Supporting mechanism and gravity unloading device

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of installation and debugging of large optical elements, and provides a supporting mechanism and a gravity unloading device.The supporting mechanism drives an adjusting base to ascend and descend through an adjusting assembly, the upper end of the adjusting base is elastically connected with a connecting shaft, and the top of the connecting shaft is provided with a supporting assembly; the supporting assembly comprises an upper connecting seat, a lower connecting seat, a force sensor, a knuckle bearing and a supporting head, the upper connecting seat comprises an upper seat body and an upper connector which are screwed through threads, the lower connecting seat comprises a lower seat body and a lower connector which are screwed through threads, and the upper seat body and the lower seat body are connected with the force sensor through screws; the upper connector is connected with the supporting head through the knuckle bearing, and the lower connector is fixedly connected with the adjusting seat. According to the utility model, the head of the screw for connecting the upper connector and the lower connector with the force sensor can be protected, and the phenomena of difficult operation and screw slipping caused by rusting of the head of the screw are greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of installation and debugging technology of large optical components, and more specifically, to a support mechanism and a gravity unloading device. Background Technology

[0002] To ensure consistent performance between the sky and the ground, large-aperture space cameras typically undergo ground verification (i.e., ground assembly and testing) before launch into space orbit to simulate a similar mechanical state to that of the space camera in orbit. The core of ground verification is gravity unloading. The purpose of "gravity unloading" is not to "cancel" the payload, but to remove the influence of gravity through some means, so as to obtain a reliable zero-gravity surface shape of the reflector during ground assembly and testing.

[0003] Multi-point support is a common gravity unloading method. The support mechanism of multi-point support is the key to this method. For example, the applicant provides a support mechanism and gravity unloading device in the patent technology published as "CN219013887U". In this support mechanism, the support head is fixedly set. In order to better fit with the support surface of the optical element, in actual application, the support head adopts the method provided by the applicant in the patent technology published as "CN222939305U". That is, the upper and lower ends of the force sensor are connected to the connecting seat by screws. The lower connecting seat is connected to the adjustment seat, and the upper connecting seat is connected to the support head through a joint bearing, so that the support head can rotate in any direction within a certain range, which facilitates better fit with the support surface of the optical element.

[0004] However, during long-term use, the screw heads of the upper connector and the lower force sensor are exposed to air, especially in high-humidity environments, making them prone to oxidation and rust formation. This not only affects the appearance of the screw, but more importantly, it weakens the friction between the screw and the tool, making the operating tool, which is originally intended to provide high torque transmission, unable to work effectively, ultimately leading to stripping. Moreover, the screw in this location is very small, and once it rusts, it becomes difficult to tighten with the operating tool. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a support mechanism and a gravity unloading device to solve the above-mentioned defects of the prior art.

[0006] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] A support mechanism is provided, in which an adjustment seat is driven to rise and fall by an adjustment component. The upper end of the adjustment seat is elastically connected to a connecting shaft, and a support component is provided on the top of the connecting shaft. The support component includes an upper connecting seat, a lower connecting seat, a force sensor, a spherical bearing, and a support head. The upper connecting seat includes an upper seat body and an upper connecting head that are screwed together, and the lower connecting seat includes a lower seat body and a lower connecting head that are screwed together. Both the upper and lower seats are connected to the force sensor by screws. The upper connecting head is connected to the support head through the spherical bearing, and the lower connecting head is fixedly connected to the connecting shaft.

[0008] Optionally, the upper end of the upper seat is provided with an upper groove, and the lower end of the lower seat is provided with a lower groove. The inner walls of both the upper groove and the lower groove are provided with internal threads. The upper connector is provided with an external thread that mates with the upper groove, and the lower connector is provided with an external thread that mates with the lower groove.

[0009] Optionally, the adjustment assembly includes a support base, an adjustment screw, a reduction motor, and a limiting component. The adjustment screw is rotatably mounted on the support base. The adjustment seat and the adjustment screw are threaded together. The limiting component is installed on the support base to restrict the rotation of the adjustment seat. The reduction motor is connected to the lower end of the adjustment screw to drive the adjustment screw to rotate.

[0010] Optionally, the bottom of the support base is connected to an adapter by screws, the geared motor is connected to the bottom of the adapter by screws, the adapter is provided with an adapter inside, the upper end of the adapter is connected to the lower end of the adjusting screw by a connecting key, the output shaft of the geared motor is a D-shaped shaft, and the lower end of the adapter is provided with a D-shaped hole that mates with it.

[0011] Optionally, the upper end of the limiting member is provided with an upper limit switch and the lower end is provided with a lower limit switch, and the side wall of the adjusting seat is provided with a contact plate for triggering the upper limit switch and the lower limit switch.

[0012] Optionally, the limiting member has a limiting plane on the side near the adjusting seat, and the touch plate has an abutting plane that abuts against the limiting plane.

[0013] Optionally, the lower end of the connecting shaft is provided with a mounting hole, and an elastic element is provided in the mounting hole. The upper end of the elastic element abuts against the bottom of the mounting hole, and the lower end of the elastic element abuts against the upper end of the adjusting seat.

[0014] This utility model also provides a gravity unloading device, which includes several support mechanisms as described in any one of the above.

[0015] The technical solution of this utility model has at least the following advantages and beneficial effects: In this utility model, the upper connecting seat is designed as an upper seat body and an upper connecting head that are screwed together, and the lower connecting seat is designed as a lower seat body and a lower connecting head that are screwed together. In this way, the screw connecting the force sensor to the upper seat body is covered between the upper seat body and the upper connecting head, and the screw connecting the force sensor to the lower seat body is covered between the lower seat body and the lower connecting head. This can protect the screw head and greatly reduce the occurrence of operational difficulties and stripping caused by rust on the screw head. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a support mechanism provided by this utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 A top view of a support mechanism provided by this utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 for Figure 2 AA section view in the middle;

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of point B in the image;

[0020] Figure 5 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the adapter structure;

[0021] Reference numerals: 1-Support base, 2-Adjusting screw, 3-Gear motor, 4-Adjusting seat, 401-Touch plate, 5-Limiting component, 6-Connecting shaft, 7-Elastic component, 8-Upper connecting seat, 801-Upper body, 802-Upper connector, 9-Lower connecting seat, 901-Lower body, 902-Lower connector, 10-Force sensor, 11-Support head, 12-Housing shell, 13-Linear bearing, 14-Upper limit switch, 15-Lower limit switch, 16-Adapter, 17-Adapter. Detailed Implementation

[0022] refer to Figures 1-3 A support mechanism is provided, wherein the adjustment seat 4 is driven to rise and fall by an adjustment component. The upper end of the adjustment seat 4 is elastically connected to a connecting shaft 6. The top of the connecting shaft 6 is provided with a support component, which includes an upper connecting seat 8, a lower connecting seat 9, a force sensor 10, a joint bearing, and a support head 11.

[0023] refer to Figure 4The upper connecting seat 8 includes an upper seat body 801 and an upper connecting head 802 that are screwed together. The lower connecting seat 9 includes a lower seat body 901 and a lower connecting head 902 that are screwed together. Both the upper seat body 801 and the lower seat body 901 are connected to the force sensor 10 by screws. The upper connecting head 802 is connected to the support head 11 by a spherical bearing. The lower connecting head 902 is fixedly connected to the connecting shaft 6 (e.g., by a threaded connection). This arrangement ensures that the screw connecting the force sensor 10 to the upper seat body 801 is covered between the upper seat body 801 and the upper connecting head 802, and similarly, the screw connecting the force sensor 10 to the lower seat body 901 is covered between the lower seat body 901 and the lower connecting head 902. This protects the screw heads and significantly reduces operational difficulties and stripping caused by screw head rust.

[0024] As an alternative, in this embodiment, the upper end of the upper seat 801 is provided with an upper groove, and the lower end of the lower seat 901 is provided with a lower groove. Both the inner walls of the upper and lower grooves are provided with internal threads. The upper connector 802 is provided with an external thread that mates with the upper groove, and the lower connector 902 is provided with an external thread that mates with the lower groove. That is, in this embodiment, the upper seat 801 is fitted onto the upper connector 802, and the lower seat 901 is fitted onto the lower connector 902. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the upper connector 802 can also be fitted onto the upper seat 801, and the lower connector 902 can be fitted onto the lower seat 901. That is, grooves are provided on the upper connector 802 and the lower connector 902, and the inner walls of the grooves are provided with internal threads. Correspondingly, external threads are provided on the upper seat 801 and the lower seat 901 to mate with them.

[0025] In practical applications, in this embodiment, a sealing gasket (not shown) can also be provided between the bottom of the upper connector and the upper groove, and between the top of the lower connector 902 and the lower groove. After the threads are screwed in and tightened, the sealing gasket is pressed tight, which further protects the screw heads of the upper connector 8 and the lower connector 9 that connect to the force sensor 10.

[0026] refer to Figure 3 Based on the above, in this embodiment, the adjustment assembly includes a support base 1, an adjustment screw, a reduction motor 3, and a limiting member 5. The adjustment screw is rotatably mounted on the support base 1. A partition is provided on the lower side wall of the support base 1, and bearings are provided on both the upper and lower sides of the partition to ensure smooth rotation of the adjustment screw. The reduction motor 3 is connected to the lower end of the adjustment screw to drive the adjustment screw to rotate. The adjustment seat 4 is threadedly engaged with the adjustment screw, and the limiting member 5 is installed on the support base 1 to restrict the rotation of the adjustment seat 4. In this way, by driving the adjustment screw to rotate through the reduction motor 3, the adjustment seat 4 can be raised and lowered, thereby adjusting the height of the support head 11.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connection between the geared motor 3 and the adjusting screw is as follows: the bottom of the support base 1 is connected to an adapter 16 by screws, the geared motor 3 is connected to the bottom of the adapter 16 by screws, and the adapter 16 is provided with an adapter 17 inside. The structure of the adapter 17 is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the upper end of the adapter 17 is connected to the lower end of the adjusting screw via a connecting key. The output shaft of the geared motor 3 is a D-shaped shaft, and the lower end of the adapter 17 has a D-shaped hole that mates with it. It is easy to understand that the cross-section of the D-shaped shaft and the D-shaped hole perpendicular to the axis is D-shaped. It is worth noting that this setting facilitates reliable torque transmission to the adjusting screw while also providing more options for the geared motor 3. That is, a geared motor 3 with a D-shaped output shaft can be selected; or a geared motor 3 with a keyway (or a flat key) on the output shaft can be selected. It is easy to understand that when selecting this type of geared motor 3, the adapter 16 and the adapter 17 are removed, and the geared motor 3 is connected to the bottom of the support base with screws.

[0028] In practical applications, the top of the support base is provided with a housing 12, which covers the adjusting screw and the adjusting seat 4. The connecting shaft 6 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the housing 12. That is, the housing 12 plays the role of guiding and limiting the connecting shaft 6 to prevent it from shifting when it moves upward. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a linear bearing 13 is provided between the connecting shaft 6 and the housing 12. The linear bearing 13 is connected to the top of the housing 12 by screws or bolts, so that the up and down movement of the connecting shaft 6 is smoother.

[0029] Refer again Figure 3 In this embodiment, the connecting shaft 6 and the adjusting seat 4 are elastically connected as follows: the lower end of the connecting shaft 6 is provided with a mounting hole, and an elastic element 7 is provided in the mounting hole, that is, the position of the elastic element 7 is restricted by the mounting hole; the upper end of the elastic element 7 abuts against the bottom of the mounting hole, and the lower end of the elastic element 7 abuts against the upper end of the adjusting seat 4. As an option, a spring is selected as the elastic element 7 in this embodiment. In other embodiments, a rubber block can also be selected as the elastic element 7, both of which can achieve the purpose of compression under force and recovery after the force is removed or partial recovery after the force is reduced.

[0030] In this embodiment, the limiting member 5 has a plate-like structure and is fixed to the top of the support base 1 by screw connection. The limiting member 5 has a limiting plane on the side near the adjusting seat 4. The side wall of the support base 1 is provided with a touch plate 401. The touch plate 401 has an abutting plane that abuts against the limiting plane. By abutting the limiting plane with the abutting plane, the rotation of the adjusting seat 4 can be restricted, and it can also move up and down along the limiting plane.

[0031] In this embodiment, the upper limit switch 14 is provided at the top of the limiting member 5, and the lower limit switch 15 is provided at the bottom of the limiting member 5. The top of the touch plate 401 provided on the side wall of the adjusting seat 4 can abut against the upper limit switch 14, and the bottom of the touch plate 401 can abut against the lower limit switch 15. That is, when the adjusting seat 4 moves to the lowest point, the lower limit switch 15 can abut against the bottom of the touch plate 401 and the lower limit switch 15 is triggered, so that it is easy to know that the minimum support force is at this time; when the adjusting seat 4 moves to the highest point, the upper limit switch 14 can abut against the top of the touch plate 401 and the upper limit switch is triggered, so that it is easy to know that the maximum support force is at this time. At this time, the reduction motor 3 can be stopped to prevent the adjusting seat 4 from continuing to drive the support head 11 to rise and causing damage to the optical element.

[0032] This embodiment also provides a gravity unloading device, including the above-mentioned support mechanism. It is easy to understand that, in use, the support base 1 of several support mechanisms can be connected to a support base plate by screws. The position of the support mechanism is set according to the support point position of the optical element, and the support force of each support point can be adjusted by each support mechanism as required.

[0033] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A support mechanism, wherein an adjusting seat is driven to rise and fall via an adjusting component, a connecting shaft is elastically connected to the upper end of the adjusting seat, a support component is provided on the top of the connecting shaft, and the support component includes an upper connecting seat, a lower connecting seat, a force sensor, a joint bearing, and a support head, characterized in that, The upper connecting seat includes an upper seat body and an upper connecting head that are screwed together, and the lower connecting seat includes a lower seat body and a lower connecting head that are screwed together. Both the upper and lower seats are connected to the force sensor by screws. The upper connecting head is connected to the support head through the spherical bearing, and the lower connecting head is fixedly connected to the connecting shaft.

2. The support mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the upper seat is provided with an upper groove, and the lower end of the lower seat is provided with a lower groove. The inner walls of both the upper groove and the lower groove are provided with internal threads. The upper connector is provided with an external thread that mates with the upper groove, and the lower connector is provided with an external thread that mates with the lower groove.

3. The support mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The adjustment assembly includes a support base, an adjustment screw, a reduction motor, and a limiting component. The adjustment screw is rotatably mounted on the support base. The adjustment seat and the adjustment screw are threaded together. The limiting component is installed on the support base to restrict the rotation of the adjustment seat. The reduction motor is connected to the lower end of the adjustment screw to drive the adjustment screw to rotate.

4. The support mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom of the support base is connected to an adapter seat by screws. The geared motor is connected to the bottom of the adapter seat by screws. The adapter seat has an adapter inside. The upper end of the adapter is connected to the lower end of the adjusting screw by a connecting key. The output shaft of the geared motor is a D-shaped shaft. The lower end of the adapter has a D-shaped hole that matches it.

5. The support mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The upper end of the limiting component is provided with an upper limit switch and the lower end is provided with a lower limit switch. The side wall of the adjusting seat is provided with a contact plate for triggering the upper limit switch and the lower limit switch.

6. The support mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The limiting member has a limiting plane on the side near the adjusting seat, and the touch plate has an abutting plane that abuts against the limiting plane.

7. The support mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The lower end of the connecting shaft is provided with a mounting hole, and an elastic element is provided in the mounting hole. The upper end of the elastic element abuts against the bottom of the mounting hole, and the lower end of the elastic element abuts against the upper end of the adjusting seat.

8. A gravity unloading device, characterized in that, It includes several support mechanisms as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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