A stowable structural assembly

Abstract

The application discloses a rollable structure assembly, and relates to the field of flexible rollable structures, which comprises a pod core plate, the pod core plate is composed of multiple structure units, each structure unit comprises two symmetrically arranged elastic monomers; the elastic monomer comprises an elastic sheet body and a pod segment separated from both ends of the elastic sheet body; corresponding pod segments of the oppositely arranged elastic monomers are attached to each other at one end; the pod core plate can be flattened and stacked under pressure. The application only needs single-layer or double-layer elastic monomers to form a panel-shaped structure support, and has the characteristics of being lighter, easier to adjust the winding stiffness, and easier to wind.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of flexible roll-up structures, and more specifically to a rollable structural component. Background Technology

[0002] Deployable structures have wide applications in daily life, flexible electronics, and aerospace. In flexible electronics, with the development of flexible screens, the trend is towards larger screens, lighter weight, and greater portability, making them more multifunctional electronic terminal devices. Rollable screens are a development direction of particular interest to major electronics manufacturers. In the aerospace field, due to the limitations of rocket fairing volume and launch weight, deployable structures are developing towards high-performance structures with higher unfolding-to-retract ratios, higher precision, higher strength, and lighter weight.

[0003] Currently, deployable structures include folding, telescopic, inflatable, truss cable net, and roll-up support structures. Roll-up support structures, whose cross-sections can be folded and wound onto a roll for storage, have advantages such as extremely high unfolding-to-retract ratio, lightweight, and high rigidity. They are widely used in aerospace fields for lightweight structures such as solar panels, thin-film antennas, and solar sails. The main frame structures of roll-up structures include pod-shaped, C-shaped, herringbone-shaped, N-shaped, and M-shaped support rods. Compared with other shapes, pod-shaped rods have higher bending resistance and torsional stiffness due to their closed cross-section, and have attracted widespread attention.

[0004] Based on the characteristics of pod stalks, existing technologies disclose a flexible layer support structure and a toothed thin-walled structure. The panel-like structure consists of two thin plates sandwiching multiple half-pod stalks or pod stalk elastic core layers. While this panel-like structure can be flattened, stacked, and rolled onto a cylinder, the structure's cross-section has at least four layers of thin-walled panels. After stacking and bending, interlayer misalignment and deformation inconsistencies easily occur between these four layers. Furthermore, the more layers there are, the more complex the stress on each layer becomes, making the structure prone to damage or interlayer debonding. Although interlayer misalignment and shear hysteresis can be reduced by meshing teeth, with the same total thickness after stacking, more layers, smaller individual layer thickness, and finer teeth on each layer require higher processing precision. The joints between layers are generally bonded with adhesives, and the bonding strength requires very high precision in the bonding process. Moreover, the more layers there are, the larger the bonding area, and the higher the probability of interlayer debonding under bending shear forces. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a rollable structural component that requires only one or two layers of elastic monomers to form a panel-like structural support, and features lighter weight, easier adjustment of winding stiffness, and easier winding.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution: In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a rollable structural assembly, including a pod core plate, the pod core plate being composed of multiple structural units, each structural unit including two symmetrically arranged elastic units; the elastic unit includes an elastic thin plate body and pod segments separated from both ends of the elastic thin plate body. Between the relatively set elastic units, the corresponding pod segments are attached to each other at one end; under pressure, the pod core plate can be flattened and stacked.

[0007] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a rollable structural assembly, including a pod core plate, the pod core plate being composed of multiple structural units, each structural unit including an upper elastic thin plate body and a lower elastic thin plate body separated from the same layer of elastic thin plate, and an upper pod segment and a lower pod segment connected to the two ends of the upper elastic thin plate body and the lower elastic thin plate body. Under pressure, the upper elastic thin plate body, the lower elastic thin plate body, the upper pod segment, and the lower pod segment can be stacked in the same plane.

[0008] As a further implementation, the structural units are arranged in a horizontal and vertical alignment. Alternatively, the structural units can be staggered along the y-axis, x-axis, or z-axis.

[0009] As a further implementation, the base of the pod segment is tangent to the elastic thin plate body, and the tip of the pod segment is in surface contact with the tip of another symmetrical pod segment.

[0010] As a further implementation, after stacking, there is a separation seam between the side of the pod segment and the elastic thin plate body, and a butt joint between two opposing pod segments.

[0011] As a further implementation, the dividing seam is connected to the anti-crack hole at the base of the pod segment.

[0012] As a further implementation, the fingertips of the upper pod segment and the lower pod segment located at the same end are connected as one unit; When stacked, the fingertips that are positioned opposite each other have a seam.

[0013] As a further implementation, after stacking, there is a separation seam between the side of the upper pod segment and the upper elastic thin plate body, and there is a separation seam between the side of the lower pod segment and the lower elastic thin plate body. The tip of the dividing joint is provided with a crack-stopping hole.

[0014] As a further implementation, the two ends of the pod core plate are respectively connected to the halved pod stems.

[0015] As a further implementation, a sealing plate is provided on the outer surface of the pod core plate.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the above embodiments of the present invention are as follows: (1) The structural unit of the present invention only requires one or two layers to form a panel-shaped structure support. Compared with the existing panel-shaped rollable thin-walled structure, the pod segments separated from each layer are used as elastic support structures, which have the characteristics of being lighter, easier to adjust the winding stiffness, and easier to wind. Moreover, the panel-shaped structure is a double-layer structure or a single-layer structure, which greatly reduces the bonding area or the number of bonding points between layers, reduces the probability of debonding, and lowers the bonding process requirements. The pod core board formed by this invention can serve as a support frame for flexible devices such as flexible electronic terminals, flexible solar cells, thin-film antennas, and solar sails. It has advantages such as being lightweight, having a high packing ratio, a large unfolded area, being easy to roll up, and not being easily damaged.

[0017] (2) The pod core board of the present invention is composed of multiple structural units. Each structural unit includes two symmetrically arranged elastic units. The elastic unit includes an elastic thin plate body and pod segments separated from both ends of the elastic thin plate body. Since one end of the pod segment is connected to the elastic thin plate body and the other end is in surface contact with another symmetrically arranged pod segment, it can ensure that deformation occurs when pressure is applied. The pod segment and the elastic thin plate body form a coplanar structure. It can quickly restore its shape when the pressure is removed. The pod segments in the multiple structural units are evenly distributed, which improves the mechanical properties of the pod core board.

[0018] (3) The structural unit of the present invention can be separated into an elastic plate body and a pod segment from the same layer of elastic plate, which can ensure the connection between the elastic plate body and the pod segment. When stacked, the elastic plate body and the pod segment can be in the same plane to form a thinner flexible structure.

[0019] (4) The structural units of the present invention have various distribution forms, such as aligned arrangement and staggered arrangement, which can be applied to different occasions. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structural units of Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structural unit stacking and shape restoration in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of a pod-shaped core plate formed by aligning structural units according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the stacked state of the pod core plate formed by aligning the structural units in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the pod core plate, the half-split pod stem, and the sealing plate in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the toothed structure on the contact surface of the bean pod core plate in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the y-direction staggered arrangement of the structural units in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a pod core plate with structural units staggered in the y-direction according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structural unit x-direction misalignment arrangement in Embodiment 3 of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a pod core plate with structural units staggered in the x-direction according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the z-axis misaligned arrangement of structural units in Embodiment 4 of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structural unit stacking and shape restoration in Embodiment 5 of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded and superimposed forms of the double structural units after symmetrical connection in Embodiment 5 of the present invention; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded pod core plate of Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

[0022] Among them, 31-pod core board; 311-elastic thin plate body; 3111-substrate; 3112-skeleton layer; 312-half-sectioned pod stalk; 313-pod segment; 3131-finger tip; 3132-finger root; 3133-butt joint; 3134-crack prevention hole; 3135-separation joint; 314-sealing plate. Detailed Implementation

[0023] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0024] For ease of description, the words "up," "down," "left," and "right" appearing in this invention only indicate that they are consistent with the up, down, left, and right directions of the accompanying drawings themselves, and do not limit the structure. They are merely for the purpose of facilitating the description of this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0025] Example 1: Existing flexible structural sections have at least four layers of thin-walled panels. When the structure is stacked and bent, interlayer misalignment and deformation incoordination easily occur between the four layers of thin-walled panels. Moreover, the more layers there are, the more complex the stress on each layer becomes, making the structure prone to damage or interlayer debonding. Although interlayer misalignment and shear hysteresis can be reduced by meshing teeth, the processing technology requirements are very high.

[0026] Based on this, this embodiment provides a retractable structural component, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the structure includes a pod core board 31, which is composed of multiple structural units arranged aligned laterally and longitudinally. Each structural unit includes two symmetrically arranged elastic units, and the connecting surface between the two elastic units is a mating surface. The pod core boards 31, when stacked, form a structure as shown in the diagram. Figure 4 The plate-like structure shown.

[0027] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the elastic monomer includes an elastic sheet body 311 and pod segments 313, which can be separated from or cut out of the elastic sheet body 311. In this embodiment, the elastic sheet body 311 has a rectangular structure with a rectangular groove. Each end of the rectangular groove is connected to a pod segment 313, and the two pod segments 313 are overlapped to fit the rectangular groove.

[0028] The pod segment 313 connects to the elastic thin plate body 311 at one end as the root of the finger 3132 and at the other end as the tip of the finger 3131. The connection between the root of the finger 3132 and the tip of the finger 3131 is an arc structure consisting of two segments with opposite bending directions joined together. The root of the finger 3132 is tangent to the elastic thin plate body 311, and the tangent position corresponds to the inner wall of the rectangular groove, enabling flexible deformation when flattened under force. The tip of the finger 3131 is in surface contact with the tip of another pod segment 313 that is symmetrical about the overlapping surface.

[0029] like Figure 2As shown, during the stacking of two elastic units, the fingertips 3131 of two adjacent opposing pod segments 313 separated from the same elastic thin plate body 311 move towards each other, forming a butt joint 3133; after the external force is removed, they can quickly return to their original shape due to elasticity. There are separation seams 3135 between the two sides of the pod segment 313 and the elastic thin plate body 311. The separation seams 3135 extend to the finger root 3132 and are provided with crack-stopping holes 3134. The separation seams 3135 and crack-stopping holes 3134 can effectively release local stress during the flattening process and avoid material fatigue fracture.

[0030] like Figure 5 As shown, the two ends of the pod core plate 31 are respectively connected to the half-split pod stalk 312. The half-split pod stalk 312 is composed of two symmetrically arranged pod stalk segments. One end of the pod stalk segment is connected to the pod core plate 31, and the other end is attached to another pod stalk segment, thus forming a surface contact. The half-split pod stalk 312 forms a closed structure at the end of the pod core plate 31, which can suppress shear deformation and facilitate subsequent unfolding and harvesting.

[0031] Furthermore, sealing plates 314 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the pod core board 31. The sealing plates 314 are attached to the surface of the pod core board 31 and are adapted in size. The sealing plates 314 and the pod core board 31 form a sandwich structure, which can reduce stress concentration in the core board.

[0032] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 As shown, interlocking toothed structures are provided on the contact surfaces of each layer (the contact surfaces between the sealing plate 314 and the elastic thin plate body 311, between the pod segments 313, and between the pod segments 313 and the elastic thin plate body 311) to increase the interlayer shear resistance of the overlapping contact surfaces. The cross-section of the teeth in the toothed structure can be trapezoidal, arc-shaped, or other tooth shapes.

[0033] The structural unit of this embodiment only requires two layers to form a panel-like structural support. Compared with the existing panel-like rollable thin-walled structure, this embodiment uses the pod segments 313 separated from each layer as an elastic support structure, which has the characteristics of being lighter, easier to adjust the winding stiffness, and easier to wind. At the same time, the bonding area or the number of bonding points between the two-layer structural units in this embodiment is greatly reduced, so the probability of debonding will be reduced, which can reduce the bonding process requirements.

[0034] The rollable structural component of this embodiment can serve as a support frame for flexible devices such as flexible electronic terminals, flexible solar cells, thin-film antennas, and solar sails. It has advantages such as being lightweight, having a high packing ratio, a large unfolded area, being easy to roll up, and being not easily damaged.

[0035] Example 2: This embodiment provides a retractable structural component, which differs from Embodiment 1 in the arrangement of its structural units, such as... Figure 7and Figure 8 As shown, the structural units are staggered along the y-axis (the extension direction of the partition joint 3135).

[0036] The other structures are the same as in Example 1, and will not be described again here.

[0037] Example 3: This embodiment provides a retractable structural component, which differs from Embodiment 1 in the arrangement of its structural units, such as... Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the structural units are staggered along the x-axis (perpendicular to the extension direction of the partition joint 3135).

[0038] The other structures are the same as in Example 1, and will not be described again here.

[0039] Example 4: This embodiment provides a retractable structural component, which differs from Embodiment 1 in the arrangement of its structural units, such as... Figure 11 As shown, structural units are stacked along the z-axis (height direction) to form a multi-layer structure, and the specific number of layers depends on the actual requirements.

[0040] The other structures are the same as in Example 1, and will not be described again here.

[0041] Example 5: This embodiment provides a rollable structural assembly, which differs from Embodiment 1 in the structural forms of the pod segment 313 and the elastic thin plate body 311. Specifically, as shown... Figures 12-14 As shown, the pod segment 313 and the elastic sheet body 311 are both separated or cut from the same layer of elastic sheet. According to the view direction, the elastic sheet body 311 forms an upper elastic sheet body and a lower elastic sheet body, and the pod segment 313 forms an upper pod segment and a lower pod segment.

[0042] The upper pod segment's root portion 3132 is connected to the upper elastic thin plate body, the lower pod segment's root portion 3132 is connected to the lower elastic thin plate body, and the upper pod segment's fingertip portion 3131 and the lower pod segment's fingertip portion 3131 at the same end are connected as one unit.

[0043] After stacking, the upper elastic thin plate body, the lower elastic thin plate body, the upper pod segment, and the lower pod segment are in the same plane, forming a thinner flexible structure. A separation seam 3135 exists between the side of the upper pod segment and the upper elastic thin plate body, and a separation seam 3135 also exists between the side of the lower pod segment and the lower elastic thin plate body. Simultaneously, a separation seam 3135 also exists between the sides of the upper and lower pod segments. Each separation seam 3135 has a crack-stopping hole 3134 at its tip. A butt joint 3133 exists between the fingertips 3131 of the opposing pod segments 313.

[0044] The structural unit in this embodiment is a single-layer structure, which is lighter and easier to wind than the existing multi-layer thin-walled rollable structure.

[0045] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A retractable structural component, characterized in that, The device includes a pod core plate, which is composed of multiple structural units, each of which includes two symmetrically arranged elastic units; each elastic unit includes an elastic thin plate body and pod segments separated from both ends of the elastic thin plate body. Between the relatively set elastic units, the corresponding pod segments are attached to each other at one end; under pressure, the pod core plate can be flattened and stacked.

2. A retractable structural component, characterized in that, The product includes a pod core plate, which is composed of multiple structural units. Each structural unit includes an upper elastic thin plate body and a lower elastic thin plate body separated from the same layer of elastic thin plate, as well as an upper pod segment and a lower pod segment connected to the two ends of the upper elastic thin plate body and the lower elastic thin plate body. Under pressure, the upper elastic thin plate body, the lower elastic thin plate body, the upper pod segment, and the lower pod segment can be stacked in the same plane.

3. A retractable structural assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The structural units are arranged in a horizontal and vertical alignment. Alternatively, the structural units can be staggered along the y-axis, x-axis, or z-axis.

4. A retractable structural assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base of the pod segment is tangent to the elastic thin plate body, and the fingertip of the pod segment is in surface contact with the fingertip of another symmetrical pod segment.

5. A retractable structural assembly according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, After being stacked, there is a separation seam between the side of the pod segment and the elastic thin plate body, and a butt joint between two opposing pod segments.

6. A retractable structural assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The dividing seam is connected to the anti-crack hole at the base of the pod segment.

7. A retractable structural assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fingertips of the superior and inferior pod segments located at the same end are connected as one unit; When stacked, the fingertips that are positioned opposite each other have a seam.

8. A retractable structural assembly according to claim 2 or 7, characterized in that, After being stacked, there is a separation seam between the side of the upper pod segment and the upper elastic thin plate body, and there is a separation seam between the side of the lower pod segment and the lower elastic thin plate body. The tip of the dividing joint is provided with a crack-stopping hole.

9. A retractable structural assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The two ends of the pod core are respectively connected to the halved pod stems.

10. A retractable structural assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that, A sealing plate is provided on the outer surface of the pod core board.

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