On-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by astronaut

Abstract

The on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by the astronaut comprises a linear section with protection, a spiral section with protection and a free section, the protection linear segment and the protection spiral segment are both in a structural form of a traditional cable and an outer sheath, and the outer sheath is made of an anti-radiation and atomic oxygen prevention material. The protection spiral section is in a spiral winding shape and is in a compressed state, and the length of the cable can be adaptively changed according to scenes; the free section is of a traditional cable structure and is free of an outer sheath. The cable design comprises length and structure design, astronaut man-machine ergonomics design, signal safety design, space environment adaptability design and long service life design, and the use requirements that a space station load is installed by an astronaut and the load goes out of and returns to a cabin can be met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to cable design, and more specifically to an on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts. Background Technology

[0002] Existing cable designs are primarily designed for traditional spacecraft, fixed to the spacecraft, and cannot be installed or removed during orbit. This fails to meet the needs of space station payloads to be installed by astronauts for extravehicular activity and reentry.

[0003] Existing cable designs have fixed conductor lengths, which cannot simultaneously meet the different usage scenarios of short and long cable paths. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts, which can meet the needs of space station payloads being installed by astronauts and used for payloads going outside and returning to the capsule.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this invention provides an on-orbit reusable helical cable for astronaut operation, comprising a protected straight section, a protected helical section, and a free section. Both the protected straight section and the protected helical section are conventional cables with an outer sheath, the outer sheath being made of radiation-resistant and atomic oxygen-resistant materials. The protected helical section is spirally wound and in a compressed state, allowing for adaptive length changes based on the environment. The free section is a conventional cable structure without an outer sheath, protected by a polyimide film and thermal control materials.

[0006] The reusable spiral cable operated by the astronauts in orbit has a design that separates the power supply line and the signal line, and uses an insulating sleeve for isolation; the power supply line adopts a twisted pair design.

[0007] The aforementioned reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts in orbit uses a polyimide film as its insulating material.

[0008] The aforementioned reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts in orbit is first mechanically reinforced by potting after being connected to the connector. Then, a tail cover is used to fix and protect the cable, and an ATUM series black molded sleeve is used to protect the tail cover screws inside the molded sleeve.

[0009] The reusable spiral cable operated by the astronauts in orbit uses connectors made of ergonomically verified components, with connector codes marked according to ergonomic requirements. The lettering on the connectors is done in a larger font according to the size of the housing, and is marked with different colors of G04-9 chlorinated polyvinyl chloride paint. After marking, it is protected with DBSF-6101 three-proof protective agent.

[0010] The aforementioned reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts in orbit is characterized by all cables being identified by different colors according to their functions.

[0011] The aforementioned reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts in orbit has an outer sheath made of ETFE material.

[0012] The reusable spiral cable operated by the astronauts in orbit has the following features: when the free section is connected to two or more connectors, the free section cable is split and connected to each connector separately, with a certain length left in the split.

[0013] The aforementioned reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts in orbit includes cable design considerations such as length and structural design, astronaut ergonomics design, signal security design, space environment adaptability design, and long lifespan design.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects of the present invention are:

[0015] 1) Meets the requirements for on-orbit installation, extravehicular activity (EVA), and return to the space station. For loads installed on the EVA motion mechanism, it can adapt to changes in cable length caused by the mechanism's movement. During EVA and return, both the load and cable are installed on the motion mechanism, with the signal source fixed at one end. The load moves with the mechanism until it exits the space station. During the movement, the protective helical section can adapt to the cable length requirements and support the electrical performance requirements of the load during EVA and return.

[0016] 2) Multiple signal combination design schemes, the design signals include power supply, telemetry and remote control signals, which can meet the transmission of energy flow and information flow during the payload's exit and return process, and can also be used for self-testing of general payload equipment; the power supply line and signal line in the cable are isolated by insulation, which can improve the reliability and safety of the product;

[0017] 3) It meets the ergonomic requirements of astronauts, and can be operated and installed by astronauts in orbit. It solves the difficulties of traditional cables with fixed positions and single functions. It selects components that have passed ergonomic verification and identifies connectors according to ergonomic requirements, so as to facilitate astronauts' identification, operation and confirmation.

[0018] 4) The outer sheath is made of ETFE material that is resistant to radiation and atomic oxygen to protect the cable. It has passed environmental testing and is suitable for different operating environments inside and outside the space station.

[0019] 5) After the cable is connected to the connector, the connection is reinforced, fixed, and protected by potting, tail cover and shrink sleeve, which improves product life and reliability.

[0020] 6) The product has a long lifespan, is suitable for a wide range of payloads, can be plugged and unplugged by astronauts in orbit, is compatible with universal payload interfaces for space stations, can support various payloads for extravehicular activity, return to the capsule, and self-testing, and can be reused multiple times. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The astronaut-operated, on-orbit reusable helical cable of the present invention is given by the following embodiments and figures.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the cable safety design principle in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following will combine Figures 1-2 The on-orbit reusable helical cable operated by astronauts according to the present invention will be described in further detail.

[0025] To meet the needs of the space station (payload installation in orbit, extravehicular activity, and return to the space station), this invention designs cables, including length and structural design, astronaut ergonomic design, signal security design, space environment adaptability design, and on-orbit reusable long-life design.

[0026] The astronaut-operated, on-orbit reusable spiral cable of the present invention has the feature of length self-adaptation, which can meet the needs of space station payloads installed by astronauts and payloads used for extravehicular activity and return, and solve the problems of fixed length and limited application scenarios of traditional cables.

[0027] Figure 1 The diagram shows an on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] like Figure 1 The on-orbit reusable helical cable operated by astronauts in this embodiment includes a protected straight section, a protected helical section, and a free section.

[0029] The protected straight section is a traditional cable with an outer sheath, that is, an outer sheath is installed on the outer casing of the traditional cable. The outer sheath is made of radiation-resistant and atomic oxygen-resistant materials, which makes the cable section adaptable to the space environment.

[0030] The protective spiral section is also a traditional cable with an outer sheath structure, which is spirally wound. It is in a compressed state during normal use. If the use scenario changes and the cable length requirement changes, this section can adaptively change the cable length according to the scenario.

[0031] The free section has a traditional cable structure, without an outer sheath, and is protected by a polyimide film and thermal control materials.

[0032] The protected straight section can be adapted to the installation position of a single unit on the track, the protected spiral section can be adapted to the length requirements of different on-track scenarios, and the free section can be adapted to connectors in different installation positions.

[0033] After the on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by the astronaut is connected to the connector, the connection is first mechanically reinforced by potting, and then the tail cover and ATUM series black molded sleeve are used to protect the tail cover screws inside the molded sleeve to facilitate astronaut operation.

[0034] The connectors are made of ergonomically verified components and are marked with connector codes according to ergonomic requirements to facilitate identification, operation and confirmation by astronauts. The lettering on the connectors is engraved with a larger font according to the size of the shell and is marked with different colors of G04-9 chlorinated polyvinyl chloride paint. After marking, DBSF-6101 three-proof protective agent is used for protection to facilitate identification by astronauts.

[0035] In this embodiment, the on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts features a partitioned design for power supply and signal lines, with insulating sleeves used for isolation to prevent crosstalk and improve the reliability and safety of electrical signals. The power supply line employs a twisted-pair design to reduce magnetic coupling between the positive and negative power lines, further enhancing signal reliability. All cables within the cable are color-coded according to their function for easy identification and installation. Figure 2 In this embodiment, the power supply line 1 is arranged in the center of the cable; the signal line 2 is arranged around the power supply line 1; the signal line 2 and the power supply line 1 are isolated by an insulating sleeve 3, that is, the power supply line 1 is placed inside the insulating sleeve 3, and the signal line 2 is placed outside the insulating sleeve 3; an outer sheath 4 is provided on the signal line 2; different colors (such as blue, orange, green, and white) are used for identification according to different cable functions. Preferably, the insulating sleeve 3 is made of polyimide film.

[0036] like Figure 1In this embodiment, each end of the protected spiral segment is provided with a protected straight segment, and the free segment is connected to one of the protected straight segments; both the free segment and the protected straight segments not connected to the free segment are connected to connectors; the free segment has no outer sheath, which facilitates the electrical installation of each cable in the cable into the connector. In this embodiment, the power supply line and signal line of the free segment need to be connected to two connectors respectively, and the two connectors are installed in different positions. Therefore, the power supply line and signal line of the free segment are separated, forked to form two strands, and then connected to two connectors respectively. To facilitate the operation of astronauts, the fork of the free segment should have a certain length; the free segment is insulated and thermally protected using polyimide film and thermal control materials.

[0037] In this embodiment, the outer sheath is made of ETFE material, which is resistant to radiation and atomic oxygen.

[0038] This invention relates to cable design, including length and structural design, astronaut ergonomic design, signal security design, space environment adaptability design, and long life design. The astronaut ergonomic design mainly includes connector selection and protection design. The signal security design enables the transmission of energy and information flows and incorporates isolation design to ensure safe use. The space environment adaptability design meets the environmental conditions inside and outside the space station. The long life design meets the requirements for reusability in orbit, as well as mechanical usage conditions and multiple service lives.

Claims

1. An on-orbit reusable helical cable operated by astronauts, characterized in that, Includes protected straight sections, protected spiral sections, and free sections; Both the protected straight section and the protected spiral section are traditional cable structures with an outer sheath, and the outer sheath is made of radiation-resistant and atomic oxygen-resistant materials. The protective spiral segment is spirally wound and in a compressed state, which can adaptively change the cable length according to the scenario. The free section has a traditional cable structure, without an outer sheath, and is protected by a polyimide film and thermal control materials.

2. The on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply lines and signal lines are designed separately and isolated with insulating sleeves; the power supply lines adopt a twisted pair design.

3. The on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The insulating sleeve material is a polyimide film.

4. The on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After the on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by the astronaut is connected to the connector, the connection is first mechanically reinforced by potting, then the cable is fixed and protected by a tail cover, and the tail cover screws are protected inside the tail cover by an ATUM series black molded sleeve.

5. The on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by astronauts as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The connectors are selected from ergonomically verified components, and the connector codes are marked according to ergonomic requirements. The lettering on the connectors is engraved with a larger font according to the size of the shell, and is marked with different colors of G04-9 chlorinated polyvinyl chloride paint. After marking, DBSF-6101 three-proof protective agent is used for protection.

6. The astronaut-operated, on-orbit reusable spiral cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that, All cables in the on-orbit reusable spiral cable operated by the astronauts are marked with different colors according to their functions.

7. The astronaut-operated, on-orbit reusable spiral cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer sheath is made of ETFE material.

8. The astronaut-operated, on-orbit reusable spiral cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the free section is connected to two or more connectors, the free section cable is split and connected to each connector separately, with a certain length left in the split.

9. The astronaut-operated, on-orbit reusable spiral cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Cable design includes length and structural design, astronaut ergonomic design, signal security design, space environment adaptability design, and long life design.

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