In-orbit repeated locking mechanism and locking and unlocking method for laser communication terminal

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of on-orbit locking mechanism technology, specifically to an on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism and locking and unlocking method for a laser communication terminal. The mechanism includes a lock head fixedly connected to the laser communication terminal and an electromagnetic mechanism fixedly connected to a satellite. The lock head includes a fixed end, a lock head shaft, a lock head rotating end, and a torsion spring. The fixed end and the rotating end of the lock head form a mating part for insertion and engagement with a moving armature. The electromagnetic mechanism includes a moving armature, a coil, a coil frame, a return spring, a housing, and a stationary armature. The moving armature extends under the action of the return spring and retracts when the coil is energized. Locking and unlocking of the laser communication terminal are achieved through the insertion and disengagement of the moving armature with the mating part. Mechanical locking is maintained when the coil is de-energized, eliminating the need for continuous energization and reducing on-orbit power consumption. This mechanism can also release the interference between the rotating end of the lock head and the moving armature and allow rotation by relative lateral movement of the laser communication terminal, achieving unlocking in abnormal jamming states and improving on-orbit operational reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of on-orbit locking mechanism technology, specifically to an on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism and locking and unlocking method for laser communication terminals. Background Technology

[0002] Laser communication terminals, due to their advantages such as high transmission rate and large bandwidth, have gradually become one of the important payloads on spacecraft such as remote sensing satellites and communication satellites. Existing laser communication terminals typically employ locking mechanisms for constraint during the launch phase. Once the satellite is in orbit, the locking is released, allowing the laser communication terminal to enter a movable state and achieve multi-axis pointing or tracking functions.

[0003] However, existing solutions mostly employ one-time locking mechanisms, which do not adequately consider the need for repeated locking during the on-orbit operation of laser communication terminals. Especially during periods of low operational activity, to reduce onboard power consumption, laser communication terminals are typically powered off, leaving their moving parts without effective constraints. When the satellite performs attitude maneuvers, the laser communication terminal is prone to free swaying under inertia, which can disturb the satellite platform and affect attitude stability and control accuracy.

[0004] On the other hand, while maintaining the controlled state of the laser communication terminal through continuous power-on can suppress free swaying to some extent, it increases on-board energy consumption and is detrimental to satellite energy management. Therefore, in the on-orbit operation scenario of the laser communication terminal, the following technical requirements exist: to achieve reliable constraint during power outages or idle periods to avoid free swaying; to achieve rapid unlocking when the terminal needs to operate; and to minimize continuous power consumption during the locking and holding process.

[0005] Furthermore, under actual on-orbit conditions, routine unlocking actions may fail to be fully completed due to factors such as coordination lag or execution deviation. If the mechanism lacks the ability to release under abnormal conditions, it will affect the reliability of subsequent movement and task execution of the laser communication terminal. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a locking mechanism that can repeatedly lock and unlock on-orbit, retains the ability to release under abnormal conditions, and is suitable for low-power maintenance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects in the prior art, thereby providing an on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism and locking and unlocking method for laser communication terminals.

[0007] An on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism for a laser communication terminal includes a lock head and an electromagnetic mechanism. The lock head is fixedly connected to the laser communication terminal, and the electromagnetic mechanism is fixedly connected to a satellite. The lock head includes a lock head fixed end, a lock head shaft, a lock head rotating end, and a torsion spring. The lock head fixed end is fixedly connected to the laser communication terminal, the lock head shaft is fixedly connected to the lock head fixed end, the lock head rotating end rotates around the lock head shaft, and the torsion spring is used to make the lock head rotating end return to the lock head fixed end and fit against the lock head fixed end. The lock head fixed end and the lock head rotating end cooperate to form a mating part that can be inserted and mated with the moving armature. The electromagnetic mechanism includes a moving armature, a coil, a coil frame, a return spring, a housing, and a stationary armature. The stationary armature is fixedly connected to the satellite, and the housing is fixedly connected to the stationary armature. The coil frame is disposed between the stationary armature and the housing, and the coil is wound on the coil frame. The moving armature is slidably disposed on the inner wall of the coil frame, and the return spring is disposed between the moving armature and the stationary armature. When the coil is de-energized, the moving armature extends and inserts into the mating part under the action of the reset spring to lock the laser communication terminal; when the coil is energized, the moving armature retracts and exits the mating part under the action of electromagnetic attraction to release the lock.

[0008] Furthermore, the mating part is a hole-shaped mating structure formed by the fixed end of the lock head and the rotating end of the lock head, and the shape of the insertion end of the moving armature is adapted to the hole-shaped mating structure.

[0009] Furthermore, the fixed end of the torsion spring is located at the lock head shaft, and the rotating end of the torsion spring is located on the outside of the rotating end of the lock head.

[0010] Furthermore, when the laser communication terminal moves laterally, the rotating end of the lock head makes interference contact with the moving armature. Under the action of interference force, the rotating end of the lock head rotates around the lock head axis, causing the moving armature to disengage from the mating part.

[0011] Furthermore, a guide structure is provided at the end of the plug-in terminal.

[0012] Furthermore, the guide structure is a chamfered structure, a circular arc structure, or a conical surface structure.

[0013] Furthermore, the lock head is positioned opposite to the electromagnetic mechanism.

[0014] The present invention also includes a locking and unlocking method for an on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism of a laser communication terminal, comprising: Locking mode: When the control coil is energized, the moving armature retracts. After the laser communication terminal moves and the mating part of the lock head aligns with the moving armature, the control coil is de-energized, causing the moving armature to extend under the action of the return spring and insert into the mating part to lock the laser communication terminal. Unlocking mode: The control coil is energized to retract the moving armature and exit the mating part, and the laser communication terminal is controlled to move so that the mating part and the moving armature are misaligned to release the lock; Abnormal unlocking mode: When the moving armature does not disengage from the mating part after the unlocking mode is executed, the laser communication terminal is controlled to move laterally, so that the rotating end of the lock head makes interference contact with the moving armature, and rotates around the lock head axis under the action of interference force, so that the moving armature disengages from the mating part.

[0015] The technical solution of this invention has the following advantages: 1. This invention adopts a combination structure of a lock head and an electromagnetic mechanism, wherein the lock head is installed on the laser communication terminal and the electromagnetic mechanism is installed on the satellite. Locking and unlocking are switched by the insertion and disengagement of the moving armature and the lock head mating part. This can meet the needs of the laser communication terminal to enter the locking and unlocking state multiple times during on-orbit operation, rather than being only applicable to one-time release scenarios.

[0016] 2. In this invention, when the coil is de-energized, a return spring pushes the moving armature to extend and insert into the mating part formed by the fixed end and rotating end of the lock head, thereby forming a mechanical locking and retention. This mechanical constraint method can limit the free swing of the terminal when it is de-energized, reducing the impact of the inertial swing of the laser communication terminal on the platform's attitude stability during satellite attitude maneuvers.

[0017] 3. In this invention, the locking and holding state is mainly achieved by the mechanical insertion relationship between the moving armature and the mating part and the action of the return spring, without the need to maintain the locking by continuous power supply; the moving armature is driven to retract only briefly during the unlocking action or locking switching process. Compared with the traditional continuous power supply holding scheme, this invention can effectively reduce on-board energy consumption and is more suitable for on-orbit application scenarios that are sensitive to power consumption.

[0018] 4. The lock head of the present invention adopts a split design. The rotating end of the lock head is rotatably connected to the fixed end of the lock head through the lock head shaft and is kept in contact under the action of the torsion spring. In the abnormal unlocking mode, when the conventional electromagnetic unlocking is not completed, the laser communication terminal can be controlled to move laterally so that the rotating end of the lock head makes interference contact with the moving armature. Under the action of interference force, the rotating end of the lock head compresses the torsion spring and rotates, thereby releasing the insertion constraint and realizing release under abnormal conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism for laser communication terminals. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the locking mode workflow; Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the unlock mode workflow. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the workflow for the abnormal unlocking mode.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 101-Locking head fixed end; 102-Locking head shaft; 103-Locking head rotating end; 104 - Torsion spring; 201 - Moving armature; 202 - Coil; 203 - Coil frame; 204 - Return spring; 205 - Housing; 206-Static armature; 3-Laser communication terminal; 4-Satellite. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0026] like Figure 1As shown, an on-orbit re-locking mechanism for a laser communication terminal includes a lock head and an electromagnetic mechanism. The lock head is fixedly connected to the laser communication terminal 3, and the electromagnetic mechanism is fixedly connected to the satellite 4. Preferably, the lock head and the electromagnetic mechanism are arranged opposite to each other so that when the laser communication terminal 3 is reset to the locked position, the mating part of the lock head can form an insertion engagement with the moving armature 201 in the electromagnetic mechanism.

[0027] The lock head includes a lock head fixed end 101, a lock head shaft 102, a lock head rotating end 103, and a torsion spring 104. The lock head fixed end 101 is fixedly connected to the laser communication terminal 3, the lock head shaft 102 is fixedly connected to the lock head fixed end 101, and the lock head rotating end 103 is rotatably arranged around the lock head shaft 102. The torsion spring 104 is used to return the lock head rotating end 103 to the lock head fixed end 101 and fit against the lock head fixed end 101. The lock head fixed end 101 and the lock head rotating end 103 cooperate to form a mating part that engages with the moving armature 201.

[0028] The mating part is a hole-shaped mating structure formed by the locking head fixed end 101 and the locking head rotating end 103. The shape of the insertion end of the moving armature 201 is adapted to this hole-shaped mating structure to improve the stability of the moving armature 201 when inserted into the mating part. Specifically, the insertion end is an insertion shaft. A guide structure can be provided at the end of the insertion end of the moving armature 201. The guide structure can be a chamfered structure, an arc structure, or a conical surface structure to improve the guiding effect during the insertion process and increase the alignment tolerance.

[0029] In this embodiment, the fixed end of the torsion spring 104 is located at the lock head shaft 102, and the rotating end of the torsion spring 104 is located outside the lock head rotating end 103. This allows the lock head rotating end 103 to automatically return to a state of contact with the lock head fixed end 101 after the external force is released, thereby restoring the locking state of the mating part. It should be noted that when the laser communication terminal 3 is in orbit, since the satellite 4 is in a weightless state, the torsion spring 104 provides a preload force to keep the rotating end 103 in contact, ensuring the mating part is formed; after insertion, locking is achieved through insertion constraints. The lock head rotating end 103 can only rotate when the force applied to it is sufficient to overcome the preload force of the torsion spring 104. Once the mating part and the insertion end of the moving armature 201 are locked, even if there is a gap between them, the locking state can be ensured to be stable and reliable.

[0030] The electromagnetic mechanism includes a moving armature 201, a coil 202, a coil frame 203, a return spring 204, a housing 205, and a stationary armature 206. The stationary armature 206 is fixedly connected to satellite 4, and the housing 205 is fixedly connected to the stationary armature 206. The coil frame 203 is disposed between the stationary armature 206 and the housing 205, and the coil 202 is wound around the coil frame 203. The moving armature 201 is slidably disposed on the inner wall of the coil frame 203, and the moving armature 201 and the stationary armature 206 are positioned opposite each other. The return spring 204 is disposed between the moving armature 201 and the stationary armature 206.

[0031] When coil 202 is de-energized, the moving armature 201 extends outward along the axial direction inside coil frame 203 under the action of return spring 204. When coil 202 is energized, a magnetic field is generated in space, and the moving armature 201 and stationary armature 206 are magnetized, forming two magnets with opposite polarities. Under the action of electromagnetic attraction, the moving armature 201 retracts axially along the inner wall of coil frame 203. Through the extension and retraction of the moving armature 201, it can be inserted and disengaged from the mating part, thereby completing the locking and unlocking of laser communication terminal 3.

[0032] In this embodiment, a limiting structure may be provided on the lock head to limit the maximum rotation angle of the lock head rotating end 103 relative to the lock head fixed end 101, so as to prevent the lock head rotating end 103 from rotating excessively during abnormal unlocking. The limiting structure may be provided between the lock head fixed end 101 and the lock head rotating end 103, and may specifically take the form of a limiting surface, a limiting step, a limiting pin, etc.

[0033] Please see Figures 2-4 The present invention also includes a locking and unlocking method for an on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism of a laser communication terminal, comprising: a locking mode, an unlocking mode and an abnormal unlocking mode; Please see Figure 2 The locking mode is used to create mechanical constraints when the laser communication terminal 3 is idle or in standby mode, to suppress the free swinging of the laser communication terminal 3 during satellite attitude maneuvers. The initial state of the locking mode is: coil 202 is de-energized, the moving armature 201 extends under the action of the return spring 204, and the locking head is not directly above the electromagnetic mechanism. After entering the locking mode, the following steps will be executed sequentially to achieve locking: Step A1: When coil 202 is energized, moving armature 201 retracts under the action of electromagnetic force; Step A2: The laser communication terminal 3 is reset, causing the hole formed by the lock head fixed end 101 and the lock head rotating end 103 to move above the moving armature 201; Step A3: When the coil 202 is de-energized, the moving armature 201 extends under the action of the return spring 204, and the tip of the moving armature 201 is inserted into the hole formed by the locking head fixed end 101 and the locking head rotating end 103, thereby locking the laser communication terminal 3.

[0034] Please see Figure 3 The unlocking mode is used to release the mechanical lock when the laser communication terminal 3 needs to perform pointing, tracking, or other working actions. The initial state of the unlocking mode is as follows: the coil 202 is de-energized, and the moving armature 201 extends under the action of the return spring 204, with its tip positioned within the hole formed by the lock head fixed end 101 and the lock head rotating end 103. Upon entering the unlocking mode, the following steps will be executed sequentially to achieve unlocking: Step B1: When coil 202 is energized, moving armature 201 retracts under the action of electromagnetic force, and laser communication terminal 3 returns to its free state; Step B2: The laser communication terminal 3 moves until it moves away from the hole formed by the lock head fixed end 101 and the lock head rotating end 103 above the driven armature 201; Step B3: When coil 202 is de-energized, moving armature 201 extends under the action of return spring 204.

[0035] Through the above unlocking mode, the laser communication terminal 3 can switch from the locked state to the free movement state when needed, meeting the usage requirements of repeated locking and unlocking in orbit.

[0036] Please see Figure 4 If the moving armature 201 fails to disengage from the mating part after the unlocking mode is executed, resulting in the laser communication terminal 3 not being unlocked, an abnormal unlocking mode can be executed. The initial state of the abnormal unlocking mode is the same as the initial state of the unlocking mode. After entering the abnormal unlocking mode, the following steps will be performed to unlock: Step C1: Control the laser communication terminal 3 to move laterally, that is, to move in the radial direction of the moving armature 201, which is also perpendicular to the extension and retraction direction of the moving armature 201; Step C2: Due to the interference between the rotating end 103 of the lock head and the moving armature 201, the rotating end 103 of the lock head will compress the torsion spring 104 and rotate around the lock head shaft 102 under the action of the moving armature 201. Step C3: After the laser communication terminal 3 moves laterally a certain distance, there is no interference between the lock head rotating end 103 and the moving armature 201. Under the action of the torsion spring 104, the lock head rotating end 103 is in close contact with the lock head fixed end 101, and the laser communication terminal 3 returns to its free state.

[0037] This invention employs a combination structure of a lock head and an electromagnetic mechanism. The lock head is installed on the laser communication terminal, and the electromagnetic mechanism is installed on the satellite. Locking and unlocking are achieved by the insertion and disengagement of the moving armature and the lock head mating part. This can meet the needs of the laser communication terminal to enter the locked and unlocked states multiple times during its on-orbit operation, rather than being only applicable to one-time release scenarios.

[0038] In this invention, when the coil is de-energized, a return spring pushes the moving armature to extend and insert into the mating part formed by the fixed end and rotating end of the lock head, thereby forming a mechanical locking mechanism. This mechanical constraint method can limit the free swing of the terminal when it is de-energized, reducing the impact of the laser communication terminal's inertial swing on the platform's attitude stability during satellite attitude maneuvers.

[0039] In this invention, the locking and holding state is mainly achieved by the mechanical insertion relationship between the moving armature and the mating part and the action of the return spring, without the need for continuous power supply to maintain the locking; only a short power supply is applied during the unlocking action or locking switching process to drive the moving armature to retract. Compared with the traditional continuous power supply holding scheme, this invention can effectively reduce on-board energy consumption and is more suitable for power consumption-sensitive on-orbit application scenarios.

[0040] The lock head of this invention adopts a split design. The rotating end of the lock head is rotatably connected to the fixed end of the lock head through the lock head shaft and is kept in contact under the action of the torsion spring. In the abnormal unlocking mode, when the conventional electromagnetic unlocking is not completed, the laser communication terminal can be controlled to move laterally so that the rotating end of the lock head makes interference contact with the moving armature. Under the action of interference force, the rotating end of the lock head compresses the torsion spring and rotates, thereby releasing the insertion constraint and realizing release under abnormal conditions.

[0041] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. An on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism for a laser communication terminal, characterized in that, It includes a lock head and an electromagnetic mechanism. The lock head is fixedly connected to the laser communication terminal (3), and the electromagnetic mechanism is fixedly connected to the satellite (4). The lock head includes a lock head fixed end (101), a lock head shaft (102), a lock head rotating end (103), and a torsion spring (104). The lock head fixed end (101) is fixedly connected to the laser communication terminal (3). The lock head shaft (102) is fixedly connected to the lock head fixed end (101). The lock head rotating end (103) rotates around the lock head shaft (102). The torsion spring (104) is used to make the lock head rotating end (103) return to the lock head fixed end (101) and fit against the lock head fixed end (101). The lock head fixed end (101) and the lock head rotating end (103) cooperate to form a mating part that is inserted and mated with the moving armature (201). The electromagnetic mechanism includes a moving armature (201), a coil (202), a coil frame (203), a return spring (204), a housing (205), and a stationary armature (206). The stationary armature (206) is fixedly connected to the satellite (4), the housing (205) is fixedly connected to the stationary armature (206), the coil frame (203) is disposed between the stationary armature (206) and the housing (205), the coil (202) is wound on the coil frame (203), the moving armature (201) is slidably disposed on the inner wall of the coil frame (203), and the return spring (204) is disposed between the moving armature (201) and the stationary armature (206). When the coil (202) is de-energized, the moving armature (201) extends out and inserts into the mating part under the action of the reset spring (204) to lock the laser communication terminal (3); when the coil (202) is energized, the moving armature (201) retracts and exits the mating part under the action of electromagnetic attraction to release the lock.

2. The on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism for a laser communication terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mating part is a hole-shaped mating structure formed by the lock head fixed end (101) and the lock head rotating end (103), and the shape of the insertion end of the moving armature (201) is adapted to the hole-shaped mating structure.

3. The on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism for a laser communication terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed end of the torsion spring (104) is located at the lock head shaft (102), and the rotating end of the torsion spring (104) is located on the outside of the lock head rotating end (103).

4. The on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism for a laser communication terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the laser communication terminal (3) moves laterally, the lock head rotating end (103) interferes with the moving armature (201). Under the action of interference force, the lock head rotating end (103) rotates around the lock head shaft (102), causing the moving armature (201) to disengage from the mating part.

5. The on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism for a laser communication terminal according to claim 2, characterized in that, The end of the plug-in terminal is provided with a guide structure.

6. The on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism for a laser communication terminal according to claim 5, characterized in that, The guide structure can be a chamfered structure, a circular arc structure, or a conical surface structure.

7. The on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism for a laser communication terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lock head is positioned opposite to the electromagnetic mechanism.

8. A locking and unlocking method for an on-orbit repetitive locking mechanism for a laser communication terminal based on any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, include: Locking mode: When the control coil (202) is energized, the moving armature (201) retracts. After the control laser communication terminal (3) moves to align the locking head with the moving armature (201), the control coil (202) is de-energized, and the moving armature (201) extends and inserts into the locking head under the action of the return spring (204) to lock the laser communication terminal (3). Unlocking mode: The control coil (202) is energized to retract the moving armature (201) and exit the mating part, and the laser communication terminal (3) is controlled to move so that the mating part and the moving armature (201) are misaligned to release the lock; Abnormal unlocking mode: When the unlocking mode is executed and the moving armature (201) does not disengage from the mating part, the laser communication terminal (3) is controlled to move laterally, so that the lock head rotating end (103) interferes with the moving armature (201) and rotates around the lock head shaft (102) under the action of interference force, so that the moving armature (201) disengages from the mating part.

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