Self-locking joint hinge

Abstract

A self-locking joint hinge comprises a connecting column, an L-shaped folding hinge connector is arranged on the upper portion of the connecting column, self-locking hinges are arranged on two supporting arms of the folding hinge connector, spring pins are arranged in springs on the self-locking hinges in a penetrating mode, one end of each spring pin is fixed to a body of the folding hinge connector, and the other end of each spring pin is arranged on a step sliding pin. The cam connecting piece located on the side, away from the spring pin, of the stepped sliding pin is connected with the folding and unfolding hinge joint through a flat-head grooved pin shaft. The step sliding pin lug is attached to the side face of the folding and unfolding hinge connector. The step sliding pin is connected with the step sliding pin lug through a half-round head inside hexagonal bolt; and a clamping spring is arranged at a notch of the flat-end grooved pin shaft. The space antenna joint hinge overcomes the defects that in the prior art, a space antenna joint hinge is complex in structure, small in folding and unfolding ratio, too large in overall size, not easy to arrange, poor in stability and reliability and the like, parts interfere with one another during unfolding, and the space antenna joint hinge is large in folding and unfolding ratio, stable in structure, capable of being self-locked, small in size and convenient to manufacture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of space deployment mechanisms, and particularly to a self-locking joint hinge. Background Art

[0002] Space deployment mechanisms, as a product of the rapid development of space technology, are innovative aerospace structure constructs with a unique design aimed at optimizing the space launch and on-orbit deployment processes. During the launch phase, the mechanism exists in a compact folded form to ensure minimal volume for easy carrying and launch. Once successfully in the predetermined orbit, the ground control center initiates the control program to command its deployment and firmly locks it in the deployed state. Such space deployment mechanisms are widely used in important artificial celestial bodies such as communication satellites, meteorological monitoring satellites, and deep space probes, and their value is indispensable.

[0003] In space deployment mechanisms, the connecting rods are interconnected through joint hinges. When all the connecting rods are fully extended, the joint hinge locks the positions of the connecting rods to ensure that the entire mechanism maintains a stable deployed posture. However, most of the joint hinges currently used in space deployment mechanisms mainly rely on elastic components to achieve the locking function, but this design has high structural complexity and large weight, making it difficult to meet the lightweight conditions of space mechanisms.

[0004] As space deployment mechanisms develop towards larger sizes, the number of required joint hinges and connecting rods increases, which not only further increases the overall mass of the mechanism but also exacerbates the impact force and pressure borne by each joint hinge. Traditional rigid hinges have disadvantages such as high assembly accuracy requirements, easy overconstraint locking, complex structure, large mass, and high cost during operation, resulting in a decline in the stability and reliability of the entire space deployment mechanism.

[0005] In summary, based on the existing joint hinge design with elastic components, it is difficult to meet the urgent requirements of space deployment mechanisms for lightweight and high stability, and a more advanced and efficient solution is needed to break through this technical bottleneck. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the defects in the prior art such as complex structure of the joint hinge of the space antenna, small folding ratio, too large overall volume, difficult layout, part interference during deployment, poor stability and reliability, etc., so as to provide a space antenna joint hinge with a large folding ratio, stable structure, self-locking, small volume, and convenient manufacturing.

[0007] A self-locking joint hinge includes a connecting column. An L-shaped folding hinge joint is arranged at the upper part of the connecting column. Self-locking hinges are arranged on two arms of the folding hinge joint. The self-locking hinge includes a stepped sliding pin ear, a socket head cap screw, a flat head slotted pin, a spring, a spring pin, a stepped sliding pin, a cam connecting piece, and a circlip. The spring pin is inserted into the spring. One end of the spring pin is fixed to the body of the folding hinge joint, and the other end is on the stepped sliding pin. The cam connecting piece on the side of the stepped sliding pin away from the spring pin is connected to the folding hinge joint through a flat head slotted pin. The stepped sliding pin ear fits against the side surface of the folding hinge joint for locking the movement of the stepped sliding pin. The stepped sliding pin and the stepped sliding pin ear are connected by a socket head cap screw. A circlip is arranged at the notch of the flat head slotted pin.

[0008] Preferably, there is a notch at the middle threaded hole of the stepped sliding pin of the present invention to prevent the spring from slipping.

[0009] Preferably, shaft notches perpendicular to the length direction are respectively arranged on both sides of the stepped sliding pin in the length direction of the present invention to increase the contact area with the slide rail.

[0010] Preferably, a pin hole is arranged on the cam connecting piece of the present invention.

[0011] Preferably, the cam connecting piece of the present invention has a double-ear structure, and several notches are arranged on the cam connecting piece.

[0012] Preferably, a guide rail groove matching the stepped sliding pin is arranged on the folding hinge joint of the present invention; the stepped sliding pin ear is in contact with the outer side surface of the folding hinge joint.

[0013] Preferably, an arc part and a concave part are arranged at one end of the cam connecting piece facing the stepped sliding pin. A cam connecting piece chassis is arranged on the end surface of the cam connecting piece connected to the concave part. The end part and the bottom of the folding hinge joint are in contact with the cam connecting piece chassis.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the joint hinges adopted by most current space folding mechanisms mainly rely on elastic components to achieve the locking function. This design has high structural complexity and large weight, and it is difficult to meet the conditions of lightweight of space mechanisms. A self-locking hinge and a space folding mechanism of the present invention have the characteristics of large folding ratio, stable structure, self-locking, small volume, and convenient manufacturing. The self-locking hinge of the present invention has a highly stable locking mechanism. The spring pin arranged in the middle of the spring enables the spring to achieve a single-direction elastic force. After being fully unfolded, the force of the spring on the stepped sliding pin realizes the lateral locking of the stepped sliding pin and the longitudinal locking of the stepped sliding pin by the guide rail groove, thereby realizing the locking of the self-locking hinge. Secondly, the end part and the bottom of the folding hinge joint are in contact with the cam connecting piece chassis, and the flat head slotted pin realizes the limiting function of the folding hinge joint and the cam connecting piece, solving the shaking problem caused by insufficient locking ability in the previous technology. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the folding and unfolding mechanism of the preferred embodiment prototype of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 is a schematic view of the unfolded state of the folding and unfolding mechanism of the preferred embodiment prototype of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 is a schematic view of the retracted state of the folding and unfolding mechanism of the preferred embodiment prototype of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 is a front view of the unfolded state of the folding and unfolding mechanism of the preferred embodiment prototype of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 is a top view of the unfolded state of the folding and unfolding mechanism of the preferred embodiment prototype of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0020] Next, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] As Figures 1 - 5 shown, a self-locking joint hinge includes a connecting column. An L-shaped folding and unfolding hinge joint 101 is arranged on the upper part of the connecting column. Self-locking hinges are arranged on two arms of the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101. The self-locking hinge includes a stepped sliding pin ear 102, a socket head cap screw 103, a flat head slotted pin 104, a spring 105, a spring pin 106, a stepped sliding pin 107, a cam connecting piece 108, and a circlip 109. The spring 105 is sleeved with the spring pin 106. One end of the spring pin 106 is fixed to the body of the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101, and the other end is on the stepped sliding pin 107. The cam connecting piece 108 on the side of the stepped sliding pin 107 away from the spring pin 106 is connected to the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101 through the flat head slotted pin 104; the stepped sliding pin ear 102 is attached to the side surface of the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101 for locking the movement of the stepped sliding pin; the stepped sliding pin 107 is connected to the stepped sliding pin ear 102 through the socket head cap screw 103; a circlip 109 is arranged at the slot of the flat head slotted pin 104. The spring pin can limit the spring, guide the spring force to be concentrated, and prevent the spring from tilting out of the original force direction.

[0022] As Figure 1 shown, there is a slot at the middle threaded hole of the stepped sliding pin 107 of the present invention, which is used to prevent the spring from slipping, reduce the spring stress concentration, and reduce the risk of the stepped sliding pin breaking.

[0023] As shown Figure 1 and Figure 2 in the figure, shaft notches perpendicular to the length direction are respectively provided on both sides of the length direction of the stepped sliding pin 107 of the present invention, which are used to increase the contact area with the slide rail, reduce the looseness caused by part wear, reduce stress concentration, have a small pressure intensity, reduce the damage and fatigue of parts, and improve the limiting ability of the stepped sliding pin.

[0024] As shown Figure 2 and Figure 3 in the figure, a pin hole 202 is provided on the cam connecting member 108 of the present invention, which can be fixedly connected with a rod member by a pin, or tightened by screwing a stud and a nut with each other through threads.

[0025] As shown Figure 1 and Figure 2 in the figure, the cam connecting member 108 of the present invention has a double-ear structure, and a plurality of notches 205 are provided on the cam connecting member 108, which can reduce stress concentration and reduce the overall weight, meeting the requirements of the increasingly lightweight antenna.

[0026] As shown Figure 2 in the figure, a guide rail groove 206 matching the stepped sliding pin 107 is provided on the folding hinge joint 101 of the present invention; the stepped sliding pin ear 102 is in contact with the outer side surface 204 of the folding hinge joint 101.

[0027] As shown Figure 3 in the figure, an arc part 301 and a concave part 302 are provided at one end of the cam connecting member 108 facing the stepped sliding pin 107. A cam connecting member chassis 304 is provided on the end surface of the cam connecting member 108 connected to the concave part 302. The end part 303 and the bottom part 305 of the folding hinge joint 101 are in contact with the cam connecting member chassis 304.

[0028] A self-locking joint hinge and a space folding and unfolding mechanism based on the self-locking joint hinge provided by the present invention. The folding hinge can be arranged on a space deployable mechanism. After the space mechanism is deployed in space, the folding hinge can keep the space folding and unfolding mechanism in a stable deployed state. This folding hinge is lighter in weight and better in stability.

[0029] Refer to Figure 1, a self-locking joint hinge provided by the present invention includes a folding and unfolding hinge joint 101, a stepped sliding pin ear 102, a semi-circular head socket head cap screw 103, a flat head grooved pin 104, a spring 105, a spring pin 106, a stepped sliding pin 107, a cam connecting piece 108, and a circlip 109. The cam connecting piece 108 is connected to the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101 through the flat head grooved pin 104 and has a common rotation axis. The circlip 109 is connected to the notch of the flat head grooved pin 104 to achieve fixation. The stepped sliding pin 107, the stepped sliding pin ear 102, the flat head grooved pin 104, the circlip 109, the semi-circular head socket head cap screw 103, the spring pin 106, and the spring 105 jointly form a folding and unfolding assembly, which are respectively connected to the cam connecting piece and the folding and unfolding hinge.

[0030] Refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 , the present invention is applied to a self-locking joint hinge, and the working states are respectively a retracted state and a fully unfolded state.

[0031] In this example, the end 303 and the bottom 305 of the folding and unfolding hinge joint are in contact with the chassis 304 of the cam connecting piece. The stepped sliding pin ear 102 is in contact with the side surface 204 of the folding and unfolding hinge joint. The concave side surface on the stepped sliding pin is in contact with the side surface 201 of the folding and unfolding hinge joint. The connecting flat head grooved pin 104 realizes a limiting function for the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101 and the cam connecting piece 108. In the fully folded state, the connecting columns of the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101 and the cam connecting piece 108 face the same direction; the stepped sliding pin ear 102 and the stepped sliding pin 107 are fixedly connected through the semi-circular head socket head cap screw 103; the hole positions 202 and the notches 205 provided on the connecting column can realize positioning through a pin when connecting to a rod, and leave a position for glue when connecting to a rod.

[0032] The cam connecting piece 108 is connected to the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101 through the flat head grooved pin 104. A hole position for the flat head grooved pin 104 is set at the center of the fillet circle. The end face 303 of the folding and unfolding hinge joint is in contact with the disc 304 of the cam connecting piece, realizing a 90° rotation of the cam connecting piece. Through the connection between the circlip 109 and the notch of the flat head grooved pin 104, a fastening effect is provided to prevent axial movement of the parts on the shaft.

[0033] Refer to Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , in this example, Figure 2 , Figure 4Shows the fully extended state of the self-locking joint hinge of the present invention. The cam connecting piece 108 and the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101 are connected by a flat head grooved pin shaft 104 and rotate together around the flat head grooved pin shaft 104. The stepped sliding pin ear 102 and the stepped sliding pin 107 are fixed by a semi-circular head socket head cap bolt 103. The stepped sliding pin 107 and the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101 are connected by a guide rail groove 206, a spring 105, and a spring pin 106. When fully extended, the spring 105 provides elastic force to push the stepped sliding pin 106 into the concave part 302 of the cam connecting piece 108 to complete self-locking. The spring pin 106 arranged in the middle of the spring 105 enables the spring 105 to achieve elastic force in a single direction. After being fully extended, the force of the spring 105 on the stepped sliding pin 107 realizes the lateral locking of the stepped sliding pin 107 and the longitudinal locking of the stepped sliding pin by the guide rail groove, thereby realizing the locking of the self-locking hinge.

[0034] Referring to Figure 3 , in this example, Figure 3 shows the folded state of the mechanism. The cam connecting piece 108 and the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101 are connected by a flat head grooved pin shaft 104. When folding, the spring 105 provides elastic force, the spring pin 106 moves in the folding direction of the spring 105, pulls the stepped sliding pin 107, rotates the cam connecting piece 108. The spring pin 106 arranged in the middle of the spring 105 enables the spring 105 to achieve elastic force in a single direction. After folding, the spring pin 106 pushes the arc part 301 of the cam connecting piece to realize the unlocking of the self-locking hinge.

[0035] The stepped sliding pin 107 of the present invention is connected to the guide rail groove of the folding and unfolding hinge joint. The stepped sliding pin 107 and the guide rail groove are in surface contact, reducing stress concentration and having a small pressure intensity. The spring 105 and the spring shaft 106 are connected between the stepped sliding pin 107 and the folding and unfolding hinge joint 101, which can play a certain role in shock absorption and buffering, reducing the vibration and impact of mechanical equipment. The stepped sliding pin 107 and the stepped sliding pin ear 102 are connected by a semi-circular head socket head cap bolt 103, which can greatly reduce the loosening of the stepped sliding pin 107 and the stepped sliding pin ear 102 caused by external environmental factors.

[0036] A self-locking joint hinge of the present invention is realized by a self-locking mechanism composed of a spring stud, a spring, and a cam connecting piece. In the folded state, by rotating the cam connecting piece, the spring pushes the spring stud into the concave part of the cam to complete self-locking, and the cam connecting piece forms a 90° angle with the folding and unfolding hinge joint. In the unfolded state, by pulling the stepped stud and rotating the cam connecting piece, the stepped stud contacts the outer arc of the cam connecting piece, and the cam connecting piece faces the same direction as the folding and unfolding hinge joint to unlock the self-locking hinge. The check component is arranged on the cam connecting piece. There is a concave part on the cam connecting piece, and a single-direction elastic force is realized through the elastic force of the spring. After being fully unfolded, the force of the spring on the stepped sliding pin realizes the lateral locking of the stepped sliding pin and the longitudinal locking of the stepped sliding pin by the guide rail groove, thereby realizing the locking of the self-locking hinge. The present invention solves the problems of high assembly accuracy in the folding and unfolding states of the existing space folding and unfolding mechanism, easy overconstraint and locking, complex structure, large mass, and high cost.

Claims

1. A self-locking joint hinge, characterized in that It includes a connecting column. An L-shaped deployable hinge joint (101) is arranged at the upper part of the connecting column. Self-locking hinges are arranged on two arms of the deployable hinge joint (101). The self-locking hinge includes a stepped sliding pin ear (102), a socket head cap screw (103), a flat head slotted pin (104), a spring (105), a spring pin (106), a stepped sliding pin (107), a cam connecting piece (108), and a circlip (109). The spring pin (106) is inserted into the spring (105). One end of the spring pin (106) is fixed to the body of the deployable hinge joint (101), and the other end is on the stepped sliding pin (107). The cam connecting piece (108) located on the side of the stepped sliding pin (107) away from the spring pin (106) is connected to the deployable hinge joint (101) through the flat head slotted pin (104); the stepped sliding pin ear (102) is attached to the side surface of the deployable hinge joint (101) for locking the movement of the stepped sliding pin; the stepped sliding pin (107) is connected to the stepped sliding pin ear (102) through the socket head cap screw (103); a circlip (109) is arranged at the notch of the flat head slotted pin (104).

2. The self-locking joint hinge according to claim 1, wherein There is a notch at the middle threaded hole of the stepped sliding pin (107) to prevent the spring from slipping.

3. The self-locking joint hinge according to claim 1, wherein Axial notches perpendicular to the length direction are respectively arranged on both sides of the stepped sliding pin (107) in the length direction to increase the contact area with the slide rail.

4. The self-locking joint hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that A pin hole (202) is arranged on the cam connecting piece (108).

5. The self-locking joint hinge according to claim 1, wherein The cam connecting piece (108) has a double-ear structure, and several notches (205) are arranged on the cam connecting piece (108).

6. The self-locking joint hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that A guide rail groove (206) matching the stepped sliding pin (107) is arranged on the deployable hinge joint (101); the stepped sliding pin ear (102) is in contact with the outer side surface (204) of the deployable hinge joint (101).

7. The self-locking joint hinge according to claim 1, wherein An arc part (301) and a concave part (302) that match each other are arranged at one end of the cam connecting piece (108) facing the stepped sliding pin (107). A cam connecting piece chassis (304) is arranged on the end surface of the cam connecting piece (108) connected to the concave part (302). The end part (303) and the bottom part (305) of the deployable hinge joint (101) are in contact with the cam connecting piece chassis (304).

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