High-integration space autonomous docking interface and use method

Abstract

The invention provides a high-integration space autonomous docking interface and a use method. The high-integration space autonomous docking interface comprises a main control interface, a cooperative interface and respective control modules, the main control interface comprises a magnetic suction plate, an electromagnetic ring, a butt joint contact, a spring pin and a pressure sensor; the collaborative interface comprises a pressure sensor, a positioning hole and a head rotating assembly; the rotation of the head of the cooperation interface is realized through the head rotation assembly, the butt joint direction is adjusted, the direction matching positioning is realized through the cooperation of a spring pin and a positioning hole, the direction matching confirmation is carried out through pressure sensors in the two interfaces, and the extension and retraction of a contact point are realized through the cooperation of an electromagnetic ring and a magnetic suction plate. The butt joint surfaces of the two interfaces are ensured not to have protrusions during direction adjustment; according to the invention, integration of multiple interfaces of electrical, energy and filling is realized, the capability of convenient establishment, disconnection and reusability of multiple connection interfaces is formed, and the execution capability of space complex tasks is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of aerospace technology and its application technology, and specifically relates to a highly integrated space autonomous docking interface and a use method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Autonomous docking in space is fundamental to achieving complex space missions, including multi-dimensional autonomous operations, on-orbit assembly, on-orbit maintenance, and spacecraft life extension. However, existing docking platform interface designs primarily rely on mechanical fastening solutions, primarily encompassing central docking mechanisms and peripheral docking mechanisms for different application scenarios. These interfaces focus on mechanical connection and locking, emphasizing high precision, disturbance resistance, shock resistance, and enhanced locking capabilities. These interfaces are designed for establishing mechanical connections between large components or between two spacecraft, and do not address specific mission hardware interfaces such as electrical connections, charging ports, and refueling ports. These specific mission interfaces are mostly single-function interfaces, such as on-orbit refueling ports, docking and fixing ports, and on-orbit charging ports. These interfaces are typically arranged axially, requiring low directional requirements for the connection itself and limited consideration for establishing electrical information interfaces. Information exchange between the two devices still primarily relies on microwave communication, requiring specialized wireless communication equipment. This makes it difficult to meet the requirements of complex space missions, such as combined on-orbit charging and refueling missions and on-orbit assembly and testing missions, which require extensive data monitoring or observation of the internal operating status of the spacecraft being tested.

[0003] In order to achieve high integration, convenient connection and reusability of various interfaces, while reducing the configuration and control requirements for mission spacecraft, a highly integrated space autonomous docking interface and its usage method are proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a highly integrated space autonomous docking interface and a method for use.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A highly integrated space autonomous docking interface is used to complete the one-time establishment of multiple interfaces such as electrical, energy, and refueling after preliminary docking, implement on-orbit charging, on-orbit refueling, integrated operation of the assembly, and on-orbit integration testing, including a main control interface, a collaborative interface, and their respective control modules; the main control interface includes a magnetic plate, an electromagnetic ring, a docking contact, a spring pin, and a pressure sensor; the collaborative interface includes a pressure sensor, a positioning hole, and a head rotation component; the head of the collaborative interface is rotated by the head rotation component to adjust the docking direction, the direction matching and positioning are achieved by the cooperation of the spring pin and the positioning hole, the direction matching is confirmed by the pressure sensors in the two interfaces, and the extension and retraction of the docking contact are achieved by the cooperation of the electromagnetic ring and the magnetic plate, ensuring that there are no protrusions on the docking surfaces of the two interfaces when adjusting the direction; the docking interface realizes the integration of multiple interfaces such as electrical, energy, and refueling, forming the convenient establishment, disconnection, and reusability of multiple connection interfaces, thereby improving the execution capability of complex space tasks; the control module is used for the connection and control of the two interfaces and the spacecraft.

[0007] The present invention also provides a method for using a highly integrated autonomous space docking interface, wherein the task begins when the master spacecraft and the cooperative spacecraft have completed preliminary mechanical docking and are in an interface connection state. Specifically, the task begins when the conical head structure of the cooperative interface on the cooperative spacecraft has been embedded in the conical portion of the conical guide structure of the master interface in the master spacecraft, and the conical head structure and the conical guide structure are tightly aligned. The method includes:

[0008] The master control spacecraft and the cooperative spacecraft respectively power on the control modules of the master control interface and the cooperative interface;

[0009] The master control spacecraft collects data from the pressure sensor in the master control interface to confirm whether the pressure sensor is under pressure. If it is, it continuously monitors the pressure sensor until the monitoring times out, exits the task, and reports a fault. If the pressure sensor in the master control interface is not under pressure, it is determined that the docking contact is extended. The master control spacecraft controls the magnetic drive switch of the master control interface to turn on, and the electromagnetic ring attracts the magnetic plate, causing the main control interface docking contact to extend and insert into the collaborative interface groove 1, connecting with the collaborative interface docking contact. The master control interface information switch is also turned on.

[0010] The collaborative spacecraft collects data from the pressure sensor in the collaborative interface to confirm whether the pressure sensor is under pressure. If not, the collaborative interface is driven clockwise or counterclockwise. The collaborative interface is rotated around the axis by joint control and the pressure sensor is continuously monitored. The interface rotates according to the rotation control logic and continuously monitors whether the collaborative interface pressure sensor is under pressure during the rotation process. If it is under pressure, the collaborative spacecraft controls the collaborative interface information switch to turn on.

[0011] Successful information exchange between the master spacecraft and the cooperative spacecraft indicates that a connection has been established.

[0012] Carry out the corresponding tasks according to the mission requirements. After the mission is completed, the mission end information is synchronized to the two spacecraft as the starting point. The connection and disconnection process is as follows:

[0013] The master control spacecraft turns off the master control interface information switch and magnetic drive switch, causing the magnetic plate to be pulled back by the spring, the master control interface contact point to retract, and the two interface contact points to separate, making information communication impossible; the master control spacecraft continuously monitors the pressure sensor inside the master control interface to determine whether the main control interface pressure sensor is under pressure. If it is under pressure, the master control spacecraft confirms that the connection is disconnected. If it is not under pressure, the master control spacecraft continues to monitor until the monitoring timeout, then exits the mission and reports a fault. After confirming the connection is disconnected, the master control spacecraft cuts off the power to the main control interface;

[0014] The coordinated spacecraft turned off the information switch, and information could not be communicated;

[0015] After a delay of a period of time (to ensure that the main control switch has retracted the docking contact point), the collaborative spacecraft is driven clockwise or counterclockwise, and the joint control causes the collaborative interface to rotate around the axis, so that the main control interface spring pin is rotated out of the collaborative interface positioning hole. According to the speed and step information, the ±180° rotation is completed according to the control strategy. The pressure sensor is continuously monitored during the process. If the collaborative interface pressure sensor is not under pressure, the rotation is stopped. During the rotation process, each time a ±180° rotation relative to the zero position is completed, the number of rotations is increased by 1. When the number of rotations is greater than or equal to the limit value N, the system will jump out and report a fault. Confirm that the collaborative interface pressure sensor is not under pressure, and the collaborative spacecraft control the entire device or interface to move outward along the axis so that the two spacecraft are no longer physically in contact and the connection is disconnected;

[0016] Cooperate with the spacecraft control to return the stepper motor of the head rotation component in the collaborative interface to zero position, then power off the collaborative interface to complete the disconnection process and ultimately complete the mission.

[0017] Beneficial effects:

[0018] In order to improve the integration of the on-orbit autonomous docking interface, expand the scope of interface application, simplify the interface docking process, and solve the problem of convenient establishment, disconnection and reuse of electrical connections, the present invention introduces contact expansion and interface direction control measures, so that the interface is no longer central and local, and can effectively integrate various types of interfaces such as various information interfaces, energy interfaces, and refueling interfaces; through the interface guide structure design and the rotation of the head around the axis, the connection requirements and control requirements are simplified; through the unified interface control module, modular application and batch production are facilitated. The two spacecraft can realize electrical information interaction through a single interface connection, forming a circulating energy flow and information flow between the two devices, with the ability to establish and disconnect the connection multiple times, and implement tasks such as on-orbit charging, refueling, and integrated testing. The use of the proposed interface can effectively improve the ability of on-orbit spacecraft to perform complex space tasks, and lay the foundation for potential complex applications such as on-orbit assembly and manufacturing, and on-orbit factory-style maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of a highly integrated space autonomous docking interface of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the interface status after connection.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the interface control module principle.

[0022] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the process of establishing a connection.

[0023] Figure 5 The figure shows the process of disconnecting.

[0024] Among them, the figures are marked as: main control interface 1, collaborative interface 2, control module 3, conical guide structure 4, spring 5, flexible cable or hose 6, magnetic plate 7, electromagnetic ring 8, docking contact 9, spring pin 10, pressure sensor 11, positioning hole 12, cable network / pipeline 13, groove 14, conical head structure 15, head rotation assembly 16. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below may be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0026] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the highly integrated spatial autonomous docking interface of the present invention can be used to repeatedly establish and disconnect electrical, energy, and refueling interfaces after initial mechanical docking, and is composed of a main control interface 1, a collaborative interface 2, and a control module 3.

[0027] The main control interface 1 includes a conical guide structure 4, a spring 5, a flexible cable or hose 6, a magnetic plate 7, an electromagnetic ring 8, a docking contact 9, a spring pin 10, a pressure sensor 11 installed on the top of the spring pin 10, and a cable network / pipeline 13. The main control interface 1 is based on the conical guide structure 4, which is composed of a tail column section and a cone section. The cable network / pipeline 13 is connected to the tail column section of the conical guide structure 4. The electromagnetic ring 8 is installed at the junction of the tail column section and the cone section of the conical guide structure 4. It is a hollow ring structure and is not connected to the docking contact 9. The docking contact 9 can move in the hollow position of the electromagnetic ring 8. The flexible cable or hose 6 in the cable network / pipeline 13 passes through the tail of the conical guide structure 4, is fixedly connected to the magnetic plate 7, and is connected to the docking contact 9 fixedly connected to the other side of the magnetic plate. Multiple groups of springs 5 ​​are respectively fixedly connected to the magnetic plate 7 and the tail of the conical guide structure 4. By pulling the magnetic plate 7 through multiple sets of springs 5, the docking contact point 9 fixedly connected to the magnetic plate 7 is retracted in the non-docked state, ensuring that there is no protrusion on the outer end face of the electromagnetic ring 8. A slide rail for the magnetic plate 7 is reserved in the inner structural surface of the conical guide structure 4 to limit the movement of the magnetic plate 7, thereby ensuring that the movement path of the docking contact point 9 fixed thereto is fixed. After the electromagnetic ring 8 is energized, the magnetism generated will attract the magnetic plate 7 to move along the inner slide rail of the conical guide structure 4, so that the magnetic plate 7 fits the electromagnetic ring 8, and the docking contact point 9 extends out of the electromagnetic ring 8 toward the outer end face. In summary, by utilizing the flexible bending of the flexible cable or hose 6, in combination with the spring 5, and the electromagnetic ring 8, the overall stretching and retraction of the cable driven by the magnetic plate 7 and the extension and retraction of the docking contact point 9 can be achieved.

[0028] The direction matching of the collaborative interface 2 and the main control interface 1 is achieved by the spring pin 10 cooperating with the positioning hole 12 of the collaborative interface 2. The spring pin 10 is located on the inner side of the cone section of the conical guide structure 4. A pressure sensor 11 is installed on the top of the spring pin 10. When the docking direction of the collaborative interface 2 does not meet the requirements, the spring pin 10 is in a compressed state, and the pressure sensor 11 in the main control interface 1 is under pressure. When the direction of the collaborative interface 2 matches that of the main control interface 1, the spring pin 10 is inserted into the positioning hole 12 in the collaborative interface 2, the spring pin 10 is in a non-pressurized state, and the pressure sensor is not under pressure. After the initial mechanical connection of the interface is completed, the docking direction can be adjusted by rotating the collaborative interface 2 around the axis or rotating the spacecraft around the axis of the interface, so that the spring pin 10 is inserted into the positioning hole 12.

[0029] The cooperative interface 2 includes a docking contact point 9, a pressure sensor 11, a positioning hole 12, a cable network / pipeline 13, a groove 14, a conical head structure 15, and a head rotation component 16.

[0030] The conical head structure 15 is the main structure of the cooperative interface. The conical head is matched with the conical guide structure 4 in the main control interface 1. The mechanical structure improves the docking stability and reduces the requirements for the precision control of the spacecraft docking. A groove 14 is opened in the middle of the conical head structure 15, and the docking contact 9 of the cooperative interface 2 is installed at the bottom of the groove 14. The geometric shape of the groove 14 is matched with the protruding part of the docking contact 9 in the main control interface 2. In the docked state, the main control interface 1 is connected to the docking contact 9 of the cooperative interface 2 to realize the connection of the cable network / pipeline 13. The head rotation component 16 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the conical head structure 15 to realize the axial rotation of the conical head structure 15 and its accessories. The other end of the head rotation component 16 is fixedly connected to the cable network / pipeline 13 of the cooperative interface 2.

[0031] The head rotation component 16 utilizes the bending capabilities of conventional cables or hoses to ensure connection and has a zero-position monitoring function, a stepper motor step counting function, and a drive direction recording function. The zero-position monitoring function is used to reset the state and resolve the angle after the connection is disconnected, while the step counting function and direction recording function are used to resolve the rotation angle. Due to the small size and light weight of the head rotation component 16, a small motor can be used to achieve rotation. The control module 3 can estimate the angle based on the number of rotation steps relative to the zero position, the drive direction, and the zero position. For example, if the motor has 2000 steps per revolution, a single step is 0.18°. With clockwise rotation as positive, the clockwise drive switch counts the direction as positive, and driving 200 steps is +36°, while driving 200 steps counterclockwise is -36°. The absolute value of the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation angles is limited to no more than 190° to prevent cable entanglement. The number of steps is reset when crossing the zero position. For example, if driving 100 steps clockwise is followed by 200 steps counterclockwise, it is equivalent to driving 100 steps counterclockwise, resulting in a -18° angle. To complete A 180-degree rotation is considered one revolution, and the maximum number of revolutions per single rotation is n. Starting from zero, one revolution is achieved by driving the head clockwise for 1000 steps, followed by 2000 steps counterclockwise. After disconnection, the motor in the head's rotating component is controlled to return the motor to zero, completing the reset.

[0032] The positioning hole 12 of the collaborative interface 2 is located on the outside of the tail of the conical head structure 15, and a pressure sensor 11 is installed on one side of the positioning hole 12 for position feedback and status confirmation. When the spring pin 10 is not inserted into the positioning hole 12, the pressure sensor 11 of the collaborative interface 2 is not under pressure. After the spring pin 10 is inserted, the pressure sensor 11 of the collaborative interface 2 is under pressure. When the interface connection needs to be disconnected, the conical head structure 15 and its accessories are driven to rotate around the axis through the head rotation component 16, so that the spring pin 10 of the main control interface 1 is disengaged from the positioning hole 12 along the circumference of the interface to prevent damage to the side and rear pressure sensors.

[0033] Preferably, interfaces can be designed specifically for the application. For example, for the refueling interface, soft material can be installed at the collaborative interface of the refueling docking to improve the interface's tightness and stability. In the charging interface, considering that the voltage commonly used by small spacecraft on orbit is low, a charging current limiting management solution can be added to the cable network / pipeline 13 end of the main control interface 1. For refueling applications, the approach is similar, adding a flow control solution to the cable network / pipeline 13 end of the main control interface 1.

[0034] The master control interface 1 and its corresponding control module 3 are installed on the master spacecraft. The collaborative interface 2 and its corresponding control module 3 are installed on the collaborative spacecraft. The control modules 3 of both interfaces share the same technical solution to enhance versatility. The control module 3 consists of a control assembly, a charging switch, a pressure sensor acquisition circuit, an information switch, a refueling switch, a clockwise rotation drive switch, a counterclockwise rotation drive switch, a magnetic drive switch, and a charging switch. Depending on specific application requirements, various switches can be added to the control module 3 to implement interface control. An information interface and a power supply interface are provided between the control assembly in the control module 3 and the service computer. Refueling lines connect the control module on the master spacecraft to the onboard refueling system, while refueling lines connect the control module on the collaborative spacecraft to the onboard propulsion system. The control assembly performs various operations under the control of the service computer. The charging switch in the control module 3 controls charging via the interface. The information switch controls information access via the interface. Physically, the information interface can be a CAN, RS422, RS485, or a point-to-point high-speed data interface.

[0035] The refueling switch controls the refueling process. It can be connected to various valve control circuits on the refueling side or to the control circuits on the receiving side. For example, it can be connected to the self-latching valve control circuit in the fuel tank pipeline of the main control spacecraft. When refueling is required, the refueling switch opens, energizing the self-latching valve. When refueling is not required, the refueling switch opens, preventing the self-latching valve from being energized. The magnetic drive switch controls whether the electromagnetic ring 8 in the main control interface 1 is magnetized. When the magnetic drive switch is on, the electromagnetic ring 8 is magnetized, attracting the magnetic plate 7 and extending the docking contact 9. When the switch is off, the electromagnetic ring is no longer magnetized, and the magnetic plate 7, under the action of the spring 5, pulls the docking contact 9 back, separating and retracting the docking contact 9 between the main control interface 1 and the collaborative interface 2. The clockwise and counterclockwise rotation drive switches control the desired rotation of the head rotation assembly in the collaborative interface 2, thereby achieving directional matching between the main control interface and the collaborative interface. The magnetic drive switch is disabled in the control module 3 corresponding to the collaborative interface 2. The clockwise rotation drive switch and the counterclockwise rotation drive switch in the control module 3 corresponding to the main control interface 1 are not enabled.

[0036] Taking the master spacecraft charging and refueling the cooperative spacecraft as an example, the following instructions are provided. Figure 4 , Figure 5As shown. The task starts when the master spacecraft and the cooperative spacecraft have completed preliminary mechanical docking and have an interface connection state. That is, the conical head structure 15 of the cooperative interface 2 on the cooperative spacecraft has been embedded in the conical part of the conical guide structure 4 of the master interface 1 in the master spacecraft, and the conical head structure 15 and the conical guide structure 4 are tightly fitted. The specific steps of the task are:

[0037] Step 1: Establish a connection:

[0038] The master spacecraft and the cooperative spacecraft respectively power on the control modules 3 of the master control interface 1 and the cooperative interface 2;

[0039] The master control spacecraft collects data from the pressure sensor 11 in the master control interface 1 to confirm whether the pressure sensor 11 is under pressure. If it is under pressure, the pressure sensor is continuously monitored until the monitoring times out, that is, when the monitoring time is greater than a given value, the mission is exited and a fault is reported.

[0040] If the main control interface pressure sensor is not under pressure, it is judged that the docking contact point is in an extended state. The main control spacecraft controls the main control interface magnetic drive switch to open, so that the electromagnetic ring 8 attracts the magnetic plate 7, and the main control interface docking contact point 9 is extended and inserted into the groove 14 of the collaborative interface 2, and connected with the docking contact point 9 in the collaborative interface 2, and controls the main control interface information switch to open.

[0041] The collaborative spacecraft collects data from the pressure sensor 11 in the collaborative interface 2 to confirm whether the pressure sensor 11 is under pressure. If not, it drives clockwise or counterclockwise to turn on the drive. The joint control rotates the collaborative interface around the axis and continuously monitors the pressure sensor. After completing the rotation of ±180° relative to the zero position, the number of rotations is increased by 1. When the number of rotations is greater than or equal to the limit value N, it jumps out and reports a fault. Otherwise, it drives 1000 steps clockwise and 2000 steps counterclockwise to complete the ±180° rotation. During the rotation process, the collaborative interface pressure sensor 11 is continuously monitored to see if it is under pressure. If it is, the collaborative spacecraft controls the collaborative interface 2 information switch to turn on.

[0042] Successful information exchange between the master spacecraft and the cooperative spacecraft indicates that a connection has been established.

[0043] Step 2: Execute the charging task:

[0044] After the connection is established, the collaborative spacecraft confirms that there is a need for charging through the battery pack voltage monitoring information on the vehicle, then turns on the charging switch, connects the interface charging circuit, and has a charging state, and continuously converts the voltage information into charging request information, which is transferred to the main control spacecraft service computer through the control module 3 of the collaborative interface 2 and the control module 3 of the main control interface 1.

[0045] After receiving the charging request information, the master control spacecraft turns on the charging switch, enables the energy output circuit to output, and starts charging.

[0046] During the charging mission, the master spacecraft and the cooperative spacecraft monitor parameters separately. When the cooperative spacecraft is charged to the high level of the battery pack, it sends a request to end charging and switches to other tasks or the connection disconnection process.

[0047] After receiving the charge end request, the master spacecraft determines whether there are other tasks. If there are other tasks that require maintaining the interface connection, the master spacecraft controls the charging switch to turn off and feedback the status to the cooperative spacecraft. If there are no other tasks, the connection will be disconnected.

[0048] If the cooperating spacecraft does not send a charge termination request for an extended period, the master spacecraft will use the telemetry information forwarded by the master control interface 1 control module 3 to perform charging and self-protection operations. For example, a maximum charging time limit may be introduced, and the charging current may be used to determine whether a long-term trickle charge has occurred. This will determine whether the charging task should be terminated and send a task termination request to the cooperating spacecraft, transitioning to the disconnection process.

[0049] Step 3: Execute the filling task:

[0050] The refueling task and the charging task can be executed at the same time, and the task processes are similar.

[0051] The collaborative spacecraft confirms the refueling demand and generates a refueling request based on the tank monitoring information, such as the tank pressure, and sends it to the main control spacecraft service computer through the collaborative interface and the main control interface, turning on the refueling switch to put the collaborative spacecraft into the refueling state.

[0052] After receiving the refueling request information, the master control spacecraft turns on the refueling switch, so that the master control spacecraft system is in a refueling state.

[0053] During the refueling mission, the master spacecraft and the cooperative spacecraft monitor parameters separately. When the cooperative spacecraft refuels to a high tank pressure, it sends a refueling end request and switches to other tasks or the connection disconnection process.

[0054] After receiving the refueling end request, the master spacecraft determines whether there are other tasks. If there are other tasks that require maintaining the interface connection, the master spacecraft controls the refueling switch to turn off and feedback the status to the cooperative spacecraft. If there are no other tasks, the connection will be disconnected.

[0055] Step 4. Disconnect:

[0056] The disconnection process starts with the synchronization of the mission end information to the two spacecraft.

[0057] The master control spacecraft turns off the information switch and magnetic drive switch of the master control interface 1, so that the magnetic plate 7 is pulled back by the spring 5, the contact point 9 of the master control interface 1 retracts, and the contact points of the two interfaces are separated, and information cannot be communicated.

[0058] The master control spacecraft continuously monitors the pressure sensor 11 in the master control interface 1 to determine whether the master control interface pressure sensor is under pressure. If it is under pressure, the master control spacecraft confirms that the connection is disconnected. If it is not under pressure, it continues to monitor until the monitoring timeout, then exits the mission and reports a fault.

[0059] The master control spacecraft confirms that the connection is disconnected and then powers off the master control interface 1.

[0060] The coordinated spacecraft turned off the information switch, and information could not be communicated.

[0061] The coordinated spacecraft is driven clockwise or counterclockwise. Joint control rotates the coordinated interface about its axis, unscrewing the spring pin of the main control interface 1 out of the positioning hole 12 of the coordinated interface 2. The system is driven clockwise for 1000 steps and counterclockwise for 2000 steps, completing a ±180° rotation. The pressure sensor is continuously monitored during this process. If the coordinated interface pressure sensor 11 is not under pressure, the system stops rotating. The number of rotations increases by 1 for each ±180° rotation relative to zero. If the number of rotations exceeds or equals the limit N, the system will trip and report a fault.

[0062] After confirming that the pressure sensor 11 of the cooperative interface 2 is not under pressure, the cooperative spacecraft controls the entire device or the interface to move outward along the axis so that the two spacecraft are no longer in physical contact and the connection is disconnected.

[0063] In coordination with the spacecraft control, the stepper motor of the head rotation component 16 in the coordination interface 2 is returned to zero position, and then the coordination interface 2 is powered off to complete the disconnection process.

Claims

1. A highly integrated space autonomous docking interface, characterized in that: It is used to complete the one-time establishment of multiple interfaces such as electrical, energy, and refueling after the initial docking, implement on-orbit charging, on-orbit refueling, integrated operation of the assembly and on-orbit integration testing, including the main control interface, collaborative interface and their respective control modules; the main control interface includes a magnetic plate, an electromagnetic ring, a docking contact, a spring pin, and a pressure sensor; the collaborative interface includes a pressure sensor, a positioning hole, and a head rotation component; the head of the collaborative interface is rotated by the head rotation component to adjust the docking direction, the direction matching and positioning are achieved by the cooperation of the spring pin and the positioning hole, the direction matching is confirmed by the pressure sensors in the two interfaces, and the extension and retraction of the docking contact are achieved by the cooperation of the electromagnetic ring and the magnetic plate, ensuring that there are no protrusions on the docking surfaces of the two interfaces when adjusting the direction; the docking interface realizes the integration of multiple interfaces such as electrical, energy, and refueling, forming the ability to easily establish, disconnect, and reuse multiple connection interfaces, thereby improving the execution capability of complex space tasks; the control module is used for the connection and control of the two interfaces and the spacecraft.

2. The highly integrated space autonomous docking interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main control interface also includes a conical guide structure, a flexible cable or hose, and the conical guide structure is composed of a tail column section and a cone section; the cable network / pipeline is connected to the tail column section of the conical guide structure, and the electromagnetic ring is installed at the transition between the tail column section and the cone section of the conical guide structure. It is a hollow ring structure and is not connected to the docking contact point; The docking contact point can move in the hollow position of the electromagnetic ring. The flexible cable or hose in the cable network / pipeline passes through the tail of the conical guide structure, is fixedly connected to the magnetic plate, and is connected to the docking contact point fixed to the other side of the magnetic plate; multiple groups of springs are respectively fixedly connected to the magnetic plate and the tail of the conical guide structure; the magnetic plate is pulled by multiple groups of springs to achieve the retraction of the docking contact point fixed to the magnetic plate in the non-docked state, ensuring that there is no protrusion on the outer end face of the electromagnetic ring.

3. The highly integrated space autonomous docking interface according to claim 2, characterized in that: A slide rail for the magnetic plate is reserved in the inner structural surface of the conical guide structure in the main control interface to limit the movement of the magnetic plate, thereby ensuring that the movement path of the docking contact point fixedly connected thereto is fixed.

4. The highly integrated space autonomous docking interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the electromagnetic ring in the main control interface is energized, the magnetism it generates will attract the magnetic plate to move along the inner slide rail of the conical guide structure, so that the magnetic plate fits the electromagnetic ring and the contact point extends outward from the electromagnetic ring.

5. The highly integrated space autonomous docking interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spring pin in the main control interface is located on the inner side of the conical section of the conical guide structure, and a pressure sensor is installed on the top of the spring pin. When the docking direction of the collaborative interface does not meet the requirements, the spring pin is in a compressed state, and the pressure sensor in the main control interface is under pressure. When the direction of the collaborative interface matches that of the main control interface, the spring pin is inserted into the positioning hole in the collaborative interface, the spring pin is in a non-pressurized state, and the pressure sensor is not under pressure.

6. The highly integrated space autonomous docking interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The collaborative interface also includes a conical head structure, a docking contact point, and a groove; the shape of the conical head structure matches that of the conical guide structure in the main control interface, and the docking stability is improved through the mechanical structure, reducing the requirements for spacecraft docking precision control; a groove is opened in the middle of the conical head structure, and the docking contact point of the collaborative interface is installed at the bottom of the groove; the geometric shape of the groove matches the protruding part of the docking contact point in the main control interface; a head rotation assembly is fixedly installed at the bottom of the conical head structure to realize the axial rotation of the conical head structure and its accessories.

7. The highly integrated space autonomous docking interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The head rotation component in the collaborative interface has a zero-position monitoring function, a stepping motor step counting function and a driving direction recording function; the zero-position monitoring function is used for state reset and angle calculation after connection and disconnection, and the step counting function and direction recording function are used for estimating the rotation angle; for ease of application, the absolute value of the rotation angle is limited to prevent cable entanglement and an angle calculation method is proposed.

8. The highly integrated space autonomous docking interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control module integrates a charging switch, an information switch, a filling switch, a clockwise rotation drive, a counterclockwise rotation drive, a magnetic drive switch and a control component, and has an information interface, a power supply interface and a filling pipeline interface with the corresponding spacecraft; The drive-related switches in the control module corresponding to the main control interface are not enabled, and the magnetic drive switches in the control module corresponding to the collaborative interface are not enabled.

9. The method for using the highly integrated space autonomous docking interface according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The task starts with the master spacecraft and the cooperative spacecraft having completed preliminary mechanical docking and being in an interface connection state, that is, the conical head structure of the cooperative interface on the cooperative spacecraft has been embedded in the conical portion of the conical guide structure of the master interface in the master spacecraft, and the conical head structure and the conical guide structure 4 are tightly fitted together. The use method includes: The master control spacecraft and the cooperative spacecraft respectively power on the control modules of the master control interface and the cooperative interface; The master control spacecraft collects data from the pressure sensor in the master control interface to confirm whether the pressure sensor is under pressure. If it is, it continuously monitors the pressure sensor until the monitoring times out, exits the task, and reports a fault. If the pressure sensor in the master control interface is not under pressure, it is determined that the docking contact is extended. The master control spacecraft controls the magnetic drive switch of the master control interface to turn on, and the electromagnetic ring attracts the magnetic plate, causing the main control interface docking contact to extend and insert into the collaborative interface groove 1, connecting with the collaborative interface docking contact. The master control interface information switch is also turned on. The collaborative spacecraft collects data from the pressure sensor in the collaborative interface to confirm whether the pressure sensor is under pressure. If not, the collaborative interface is driven clockwise or counterclockwise. The collaborative interface is rotated around the axis by joint control and the pressure sensor is continuously monitored. The interface rotates according to the rotation control logic and continuously monitors whether the collaborative interface pressure sensor is under pressure during the rotation process. If it is under pressure, the collaborative spacecraft controls the collaborative interface information switch to turn on. Successful information exchange between the master spacecraft and the cooperative spacecraft indicates that a connection has been established.

10. The method of use according to claim 9, characterized in that: After receiving a mission end request, the master spacecraft determines whether there are other tasks. If there are other tasks that require maintaining the interface connection status, the master spacecraft controls the closing of the switches corresponding to the tasks, such as the charging switch and the refueling switch, and feeds back the status to the cooperative spacecraft. If there are no other tasks, proceed to the disconnection process; If the cooperative spacecraft does not send a charging end request for a long time, the master spacecraft will charge and protect itself through the telemetry information forwarded by the control module of the master interface, determine whether to end the mission, and send a mission end request to the cooperative spacecraft, and then switch to the connection disconnection process.

11. The method of use according to claim 9, characterized in that: The disconnection process after the mission ends starts with the synchronization of the mission end information to the two spacecraft. The specific process is as follows: The connection and disconnection process starts with the synchronization of the mission end information to the two spacecraft; The master control spacecraft turns off the master control interface information switch and magnetic drive switch, causing the magnetic plate to be pulled back by the spring, the master control interface contact point to retract, and the two interface contact points to separate, making it impossible for information to communicate with each other; the master control spacecraft continuously monitors the pressure sensor inside the master control interface to determine whether the main control interface pressure sensor is under pressure. If it is under pressure, the master control spacecraft confirms that the connection is disconnected. If it is not under pressure, the monitoring continues until the monitoring timeout, then the task is exited and a fault is reported. After confirming that the connection is disconnected, the master control spacecraft cuts off the power to the main control interface; The coordinated spacecraft turned off the information switch, and information could not be communicated; After a delay of a period of time (to ensure that the main control switch has retracted the docking contact point), the collaborative spacecraft is driven clockwise or counterclockwise, and the joint control causes the collaborative interface to rotate around the axis, so that the main control interface spring pin is rotated out of the collaborative interface positioning hole. According to the speed and step information, the ±180° rotation is completed according to the control strategy. The pressure sensor is continuously monitored during the process. If the collaborative interface pressure sensor is not under pressure, the rotation is stopped. During the rotation process, each time a ±180° rotation relative to the zero position is completed, the number of rotations is increased by 1. When the number of rotations is greater than or equal to the limit value N, the system will jump out and report a fault. Confirm that the collaborative interface pressure sensor is not under pressure, and the collaborative spacecraft control the entire device or interface to move outward along the axis so that the two spacecraft are no longer physically in contact and the connection is disconnected; Cooperate with the spacecraft control to return the stepper motor of the head rotation component in the collaborative interface to zero position, and then power off the collaborative interface to complete the disconnection process.

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