: The forming angle adjustment motor 306 drives the second drive gear 301 to mesh with the sector gear 401, which drives the rectangular frame 403 to rotate around the rotating shaft 304, so that the pulley 402 slides along the slide rail 303, dynamically changing the forming angle of the strip feed path.

[0082] Working principle:

[0083] This mechanism coordinates the operation of multiple motors through an electronic control system. The feeding motor controls the strip feed speed, the forming angle adjustment motor adjusts the forming angle through gear meshing, and the top block thread adjustment is converted into radial displacement to change the tube diameter. The three are independently controlled, which can adapt to different tube diameters and helix angle requirements in real time, making it suitable for complex working conditions in space environments.

Claims

1. A variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing, characterized in that: Includes forming angle adjustment device, base plate, strip storage device and strip positioning device; The forming angle adjustment device includes a sector gear, a pulley, a rectangular frame, and a bearing sleeve; the sector gear and the bearing sleeve are respectively fixedly installed on both sides of the rectangular frame, the sector gear is drivenly connected to the base plate, and the bearing sleeve is rotatably connected to the base plate; The strip storage device includes a mounting frame, a top block, a rotating rod mechanism, and a tensioning mechanism; the mounting frame is fixedly mounted on the base plate, the rotating rod mechanism is mounted on the mounting frame, and the tensioning mechanism is mounted on the rotating rod mechanism. The strip clamping and fixing and the change of the diameter of the tensioning mechanism can be achieved by adjusting the position of the top block. The strip positioning device includes a pair of parallel mounting plates, a first driving device, left and right limiting wheels, and upper and lower limiting rollers; the upper and lower limiting rollers are connected to the first driving device, the left and right limiting wheels and the upper and lower limiting rollers are all mounted on the mounting plates, and the mounting plates and the first driving device are mounted on the base plate. The mounting frame includes a pair of symmetrically installed storage racks, which are fixedly mounted on the base plate, and a storage shaft is mounted in the middle of the storage racks via a bearing; The rotating mechanism includes a fixed sleeve, which is fixedly mounted on the surface of the storage shaft. A movable sleeve is connected to the side of the fixed sleeve via a spring telescopic rod. Fixed rotating rods of equal length and parallel to each other are rotatably connected to the surface of the fixed sleeve. A movable rotating rod of equal length is rotatably connected to the surface of the movable sleeve. One end of both the fixed and movable rotating rods is rotatably connected to a tensioning mechanism. The side of the movable sleeve fits against the side of the top block. The tensioning mechanism includes an upper tensioning block, a lower tensioning block, and a tensioning spring. The lower tensioning block is connected to one end of a fixed rotating rod and a movable rotating rod. A circular baffle is fixedly installed on the storage shaft. The tensioning spring is set on the circular baffle. The upper tensioning block is set on one end of the tensioning spring. The lower tensioning block and the upper tensioning block are in contact through the tensioning spring. The top block is connected to the receiving shaft by bolts or threads, and the axial movement of the top block along the receiving shaft is converted into the radial movement of the lower tensioning block by a rotating rod mechanism. The base plate includes a platform and a second drive device. The second drive device is located on one side of the platform, and a boss is provided on the other side of the platform. A rotating shaft is fixedly installed above the boss, and the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to a bearing sleeve through a bearing. The second drive device includes a second mounting platform, a forming angle adjusting motor, and a second drive gear. The second mounting platform is fixedly installed on the top of the platform, the forming angle adjusting motor is fixedly installed on the top of the second mounting platform, and the second drive gear is fixedly mounted on the output end of the forming angle adjusting motor. The second drive gear meshes with a sector gear for transmission.

2. The variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing according to claim 1, characterized in that: A slide rail is fixedly installed on the top of the platform, and a pulley is rotatably installed on the bottom of the rectangular frame. The pulley is movably connected to the slide rail, and the center of the slide rail coincides with the rotation center of the sector gear.

3. The variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper and lower limit rollers include a first limit roller, a second limit roller, a driven shaft, and a drive shaft. The first limit roller is fixedly mounted on the surface of the driven shaft, the second limit roller is fixedly mounted on the surface of the drive shaft, and a motor drive gear is fixedly mounted on one end of the drive shaft. The motor drive gear is connected to the first drive device for transmission. The left and right limiting wheels include a first limiting wheel, a second limiting wheel, and a mounting base. The mounting base is fixedly mounted on a mounting plate, and a long groove is provided on the mounting base. The first limiting wheel and the second limiting wheel are detachably mounted in the long groove of the mounting base by bolts.

4. The variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first driving device includes a first mounting platform, a feeding motor, and a first drive gear. The first mounting platform is fixedly mounted on a rectangular frame, the feeding motor is fixedly mounted on the first mounting platform, and the first drive gear is fixedly mounted on the output end of the feeding motor.

5. The variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism based on on-orbit manufacturing according to claim 4, characterized in that: The forming angle adjustment device, base plate, strip storage device, and strip positioning device all adopt a hollow weight reduction structure.

6. A method of using the variable-diameter spiral tube winding mechanism manufactured in orbit as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1, Steps for adjusting the forming angle: The forming angle adjustment motor drives the second drive gear to mesh with the sector gear, which in turn drives the rectangular frame to rotate around the rotation axis, causing the pulley to slide along the slide rail to adjust the forming angle of the spiral tube. S2, Tension Adjustment Procedure: The top block moves axially along the storage axis, and the movable sleeve is pushed by the spring telescopic rod, so that the movable rotating rod is linked with the fixed rotating rod, which drives the lower tensioning block to move radially, so as to adjust the diameter of the tensioning mechanism and clamp the strip. S3, Strip guiding step: Start the feeding motor to drive the first drive gear, so that the upper and lower limit rollers rotate synchronously to convey the strip, and limit the strip laterally by adjusting the distance between the left and right limit rollers in the mounting seat long groove; S4, Spiral winding step: With the combined action of the forming angle adjustment device and the tensioning mechanism, the strip is spirally wound into a tube in a continuous diameter variation manner, and lightweight manufacturing is achieved through the hollow weight reduction structure.

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