Passive driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism

Abstract

The application relates to a passive driving low-impact antenna unfolding mechanism and belongs to the field of unfolding devices; the passive driving low-impact antenna unfolding mechanism comprises a speed limiting assembly, an unfolding mechanism, a mounting plate and a rope; the mounting plate is a horizontally placed rectangular plate-shaped structure; the unfolding mechanism is a rod-shaped structure; the root of the unfolding mechanism is rotationally connected with the upper surface of one end of the mounting plate; the speed limiting assembly is fixedly installed on the middle part of the upper surface of the mounting plate; one end of the rope is fixedly connected with the top of the unfolding mechanism, and the other end of the rope is fixedly connected with the speed limiting assembly; the unfolding mechanism is self-driven to rotate to open or close relative to the mounting plate; the speed limiting assembly controls the extension or contraction speed of the rope; the buffering mechanism formed by the combination of the rope, the pulley and the speed limiter can realize unfolding speed control, the effect of reducing the unfolding speed and the unfolding impact is achieved, and the passive driving low-impact antenna unfolding mechanism has the characteristics of simple structure, light weight, high reliability and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of deployment devices and relates to a passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] As antenna technology becomes increasingly integrated and the types of antennas continue to expand, antennas typically come with numerous antenna cables for power supply and signal transmission. These cables include both low-frequency and high-frequency cables. When an antenna needs to be retracted or extended via a deployment mechanism, the antenna cables must move along with the mechanism. Due to the large number of cables required, the deployment driving force needed is also greater.

[0003] To achieve reliable antenna deployment, the deployment mechanism needs a certain deployment torque margin. The deployment driving force of the mechanism can take the form of active or passive drive. Active drive, represented by a motor, has advantages such as a large deployment torque range and controllable deployment speed. However, motors are expensive and heavy, usually requiring a deployment controller to control their deployment, which increases system complexity and adds extra weight. Furthermore, the introduction of a motor can introduce electromagnetic interference in some special applications. Passive drive, represented by a spring, has advantages such as simple structure, high reliability, low cost, light weight, and no electromagnetic interference. However, the elastic potential energy of a spring usually comes from its own elastic deformation. During deployment, the driving force or torque gradually decreases while the deployment speed gradually increases. When the deployment mechanism reaches its final position, the high deployment speed can cause a significant impact, requiring not only high strength of the deployment mechanism but also high impact resistance to the load.

[0004] Modern antennas sometimes contain active components, making them highly sensitive to deployment impact loads. Therefore, the design and selection of deployment mechanisms face numerous constraints. Currently, to balance the deployment driving force and the impact force upon deployment, small antenna deployment mechanisms typically use elastic energy storage elements as the power source for deployment. These elements are simple in structure and lightweight. Due to the smaller load, the deployment speed can be controlled by adjusting the parameters of the elastic energy storage element, thus keeping the deployment impact force within an acceptable range. Large antenna deployment mechanisms typically use motors for deployment drive. Because the deployment speed is controllable, the impact upon deployment is smaller.

[0005] In existing technologies, in order to improve the driving force of elastic elements and reduce the impact of deployment, mechanical speed reduction mechanisms of mechanical motors are usually used to control the speed of the deployment mechanism. However, the mechanical structure is relatively complex and requires high precision in processing and assembly. When the driving force is large, the gear train and other structures inside the mechanical motor may have large working stress, which may cause damage to internal parts.

[0006] Since there is no simple deployment mechanism that can achieve low-impact deployment under high-torque driving conditions, the passive drive method using elastic energy storage elements has been greatly limited in application. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem solved by this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and propose a passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism. The buffer mechanism formed by the combination of ropes and pulleys with a speed limiter can realize the deployment speed control, thereby reducing the deployment speed and deployment impact. It has the characteristics of simple structure, light weight and high reliability.

[0008] The solution of the present invention is:

[0009] A passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism includes a speed limiting component, a deployment mechanism, a mounting plate, and a rope.

[0010] The mounting plate is a horizontally placed rectangular plate structure; the deployment mechanism is a rod-shaped structure; the root of the deployment mechanism is rotatably connected to the upper surface of one end of the mounting plate; the speed limiting component is fixedly installed in the middle of the upper surface of the mounting plate; one end of the rope is fixedly connected to the top of the deployment mechanism, and the other end of the rope is fixedly connected to the speed limiting component; the deployment mechanism is self-driven to rotate and open or close relative to the mounting plate; the speed of rope extension or retraction is controlled by the speed limiting component.

[0011] In the aforementioned passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism, the speed limiting component includes a speed limiting pulley, two pulley end caps, a pulley base, a coupling, a speed limiter, and a speed limiter base.

[0012] The system comprises: a rope sheave base with an upward-facing U-shaped frame structure; a speed limiter rope sheave horizontally mounted axially on the rope sheave base; a rope sheave end cap mounted at each of the two axial ends of the speed limiter rope sheave; a speed limiter base with an L-shaped frame structure; a speed limiter horizontally mounted axially on the vertical sidewall of the speed limiter base; the output end of the speed limiter extending beyond the vertical sidewall of the speed limiter base; the shaft end of the speed limiter rope sheave extending beyond the vertical sidewall of the rope sheave base; and the extended end of the speed limiter rope sheave coaxially connected to the output end of the speed limiter via a coupling.

[0013] In the aforementioned passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism, the deployment mechanism includes a deployment drive mechanism, an arm, two pulley assemblies, a rope fixer, an antenna, and two clamping support devices.

[0014] The deployment drive mechanism is mounted on the upper surface of the mounting plate; the axial bottom end of the boom is connected to the deployment drive mechanism; one pulley assembly is located on the upper surface of the mounting plate and is situated to one side of the speed limiting assembly; another pulley assembly is located on the boom and is positioned corresponding to the speed limiting assembly; a rope fastener is located on the boom and is situated above the pulley assembly mounted on the boom; the antenna is mounted on the axial top end of the boom; two clamping support devices are both located on the upper surface of the mounting plate; one clamping support device is located near the deployment drive mechanism, and the other is located at the other end of the mounting plate.

[0015] In the aforementioned passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism, the deployment drive mechanism is equipped with a rotating shaft and a rotating elastic energy storage element. By rotating the rotating elastic energy storage element around the rotating shaft, energy is stored and released, thereby driving the arm to rotate from a horizontally retracted state to a vertically deployed state.

[0016] In the aforementioned passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism, the arm is provided with two protruding seats, each corresponding to one of the two clamping support devices, so that when the arm is retracted, the two protruding seats and the two clamping support devices are connected one by one.

[0017] In the aforementioned passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism, the pulley assembly includes a pulley, a pulley shaft, and a pulley seat;

[0018] The pulley seat is a U-shaped support frame structure; the pulley shaft passes horizontally through the center of the pulley; the two ends of the pulley shaft overlap at the U-shaped opening of the pulley seat, realizing the pulley and pulley shaft as a rotating joint connection; the pulley shaft and pulley seat are connected as a rotating joint.

[0019] In the aforementioned passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism, one end of the rope is fixedly connected to a rope retainer; the other end of the rope passes sequentially around a pulley assembly on the mounting plate and a pulley assembly on the arm, and is fixedly connected to a speed-limiting rope wheel.

[0020] In the aforementioned passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism, the speed limiter is a centrifugal mechanical speed limiter.

[0021] In the aforementioned passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism, when the rotating elastic energy storage element releases energy by rotating around the axis, the opening speed of the boom gradually increases under the energy release. The speed limiter drives the speed limiter rope wheel to control the elongation speed of the rope wound on the speed limiter rope wheel, thereby reducing the deployment speed of the boom and the rotational impact.

[0022] In the aforementioned passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism, the position, number, and arrangement of the pulleys are adjusted according to the magnitude of the deployment driving force generated by the energy released by the deployment driving mechanism.

[0023] The advantages of this invention compared to the prior art are:

[0024] (1) The present invention designs a low-impact deployment mechanism that uses an elastic energy storage element for deployment. The buffer mechanism formed by the combination of rope and pulley with speed limiter can realize the deployment speed control, thereby reducing the deployment speed and deployment impact. It has the characteristics of simple structure, light weight and high reliability.

[0025] (2) This invention can achieve low-impact deployment using only conventional ropes, pulleys and speed limiters, without the need for complex mechanical structures. It has high reliability and is lightweight, making it suitable for applications such as low-impact deployment of antennas in aerospace and other fields.

[0026] (3) The speed limiter of the present invention can use a centrifugal mechanical speed limiter, which has the characteristics of simple structure, low cost and high reliability; and the position, number and arrangement of pulleys can be determined according to the required driving force. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the low-impact deployment mechanism of the present invention in its deployed state;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the low-impact deployment mechanism of the present invention in its retracted state;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the speed limiting component of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolding mechanism of the present invention in its unfolded state;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolding mechanism of the present invention in its retracted state;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the pulley assembly of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the embodiments.

[0034] To address the problems of passive drive mechanisms, this invention designs a low-impact deployment mechanism that uses an elastic energy storage element. The buffer mechanism formed by combining ropes and pulleys with a speed limiter can control the deployment speed, thereby reducing the deployment speed and impact. It features simple structure, light weight, and high reliability.

[0035] Passive-driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, the device specifically includes a speed limiting component 1, a deployment mechanism 2, a mounting plate 3, and a rope 4. The mounting plate 3 is a horizontally placed rectangular plate structure; the deployment mechanism 2 is a rod-shaped structure; the root of the deployment mechanism 2 is rotatably connected to the upper surface of one end of the mounting plate 3; the speed limiting component 1 is fixedly installed in the middle of the upper surface of the mounting plate 3; one end of the rope 4 is fixedly connected to the top of the deployment mechanism 2, and the other end of the rope 4 is fixedly connected to the speed limiting component 1; the deployment mechanism 2 is self-driven to rotate relative to the mounting plate 3 to open or close; the speed of extension or retraction of the rope 4 is controlled by the speed limiting component 1.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, the speed limiting assembly 1 includes a speed limiting pulley 11, two pulley end caps 12, a pulley base 13, a coupling 14, a speed limiter 15, and a speed limiter base 16. The pulley base 13 is a U-shaped frame structure with its opening facing upwards; the speed limiting pulley 11 is axially and horizontally mounted on the pulley base 13; one pulley end cap 12 is mounted on each of the two axial ends of the speed limiting pulley 11; the speed limiter base 16 is an L-shaped frame structure; the speed limiter 15 is axially and horizontally mounted on the vertical sidewall of the speed limiter base 16; the output end of the speed limiter 15 extends out of the vertical sidewall of the speed limiter base 16; the shaft end of the speed limiting pulley 11 extends out of the vertical sidewall of the pulley base 13; the extended end of the speed limiting pulley 11 is coaxially connected to the output end of the speed limiter 15 via the coupling 14. The speed limiter 15 is a centrifugal mechanical speed limiter.

[0037] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the deployment mechanism 2 includes a deployment drive mechanism 21, an arm 22, two pulley assemblies 23, a rope fastener 24, an antenna 25, and two clamping support devices 26. The deployment drive mechanism 21 is mounted on the upper surface of the mounting plate 3; the axial bottom end of the arm 22 is connected to the deployment drive mechanism 21; one pulley assembly 23 is located on the upper surface of the mounting plate 3, on one side of the speed limiting component 1; the other pulley assembly 23 is located on the arm 22, corresponding to the speed limiting component 1; the rope fastener 24 is located on the arm 22, above the pulley assembly 23 mounted on the arm 22; the antenna 25 is mounted on the axial top end of the arm 22; both clamping support devices 26 are located on the upper surface of the mounting plate 3; one clamping support device 26 is located near the deployment drive mechanism 21, and the other is located at the other end of the mounting plate 3.

[0038] The unfolding drive mechanism 21 is equipped with a rotating shaft and a rotating elastic energy storage element. The rotating elastic energy storage element rotates around the rotating shaft to store and release energy, thereby driving the arm 22 to rotate from a horizontally retracted state to a vertically unfolded state.

[0039] The boom 22 is equipped with two protruding seats, which correspond one-to-one with two pressing support devices 26, so that when the boom 22 is in the retracted state, the two protruding seats are connected to the two pressing support devices 26 one-to-one.

[0040] like Figure 6 As shown, the pulley assembly 23 includes a pulley 231, a pulley shaft 233, and a pulley seat 232. The pulley seat 232 is a U-shaped support frame structure; the pulley shaft 233 axially passes horizontally through the center of the pulley 231; the two axial ends of the pulley shaft 233 overlap the U-shaped opening of the pulley seat 232, thus achieving a revolute connection between the pulley 231 and the pulley shaft 233; the pulley shaft 233 and the pulley seat 232 are also revolutely connected.

[0041] One end of the rope 4 is fixedly connected to the rope fixing device 24; the other end of the rope 4 passes sequentially around the pulley assembly 23 on the mounting plate 3 and the pulley assembly 23 on the arm 22, and is fixedly connected to the speed limiting rope wheel 11.

[0042] When the rotating elastic energy storage element releases energy by rotating around the axis, the opening speed of the boom 22 gradually increases under the energy release. The speed limiter 15 drives the speed limiter rope wheel 11 to control the elongation speed of the rope 4 wrapped on the speed limiter rope wheel 11, thereby reducing the opening speed of the boom 22 and the rotational impact.

[0043] The position, number, and arrangement of pulleys 231 are adjusted according to the magnitude of the deployment driving force generated by the energy released by the deployment drive mechanism 21.

[0044] This invention designs a low-impact deployment mechanism that uses an elastic energy storage element. The buffer mechanism formed by the combination of ropes and pulleys with a speed limiter can achieve deployment speed control, thereby reducing deployment speed and impact. It features simple structure, light weight, and high reliability.

[0045] This invention can achieve low-impact deployment using only conventional ropes, pulleys, and speed limiters, without the need for complex mechanical structures. It is highly reliable and lightweight, making it suitable for applications such as low-impact deployment of antennas in aerospace and other fields.

[0046] The speed limiter of the present invention can use a centrifugal mechanical speed limiter, which has the characteristics of simple structure, low cost and high reliability; and the position, number and arrangement of pulleys can be determined according to the required driving force.

[0047] This invention designs a low-impact deployment mechanism that uses an elastic energy storage element. The buffer mechanism formed by the combination of ropes and pulleys with a speed limiter can achieve deployment speed control, thereby reducing deployment speed and impact. It features simple structure, light weight, and high reliability.

[0048] This invention can achieve low-impact deployment using only conventional ropes, pulleys, and speed limiters, without the need for complex mechanical structures. It is highly reliable and lightweight, making it suitable for applications such as low-impact deployment of antennas in aerospace and other fields.

[0049] The speed limiter of this invention can use a centrifugal mechanical speed limiter, which has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, and high reliability; and the position, number, and arrangement of the pulleys can be determined according to the required driving force. Although this invention has been disclosed above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can make possible changes and modifications to the technical solutions of this invention using the methods and techniques disclosed above without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of this invention without departing from the content of the technical solutions of this invention shall fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism, characterized in that: Includes a speed limiting component (1), a deployment mechanism (2), a mounting plate (3), and a rope (4); Among them, the mounting plate (3) is a horizontally placed rectangular plate structure; the unfolding mechanism (2) is a rod structure; the root of the unfolding mechanism (2) is rotatably connected to the upper surface of one end of the mounting plate (3); the speed limiting component (1) is fixedly installed in the middle of the upper surface of the mounting plate (3); one end of the rope (4) is fixedly connected to the top of the unfolding mechanism (2), and the other end of the rope (4) is fixedly connected to the speed limiting component (1); the unfolding mechanism (2) is self-driven to rotate and open or close relative to the mounting plate (3); the speed of the rope (4) is controlled by the speed limiting component (1); The speed limiting assembly (1) includes a speed limiting pulley (11), two pulley end caps (12), a pulley base (13), a coupling (14), a speed limiter (15), and a speed limiter base (16). Among them, the rope wheel base (13) is a U-shaped frame structure with the opening facing upward; the speed limiting rope wheel (11) is axially and horizontally installed on the rope wheel base (13); a rope wheel end cap (12) is installed at each of the two axial ends of the speed limiting rope wheel (11); the speed limiter base (16) is an L-shaped frame structure; the speed limiter (15) is axially and horizontally installed on the vertical side wall of the speed limiter base (16); the output end of the speed limiter (15) extends out of the vertical side wall of the speed limiter base (16); the shaft end of the speed limiting rope wheel (11) extends out of the vertical side wall of the rope wheel base (13); the extended end of the speed limiting rope wheel (11) is coaxially connected to the output end of the speed limiter (15) through a coupling (14); The deployment mechanism (2) includes a deployment drive mechanism (21), an arm (22), two pulley assemblies (23), a rope fastener (24), an antenna (25), and two clamping support devices (26). The deployment drive mechanism (21) is installed on the upper surface of the mounting plate (3); the axial bottom end of the arm (22) is connected to the deployment drive mechanism (21); one pulley assembly (23) is set on the upper surface of the mounting plate (3) and located on one side of the speed limiting component (1); another pulley assembly (23) is set on the arm (22) and its position corresponds to the speed limiting component (1); the rope fixing device (24) is set on the arm (22) and located above the pulley assembly (23) installed on the arm (22); the antenna (25) is installed at the axial top end of the arm (22); two clamping support devices (26) are both set on the upper surface of the mounting plate (3); one clamping support device (26) is set near the deployment drive mechanism (21), and the other is set at the other end of the mounting plate (3).

2. The passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The unfolding drive mechanism (21) is equipped with a rotating shaft and a rotating elastic energy storage element. The rotating elastic energy storage element rotates around the rotating shaft to store and release energy, thereby driving the arm (22) to rotate from a horizontally retracted state to a vertically unfolded state.

3. The passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The boom (22) is provided with two protruding seats, which correspond one-to-one with two pressing support devices (26), so that when the boom (22) is in the retracted state, the two protruding seats are connected one-to-one with the two pressing support devices (26).

4. The passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pulley assembly (23) includes a pulley (231), a pulley shaft (233), and a pulley seat (232); Among them, the pulley seat (232) is a U-shaped support frame structure; the pulley shaft (233) passes horizontally through the center of the pulley (231); the two ends of the pulley shaft (233) overlap at the U-shaped opening of the pulley seat (232), so that the pulley (231) and the pulley shaft (233) are connected as a rotating pair; the pulley shaft (233) and the pulley seat (232) are connected as a rotating pair.

5. The passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: One end of the rope (4) is fixed to the rope fixing device (24); the other end of the rope (4) passes through the pulley assembly (23) on the mounting plate (3) and the pulley assembly (23) on the arm (22) in sequence, and is fixed to the speed limiting rope wheel (11).

6. The passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The speed limiter (15) is a centrifugal mechanical speed limiter.

7. The passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the rotating elastic energy storage element rotates around the axis to release energy, the opening speed of the boom (22) gradually increases under the energy release. The speed limiter (15) drives the speed limiter wheel (11) to control the elongation speed of the rope (4) wrapped on the speed limiter wheel (11), thereby reducing the opening speed of the boom (22) and the rotational impact.

8. The passively driven low-impact antenna deployment mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The position, number, and arrangement of the pulleys (231) are adjusted according to the magnitude of the deployment driving force generated by the energy release of the deployment drive mechanism (21).

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