Space truss structure on-orbit manufacturing apparatus and method

Abstract

The application discloses a space truss structure on-orbit manufacturing device and method, which is composed of a rack, a feeding disc, a discharging disc, an upper feeding roller, a lower feeding roller, an upper guide die, a lower guide die, a forming die assembly, a front joint nailing device assembly, a rear joint nailing device assembly, a truss cutting device and a strip material. The strip material is wound on the feeding disc and the discharging disc respectively, and is conveyed forward through the upper feeding roller and the lower feeding roller. The beam blank of the longitudinal beam is formed under the joint action of the forming core die assembly, the forming upper die assembly and the forming lower die assembly. The front and rear material overlapping parts of the beam blank of the longitudinal beam are shot by the front joint nailing device assembly and the rear joint nailing device assembly to form the longitudinal beam. When the length reaches the target length, the beam blank is cut off by the transverse beam cutting device. The forming efficiency is high, the structural performance is more stable, and the space structure can be manufactured to be larger and more complex without being limited by ground processing and transportation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of truss structures, and in particular to an apparatus for on-orbit manufacturing of large-scale space truss structures. Background Technology

[0002] As space exploration deepens, human demand for space facilities continues to rise. To meet these demands, larger and more complex space truss structures need to be developed. Currently, traditional space truss structure manufacturing primarily relies on first manufacturing beams, followed by welding and assembly. This method is complex, time-consuming, and difficult to guarantee quality, and it cannot create a complete space structure in one go. Given that larger size and lighter weight are the development trends for spacecraft and their associated facilities, existing technologies are insufficient to meet the demands of large-size, high-performance, and complex structural components for space applications, especially considering limitations in air-to-ground transportation capacity and cost.

[0003] Currently, on-orbit manufacturing technology for space truss structures is under active development, with main research directions including on-orbit 3D printing and on-orbit assembly technology based on modules or cables. While 3D printing technology offers manufacturing flexibility, its efficiency in on-orbit construction of ultra-large space structures is not high due to limitations in its process methods. On-orbit assembly technology based on modules or cables, on the other hand, requires handling numerous assembly interfaces and complex unmanned autonomous assembly operations, resulting in unsatisfactory structural construction efficiency and stiffness. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an on-orbit manufacturing device for space truss structures. By continuously inputting upper and lower strip materials, the tubes can be formed after passing through a forming module. The workstation can then be adjusted to generate cross-beam structures, resulting in good forming effect and high forming efficiency.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure, characterized by comprising: a frame, a loading tray, a unloading tray, an upper feeding roller, a lower feeding roller, an upper guide mold, a lower guide mold, a forming mold assembly, a front seam stapling device assembly, a rear seam stapling device assembly, a truss cutting device, and strip material.

[0006] The present invention discloses an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure. The upper and lower feeding rollers are each composed of a passive roller, an active roller, an active roller drive device, a gap adjustment device, and a positioning device. The passive roller and the active roller are arranged in parallel, and a gap is formed between the roller surface of the passive roller and the roller surface of the active roller. The gap adjustment device is connected to the passive roller or the active roller, the active roller drive device is connected to the active roller, and the positioning device is set before or after the gap.

[0007] The present invention discloses an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure, wherein the upper guide mold and the lower guide mold both have a slit-shaped spatial irregular curved structure, the shape of the slit bend is a transition shape between the flat sheet shaping shape and the openings of the two curved slits are opposite to each other.

[0008] This invention discloses an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure. The forming mold assembly includes a forming core mold assembly, a forming upper mold assembly, and a forming lower mold assembly. The forming core mold assembly consists of a forming core mold and a core mold drive mechanism that controls the forward and backward movement of the forming core mold. A gap of a specific width is preset on both sides of the forming core mold, and the gap is located at the outlet of the sewing gun, with the structure gradually decreasing in depth. The forming upper mold assembly consists of a forming upper mold and an upper mold drive mechanism that controls the up and down movement of the forming upper mold. The forming lower mold assembly consists of a forming lower mold and a lower mold drive mechanism that controls the up and down movement of the forming lower mold. The cavity formed by the closing of the forming upper mold and the forming lower mold is larger than the size of the forming core mold, forming a gap. The thickness of the gap is equivalent to the wall thickness of the longitudinal beam or transverse beam. The shape of the gap can be circular, elliptical, or square, etc.

[0009] This invention discloses an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure. Both the front and rear seam stapling assembly consist of a nail-shooting device and a motion drive mechanism, with the nail-shooting device controlled by the motion drive mechanism. The nail-shooting device comprises a nail gun, a nail chamber, a heating assembly, and a stitching nail. The heating assembly surrounds the nail chamber, and the stitching nail has a barb structure at its head, giving it an overall flat and elongated shape.

[0010] The present invention discloses an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure, wherein an upper and lower feeding tray are arranged vertically, and then an upper feeding roller and a lower feeding roller, an upper guide mold and a lower guide mold, a forming upper mold assembly and a forming lower mold assembly are respectively arranged accordingly, and a forming core mold is placed in the cavity formed by the forming upper mold and the forming assembly.

[0011] The present invention provides an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure, wherein the loading tray and the unloading tray have a scroll-like structure, and a tension control device can be set at the center of the scroll.

[0012] The present invention provides an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure. The upper guide mold or the lower guide mold can be an openable two-half structure or a closed fixed structure relative to the slit.

[0013] The present invention provides an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure, including a truss cutting device disposed at the outlet of the forming mold assembly.

[0014] A method for on-orbit manufacturing of a space truss structure, comprising the following steps:

[0015] The longitudinal beam is generated as follows: The strip material is wound onto the upper and lower feed trays respectively. After the strip material is wound off the upper and lower feed trays, it is conveyed forward by the upper and lower feed rollers respectively. After passing through the upper and lower guide dies respectively, the strip material is initially deformed and then continues to enter the forming die assembly. At this time, the upper and lower forming dies are in a closed state, and the forming core die is placed in the cavity formed by the closed upper and lower forming dies. A gap of a specific width is preset on both sides of the forming core die to receive the stitching pins launched by the stitching device. The longitudinal beam blank is formed by the combined action of the forming core mold assembly, the forming upper mold assembly, and the forming lower mold assembly. The front and rear materials of the longitudinal beam blank have overlapping parts. The overlapping parts are launched by the front and rear seam fastening device assemblies with a certain kinetic energy, so that they directly penetrate the strip material. After penetration, the gap between the back of the material and the two sides of the forming core mold causes the seam fastener to bend and deform, and finally fit tightly against the inner wall of the truss tube to form the longitudinal beam. When the generated length reaches the target length, it is cut by the crossbeam cutting device.

[0016] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0017] This invention possesses highly efficient on-orbit manufacturing capabilities. Traditional space truss structures are mostly fabricated on the ground and then launched into space for assembly. This method is not only cumbersome and time-consuming, but also incurrs high transportation costs and makes it difficult to guarantee structural consistency. The novel on-orbit manufacturing technology for space trusses, however, enables the direct fabrication of truss structures in the space environment, significantly improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing transportation and assembly costs.

[0018] This invention optimizes structural performance by employing a continuous input of strip material for manufacturing. Tubes are formed using molding modules, and then cross-beam and longitudinal beam cross-sections are generated via a cross-stitching assembly. This method ensures excellent forming results, high forming efficiency, and more stable structural performance. Compared to traditional welding techniques, stitching improves energy efficiency and effectively reduces the number of structural connection interfaces. Compared to traditional assembly methods or drilling and riveting techniques, this technology significantly improves the overall rigidity of the structure by simplifying the process and reducing manufacturing complexity. Furthermore, this technology avoids the alignment difficulties encountered in traditional drilling processes, thereby enhancing structural stability while ensuring the reliability and stability of the truss.

[0019] This invention features a high degree of automation. The manufacturing technology for this spatial structure truss utilizes highly automated equipment and systems, such as automatic feeding rollers, automatic forming mold assemblies, and automatic stitching devices. These devices and systems reduce human intervention and increase the automation level of the manufacturing process, thereby ensuring its stability and consistency.

[0020] This invention is highly adaptable; this space structure truss manufacturing technology is not limited by ground processing and transportation, thus enabling the production of larger and more complex space structures. This technology can meet the manufacturing needs of space trusses of different sizes, performance levels, and structural forms, providing strong technical support for the development of future large spacecraft and their space-related structures. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a top view of an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a front view of an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of a molding module assembly for an on-orbit manufacturing device of a space truss structure;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of a joint stud device component for an on-orbit manufacturing device of a space truss structure.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a diagram of a stitching device that can be used in the on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a space truss structure on-orbit manufacturing device generating longitudinal beams;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the stapling process when a space truss structure is manufactured on-orbit, producing longitudinal beams. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Example 1

[0029] like Figure 1 Figure 2 As shown, the present invention proposes an on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure, characterized by: a frame 1, an upper feeding tray 2, an unloading tray 3, an upper feeding roller 4, a lower feeding roller 5, an upper guide mold 6, a lower guide mold 7, a forming mold assembly 8, a front seam stapling device assembly 9, a rear seam stapling device assembly 10, a truss cutting device 11, and a strip material 12.

[0030] The upper feeding roller 4 and the lower feeding roller 5 are each composed of a passive roller, an active roller, an active roller drive device, a gap adjustment device, and a positioning device. The passive roller and the active roller are arranged in parallel, and a gap is formed between the roller surface of the passive roller and the roller surface of the active roller. The gap adjustment device is connected to the passive roller or the active roller, the active roller drive device is connected to the active roller, and the positioning device is set before or after the gap.

[0031] Both the upper guide mold 6 and the lower guide mold 7 have a slit-shaped spatial irregular bending structure. The shape of the slit bending is a transitional shape between the flat sheet shaping shape and the openings of the two bending slits are opposite to each other.

[0032] like Figure 3 As shown, the forming mold assembly 8 includes a forming core mold assembly 8-1, a forming upper mold assembly 8-2, and a forming lower mold assembly 8-3. The forming core mold assembly 8-1 consists of a forming core mold and a core mold drive mechanism that controls the forward and backward movement of the forming core mold. A gap of a specific width is preset on both sides of the forming core mold, and the gap is located at the exit of the stitching gun, with the structure gradually decreasing in depth. By precisely controlling the injection process of the stitching staple, a tight fit is achieved on the inner wall of the truss tube. This process involves the bending deformation of the stitching staple to ensure a seamless connection with the inner wall of the truss tube. The forming upper mold assembly 8-2 consists of a forming upper mold and an upper mold drive mechanism that controls the up and down movement of the forming upper mold. The forming lower mold assembly 8-3 consists of a forming lower mold and a lower mold drive mechanism that controls the up and down movement of the forming lower mold. The cavity formed by the closing of the forming upper mold and the forming lower mold is larger than the size of the forming core mold, forming a gap. The thickness of the gap is equivalent to the wall thickness of the longitudinal beam or transverse beam. The shape of the gap is circular.

[0033] Both the front seam stapling device assembly 9 and the rear seam stapling device assembly 10 consist of a nail gun 10-5 and a motion drive mechanism 10-6, respectively, with the nail gun controlled by the motion drive mechanism. Figure 4 As shown, the nail gun assembly consists of a nail gun 10-1, a nail chamber 10-2, a heating element 10-3, and a suture nail 10-4, as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the suture staple 10-4 includes two different forms, both of which share the characteristic of having barbs on the staple head. Overall, the suture staple has a flat and elongated shape.

[0034] The upper feeding plate 2 and the lower feeding plate 3 are arranged vertically, and then the upper feeding roller 4 and the lower feeding roller 5, the upper guide mold 6 and the lower guide mold 7, the upper forming mold assembly 8-2 and the lower forming mold assembly 8-3 are arranged accordingly. The forming core mold is placed in the cavity formed by the upper forming mold and the forming assembly.

[0035] The feeding tray 2 and the unloading tray 3 have a scroll-like structure, and a tension control device is set at the center of the scroll.

[0036] The upper guide mold 6 or the lower guide mold 7 is a two-part structure that opens and closes relative to the slit.

[0037] It includes a truss cutting device 11, which is located at the outlet of the forming mold assembly.

[0038] like Figure 6 As shown, a method for on-orbit manufacturing of a space structure truss includes the following steps:

[0039] The longitudinal beam is generated as follows: Strip material 12 is wound onto the upper feed plate 2 and the lower feed plate 3 respectively. After the strip material is wound down from the upper feed plate 2 and the lower feed plate 3, it is conveyed forward by the upper feed roller 4 and the lower feed roller 5 respectively. After passing through the upper guide mold 6 and the lower guide mold 7 respectively, the strip material is initially deformed, and then continues to enter the forming mold assembly 8. At this time, the upper forming mold 8-2 and the lower forming mold 8-3 are in a closed state, and the forming core mold 8-1 is placed in the cavity formed by the closed upper forming mold 8-2 and the lower forming mold 8-3. Under the combined action of the forming core mold assembly 8-1, the upper forming mold assembly 8-2, and the lower forming mold assembly 8-3, the beam blank of the longitudinal beam is formed. The front and rear materials of the beam blank of the longitudinal beam have overlapping parts, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the overlapping part will launch stitches of different shapes with a certain kinetic energy through the front seam stitching device assembly 9 and the rear seam stitching device assembly 10, so that they can directly penetrate the strip material. After penetration, the stitches will be blocked by the gap between the back of the material and the two sides of the forming core mold 8-1, causing the stitches to bend and deform, and finally fit tightly against the inner wall of the truss tube to form a longitudinal beam. When the generated length reaches the target length, it is cut off by the crossbeam cutting device.

Claims

1. An on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure, characterized in that: It consists of a frame, a feeding tray, a discharging tray, an upper feeding roller, a lower feeding roller, an upper guide mold, a lower guide mold, a forming mold assembly, a front seam fastening device assembly, and a rear seam fastening device assembly; The upper and lower feeding rollers are each composed of a passive roller, an active roller, an active roller drive device, a gap adjustment device, and a positioning device. The passive roller and the active roller are arranged in parallel, and a gap is formed between the roller surface of the passive roller and the roller surface of the active roller. The gap adjustment device is connected to the passive roller or the active roller, the active roller drive device is connected to the active roller, and the positioning device is set before or after the gap. Both the upper guide mold and the lower guide mold have a slit-shaped spatial irregular bending structure. The shape of the slit bending is a transitional shape between the flat sheet shaping shape and the openings of the two bending slits are opposite to each other. The molding die assembly includes a molding core die assembly, a molding upper die assembly, and a molding lower die assembly. The molding core die assembly consists of a molding core die and a core die drive mechanism that controls the forward and backward movement of the molding core die. A gap of a specific width is preset on both sides of the molding core die, and the gap is located at the sewing gun outlet. The structure gradually decreases in depth. The molding upper die assembly consists of a molding upper die and an upper die drive mechanism that controls the up and down movement of the molding upper die. The molding lower die assembly consists of a molding lower die and a lower die drive mechanism that controls the up and down movement of the molding lower die. The cavity formed by the closing of the molding upper die and the molding lower die is larger than the size of the molding core die, thus forming a gap. The thickness of the gap is equivalent to the wall thickness of the longitudinal beam or transverse beam. The shape of the gap can be circular, elliptical, or square. Both the front and rear seam fastening device assemblies consist of a nailing device and a motion drive mechanism, respectively. The nailing device is controlled by the motion drive mechanism and consists of a nail gun, a nail chamber, a heating component, and a suture nail. The heating component surrounds the nail chamber, and the suture nail has a barb structure at the head. The overall shape is flat and slender. The loading and unloading trays are arranged vertically, followed by the upper and lower feeding rollers, the upper and lower guide molds, the upper forming mold assembly and the lower forming mold assembly, and the forming core mold is placed in the cavity formed by the upper forming mold and the forming assembly.

2. The on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The loading and unloading trays have a roll-like structure, and a tension control device can be installed at the center of the roll.

3. The on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper or lower guide mold is either an openable two-part structure relative to the slit, or a closed fixed structure.

4. The on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: Includes a truss cutting device, located at the outlet of the forming mold assembly.

5. A method for on-orbit manufacturing of a space truss structure, using the on-orbit manufacturing device for a space truss structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Longitudinal beam generation method: Strip material is wound onto the upper and lower feed trays respectively. After being unwound from the upper and lower feed trays, the strip material is conveyed forward by the upper and lower feed rollers respectively. After passing through the upper and lower guide dies respectively, the strip material is initially deformed, and then continues to enter the forming die assembly. At this time, the upper and lower forming dies are in a closed state, and the forming core die is placed in the cavity formed by the closed upper and lower forming dies. A gap of a specific width is preset on both sides of the forming core die to receive the stitching staples launched by the stitching device. The longitudinal beam blank is formed by the combined action of the forming core mold assembly, the forming upper mold assembly, and the forming lower mold assembly. The front and rear materials of the longitudinal beam blank have overlapping parts. The overlapping parts are launched with a certain kinetic energy by the front joint nailing device assembly and the rear joint nailing device assembly, so that the nails of different shapes can directly penetrate the strip and directly enter the gaps on both sides of the forming core mold. The material bends and deforms against the forming core mold on the back, and finally fits tightly against the inner wall of the truss tube to form the longitudinal beam. When the generated length reaches the target length, it is cut by the truss cutting device.

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