Mechanically regulated flexible common surface deformation device

Abstract

The invention provides a mechanically-regulated flexible conformal surface deformation device. The mechanically-regulated flexible conformal surface deformation device comprises a conformal surface made of a flexible material, a bending assembly, a driving assembly and a motor. The bending assembly is composed of gear sets, bearing rods, connecting rods and an outer frame which are arranged in pairs, and the conformal surface is fixed to the bearing rods. The driving assembly comprises a driving gear and paired rack pushing blocks located above and below the driving gear, and the pushing blocks make contact with the connecting rods and restrain movement of the connecting rods. The motor drives the driving gear through the transmission shaft, drives the upper and lower rack push blocks to realize bidirectional adjustment of the connecting rod, and further drives the bearing rod to drive the conformal surface to generate controllable bending. And a torsional spring is arranged between the paired connecting rods to realize a self-resetting function. The multiple bending assemblies are arranged in an array mode in the long edge direction of the conformal surface, independent bending control over different positions can be achieved, and therefore the conformal surface capable of being continuously adjusted in shape is constructed. The device is compact in structure, accurate in control and rapid in response, is suitable for dynamic reconstruction and conformal adjustment of the shape of the array antenna array surface, and can effectively improve the controllability and adaptability of a directional diagram of an antenna system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mechanical control and flexible structure deformation technology, specifically to a mechanically controlled flexible surface deformation device for conformal surface adjustment of array antennas, which can be used to achieve controllable bending and shape deformation of the antenna array at different spatial positions. Technical Background

[0002] With the increasing performance requirements of communication systems, radar systems, and electronic countermeasures equipment, reconfigurable array antennas have gradually become a research hotspot. In order to achieve beam reconfiguration, blind angle compensation, target tracking, and multi-functional payload requirements, the shape of the antenna array is no longer limited to the traditional fixed plane, but needs to be bent, rolled, or conformally transformed in real time according to mission requirements.

[0003] In existing technologies, the conformal surface deformation of array antennas mainly presents the following problems:

[0004] 1. Although flexible materials can be bent, they lack precise and controllable local shaping capabilities, and cannot meet the need for independent adjustment of local areas of the surface.

[0005] 2. Fluid-driven, piezoelectric-driven, and pneumatic-driven methods suffer from slow response, insufficient control precision, complex structure, or limited load-bearing capacity, making them unsuitable for array surface adjustment scenarios requiring large deformation and high structural stiffness.

[0006] Therefore, constructing a mechanical bending device that can respond quickly, be arranged at high density, and be precisely controlled in local areas of conformal surfaces within a limited space is an urgent problem that needs to be solved in the current conformal deformation technology of array antennas. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a mechanically controlled flexible conformal surface deformation device, which achieves independent bending control at different positions of the conformal surface through bending units that can be arranged in rows, thereby realizing high-precision and fast-response array curvature reconstruction to meet the needs of antenna performance tuning and multi-scenario adaptation.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a mechanically controlled flexible conformal surface deformation device, comprising:

[0009] Conformal surfaces made of flexible materials (1);

[0010] The bending assembly (2) includes a pair of gear sets (5), a support rod (6), a connecting rod (7), and an outer frame (8) for driving the conformal surface to locally bend;

[0011] The drive assembly (3) includes a drive gear (9) and a pair of rack pushers (10) located above and below it for bidirectionally pushing the connecting rod;

[0012] The motor (4) is located on the outside of the outer frame and is connected to the drive gear (9) via a transmission shaft to provide power for the entire bending action.

[0013] in:

[0014] The conformal surface (1) is mounted on the receiving rod (6); the receiving rod (6) is fixedly connected to the connecting rod (7) and the gear set (5);

[0015] The end of the connecting rod (7) is arranged at a 90° angle to the receiving rod (6);

[0016] A torsion spring (11) is installed between the pairs of links to achieve position restriction and self-recovery function;

[0017] The rack pusher (10) simultaneously engages the upper and lower sides of the drive gear (9) to achieve bidirectional limiting and pushing / pulling;

[0018] The push block (10) contacts the connecting rod (7) and is used to constrain the motion trajectory of the connecting rod.

[0019] By closely arranging multiple bending components beneath a flexible conformal surface, an scalable array-type shaping structure can be constructed, enabling locally controllable deformation driven by individual units. This structure is suitable for applications such as dynamic reconstruction of electromagnetic arrays, field-of-view matching, and optimization of antenna scanning performance.

[0020] Preferably, the conformal surface (1) is made of a flexible polymer material to ensure its good bending performance and resilience.

[0021] Preferably, the gear set (5), the receiving rod (6), the connecting rod (7) and the drive gear (9) are made of high-strength engineering plastics (such as POM, PA66) or metal materials (such as 45# steel), preferably by injection molding or precision gear hobbing, to ensure the meshing accuracy of the tooth surface and the transmission efficiency.

[0022] Preferably, the rack pusher (10) is made of wear-resistant engineering plastic, such as POM or reinforced nylon, and is manufactured by injection molding; the rack part can be finely toothed to ensure stable meshing with the drive gear (9).

[0023] Preferably, the outer frame (8) is made of aluminum alloy profile or magnesium-aluminum alloy material to obtain lightweight, high strength and easy installation structural characteristics.

[0024] Preferably, the torsion spring (12) is made of spring steel (such as 65Mn or 60Si2Mn), formed by spring coiling process, and tempered to improve its elastic stability and fatigue life.

[0025] Preferably, the multiple bending components (2) are fixed by threaded fasteners (such as stainless steel screws) or pins, and are completed by standard mechanical assembly process to facilitate maintenance, replacement and array expansion.

[0026] Preferably, the motor (4) is a brushless DC motor (BLDC) or a micro servo motor, with a metal housing and a sealed structure to ensure high output stability and shock resistance in complex environments.

[0027] The beneficial effects of the liquid metal antenna reconfiguration device described in this invention include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0028] 1. Achieve precise point bending control: Each bending component acts as an independent unit, allowing for individual adjustment of local areas on the conformal surface of the array antenna, achieving high-precision bending. The structure is simple and easy to integrate.

[0029] 2. Scalable array arrangement: The curved components can be arranged in rows along the long side of the conformal surface, and the number can be increased as needed to adapt to arrays of different sizes and curvature requirements;

[0030] 3. Reliable mechanical transmission and capable of withstanding large deformations and high loads: It adopts mechanical components such as gear sets, connecting rods, and torsion springs, and is suitable for situations where the antenna panel is subjected to acceleration loads, wind loads, vibrations, etc.

[0031] This invention can be widely applied to scenarios such as airborne antennas, shipborne antennas, vehicle-mounted antennas, and satellite reconfigurable arrays. It is of great significance for improving the flexibility and performance of modern communication and radar systems, and has significant progressiveness and creativity. Attached Figure Description

[0032] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The machine description of suitable embodiments of the invention is used to explain the invention and does not constitute an undue limitation of the invention.

[0033] In the attached diagram:

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of a mechanically controlled flexible conformal surface deformation device according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view of the arrangement of a mechanically controlled flexible conformal surface deformation device according to the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a mechanically controlled flexible conformal surface deformation device according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a mechanically controlled flexible conformal surface deformation device according to the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible conformal surface described in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the external frame described in this invention; Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the gear set, receiving rod, and connecting rod described in this invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the drive gear described in this invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the rack pusher block described in this invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the motor described in this invention; Figure 11 These are schematic diagrams of different forms of the deformation device described in this invention. List of reference numerals

[0035] 1. Conformal surface 2. Bending assembly 3. Drive assembly 4. Motor 5. Gear set 6. Support rod 7. Connecting rod 8. External frame 9. Drive gear 10. Rack pusher 11. Torsion spring Detailed Implementation Plan

[0036] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1 Appendix Figure 11 The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below.

[0037] Specific implementation method 1: The mechanically controlled flexible conformal surface deformation device of this embodiment includes a conformal surface (1), a bending component (2), a driving component (3), and a motor (4). Multiple bending components can be arranged in an array along the long side of the conformal surface (1). Through local driving, the conformal surface can be independently bent at multiple positions, forming a continuous and controllable deformation capability.

[0038] The bending component (2) structure consists of an outer frame (8), a gear set (5), a support rod (6), a connecting rod (7), and a torsion spring (11).

[0039] Drive assembly (3) structure: The drive assembly (3) includes a drive gear (9) and a pair of rack pushers (10).

[0040] Motor (4) and transmission method: The motor (4) is located on the outside of the outer frame (8) and is fixedly connected to the drive gear (9) through the transmission shaft. There is enough space on the outer frame to allow the motor to be installed and fixed on the outer frame.

[0041] When the device is in its initial state, the receiving rods (6) are all horizontal, and the corresponding conformal surface (1) is horizontal. At this time, the connecting rod (7) is restricted by the rack push block (10) and the torsion spring (11) and is in a balanced state.

[0042] When the motor (4) is working, it drives the drive gear (9) to rotate through the transmission shaft. The drive gear (9) simultaneously meshes with the upper and lower rack push blocks (10). The rack push blocks (10) push the connecting rod (7) to overcome the elastic force generated by the torsion spring (11) and cause the connecting rod (7) to swing. The swing of the connecting rod (7) drives the gear set (5) to rotate, which further drives the receiving rod (6) to change its angle, and the conformal surface (1) on which it is attached changes its curvature.

[0043] When the motor stops working, the torsion spring (11) keeps the connecting rod (7) in its current position;

[0044] Multiple bending components can operate synchronously or separately, creating a continuous and controllable curvature change along the long side of the conformal surface.

[0045] The above specific implementation examples further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and final result of the present invention in detail. It should be understood that the above examples are merely one specific implementation of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. They represent a reasonable combination of features from the various implementation examples. Any modifications, substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mechanically controlled flexible conformal surface deformation device, characterized in that, include: The conformal surface (1) is made of a flexible material; the bending assembly (2) includes an outer frame (8) and a pair of gear sets (5), a support rod (6), and a connecting rod (7); the drive assembly (3) includes a drive gear (9) and a pair of rack pushers (10) located above and below the drive gear; the motor (4) is located outside the outer frame (8) and is connected to the drive gear (9) via a drive shaft for driving the drive gear. Wherein: the conformal surface (1) is fixedly set above the receiving rod (6), and the height of the receiving rod (6) is higher than that of the outer frame (8); the receiving rod (6), the connecting rod (7) and the gear set (5) are fixedly connected; the gear set (5) has an opening and is fixed on the outer frame (8), so that the gear set can rotate around the opening; the rack push block (10) is a combination structure of rack and push block, wherein the push block is in contact with the connecting rod (7) and is used to constrain the movement of the connecting rod (7); the drive gear (9) is located between the two rack push blocks (10), and bidirectional push and pull is achieved by simultaneously meshing the upper and lower rack push blocks (10); the connecting rods (7) are arranged symmetrically in pairs, and a torsion spring (11) is provided between the two connecting rods; the bending component (2) can be arranged in multiple arrays below the conformal surface (1) to generate deformation control of the conformal surface at different positions.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rack pusher (10) is restricted by the external frame (8) and slides in the horizontal direction.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rack pusher (10) contacts the connecting rod (7) and is used to push and limit the swing of the connecting rod (7).

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The torsion spring (11) is used to provide a restoring force to the paired links (7) so that the bending assembly (2) can maintain the corresponding angle when the drive assembly (3) stops driving.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive gear (9) is connected to the motor (4) via a transversely arranged transmission shaft, which passes through the outer frame (8) and is connected to the drive gear (9) via a key.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving rod (6) adopts a slender strip structure, and its upper surface is used for bonding or installing conformal surfaces (1).

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bending component (2), the driving component (3) and the motor (4) are arranged in a row along the long side of the conformal surface (1). Multiple bending components (2) act on corresponding positions of the conformal surface (1) respectively, so that the conformal surface (1) can achieve independent bending deformation at different positions.

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