Modular Cable-Membrane Fabrication for Thin Reflector Antenna Flatness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fabrication methods for thin membrane reflector antennas face issues of low interchangeability, a complicated and messy weaving process, and difficulty in achieving uniform surface flatness and shape matching, leading to deviations from design results.
Innovation Solution
A modular fabrication device and method utilizing a worktable with a triangular cable net shaping device, tension and distance measurement devices, and a cable pressing device to form a modular triangular cable-membrane structural unit, ensuring accurate shape, size, and tension through coordinated motion assemblies and tension adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the cable-membrane structure is fabricated as an integral structure, then the structural integrity is improved, but the interchangeability deteriorates because adjacent triangular membranes share one cable and all surrounding structures need to be disassembled for replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cable-membrane structure into independent modular units, each consisting of a triangular cable net unit and a triangular membrane unit. These modules can be independently fabricated, assembled, and replaced without affecting other parts of the structure, thus achieving both structural integrity and ease of repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-fabricates complete triangular cable-membrane modules with cables tensioned and membranes pasted before final assembly. This preliminary preparation allows modules to be stored and quickly replaced as complete units, improving interchangeability while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection interfaces.
2Ease of operation
If cable segments are manually woven into the cable net according to topological relation, then the flexibility in assembly is improved, but the fabrication process becomes messy and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cable net fabrication into standardized triangular units with predetermined cable arrangements. Each unit follows a fixed topological pattern, eliminating the need for complex manual weaving while maintaining assembly flexibility through modular connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fabrication approach from continuous manual weaving to discrete modular assembly. By standardizing cable tensions, lengths, and arrangement patterns in each triangular unit, the process becomes systematic and repeatable, reducing complexity while preserving flexibility through modular configuration.
3Manufacturing precision
If thin membranes are cut into pre-designed triangles and pasted to the cable net structure in sequence, then the shape precision is improved, but the fabrication effect deteriorates due to difficulty in achieving uniform surface flatness and shape matching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs membrane pasting during the preliminary module fabrication stage rather than during final assembly. The membrane is pasted to the tensioned cable net in a controlled setting, allowing proper flatness and shape matching to be achieved before the module is installed, thus improving both precision and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent processes each triangular membrane separately within its own modular unit, allowing independent optimization of flatness and shape matching for each module. This segmented approach eliminates the cumulative errors that occur when membranes are assembled in sequence, ensuring consistent quality across the entire structure.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the cable net structure is constructed before pasting the membrane, then the structural stability is improved, but the fabrication efficiency deteriorates due to the need to switch worktables and complex sequential operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines cable net construction and membrane pasting into a single integrated modular fabrication process. Both operations are performed on the same worktable within one modular unit, eliminating the need to switch worktables and improving fabrication efficiency while maintaining structural stability through the modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs both cable net construction and membrane pasting as preliminary actions during module fabrication before final assembly. This allows both operations to be completed in an optimized sequence on a single worktable, improving efficiency while ensuring structural stability is established before the module is installed in the final structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a modular fabrication device and method for a cable-membrane structure of a thin membrane reflector antenna. The device includes a triangular cable net shaping device mounted on a worktable, where the triangular cable net shaping device is provided with a linear motion assembly, a planar motion assembly, a cantilever assembly, and positioning pins, the cantilever assembly is provided with a cable net tension adjustment device, and the positioning pins are provided with tension measurement devices; a triangular cable net unit is wound around the positioning pins and tensioned into a triangle; and the worktable is provided with distance measurement devices configured to measure distances of cable segments of the triangular cable net unit, and a cable pressing device. The triangular cable net unit is pasted to a thin membrane, and a modular triangular cable-membrane structural unit is formed.