Series type three-degree-of-freedom electric adjustment device for sub-face

Abstract

The application discloses a series type three-freedom-degree electric adjustment device for a sub-face, which mainly comprises a fixed platform, an electric push cylinder, a moving frame and a sub-face. The fixed platform is locked to the fixed frame of the sub-face support rod through a screw rod, and an electric push rod is arranged on the fixed platform. The electric push cylinder is connected to the moving frame in a hinged mode in series, and is further connected to the sub-face through four supporting lugs of the moving frame. The electric push rod controlled by a servo program drives the moving frame and the sub-face to move, so as to adjust the position of the ring-focus sub-face. The device adopts the series type three-freedom-degree electric adjustment device for the sub-face, compensates the antenna gain reduction and pointing deviation caused by the gravity deformation and installation errors of the antenna and other factors, has high pointing precision, environmental adaptability and long-term working reliability, and improves the signal transmission and receiving performance of the antenna system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention designs a series-type three-degree-of-freedom electric adjustment device for the sub-reflector of an antenna. It is an electric adjustment device for the sub-reflector of an antenna. It achieves precise control of the position and attitude of the antenna sub-reflector through a series-type fixed platform and a moving platform, thereby realizing the high efficiency of the antenna system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of 5G communication, radio astronomy, and space exploration, the application scenarios of antennas are constantly expanding. Whether it's signal link transmission of high-frequency microwave antennas or the capture of deep-space signals by large radio telescopes, higher requirements are placed on signal stability, antenna gain, and sensitivity. As a key component in antennas for optimizing signal focusing, the relative pose accuracy of the sub-reflector with the main reflector directly determines the signal transmission and reception quality of the antenna.

[0003] Meanwhile, antennas mostly operate in open-air environments, making them susceptible to deformation due to various factors. On one hand, changes in the external environment, such as wind load and temperature variations, can cause deformation of the sub-reflector support structure, leading to a shift in the microwave optical path. On the other hand, the deformation caused by the gravity of large antennas themselves can result in structural deformation, which is further exacerbated by changes in the antenna's elevation angle, causing the sub-reflector to deviate from its theoretical pose. These deformations reduce antenna gain and cause pointing deviations, thus requiring specialized antenna sub-reflector adjustment devices to ensure accurate positioning and error compensation.

[0004] Traditional antenna subreflector attitude adjustment typically relies on adjusting screws and shims. This not only requires repeated disassembly and assembly, making the operation cumbersome, but also limits the ability to achieve arbitrary fine-tuning due to the limitations of screws and shims. Simple screw adjustments generally only achieve two or three degrees of freedom, and the adjustment accuracy is low. In addition, parallel adjustment devices like the Stewart platform have weak radial load-bearing capacity, insufficient ability to withstand overturning moments, and high control technology and cost.

[0005] For antenna systems with high precision requirements, especially medium and large antennas, the sub-reflector has a large diameter, heavy weight, requires a large amount of adjustment, and the sub-reflector pose error is full of randomness. Therefore, the sub-reflector pose adjustment mechanism of high-precision radio antennas needs to have multi-degree-of-freedom adjustment, compact structure, and high precision. At this time, the traditional main reflector pose adjustment mechanism can no longer meet the requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the deviation in the sub-reflector's orientation caused by manufacturing and assembly errors and deformation of the sub-reflector's support legs in an antenna system. It provides a series-type three-degree-of-freedom electric adjustment device for the sub-reflector to compensate for the reduction in antenna gain and pointing deviation caused by factors such as gravitational deformation and installation errors. This device enables the antenna to have high pointing accuracy, environmental adaptability, and long-term operational reliability, thereby improving the signal transmission and reception performance of the antenna system.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: A series-type three-degree-of-freedom electric adjustment device for a secondary surface includes a fixed platform (1), an electric push cylinder (2), a motion frame (3), and a secondary surface (4), wherein the fixed platform (1), the motion frame (3), and the secondary surface (4) are arranged sequentially from top to bottom; The fixed platform (1) is locked to the fixed frame of the secondary support rod by four screws; the electric push cylinder (2) is screwed to the fixed platform (1), and its output end is connected to the moving frame (3) by a hinge. The motion frame is connected to the sub-face (4) via four hinged lugs. The electric push cylinder (2) includes a vertical double push cylinder (2-1), a vertical single push cylinder (2-2), and a horizontal single push cylinder (2-3). Both the vertical double push cylinder (2-1) and the vertical single push cylinder (2-2) are circular push cylinders, and the output ends of both are hinged to the hinge lug (3-3) of the motion frame (3); Among them, the vertical double push cylinder (2-1) is connected to the fixed platform (1) through the mounting flange bolt on the electric push cylinder housing. The two vertical push cylinders of the vertical double push cylinder (2-1) are driven in series by a motor and a coupling to achieve the effect of synchronous vertical operation. The vertical single push cylinder (2-2) is connected to the fixed platform (1) via the mounting flange bolt on the electric push cylinder housing. A single motor drives the lower ball joint to move vertically. The horizontal single push cylinder (2-3) is a rectangular push cylinder, which is connected to the motion frame (3) by the mounting flange bolt on the electric push cylinder housing; the output end of the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3) is hinged to the adjustment frame (4-2) exposed on the upper surface of the motion frame (3), and the adjustment frame (4-2) is fixed on the sub-surface; The four electric push cylinders are linked and coordinated by the control system, so that the motion frame (3) and the sub-face (4) can be electrically adjusted in three degrees of freedom. The motion frame (3) includes a frame truss (3-1), a push cylinder connecting plate (3-2), a hinged support (3-3), a hinged translation mechanism (3-4), and a secondary translation support (3-5). Among them, the frame truss (3-1) plays the role of a fixed support and retainer in the moving frame (3), and has rigidity and support. The push cylinder connecting plate (3-2) is welded to the middle position on the left side of the frame truss (3-1) to connect and fix the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3). Three hinged lugs (3-3) welded to the frame truss (3-1) are used to connect the vertical double push cylinder (2-1) and the vertical single push cylinder (2-2), connecting the moving frame (3) and the fixed platform (1) to further drive the pose adjustment of the moving frame (3) through the three vertical push cylinders; The articulated translation mechanism (3-4) is used to compensate for the small lateral displacement generated when the electric push cylinder (2) is working; the secondary translation lug (3-5) is connected to the secondary surface (4) through four sliding ball bearings.

[0008] Furthermore, the fixed platform (1) includes a support sleeve (1-1), an adjusting ear plate (1-2), a platform plate (1-3), an electric push cylinder flange (1-4), and a coarse positioning sleeve (1-5). Among them, the platform plate (1-3) plays a fixed support role in the fixed platform (1), and the support sleeves (1-1) distributed at the four corners of the platform plate (1-3) are connected and locked to the fixed frame of the secondary support rod by four long screws and double nut bolts on the upper and lower sides. The electric push cylinder flange (1-4) is welded to the upper surface of the fixed platform (1) to position the electric push cylinder (2); the coarse positioning sleeve (1-5) is used to install and lock the fixed platform (1) by coarse positioning with tooling; the adjusting ear plates (1-2) and adjusting screws distributed on the left and right sides of the fixed platform (1) are used to rotate or manually and precisely adjust the fixed platform (1) to achieve the theoretical position.

[0009] Furthermore, the sub-face (4) includes a sub-face support (4-1), an adjustment frame (4-2), and a ring focal sub-face (4-3). The adjusting frame (4-2) is hinged to the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3), which connects the sub-face (4) and the moving frame (3) and drives the sub-face (4) to adjust its translation position by the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3); The sub-face lug (4-1) and the hinge lug (3-3) are connected by a sliding ball bearing to ensure that the sub-face (4) can move smoothly under the drive of the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3); the ring-focus sub-face (4-3) is the antenna sub-reflector of the ring-focus configuration.

[0010] The series-connected three-degree-of-freedom electric adjustment device for the secondary surface of the present invention has the following significant advantages and beneficial effects: 1. High Precision and Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Compensation Capability: Through the coordinated operation of four servo-controlled electric push cylinders (vertical double push cylinder, vertical single push cylinder, and horizontal single push cylinder), the sub-face can achieve independent or linked electric adjustment in three degrees of freedom: vertical translation, horizontal translation, and rotation around the axis. This design overcomes the shortcomings of traditional screw or shim adjustment methods, such as low precision and limited degrees of freedom. It can provide real-time and accurate compensation for sub-face pose deviations caused by gravity deformation, installation errors, temperature changes, and wind loads, effectively improving the pointing accuracy and signal gain of the antenna system.

[0011] 2. Serial structure for superior load-bearing capacity and stability: The device employs a configuration where a fixed platform, a moving frame, and the sub-face are connected in series. This results in a compact structure and a clear force transmission path. Compared to parallel platforms (such as the Stewart platform), this device offers better radial load-bearing capacity and anti-overturning moment performance, making it more suitable for applications with large-to-medium-sized antenna sub-faces requiring significant weight and a wide adjustment range, ensuring structural stability and reliability during long-term operation.

[0012] 3. Combination of two-stage manual coarse and fine adjustment with all-electric adjustment: The fixed platform is designed with a two-stage manual adjustment mechanism that uses a coarse positioning sleeve and an adjusting lug, enabling high-precision theoretical positioning of the platform during the initial installation phase. Based on this, an all-electric push-cylinder drive achieves automated dynamic adjustment during operation, significantly reducing the labor costs and operational complexity of later maintenance and readjustment, and improving the system's environmental adaptability and maintainability.

[0013] 4. Smoothness and Compensation Mechanism: The moving frame is equipped with a hinged translation mechanism, which can automatically compensate for the slight lateral displacement generated during the cylinder pushing process, ensuring smooth and jam-free adjustment of the sub-face. The sub-face and the moving frame are connected by a sliding ball bearing, which further ensures smooth horizontal movement, reduces friction and wear, and extends the service life of the device.

[0014] 5. High modularity and maintainability: The main components of the device (fixed platform, push cylinder, moving frame, sub-face) adopt standardized interfaces such as flange bolt connection and hinge connection. The structure is clear and highly modular, which is convenient for installation, debugging, disassembly and replacement, and helps to reduce manufacturing and maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0016] Figure 1 This is an overall view of a series-connected three-degree-of-freedom electric adjustment device. Figure 2 This is a fixed overall view of the platform; Figure 3 This is an overall view of the electric push cylinder; Figure 4 This is an overall view of the motion frame; Figure 5 This is the overall view of the secondary side.

[0017] In the diagram: 1-Fixed platform; 2-Electric pusher cylinder; 3-Moving frame; 4-Sub-face; 1-1-Support sleeve; 1-2-Adjusting ear plate; 1-3-Platform plate; 1-4-Electric pusher cylinder flange; 1-5-Rough positioning sleeve; 2-1-Vertical double pusher cylinder; 2-2-Vertical single pusher cylinder; 2-3-Horizontal single pusher cylinder; 3-1-Frame truss; 3-2-Pusher cylinder connecting plate; 3-3-Hinged support ear; 3-4-Hinged translation mechanism; 3-5-Sub-face translation support ear; 4-1-Sub-face support ear; 4-2-Adjusting frame; 4-3-Annular coke sub-face. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The specific structure, connection relationship, working principle and implementation process of the series-connected sub-plane three-degree-of-freedom electric adjustment device of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] I. Device Structure and Connection Relationships This device is mainly composed of four core components connected in series from top to bottom: fixed platform (1), moving frame (3) and secondary surface (4).

[0020] Installation and positioning of fixed platform (1): Structural components: mainly include platform plate (1-3), support lug sleeves (1-1) distributed at its four corners, electric push cylinder flange (1-4) welded to the upper surface, coarse positioning sleeve (1-5) located in the middle of the platform, and adjustment lug plates (1-2) distributed on the left and right sides of the platform.

[0021] Connection: The platform is rigidly locked to the fixed frame of the secondary support rod by four long screws passing through the support lug sleeve (1-1) and with upper and lower double nuts, forming the installation foundation for the entire adjustment device. The electric push cylinder flange (1-4) is used for precise installation and positioning of the upper electric push cylinder (2). The coarse positioning sleeve (1-5) is used for rough alignment with tooling during the initial installation. The adjusting screws on the adjusting lug plate (1-2) are used for later precision manual fine-tuning of rotation and lateral movement.

[0022] Arrangement and connection of electric push cylinder (2): Structural composition: It includes a set of circular push cylinders (vertical double push cylinder 2-1 and vertical single push cylinder 2-2) and a rectangular push cylinder (horizontal single push cylinder 2-3). The vertical double push cylinder (2-1) is driven synchronously by a motor through a coupling to two parallel vertical push cylinders.

[0023] Connection relationships: Vertical push cylinders: The vertical double push cylinder (2-1) and the vertical single push cylinder (2-2) are bolted to the electric push cylinder flange (1-4) of the fixed platform (1) via mounting flanges on their housings. Their output ends (push rod ends) pass through the fixed platform and are connected to the corresponding hinged lugs (3-3) on the motion frame (3).

[0024] Horizontal push cylinder: The horizontal single push cylinder (2-3) is bolted to the push cylinder connecting plate (3-2) on the left side of the motion frame (3) through its mounting flange, and its output end is hinged forward (or in a specific horizontal direction) to the adjusting frame (4-2) on the sub-face (4).

[0025] The bridging function of the motion frame (3): Structural composition: The core is a high-rigidity frame truss (3-1), on which three hinged lugs (3-3) are welded for connecting the vertical push cylinder, a push cylinder connecting plate (3-2) is used to install the horizontal push cylinder, a set of hinged translation mechanism (3-4), and four secondary translation lugs (3-5). The three hinged lugs (3-3) are arranged in a circular array, and the rotation axes of the three hinged lugs 3-3 are parallel.

[0026] Connection relationship: The motion frame (3) is suspended under the three vertical push cylinders through the three upper hinge points (hinge ears 3-3); the four lower secondary surface translation ears (3-5) are connected to the secondary surface ears (4-1) on the upper part of the secondary surface (4) through sliding ball bearings, forming a horizontally relative sliding connection.

[0027] Support and connection of secondary surface (4): Structural components: including an annular coke sub-face (4-3), a sub-face lug for connecting with the moving frame (4-1), and an adjusting frame for connecting with the horizontal push cylinder (4-2).

[0028] Connection relationship: The secondary surface (4) is hinged to the secondary surface translational support (3-5) of the motion frame through its secondary surface support (4-1), allowing relative movement in the horizontal direction. At the same time, its adjustment frame (4-2) is hinged to the output end of the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3). Therefore, the position of the secondary surface (4) is jointly determined by the motion frame (3) and the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3).

[0029] II. Implementation Principles This device operates based on the kinematic principles of a spatial serial mechanism and the servo electric closed-loop control principle.

[0030] Degrees of freedom allocation: Three vertically arranged electric push cylinders jointly control two degrees of freedom of the motion frame (3) in space—a vertical translation and a rotation about a specific horizontal axis. A horizontal single push cylinder (2-3) independently controls the horizontal translation of the sub-face (4) relative to the motion frame (3). The sliding bearing connection between the motion frame and the sub-face decouples the horizontal translational degree of freedom, making it unaffected by the movement of the vertical push cylinders.

[0031] Motion transmission path: The motor drives the push rod of the push cylinder to extend and retract, converting linear motion into spatial motion of the frame or sub-face through hinge. By controlling the extension of each push rod, the position and pose of the sub-face (4) can be accurately calculated and controlled.

[0032] Error compensation: The articulated translation mechanism (3-4) can automatically absorb the small parasitic lateral displacement caused by geometric constraints during the cylinder pusher movement, ensuring smooth movement and reducing internal stress.

[0033] III. Example of Implementation Steps Initial installation and manual fine-tuning: The fixed platform (1) is initially installed onto the secondary support frame using a screw assembly.

[0034] Use a tooling insert to perform coarse positioning using the coarse positioning sleeve (1-5).

[0035] Tighten the adjusting screws on the adjusting ear plate (1-2) to finely rotate and laterally adjust the fixed platform until it reaches the theoretically designed position, and then tighten all nuts. This step establishes a precise reference coordinate system for subsequent electric adjustments.

[0036] Single-degree-of-freedom electric adjustment: Vertical translation: The control system sends a command to make the vertical double push cylinder (2-1) and the vertical single push cylinder (2-2) extend or shorten synchronously and equally, driving the motion frame (3) and the sub-face (4) to make a pure vertical lifting motion.

[0037] Rotational adjustment: The control system commands the vertical double push cylinder (2-1) to maintain its length, and only controls the vertical single push cylinder (2-2) to extend and retract. Since the moving frame is constrained by two fixed points (double push cylinder hinge points), the movement of the single push cylinder will force the frame to rotate around the double push cylinder hinge axis, thereby changing the tilt angle of the secondary surface.

[0038] Horizontal translation: The control system commands the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3) to extend and retract. Since the sub-face (4) and the moving frame (3) are connected in the horizontal direction through a sliding bearing, the horizontal push cylinder directly drives the sub-face to move horizontally relative to the frame (and the fixed platform).

[0039] Multi-degree-of-freedom linkage electric adjustment: In practical applications, the control system can simultaneously calculate the target stroke required by four electric push cylinders by using pre-programmed control algorithms or real-time feedback signals (such as the sub-face pose deviation measured by sensors).

[0040] Subsequently, the system drives the four push cylinders to move in a coordinated manner. For example, the vertical push cylinder moves in a specific asynchronous mode to achieve a combined adjustment of translation and rotation of the sub-face in the vertical direction; at the same time, the horizontal push cylinder moves independently to achieve horizontal translation. Finally, through a single coordinated operation, the sub-face can be quickly and accurately adjusted from any deviation pose to the target pose, thereby compensating for the combined errors caused by gravity, thermal deformation, wind load, etc., and ensuring optimal antenna optical performance.

[0041] In summary, this invention achieves high-precision, multi-degree-of-freedom, automated dynamic adjustment of the antenna sub-reflector pose through ingenious serial mechanical structure design and multi-axis servo electric control.

Claims

1. A series-type three-degree-of-freedom electric adjustment device for a secondary surface, comprising a fixed platform (1), an electric push cylinder (2), a motion frame (3), and a secondary surface (4), characterized in that: The fixed platform (1), the motion frame (3), and the sub-face (4) are arranged sequentially from top to bottom; The fixed platform (1) is locked to the fixed frame of the secondary support rod by four screws; the electric push cylinder (2) is screwed to the fixed platform (1), and its output end is connected to the moving frame (3) by a hinge. The motion frame is connected to the sub-face (4) via four hinged lugs. The electric push cylinder (2) includes a vertical double push cylinder (2-1), a vertical single push cylinder (2-2), and a horizontal single push cylinder (2-3). Both the vertical double push cylinder (2-1) and the vertical single push cylinder (2-2) are circular push cylinders, and the output ends of both are hinged to the hinge lug (3-3) of the motion frame (3); Among them, the vertical double push cylinder (2-1) is connected to the fixed platform (1) through the mounting flange bolt on the electric push cylinder housing. The two vertical push cylinders of the vertical double push cylinder (2-1) are driven in series by a motor and a coupling to achieve the effect of synchronous vertical operation. The vertical single push cylinder (2-2) is connected to the fixed platform (1) via the mounting flange bolt on the electric push cylinder housing. A single motor drives the lower ball joint to move vertically. The horizontal single push cylinder (2-3) is a rectangular push cylinder, which is connected to the motion frame (3) by the mounting flange bolt on the electric push cylinder housing; the output end of the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3) is hinged to the adjustment frame (4-2) exposed on the upper surface of the motion frame (3), and the adjustment frame (4-2) is fixed on the sub-surface; The four electric push cylinders are linked and coordinated by the control system, so that the motion frame (3) and the sub-face (4) can be electrically adjusted in three degrees of freedom. The motion frame (3) includes a frame truss (3-1), a push cylinder connecting plate (3-2), a hinged support (3-3), a hinged translation mechanism (3-4), and a secondary translation support (3-5). Among them, the frame truss (3-1) plays the role of a fixed support and retainer in the moving frame (3), and has rigidity and support. The push cylinder connecting plate (3-2) is welded to the middle position on the left side of the frame truss (3-1) to connect and fix the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3). Three hinged lugs (3-3) welded to the frame truss (3-1) are used to connect the vertical double push cylinder (2-1) and the vertical single push cylinder (2-2), connecting the moving frame (3) and the fixed platform (1) to further drive the pose adjustment of the moving frame (3) through the three vertical push cylinders; The articulated translation mechanism (3-4) is used to compensate for the small lateral displacement generated when the electric push cylinder (2) is working; the secondary translation lug (3-5) is connected to the secondary surface (4) through four sliding ball bearings.

2. The series-connected three-degree-of-freedom electric adjustment device for secondary surfaces according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed platform (1) includes a support sleeve (1-1), an adjusting ear plate (1-2), a platform plate (1-3), an electric push cylinder flange (1-4), and a coarse positioning sleeve (1-5). Among them, the platform plate (1-3) plays a fixed support role in the fixed platform (1), and the support sleeves (1-1) distributed at the four corners of the platform plate (1-3) are connected and locked to the fixed frame of the secondary support rod by four long screws and double nut bolts on the upper and lower sides. The electric push cylinder flange (1-4) is welded to the upper surface of the fixed platform (1) to position the electric push cylinder (2); the coarse positioning sleeve (1-5) is used to install and lock the fixed platform (1) by coarse positioning with tooling; the adjusting ear plates (1-2) and adjusting screws distributed on the left and right sides of the fixed platform (1) are used to rotate or manually and precisely adjust the fixed platform (1) to achieve the theoretical position.

3. The series-connected three-degree-of-freedom electric adjustment device for secondary surfaces according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sub-face (4) includes a sub-face lug (4-1), an adjustment frame (4-2), and a ring focal sub-face (4-3). The adjusting frame (4-2) is hinged to the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3), which connects the sub-face (4) and the moving frame (3) and drives the sub-face (4) to adjust its translation position by the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3); The sub-face lug (4-1) and the hinge lug (3-3) are connected by a sliding ball bearing to ensure that the sub-face (4) can move smoothly under the drive of the horizontal single push cylinder (2-3); the ring-focus sub-face (4-3) is the antenna sub-reflector of the ring-focus configuration.

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