JP3218482B2 - Antenna deployment device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an antenna deploying apparatus which needs to maintain positioning accuracy and reduce deployment impact during operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an antenna deploying device of this type has a bearing 1-1 and a driving spiral spring 1- as shown in FIG.
The stoppers of the unfolding mechanism 1 having the same 2 have the same phase, and the cushioning material 8 and the spring are incorporated in the stopper portion to reduce the unfolding impact.

[0003]

The above-mentioned conventional unfolding device has the disadvantage that the impact at the time of latch is large, the selection of the buffer material and the maintenance and inspection are required, and the mechanism of the buffer portion becomes complicated.

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, one end of each of the two booms is fixed to a flexible antenna mirror surface, and the bearing and the other end of each of the booms form a deployment axis. An antenna deployment device that expands the antenna mirror surface by rotationally driving the deployment axis as a fulcrum, wherein one of the bearings has a predetermined deployment stop after the antenna mirror surface is deployed by the rotation drive. A first latch mechanism for suppressing the deployment of the antenna mirror surface at a position, and a latch mechanism provided at a position different from the deployment stop position at the other of the bearings; An engagement portion that engages with the latch mechanism provided when the antenna mirror surface is unfolded by the rotational driving, and one of the latch mechanisms corresponds to the one of the latch mechanism. The joint is connected, and the antenna mirror surface bends due to the inertia of the unfolding motion generated at the time of the union, and the unfolding is completed by connecting the other of the latch mechanisms and the corresponding engaging portion. A device can be obtained. According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain the antenna deployment apparatus according to the first aspect, further comprising a torsion bar connecting the two deployment axes. According to the third aspect of the present invention, one end of each of the two booms is fixed to a flexible antenna mirror surface, and the bearing and the other end of each of the booms are connected via a deployment shaft. In an antenna deployment device that deploys the antenna mirror surface by rotating and driving the shaft as a fulcrum, the two deployment shafts are connected by a torsion bar, and after one of the bearings, the antenna mirror surface is deployed by the rotation drive, At a predetermined deployment stop position, a latch mechanism for inhibiting deployment of the antenna mirror surface is provided, and the boom connected to a bearing having the latch mechanism is provided with an engagement portion that engages with the latch mechanism when deployment is inhibited. When the mirror surface of the antenna is expanded by the rotation drive, the latch mechanism and the engaging portion are connected, and the angular velocity of the unfolding movement generated at the time of the connection is determined by the screw of the torsion bar. Is converted into kinetic,
The antenna deployment device is characterized in that the boom and the antenna mirror surface on the bearing side not having the latch mechanism are in a state of rotational vibration around a torsion bar, and the development is completed when the vibration converges over time. be able to. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the mirror surface of the antenna is formed to have an offset by an amount corresponding to the distortion at the time of latching, and regular mirror surface accuracy is obtained by deformation of the mirror surface at the time of latching. The antenna deployment devices described in 1 to 3 can be obtained. Further, according to the invention described in claim 5, it is possible to obtain the antenna deployment device according to claims 1 to 4, wherein a vibration damping fluid is sealed inside the boom.

[0005]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an antenna deployment mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, two deployment mechanisms 1, an antenna mirror surface 2, and a boom 3 are provided, and stop positions of the latch mechanism 6 of the deployment mechanism 1 around the deployment axis 1-4 are set at different angles. . This angle is between antenna mirror 2 and boom 3
Is determined by the rigidity of the structure obtained by integrating the above, and is always set within the elastic strength limit. The unfolding mechanism 1 includes a bearing 1-1, a spiral spring 1-2 for driving, a key 1 for coupling the antenna boom.
The latch mechanism 6 comprises an arm 6-1, a key 6-2 for coupling the deployment shaft and the arm, a coil spring 6-3, a pin 6-4, and a hole 6-5. Is done.

[0008] The boom 3 attached to the antenna mirror 2 is deployed by being driven by the two deployment mechanisms 1 from the stored state shown by the two-dot chain line. First, the deploying mechanism having the latch mechanism 6 set at a small angle with respect to the deploying angle latches. However, antenna mirror 2 and boom 3
Is not zero due to inertia. Thereafter, the developed angular velocity is converted into a torsional motion of the antenna mirror surface 2 and the boom 3, and after a short time, the deployment is completed at the deployment latch end position of the other deployment mechanism. Latch impact can be reduced by the difference between the latch times of the two deployment mechanisms. Note that the antenna mirror surface 2 is a flexible structure, and an offset is provided so that the focal point of the mirror surface becomes a normal position at the end of deployment.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an antenna deployment mechanism using a torsion bar according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment comprises two deployment mechanisms 1, an antenna mirror 2, a boom 3, and a torsion bar 4, and the stop position of the deployment mechanism 1 around the deployment axis of the latch mechanism 6 is different from that of FIG. The angle is set.

The boom 3 attached to the antenna mirror surface 2 is deployed by driving the two deployment mechanisms 1 from the stowed state shown by the two-dot chain line. First, the deploying mechanism having the latch mechanism 6 set at a small angle with respect to the deploying angle latches. However, the angular velocities of the antenna mirror 2 and the boom 3 do not become zero due to inertia. Thereafter, the developed angular velocity is converted into a torsional motion of the torsion bar 4, and after a short time, the deployment is completed at the deployment latch end position of the other deployment mechanism. Latch impact can be reduced by the difference between the latch times of the two deployment mechanisms.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an antenna deployment mechanism using the flexibility of an antenna structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, one of the two deployment mechanisms 1 has a latch mechanism 6 and a bearing 5 outside the deployment shaft, and is composed of an antenna mirror 2, a boom 3, and a torsion bar 4.

The boom 3 attached to the antenna mirror surface 2 is deployed by being driven by the two deployment mechanisms 1 from the stowed state shown by the two-dot chain line. First, the bearing 5 outside the deployment shaft
Is provided, and the unfolding mechanism 1 is latched. However, the angular velocities of the antenna mirror 2 and the boom 3 do not become zero due to inertia. Thereafter, the developed angular velocity is converted into a torsional motion of the torsion bar 4. Since the antenna mirror surface 2 and the boom 3 are rotationally vibrated about the torsion bar 4, a considerable time elapses until the antenna stops completely, so that the latch impact can be reduced. However, in this state, the vibration focusing takes too much time. Therefore, a vibration damping fluid 7 is sealed in the boom 3 to reduce the vibration and shorten the focusing time.

[0015]

As described above, according to the antenna deploying apparatus of the present invention, the deployment energy can be dispersed over time, so that the effect at the end of deployment can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention utilizing the flexibility of an antenna.
(A) is a perspective view, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of a deployment mechanism section.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a second embodiment using the torsion bar of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2A is a perspective view and FIG.

3A and 3B show a third embodiment of the present invention in which a bearing is provided outside a deployment shaft of a torsion bar and a latch mechanism, wherein FIG. 3A is a perspective view and FIG. 3B is a sectional view of a deployment mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a conventional antenna deployment device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 deployment mechanism 1-1 bearing 1-2 vortex spring for driving 1-3 antenna boom coupling key 1-4 deployment shaft 2 antenna mirror surface 3 boom 4 torsion bar 5 bearing outside deployment shaft 6 latch mechanism 6-1 arm 6 -2 Key for connection between deployment shaft and arm 6-3 Coil spring 6-4 Pin 6-5 hole 7 Vibration damping fluid 8 Buffer material

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-61-75603 (JP, A) JP-A-1-254010 (JP, A) JP-A-59-41000 (JP, A) JP-A-6-75603 135397 (JP, A) Hikaru 2-75299 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01Q 1/12-1/20 F16C 11/04 B64G 1/44

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] (1) Two antennas are provided on a mirror surface of a flexible antenna.
Fix one end of the boom,
The other end is connected via a deployment shaft, and the deployment shaft is used as a fulcrum.
Expand the mirror surface of the antenna by rotating
In the antenna deploying device, one of the bearings is provided with the antenna by the rotation drive.
After the mirror surface has been deployed, the antenna is
A first latch mechanism for suppressing the expansion of the mirror surface is provided;
On the other side of the receiver, move to a position different from the deployment stop position.
The two booms are provided on each of the bearings.
An engagement portion engaged during suppression of the latch mechanism and deployment provided, when the antenna mirror surface by the rotary drive to deploy, before
One of the latch mechanisms and the corresponding engaging portion are connected,
Due to the inertia of the unfolding motion generated during the connection, the antenna
The mirror surface is deflected and the other of the latch mechanism and the corresponding
The deployment is terminated when the engaging portions are connected.
Antenna deployment device. 2. A torsion for connecting said two development axes.
The antenna according to claim 1, further comprising a bar.
Deployment device. 3. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the antenna has a flexible mirror.
Fix one end of the boom,
The other end is connected via a deployment shaft, and the deployment shaft is used as a fulcrum.
Expand the mirror surface of the antenna by rotating
In the antenna deploying device, the two deploying shafts are connected by a torsion bar, and one of the bearings is provided with the antenna by the rotational driving.
After the mirror surface has been deployed, the antenna mirror is
A boom that is provided with a latch mechanism for suppressing surface development and is connected to a bearing having the latch mechanism;
In addition, when the deployment is inhibited, the engagement portion that engages with the latch mechanism is
Provided, when the antenna mirror surface by the rotary drive to deploy, before
The latch mechanism and the engaging portion are connected, and the
The angular velocity of the opening movement is converted to the torsion movement of the torsion bar.
And the boom on the bearing side without the latch mechanism
The mirror surface of the antenna is in a rotational vibration state around the torsion bar
And the vibration converges over time.
The antenna deployment device characterized by terminating. 4. The antenna mirror surface is distorted when latched.
Shape with an offset, deformation of mirror surface when latching
2. A regular mirror surface accuracy is obtained by the following.
4. The antenna deployment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. A vibration damping fluid is sealed inside the boom.
5. The antenna exhibition according to claim 1, wherein
Opening device.