A slip ring-free limited rotation solar wing drive mechanism cable management device and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of limited angle solar wing driving mechanism cable management device and method without slip ring, for the defects of high cost, easy wear and tear and not suitable for limited angle working condition of traditional conductive slip ring, the device includes double-shaft product, fixed end and sailboard end connecting flange and connector, and the spiral cable across both ends.The cable has varying pitch along the axial direction and varying pitch circle along the circumferential direction, which can adapt to the rotational displacement of B-axis and A-axis respectively.The cable preferably uses silver-plated copper alloy conductor, polyimide insulating layer and braided shielding layer, with a pitch of 10-30mm, a pitch circle diameter of 40-100mm, and 2-5 turns.The application replaces sliding contact with flexible deformation, completely eliminates mechanical wear and tear and contact resistance fluctuation, effectively reduces system cost and weight, and significantly improves the reliability of on-orbit electrical connection and signal transmission stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace technology, and in particular to a cable management device and method for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring. Background Technology

[0002] The Solar Actuation and Drive (SADA) mechanism, a critical load-bearing and transmission component connecting the satellite body and solar panels in a spacecraft, primarily functions to drive the solar panels for solar orientation, ensuring the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar arrays. It also transmits electrical energy and control signals between the satellite body and the solar panels, guaranteeing the normal operation of the spacecraft's power supply and attitude control links. Since the satellite body is a fixed structure, while the solar panels undergo relative rotation during on-orbit operation, conventional fixed cabling cannot meet the dynamic electrical connection requirements between static and dynamic structures. Therefore, conductive slip rings, also known as rotary connectors, are commonly used as the rotating conductive components of the solar actuation and drive mechanism.

[0003] Conductive slip rings, relying on the sliding contact between brushes and the conductive ring, can establish a continuous and reliable electrical connection path between two sets of components with relative rotational motion, enabling continuous transmission of power and control signals under rotational conditions. In existing conventional technical solutions, conductive slip rings adopt a separate matching structure for the stator and rotor. The rotor end is fixed to the solar panel and rotates synchronously with the panel, while the stator end is fixed to the satellite body and remains stationary. Electrical signal and power interaction between the moving and stationary components is achieved through the sliding friction contact between the brush filaments and the ring channel. This is currently a relatively common electrical connection implementation method for spacecraft solar panel drive mechanisms.

[0004] However, the traditional method of using conductive slip rings for rotary electrical connection has revealed many unavoidable technical defects in actual space applications, which restricts the overall working performance and on-orbit service reliability of the solar array drive mechanism.

[0005] First, the development cost of traditional conductive slip ring devices is relatively high. Conductive slip rings are high-precision electromechanical components, with stringent requirements for component machining accuracy, assembly processes, and production environment. Furthermore, to meet the high reliability, resistance to extreme space environments, and low wear requirements of aerospace products, the core friction contact components of conductive slip rings, such as brush filaments and conductive ring tracks, typically require the use of precious metals such as gold alloys. The high cost of raw materials and precision machining significantly increases the overall development cost of spacecraft, hindering the development of low-cost products.

[0006] Secondly, the conductive slip ring's working principle of achieving conductivity through sliding friction contact inherently leads to wear issues, limiting its on-orbit service life. During the long-term continuous operation of the solar array drive mechanism in orbit, the friction pair formed by the slip ring brush filaments and the ring track will continuously experience mechanical wear, causing contact interface loss and decreased contact stress. This, in turn, leads to problems such as increased contact resistance fluctuations, signal transmission distortion, and poor contact. In severe cases, open circuit faults may occur, directly reducing the satellite's on-orbit operational stability and shortening the overall on-orbit service life of the spacecraft.

[0007] Meanwhile, conductive slip rings are poorly adapted to the extreme environment of space, posing a high risk of on-orbit failure. The complex operating conditions of space vacuum and alternating high and low temperatures can easily lead to special failure modes such as cold welding and fretting wear in the slip ring friction pairs. Furthermore, the metal microparticles generated by friction and wear can migrate freely in the vacuum environment, easily causing internal short circuits, insulation failures, and other faults, further deteriorating the on-orbit reliability of the solar array drive mechanism.

[0008] Furthermore, traditional conductive slip rings suffer from insufficient signal transmission stability and are susceptible to interference from rotational conditions. During high-speed rotation, the contact state between the brush filaments and the ring track fluctuates dynamically, causing continuous changes in contact resistance. This easily leads to problems such as signal jitter, waveform distortion, and noise superposition, making it difficult to meet the high integrity and stability requirements for sensitive control signals and high-speed data signals in the aerospace field.

[0009] More importantly, traditional full-circumference rotating conductive slip rings cannot meet the optimal design requirements for limited rotation angle conditions. In applications where solar array drive mechanisms only require limited rotation angles, the 360° continuous rotation of the conductive slip ring results in significant functional redundancy, constituting an over-design solution. This not only leads to unnecessary increases in component cost and structural weight, but the redundant motion friction structure also introduces additional failure risk points, further reducing the overall reliability and environmental adaptability of the mechanism.

[0010] In summary, existing electrical connection schemes for solar array drive mechanisms based on conductive slip rings generally suffer from several technical drawbacks, including high development costs, severe mechanical wear, limited on-orbit lifespan, weak adaptability to the space environment, poor signal transmission stability, and insufficient operational condition adaptability. These limitations make it difficult to simultaneously meet the current engineering application requirements of spacecraft for low cost, high reliability, long lifespan, and high adaptability. Therefore, there is an urgent need to propose a novel rotating electrical connection technology for solar array drive mechanisms to address the aforementioned technical problems in existing technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0011] To address the shortcomings of the prior art, this invention provides a cable management device and method for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring, aiming to solve the following technical problems: Eliminating the use of slip rings reduces product costs. Through an innovative cable management solution, the electrical connection function of conductive slip rings is completely replaced, significantly reducing the manufacturing cost of SADA cable connection systems.

[0012] Improve the reliability of cable connections. Adopt a contactless cable management solution to fundamentally eliminate the mechanical wear problem of slip rings, avoid poor contact and signal interruption caused by wear, and improve the on-orbit life and reliability of products.

[0013] Enables adaptive cable management under dual-axis rotation. This allows the cable management device to adapt to rotation in both the A and B axes of the SADA system, achieving reliable cable connections within a limited rotation range without relying on slip rings.

[0014] Make full use of product space. By rationally designing the layout of spiral cables, the internal space of SADA products can be fully utilized to achieve cable management functions in a compact structure.

[0015] This invention provides a cable management device for a solar panel drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring, comprising: A dual-axis product, wherein the dual-axis product has an A-axis and a B-axis; A fixed-end connecting flange is disposed at the fixed end of the biaxial product; A cable connector fixing end, wherein the cable connector fixing end is installed on the fixing end connecting flange; A flange for connecting the sail plate end is provided at the sail plate end of the biaxial product; The cable connector on the solar panel is mounted on the connecting flange at the solar panel end. A spiral cable, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the cable connector sail end and the cable connector fixed end, the spiral cable having a pitch that varies along the axial direction and a pitch circle that varies along the circumference.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, it includes: A coiled spring cable, wherein the coiled spring cable is formed by the spiral cable under single-axis rotation, and the spacing between adjacent coils of the coiled spring cable is equally distributed radially.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, it includes: A cable fixing device is disposed on the outside of both ends of the spiral cable, and the inner wall contour of the cable fixing device is adapted to the outer diameter of the end of the spiral cable.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, it includes: A conductor layer that extends the entire axial length of the helical cable, the conductor layer being made of silver-plated copper alloy or nickel-plated copper alloy; An insulating layer, which is wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the conductor layer, is made of polyimide or cross-linked ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene; A shielding layer is disposed on the outside of the insulating layer, and the shielding layer is a braided shielding layer.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pitch of the spiral cable ranges from 10mm to 30mm, the pitch circle diameter of the spiral cable ranges from 40mm to 100mm, and the number of spiral turns of the spiral cable is 2 to 5.

[0020] The present invention also provides a cable management method for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring, comprising: Determine the rotation range of the A-axis and the rotation range of the B-axis of the dual-axis product, and measure the internal space dimensions of the dual-axis product that can be used for cable routing; Based on the rotation range and the spatial dimensions, the pitch, pitch circle, and number of spiral turns of the spiral cable are calculated and determined. The conductor is processed and shaped according to the pitch, pitch circle and number of spiral turns, and connectors are installed at both ends of the conductor to form the spiral cable; Install the cable connector fixing end onto the fixing end connecting flange; Install the cable connector at the solar panel end onto the solar panel end connecting flange. Manually rotate the A and B axes of the dual-axis product and observe the deformation of the spiral cable to confirm that the spiral cable does not interfere with the surrounding structure within the maximum rotation angle range.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, it further includes: After the spiral cable is formed, it is subjected to heat setting treatment to reduce stress release.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the step of processing the conductor according to the pitch, pitch circle and number of spiral turns, and installing connectors at both ends of the conductor to form the spiral cable includes: Silver-plated copper alloy or nickel-plated copper alloy are selected as conductor materials, and polyimide or cross-linked ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene are selected as insulation materials. The conductor is spiral-formed using a special winding tool to ensure the uniformity of pitch and pitch circle. Connectors are connected at both ends of the wire by crimping or welding.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the bending radius of the spiral cable is set to be greater than or equal to 10 times the outer diameter of the spiral cable.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, manually rotating the A-axis and B-axis of the dual-axis product to observe the deformation of the spiral cable and confirming that the spiral cable does not interfere with the surrounding structure within the maximum rotation angle range includes: Record the pitch and pitch circle parameters of the spiral cable in its initial state; Drive the A-axis and B-axis to their extreme positions respectively, and detect the pitch change and pitch circle change of the spiral cable. Confirm that both the pitch change and the pitch circle change are within the preset safety range.

[0025] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) A spiral cable is used to completely replace the conductive slip ring, and the independent deformation of the pitch and pitch circle is used to adapt to the rotation of the B-axis and A-axis of the dual-axis product. This completely eliminates the mechanical wear caused by sliding friction, significantly improves the reliability and on-orbit life of the electrical connection, and avoids the high manufacturing cost and weight redundancy of precision slip rings, realizing the lightweight and low cost of the SADA cable management system. Implementation principle: When the dual-axis product rotates around the B-axis, the two ends of the cable generate axial relative displacement, which is absorbed by the compression or stretching of the spiral cable through its spiral pitch; when rotating around the A-axis, the two ends of the cable generate circumferential relative displacement, which is absorbed by the expansion or contraction of the spiral cable through its spiral pitch circle. This design enables the cable management device to achieve adaptive motion compensation within a limited rotation angle range, and the adaptation mechanisms of the two axes are independent and do not interfere with each other.

[0026] (2) For single-axis rotation conditions, the helical cable is designed as a coiled spring cable. This simplifies the structural complexity in single-axis scenarios and improves the deformation regularity and spatial adaptability of the cable in single-degree-of-freedom motion. Implementation principle: The coiled spring structure transforms the three-dimensional helical shape into a planar winding shape. Utilizing the radially equal distribution of the spacing between adjacent coils, it provides linear and controllable elastic displacement compensation in a single rotation axis, avoiding spatial interference and unnecessary deformation redundancy caused by the dual-axis helical structure in single-axis conditions.

[0027] (3) Add cable fixing devices at both ends of the spiral cable to stabilize the spiral shape. This prevents the cable from axially shifting or becoming disorganized during dynamic turning, ensuring the continuous stability of the connector pin connection and the structural integrity of the cable insulation layer. Implementation principle: The fixing devices, through mechanical limiting and constraint, strictly restrict the degree of freedom of movement at both ends of the spiral cable to the axial and circumferential ranges allowed by the design, so that the elastic deformation of the cable is always concentrated within the preset pitch and pitch circle variation range, thereby avoiding stress concentration, cable disorganization, or mechanical damage to the insulation layer caused by unexpected deformation.

[0028] (4) A continuous conductor layer is used to replace the traditional sliding contact interface for electrical connection. This eliminates contact resistance fluctuations, ensures the integrity of sensitive control signals and high-speed data transmission, and improves signal anti-interference capability. Implementation principle: Traditional slip rings rely on the physical sliding contact between the brush filaments and the ring track, which is prone to cold welding, fretting wear, and contact resistance fluctuations in vacuum and extreme temperature environments. This solution uses a continuous conductor layer inside the spiral cable to achieve full-path electrical connection, eliminating the physical friction interface and ensuring constant impedance along the signal transmission path, thereby effectively suppressing high-frequency signal attenuation and data transmission errors. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 A structural diagram of a cable management device for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle without slip rings, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. Figure 2 The diagram shows the rotational states of the A-axis and B-axis of a cable management device for a solar wing drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0030] In the following description, the invention is described with reference to various embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments may be practiced without one or more specific details or with other alternatives and / or additional methods, materials, or components. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail so as not to obscure the inventive points of the invention. Similarly, for illustrative purposes, specific quantities, materials, and configurations are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of embodiments of the invention. However, the invention is not limited to these specific details.

[0031] In this invention, the various embodiments are merely intended to illustrate the solutions of the invention and should not be construed as limiting.

[0032] In this specification, references to "an embodiment" or "this embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment in all instances.

[0033] Furthermore, the numbering of the steps in the methods of the present invention does not limit the execution order of the method steps. Unless otherwise specified, the method steps may be executed in different orders.

[0034] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0035] Figure 1 A structural diagram of a cable management device for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring is shown in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown in the diagram, the fixed-end connecting flange 1, cable connector fixed end 2, spiral cable 3, cable connector solar panel end 4, solar panel end connecting flange 5, and dual-axis product 6 are labeled sequentially. The fixed-end connecting flange 1 is rigidly welded or bolted to the stationary base of the dual-axis product 6, providing a stable reference surface for subsequent electrical connections. The cable connector fixed end 2 is installed on the end face of the fixed-end connecting flange 1, and its internal contact array corresponds to the satellite's power supply bus. The solar panel end connecting flange 5 is coaxially located at the rotating output end of the dual-axis product 6, rotating synchronously with the solar panel. The cable connector solar panel end 4 is fastened to the solar panel end connecting flange 5, and its female or male interface matches the internal power distribution network of the solar panel. The two ends of the spiral cable 3 are electrically connected to the cable connector solar panel end 4 and the cable connector fixed end 2, respectively, forming a continuous conductive path through both the moving and stationary ends. Because the helical cable 3 has a pitch that varies along the axial direction and a pitch circle that varies along the circumference, when the biaxial product 6 undergoes angular deflection, the cable connector sail end 4 relative to the cable connector fixed end 2 undergoes a spatial pose change. The helical cable 3 then completes stroke compensation through adaptive compression or expansion of the coil spacing. All components are fixed using standardized flange connections and connector locking mechanisms, ensuring tight assembly tolerances and significantly improving fatigue resistance under vibration environments. This structure completely eliminates the brush filaments and ring track components of traditional slip rings, transforming the signal transmission path from sliding friction to continuous solid conductor conduction, thereby ensuring the integrity of high-speed data and sensitive control signal on-orbit transmission.

[0037] like Figure 2As shown in the figure, this diagram visually illustrates the spatial arrangement and motion matching relationship of the slip-ring-free cable management device in the dual-axis solar panel drive mechanism. As the figure shows, the dual-axis product serves as the core transmission carrier, with its A-axis and B-axis respectively undertaking the task of solar-oriented rotation in different dimensions. Given that the solar panel requires limited-angle attitude adjustments during on-orbit operation, traditional conductive slip rings suffer from structural redundancy and wear risks under such conditions. Therefore, this device replaces rigid sliding contact with the flexible deformation capability of a helical cable. The figure clearly indicates the rotational direction vectors of the A-axis and B-axis, showing that the device must simultaneously accommodate the composite motion trajectory of the two axes. The fixed-end connecting flange and the solar panel-end connecting flange are anchored to the stationary base and rotating output end of the dual-axis product, respectively, with sufficient dynamic envelope space reserved between them. The helical cable runs through this space; its non-uniform pitch and variable pitch circle design allow it to autonomously adjust axial extension and circumferential bending radius during single rotation of the A-axis or B-axis, as well as during coordinated rotation of both axes, thereby avoiding cable kinking or excessive stretching. Thanks to this layout, the power transmission path between the satellite body and the solar panels is completely free from mechanical friction pairs. This not only reduces the overall system weight but also eliminates the risk of open circuits caused by cold welding or fretting wear in a vacuum environment. The overall structure is compact with ample interference margins for each component, fully meeting the stringent requirements of spacecraft for lightweight, high reliability, and long lifespan of cable connection systems.

[0038] Example 1.

[0039] This embodiment provides a slip-ring-free cable management device for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle, aiming to replace traditional conductive slip rings and solve technical problems such as high cost, mechanical wear, and signal interference in electrical connection systems under limited rotation angle conditions. The device includes a dual-axis product with an A-axis and a B-axis; a fixed-end connecting flange disposed at the fixed end of the dual-axis product; a cable connector fixed end mounted on the fixed-end connecting flange; a solar panel end connecting flange disposed at the solar panel end of the dual-axis product; a cable connector solar panel end mounted on the solar panel end connecting flange; and a helical cable with its two ends connected to the cable connector solar panel end and the cable connector fixed end, respectively. The helical cable has a pitch varying axially and a pitch circle varying circumferentially.

[0040] To eliminate sliding contact friction, this embodiment uses a helical cable as the sole electrical connection medium between the moving and stationary ends. When the A-axis or B-axis of the biaxial product executes a sun-orientation command, the flange at the solar panel end deflects at an angle and experiences a slight axial displacement relative to the flange at the fixed end. The helical cable, with its pre-defined variable pitch and variable pitch circle geometry, undergoes elastic deformation under stress, resulting in relative slippage and bending between adjacent coils, thereby absorbing the mechanical stress generated by the motion. Since this deformation process is an adjustment of the cable's own structural compliance, there is no dry friction or oil film shear between rigid components, fundamentally eliminating the risks of contact resistance fluctuations and particulate matter migration. This contactless cable management solution significantly reduces system manufacturing costs, greatly extends on-orbit lifespan, and reliably ensures signal transmission stability.

[0041] Example 2.

[0042] Based on Example 1, this embodiment further optimizes the structural form, end fixing method, material selection, and geometric parameters of the spiral cable to improve the overall performance of the device in extreme space environments.

[0043] Preferably, the spiral cable naturally evolves into a coiled spring cable shape under single-axis rotation, and the spacing between adjacent coils of the coiled spring cable is evenly distributed radially. Since the cable experiences a gradient of stress during single-axis deflection, the coil spacing is arranged in an arithmetic sequence during the design phase to ensure a more uniform radial stress distribution and prevent excessive compression of local coils that could lead to insulation layer breakage.

[0044] Optionally, the device further includes a cable fixing device disposed on the exterior of both ends of the spiral cable, the inner wall contour of the cable fixing device being adapted to the outer diameter of the end of the spiral cable. By embedding the cable end into the contour-fitting fixing device, the bending stress concentration at the connector lead can be effectively limited, while preventing axial movement of the cable caused by thermal cycling in space.

[0045] For aerospace-grade electrical performance considerations, the conductor layer of the spiral cable extends the entire axial length of the spiral cable and is made of silver-plated copper alloy or nickel-plated copper alloy. An insulation layer surrounds the outer periphery of the conductor layer and is made of polyimide or cross-linked ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (CTFE). A braided shielding layer is located outside the insulation layer. The silver or nickel plating significantly improves the conductor's resistance to oxidation and micro-arc corrosion in a vacuum environment. Polyimide or CTFE materials possess excellent resistance to extreme temperature alternation. The braided shielding layer further isolates the electromagnetic interference generated by the motor and solar array within the solar array drive mechanism, thereby ensuring the complete transmission of control signals and telemetry data.

[0046] Furthermore, the pitch of the spiral cable ranges from 10mm to 30mm, the pitch circle diameter ranges from 40mm to 100mm, and the number of spiral turns ranges from 2 to 5. These parameter ranges are calculated based on the available internal space and maximum angle envelope of the biaxial product, ensuring sufficient travel compensation margin while avoiding a decrease in overall stiffness and an increase in weight due to excessive turns.

[0047] Example 3.

[0048] This embodiment provides a cable management method for a slip-ring-free solar wing drive mechanism with limited rotation angle, which is compatible with the above-mentioned device. It covers the entire process of parameter design, molding and processing, assembly and debugging, and verification testing.

[0049] First, the rotation ranges of the A-axis and B-axis of the dual-axis product are determined, and the internal space available for cable arrangement is measured. Due to multi-axis coupled motion in actual operation, the spatial interference boundaries at the extreme positions of both axes must be recorded simultaneously during data acquisition. Subsequently, based on the rotation ranges and spatial dimensions, the pitch, pitch circle, and number of helical turns of the spiral cable are calculated. By establishing a helical elasticity model, the geometric parameter combination that satisfies stroke compensation and prevents permanent plastic deformation is derived.

[0050] Next, the conductor is processed and shaped according to the stated pitch, pitch circle, and number of spiral turns, and connectors are installed at both ends of the conductor to form the spiral cable. Specifically, silver-plated copper alloy or nickel-plated copper alloy is selected as the conductor material, and polyimide or cross-linked ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene is selected as the insulation material; a special winding fixture is used to spiral-shape the conductor to ensure the uniformity of the pitch and pitch circle; connectors are connected at both ends of the conductor by crimping or welding. To ensure the dimensional stability of the formed cable, it is preferable to perform heat setting treatment on the spiral cable after it is formed to reduce stress release. Since excessive bending can easily lead to micro-cracks in the conductor, the bending radius of the spiral cable is set to be greater than or equal to 10 times the outer diameter of the spiral cable during winding and wiring.

[0051] After cable fabrication, the cable connector fixing end is installed onto the fixing end connecting flange; the cable connector sail end is installed onto the sail end connecting flange. After assembly, the A-axis and B-axis of the dual-axis product are manually rotated to observe the deformation of the spiral cable, confirming that the spiral cable does not interfere with the surrounding structure within the maximum rotation angle range. To quantify the deformation safety assessment, the test process includes: recording the pitch and pitch circle parameters of the spiral cable in its initial state; driving the A-axis and B-axis to their extreme positions respectively, and detecting the pitch and pitch circle changes of the spiral cable; confirming that the pitch and pitch circle changes are both within the preset safety range. Once all deformation indicators meet the design thresholds, the cable management device is deemed to meet the on-orbit operation requirements and can proceed to the subsequent final assembly and testing phase.

[0052] Example 4.

[0053] Given the high cost and mechanical wear of traditional conductive slip rings under limited rotation angle conditions, this embodiment provides a specific implementation scheme for a slip ring-free cable management device for a limited rotation angle solar array drive mechanism. This scheme uses a helical cable as the core flexible conductive component, achieving reliable electrical connection between the moving and stationary ends under combined deflection conditions through precise design of its geometric parameters and reverse matching of its mechanical properties.

[0054] Since the A-axis and B-axis of a dual-axis product will produce superimposed angular deflections when running on the rail, it is necessary to first determine the maximum rotation range of the two axes and measure the available space inside the dual-axis product that can be used to lay cables.

[0055] Based on spatial envelope constraints and rotation angle data, an elasticity model is used to quantitatively calculate the deformation capacity of the helical cable. Specifically, the axial deformation formula for a cylindrical helical spring under load is introduced: ; As a theoretical basis, the spiral cable is equivalent to a spiral spring component subjected to the coupling of axial force and bending moment; where: f is the maximum allowable axial deformation of the cable, F is the equivalent working load generated by the drive mechanism, D is the pitch circle diameter of the spiral cable, d is the outer diameter of the cable, and n a The effective number of spiral turns is given by G, which represents the shear modulus of the cable material.

[0056] By defining the stiffness coefficient: ; Parameter optimization was carried out, limiting the pitch circle diameter D to a range of 40mm to 100mm and the effective number of helical turns n. aThe value range is 2 to 5 turns; based on the above constraints, the axial pitch parameter range is calculated to be 10mm to 30mm. Relying on this parametric design scheme, the helical cable can realize deformation compensation under independent rotation conditions of the A-axis and B-axis respectively. The deformation adaptation mechanisms corresponding to the two types of shafts are independent of each other and do not couple or interfere with each other.

[0057] Although various embodiments of the invention have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only and not as limitations. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various combinations, modifications, and alterations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the invention disclosed herein should not be limited by the exemplary embodiments disclosed above, but should be defined solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cable management device for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring, characterized in that, include: A dual-axis product, wherein the dual-axis product has an A-axis and a B-axis; A fixed-end connecting flange is disposed at the fixed end of the biaxial product; A cable connector fixing end, wherein the cable connector fixing end is installed on the fixing end connecting flange; A flange for connecting the sail plate end is provided at the sail plate end of the biaxial product; The cable connector on the solar panel is mounted on the connecting flange at the solar panel end. A spiral cable, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the cable connector sail end and the cable connector fixed end, the spiral cable having a pitch that varies along the axial direction and a pitch circle that varies along the circumference.

2. The cable management device for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring as described in claim 1, characterized in that, include: A coiled spring cable, wherein the coiled spring cable is formed by the spiral cable under single-axis rotation, and the spacing between adjacent coils of the coiled spring cable is equally distributed radially.

3. The cable management device for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring as described in claim 1, characterized in that, include: A cable fixing device is disposed on the outside of both ends of the spiral cable, and the inner wall contour of the cable fixing device is adapted to the outer diameter of the end of the spiral cable.

4. The cable management device for a solar panel drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring as described in claim 1, characterized in that, include: A conductor layer that extends the entire axial length of the helical cable, the conductor layer being made of silver-plated copper alloy or nickel-plated copper alloy; An insulating layer, which is wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the conductor layer, is made of polyimide or cross-linked ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene; A shielding layer is disposed on the outside of the insulating layer, and the shielding layer is a braided shielding layer.

5. The cable management device for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pitch of the spiral cable ranges from 10mm to 30mm, the pitch circle diameter ranges from 40mm to 100mm, and the number of spiral turns is 2 to 5.

6. A cable management method for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring, characterized in that, include: Determine the rotation range of the A-axis and the rotation range of the B-axis of the dual-axis product, and measure the internal space dimensions of the dual-axis product that can be used for cable routing; Based on the rotation range and the spatial dimensions, the pitch, pitch circle, and number of spiral turns of the spiral cable are calculated and determined. The conductor is processed and shaped according to the pitch, pitch circle and number of spiral turns, and connectors are installed at both ends of the conductor to form the spiral cable; Install the cable connector fixing end onto the fixing end connecting flange; Install the cable connector at the solar panel end onto the solar panel end connecting flange. Manually rotate the A and B axes of the dual-axis product and observe the deformation of the spiral cable to confirm that the spiral cable does not interfere with the surrounding structure within the maximum rotation angle range.

7. The cable management method for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: After the spiral cable is formed, it is subjected to heat setting treatment to reduce stress release.

8. The cable management method for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The process of shaping the conductor according to the pitch, pitch circle, and number of spiral turns, and installing connectors at both ends of the conductor to form the spiral cable includes: Silver-plated copper alloy or nickel-plated copper alloy are selected as conductor materials, and polyimide or cross-linked ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene are selected as insulation materials. The conductor is spiral-formed using a special winding tool to ensure the uniformity of pitch and pitch circle. Connectors are connected at both ends of the wire by crimping or welding.

9. The cable management method for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring as described in claim 6, characterized in that, in, The bending radius of the spiral cable is set to be greater than or equal to 10 times the outer diameter of the spiral cable.

10. The cable management method for a solar array drive mechanism with limited rotation angle and no slip ring as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The manual rotation of the A and B axes of the dual-axis product to observe the deformation of the spiral cable and confirm that the spiral cable does not interfere with the surrounding structure within the maximum rotation angle range includes: Record the pitch and pitch circle parameters of the spiral cable in its initial state; Drive the A-axis and B-axis to their extreme positions respectively, and detect the pitch change and pitch circle change of the spiral cable. Confirm that both the pitch change and the pitch circle change are within the preset safety range.

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