Passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking

Abstract

The invention discloses a passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking, the passive locking and releasing mechanism comprises a locking mechanism, a mounting bracket, a cutter assembly, a sensor assembly and a buffer assembly, the locking mechanism and the sensor assembly are mounted at the top of the mounting bracket, the cutter assembly is mounted in the mounting bracket, and the buffer assembly is mounted on the cutter assembly. In the initial state, the locking claw is located at the locking position, and the locking claw overcomes the resistance of the torsional spring to be opened outwards under the pressing of a locked object and is locked again after the locking claw is in place; in the unlocking state, the cutter is ignited, and the pull rod drives the locking claw to be opened to achieve the single-time releasing function. The lock claw adopts a modular design and can adapt to different locked objects, so that the compatibility is improved. The device has the advantages of no need of a pre-locking object in an initial state, power-off locking maintenance, high overload resistance, no electromagnetic interference, wide application range, capability of feeding back an unlocking-releasing state, simple and reliable structure, light weight, high environmental adaptability and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of aerospace, and in particular relates to a passive locking and releasing mechanism that does not require pre-locking. Background Art

[0002] In the aerospace field, a lock-release mechanism is a commonly used mechanical device used to connect or separate two or more components.

[0003] Currently, conventional locking and release mechanisms operate in two main modes and implementations: 1) Initially locking the locked object and providing the ability to maintain the lock and release it in a single attempt, typically achieved using a fire-actuated actuator; 2) Initially unlocking the locked object and providing the ability to repeatedly lock and release it, typically using a motor or solenoid valve combined actuator. However, in certain applications, where there is no locked object in the initial state and the object is locked, maintained, and released only once during a mission, the use of a repeated locking and release mechanism incurs significant weight and power consumption costs. Furthermore, pre-locking the locked object in the initial state is also unsuitable. With the increasing demands of aerospace missions, a locking and release solution is required that does not initially lock the object, utilizes a passive locking method, maintains the locked state, offers a single release, exhibits strong overload resistance, is widely applicable, has a simple structure, is lightweight, and is highly reliable. Therefore, to address these issues, a passive locking and single active release mechanism that does not require pre-locking has been proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a passive locking and releasing mechanism that does not require pre-locking, so as to meet the demand for locking and releasing mechanisms in certain special scenarios in aerospace missions.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is to provide a passive locking and releasing mechanism that does not require pre-locking, including a locking mechanism, a mounting bracket, a cutter assembly, a sensor assembly, and a buffer assembly;

[0006] The locking mechanism is mounted at the center of the top of the mounting bracket and consists of four sets of axially symmetrically arranged locking claws, unlocking pull rods, and limiting torsion springs. The locking hook on the top of the locking claw is adapted to the structural features of the locked object and is used to lock and secure the locked object. The upper portion of the locking claw is connected to the unlocking pull rod, and the limiting torsion spring and the bottom of the locking claw are both connected to the mounting bracket. The two ends of the unlocking pull rod are respectively connected to the upper portion of the locking claw and the pull rod connecting platform. The middle position of the unlocking pull rod is used to fix the locking trigger block. The limiting torsion spring is mounted on the mounting platform and is used to press the locking claw to keep it in a closed state.

[0007] The mounting bracket is an internal hollow structure for placing the cutter assembly;

[0008] The cutter assembly consists of a cutter, a pull rod connecting platform, an unlocking push spring, a pull rod, a cutter bracket, a large buffer sleeve and a small buffer sleeve; the cutter is installed on the side of the cutter bracket for cutting the pull rod; the pull rod connecting platform is installed at the bottom of the cutter bracket, and a hollow circular hole structure is provided at the lower center position of the cutter bracket and the upper center position of the pull rod connecting platform, and the two circular hole structures are sleeved together, and the unlocking push spring is installed inside; the outer edge of the pull rod connecting platform and the unlocking pull rod are connected at a groove structure, so that the unlocking pull rod can move relative to the pull rod connecting platform; the pull rod passes through the pull rod connecting platform, the unlocking push spring, the cutter bracket and the small buffer sleeve, and is used to connect the cutter bracket and the small buffer sleeve, so that the pull rod connecting platform presses the unlocking push spring in a compressed state; the large buffer sleeve is installed on the top of the cutter bracket, and its top is used for installing the buffer assembly;

[0009] The sensor assembly consists of two sensor mounting brackets, two in-place sensors, four locking sensors, and four locking trigger blocks; the two sensor mounting brackets are symmetrically mounted on the top of the mounting bracket, and an in-place sensor is mounted on the top of each sensor mounting bracket to monitor whether the locked object is in place; two locking sensors are symmetrically mounted on both sides of each sensor mounting bracket to monitor whether the locked object is locked; each locking sensor is provided with a locking trigger block to trigger the locking sensor;

[0010] The buffer assembly consists of a buffer cover, a buffer push rod and a buffer spring; the buffer cover is installed on the top of the large buffer sleeve; the buffer spring is installed inside the buffer cover, one side contacts the large buffer sleeve, and the other side contacts the buffer push rod; the buffer push rod passes through the buffer cover and is installed on the top of the buffer spring, and the top of the buffer push rod contacts the locked object.

[0011] Furthermore, in the initial state, under the restriction of the pull rod, the pull rod connecting platform compresses the unlocking push spring, making it in a compressed state, and the pull rod connecting platform is in a stationary state. Under the action of the limiting torsion spring, the locking claw closes inward, driving the unlocking pull rod to move upward until its other end moves to the top of the connecting groove of the pull rod connecting platform and stops moving. The mechanism is in a closed state.

[0012] Furthermore, during the passive locking and holding process, the outer surface of the locked object should be provided with a corresponding adaptation structure, which will press the locking claw and the buffer push rod downward under the action of external force, so that the locking claw overcomes the resistance of the limiting torsion spring and opens outward, driving the unlocking pull rod to move downward, and the other end of the unlocking pull rod slides unrestricted in the connecting groove of the pull rod connecting platform. When the locked object reaches the predetermined position, the surface groove coincides with the locking claw, and the locking claw is no longer subjected to the compressive force and is re-locked and stuck in the groove to realize the locking and holding function; at the same time, under the pressure of the buffer push rod, the buffer spring is compressed and stores elastic potential energy.

[0013] Furthermore, during a single active release process, the cutter is ignited, the pull rod is cut off, and the unlocking push spring is released to bounce downward, causing the pull rod connecting platform to move downward relative to the cutter bracket. The top of the connecting groove of the pull rod connecting platform drives one end of the unlocking pull rod to move downward, thereby allowing the locking claw to overcome the resistance of the limiting torsion spring and open outward again. After that, the buffer spring stretches upward to release elastic potential energy, and the locked object is ejected outward to achieve active release.

[0014] Furthermore, in the monitoring state, when the bottom of the locked object triggers the in-place sensor, the position of the locked object is judged based on the in-place signal; the closing and opening actions of the locking claw drive the movement of the unlocking rod, and the locking trigger block installed on the unlocking rod triggers the locking sensor, thereby judging the working state of the mechanism based on the signal.

[0015] Furthermore, the locking claw adopts a modular design to adapt to a variety of locked objects.

[0016] Furthermore, the locking claw can be adaptively designed according to the object structure.

[0017] Furthermore, the pushing force of the unlocking push spring is greater than the resistance of the limiting torsion spring.

[0018] Furthermore, the locking claw has an opening angle of no more than 15°.

[0019] The passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] (1) The present invention can choose whether to lock the locked object in the initial state, which increases the flexibility and adaptability of the usage scenario.

[0021] (2) The present invention adopts a passive locking design and a locking state can be maintained, without the need for an active drive mechanism. It has the advantages of simple and compact structure, light weight, small size, resource conservation, and immunity to electromagnetic interference. It is suitable for fields with extremely stringent requirements on factors such as quality, volume, and energy and harsh working environments, such as the aerospace field.

[0022] (3) The present invention adopts a multi-point clamping locking and releasing scheme, which has the advantages of being safe and reliable, having strong impact resistance and a stable working process.

[0023] (4) The present invention can feedback the working status through the sensor component, thereby realizing real-time monitoring of the locking or releasing status, thereby improving reliability.

[0024] (5) The present invention adopts a modular locking claw structure design and can be adaptively designed according to the characteristics of different locked objects, thereby improving compatibility and passability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0026] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present invention in its initial state;

[0027] Figure 2 It is a front view of the initial state of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 A top view of the initial state of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the cutter assembly of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view of the buffer assembly of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The passive locking and release mechanism without pre-locking proposed by the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and claims. It should be noted that the drawings are highly simplified and not to exact ratios, and are intended solely to facilitate and clarify the purpose of illustrating the embodiments of the present invention.

[0032] The core concept of this invention lies in providing a passive locking and release mechanism that does not require pre-locking. It can choose whether to lock the locked object in its initial state, increasing its flexibility and adaptability in various scenarios. The passive locking and locked state retention design eliminates the need for an active drive mechanism, resulting in a simple and compact structure, light weight, small size, resource conservation, and immunity to electromagnetic interference. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for locking and releasing mechanisms in space environments.

[0033] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this embodiment provides a passive locking and releasing mechanism that does not require pre-locking, including a locking mechanism, a mounting bracket 4, a cutter assembly, a sensor assembly, and a buffer assembly. The locking mechanism is installed at the top center of the mounting bracket 4, and is composed of four groups of axially symmetrically arranged locking claws 1, unlocking pull rods 2, and limiting torsion springs 3. The locking hook at the top of the locking claw 1 can be embedded in the surface groove of the locked object to lock and fix the locked object. Holes are punched through the upper and bottom parts of the locking claw 1, and the upper part of the locking claw 1 and the unlocking pull rod 2, as well as the bottom part of the locking claw 1, the limiting torsion spring 3, and the mounting bracket 4 are respectively connected by pins; holes are punched through the ends and the middle position of the unlocking pull rod 2, and the upper part of the locking claw 1 and the pull rod connecting platform 6 are respectively connected by pins at both ends, and the locking trigger block 10 is fixed by bolts in the middle position; the limiting torsion spring 3 is connected to the mounting platform 4 by a pin, and is used to press the locking claw 1 to put it in a closed state. The mounting bracket 4 is an internal hollow structure, which is used to place the cutter assembly. As Figure 4As shown, the cutter assembly consists of a cutter 5, a pull rod connecting platform 6, an unlocking push spring 11, a pull rod 12, a cutter bracket 13, a large buffer sleeve 14 and a small buffer sleeve 15, wherein the cutter bracket 13 is installed inside the mounting bracket 4, the cutter 5 is installed on the side of the cutter bracket 13, and the pull rod 12 is cut off after ignition; the pull rod connecting platform 6 is installed at the bottom of the cutter bracket 13, and the lower center position of the cutter bracket 13 and the upper center position of the pull rod connecting platform 6 should be provided with a hollow circular hole structure, and the two circular hole structures are sleeved together. Starting from, an unlocking push spring 11 is installed inside. In addition, the connection between the outer edge of the pull rod connecting platform 6 and the unlocking pull rod 2 should be a groove structure, so that the unlocking pull rod 2 can move relative to it; the pull rod 12 passes through the pull rod connecting platform 6, the unlocking push spring 11, the cutter bracket 13 and the small buffer sleeve 15, and is used to connect the cutter bracket 13 and the small buffer sleeve 15, so that the pull rod connecting platform 6 presses the unlocking push spring 11, making it in a compressed state; the large buffer sleeve 14 is installed on the top of the cutter bracket 13, and its top is used to install the buffer assembly. The sensor assembly consists of two sensor mounting brackets 9, two in-position sensors 7, four locking sensors 8 and four locking trigger blocks 10, among which two sensor mounting brackets 9 are symmetrically installed on the top of the mounting bracket 4; an in-position sensor 7 is installed on the top of each sensor mounting bracket 9 to monitor whether the locked object is in place; two locking sensors 8 are symmetrically installed on both sides to monitor whether the locked object is locked; the locking trigger block 10 is used to trigger the locking sensor 8. As Figure 5 As shown, the buffer assembly consists of a buffer cover 17, a buffer push rod 16 and a buffer spring 18, wherein the buffer cover 17 is installed on the top of the large buffer sleeve 14; the buffer spring 18 is installed inside the buffer cover 17, with one side contacting the large buffer sleeve 14 and the other side contacting the buffer push rod 16; the buffer push rod 16 passes through the buffer cover 17 and is installed on the top of the buffer spring 18, and its top is in contact with the locked object.

[0034] The working principle of this embodiment is:

[0035] In the initial state, the pull rod 12 limits the pull rod connecting platform 6 to press the unlocking push spring 11, making it in a compressed state, and the pull rod connecting platform 6 is in a stationary state. Under the action of the limiting torsion spring 3, the locking claw 1 closes inward, driving the unlocking pull rod 2 to move upward until its other end moves to the top of the connecting groove of the pull rod connecting platform 6 and stops moving. The mechanism is in a closed state.

[0036] The passive locking and holding process is as follows: the outer surface of the locked object should be provided with a groove structure, which presses the locking claw 1 and the buffer push rod 16 downward under the action of external force, so that the locking claw 1 overcomes the resistance of the limiting torsion spring 3 and opens outward, driving the unlocking pull rod 2 to move downward, and the other end of the unlocking pull rod 2 slides unrestricted in the connecting groove of the pull rod connecting platform 6. When the locked object reaches the predetermined position, the surface groove coincides with the locking claw 1, and the locking claw 1 is no longer subjected to the pressure and is re-locked and stuck in the groove to realize the locking and holding function. In addition, under the pressure of the buffer push rod 16, the buffer spring 18 is compressed and stores elastic potential energy.

[0037] The single active release process is as follows: after the cutter 5 is ignited, the pull rod 12 is cut off and the unlocking push spring 11 is released to bounce downward, causing the pull rod connecting platform 6 to move downward relative to the cutter bracket 13. The top of the connecting groove of the pull rod connecting platform 6 drives one end of the unlocking pull rod 2 to move downward, thereby allowing the locking claw 1 to overcome the resistance of the limiting torsion spring 3 and open outward again. After that, the buffer spring 18 stretches upward to release elastic potential energy, and the locked object is ejected outward, realizing the active release function.

[0038] Monitoring function: When the bottom of the locked object contacts the in-place sensor 7, the position of the locked object can be determined based on the in-place signal; the closing and opening actions of the locking claw 1 will drive the unlocking rod 2 to move, and the locking trigger block 10 installed on the unlocking rod 2 will contact the locking sensor 8, and the locking or release status can be monitored based on the signal.

[0039] Anything not described in detail in this specification belongs to the prior art known to those skilled in the art. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above and that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and non-restrictive, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and it is intended that all variations within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be encompassed within the present invention.

Claims

1. A passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking, characterized in that: including a locking mechanism, a mounting bracket, a cutter assembly, a sensor assembly, and a buffer assembly; The locking mechanism is mounted at the center of the top of the mounting bracket and consists of four sets of axially symmetrically arranged locking claws, unlocking pull rods, and limiting torsion springs. The locking hook on the top of the locking claw is adapted to the structural features of the locked object and is used to lock and secure the locked object. The upper portion of the locking claw is connected to the unlocking pull rod, and the limiting torsion spring and the bottom of the locking claw are both connected to the mounting bracket. The two ends of the unlocking pull rod are respectively connected to the upper portion of the locking claw and the pull rod connecting platform. The middle position of the unlocking pull rod is used to fix the locking trigger block. The limiting torsion spring is mounted on the mounting platform and is used to press the locking claw to keep it in a closed state. The mounting bracket is an internal hollow structure for placing the cutter assembly; The cutter assembly consists of a cutter, a pull rod connecting platform, an unlocking push spring, a pull rod, a cutter bracket, a large buffer sleeve and a small buffer sleeve; the cutter is installed on the side of the cutter bracket for cutting the pull rod; the pull rod connecting platform is installed at the bottom of the cutter bracket, and a hollow circular hole structure is provided at the lower center position of the cutter bracket and the upper center position of the pull rod connecting platform, and the two circular hole structures are sleeved together, and the unlocking push spring is installed inside; the outer edge of the pull rod connecting platform and the unlocking pull rod are connected at a groove structure, so that the unlocking pull rod can move relative to the pull rod connecting platform; the pull rod passes through the pull rod connecting platform, the unlocking push spring, the cutter bracket and the small buffer sleeve, and is used to connect the cutter bracket and the small buffer sleeve, so that the pull rod connecting platform presses the unlocking push spring in a compressed state; the large buffer sleeve is installed on the top of the cutter bracket, and its top is used for installing the buffer assembly; The sensor assembly consists of two sensor mounting brackets, two in-place sensors, four locking sensors, and four locking trigger blocks; the two sensor mounting brackets are symmetrically mounted on the top of the mounting bracket, and an in-place sensor is mounted on the top of each sensor mounting bracket to monitor whether the locked object is in place; two locking sensors are symmetrically mounted on both sides of each sensor mounting bracket to monitor whether the locked object is locked; each locking sensor is provided with a locking trigger block to trigger the locking sensor; The buffer assembly consists of a buffer cover, a buffer push rod and a buffer spring; the buffer cover is installed on the top of the large buffer sleeve; the buffer spring is installed inside the buffer cover, one side contacts the large buffer sleeve, and the other side contacts the buffer push rod; the buffer push rod passes through the buffer cover and is installed on the top of the buffer spring, and the top of the buffer push rod contacts the locked object.

2. The passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the initial state, under the restriction of the pull rod, the pull rod connecting platform compresses the unlocking push spring, making it in a compressed state, and the pull rod connecting platform is in a stationary state. Under the action of the limiting torsion spring, the locking claw closes inward, driving the unlocking pull rod to move upward until its other end moves to the top of the connecting groove of the pull rod connecting platform and stops moving. The mechanism is in a closed state.

3. The passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: During the passive locking and holding process, the outer surface of the locked object should be provided with a corresponding adaptation structure. Under the action of external force, the locking claw and the buffer push rod are pressed downward, so that the locking claw overcomes the resistance of the limiting torsion spring and opens outward, driving the unlocking pull rod to move downward. The other end of the unlocking pull rod slides unrestricted in the connecting groove of the pull rod connecting platform. When the locked object reaches the predetermined position, the surface groove coincides with the locking claw, and the locking claw is no longer subjected to the pressure and is re-locked and stuck in the groove to realize the locking and holding function; at the same time, under the pressure of the buffer push rod, the buffer spring is compressed and stores elastic potential energy.

4. The passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: During a single active release process, the cutter is ignited, the pull rod is cut off, and the unlocking push spring is released to bounce downward, causing the pull rod connecting platform to move downward relative to the cutter bracket. The top of the connecting groove of the pull rod connecting platform drives one end of the unlocking pull rod to move downward, thereby allowing the locking claw to overcome the resistance of the limiting torsion spring and open outward again. After that, the buffer spring stretches upward to release elastic potential energy, and the locked object is ejected outward to achieve active release.

5. The passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: In the monitoring state, when the bottom of the locked object triggers the in-place sensor, the position of the locked object is determined based on the in-place signal; the closing and opening actions of the locking claw drive the movement of the unlocking rod, and the locking trigger block installed on the unlocking rod triggers the locking sensor, thereby determining the working state of the mechanism based on the signal.

6. The passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The locking claw adopts a modular design and is used to adapt to a variety of locked objects.

7. The passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The locking claw can be adaptively designed according to the structure of the object.

8. The passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The pushing force of the unlocking pushing spring is greater than the resistance of the limiting torsion spring.

9. The passive locking and releasing mechanism without pre-locking as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The locking claw opens at an angle of no more than 15°.

Images