JP4512252B2 - Stationary arm operating state display device for exposure pallet device exchange mechanism of space station experiment module - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fixed arm operation state display device for an exposure pallet unit exchange mechanism used to make it possible to grasp the operation state of the fixed arm of the device exchange mechanism provided in the exposure pallet unit of the space station experiment module from the outside on the back side. It is about.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, a space station as a permanent and multi-purpose manned facility in orbit around the earth has been constructed, and various experiments and researches are being promoted using experiment modules connected to the space station.
[0003]
The experimental module includes a pressurizing unit that becomes a manned experimental space that is supplied with power, air, and the like from the space station, and an exposure unit that can directly use the space environment as an experimental space outside the space station.
[0004]
An experimental payload (cargo) is installed in the exposed part. At this time, a coupling part called PIU on the end face part of the payload is joined to an apparatus exchange mechanism called EFU equipped on the exposed part base side. There is a need to.
[0005]
The above-mentioned device exchange mechanism can be coupled to and detached from the coupling portion of the payload by opening and closing the three fixed arms by driving the built-in motor. During operation, for example, the motor breaks down, Even when the main drive system including the electric system fails, it is necessary to completely connect or disconnect the connecting portion. Therefore, in the case of such a failure, the fixed arm can be opened and closed manually by EVA access from the side.
[0006]
However, recently, it is planned to launch the above payload on a pallet as a carrier so that the pallet is coupled to the exposed part base. As shown in FIG. 4, the structure of the exposed pallet part according to this plan is such that a side part of the pallet 1 formed in a rectangular flat plate shape is connected to a coupling unit (PIU) for coupling to a device exchange mechanism on the exposed part base side (not shown). ) 2 is provided. Further, on the pallet 1, for example, three payloads 3a, 3b, 3c are supported by the cargo mounting mechanism 1a at the time of launch, and when two payloads are discarded on the track, two payloads are provided on the support frame. The pallet 1 is discarded every time it is coupled to the apparatus exchanging mechanism 6 installed in the apparatus 5 via the coupling section 4.
[0007]
Since the apparatus replacement mechanism 6 is assembled sideways so as to be surrounded by the support frame 5 except for a part of the outer peripheral surface, as described above, when the main drive system fails, it is Since EVA access cannot be performed, EVA access can be performed from the rear side.
[0008]
The details of the device exchange mechanism 6 are as shown in FIGS. That is, a screw shaft (ball screw) 8 is placed at the axial center position in a cylindrical casing 7 which is disposed sideways and has a front plate 9 and a back plate 10 attached to both ends, and a portion of the front plate 9 and the back plate 10. The rear end of the screw shaft 8 is protruded rearward by a required amount through a back plate 10 and a large-diameter gear 12 is formed on the protruding portion of the screw shaft 8 from the back plate 10. The pinion gear 13 meshed with the gear 12 is attached to the output shaft of the motor 14 installed at the rear position in the casing 7, and the driving force of the motor 14 is transmitted from the pinion gear 13 to the large-diameter gear 12 and screwed. The shaft 8 can be rotated.
[0009]
Further, a nut 15 is screwed onto the screw shaft 8, and the nut 15 is attached to a nut holder (coupling arm) 17 in which an arm portion 16 is projected in a tridental manner toward the outside front at equal circumferential positions. The nut holder 17 is provided with a guide hole 18 extending through the nut holder 17 in parallel with the screw shaft 8, and further between the fixing member 19 provided on the inner side of the front plate 9 and the back plate 10. The guide rod 20 is attached in parallel with the guide rod 20, and the guide rod 20 is inserted into the guide hole 18 of the nut holder 17, and the nut holder 17 integrated with the nut 15 rotates to the guide rod 20 by the rotation of the screw shaft 8. While being regulated, it can be moved in the front-rear direction, which is the direction of the screw shaft 8.
[0010]
The base ends of the first link 21, the second link 22, and the third link 23 are pivotally connected to the distal end portions of the three arm portions 16 of the nut holder 17 by pins 24, and are provided at three locations in the casing 7. The front end portions of the first links 21 of the toggle link mechanisms 25 arranged on each of them are connected by pins 26, and the front end portions of the second links 22 are connected to the windows 27 through the windows 27 opened in the casing 7. A base of three fixed arms 30 which are connected to a bracket 28 fixed at an outer position by a pin 29, and the distal end portion of each third link 23 is bent inwardly at the distal end portion and the proximal end portion. The pin 31 is connected to each end by a pin 31, and the pin 31 is engaged with a guide groove 32 including an arc groove portion 32 a extending from the window 27 portion toward the outside of the window 27 and a linear groove portion 32 b extending rearward from the arc groove portion 32 a. I will match Are to. Further, the fixed arm 30 has long grooves 33 that extend in series from the base end portion connected to the pin 31 to a position near the tip portion on both sides, and are slightly outside the pins 29 in the long grooves 33 on both sides. Further, the support pin 34 fixed slightly opposite to the rear position is inserted and supported, and the toggle link mechanism 25 is moved by the longitudinal displacement of the arm portion 16 by moving the nut holder 17 along the guide rod 20. The fixed arm 30 is rotated about the pin 31 by the pin 34 while the pin 31 is moved along the guide groove 32, thereby opening and closing the distal end of the fixed arm 30 to connect and disconnect the connecting portion 4. It is made to be able to.
[0011]
In the above configuration, when the screw shaft 8 is rotated to displace the nut 15 from the solid line position in FIG. 5 to the two-dot chain line position, the toggle link mechanism 25 is displaced along with the displacement of the arm portion 16. In this case, the pin 24 is displaced around the pivot pin 29 of the second link 22, and the pin 31 is guided from the arc groove 32 a of the guide groove 32 to the linear groove 32 b by the third link 23. The connected fixed arm 30 is pulled rearward, and at the same time, the tip end portion is pivoted inward with the support pin 34 as a fulcrum. In this process, the fixed arm 30 is in the arm open state, soft dock. In this case, in the arm closed state, the connecting portion 4 is not completely locked by the fixed arm 30. The over arm 30, it is necessary to lock state in the further closing as from the arm closed state. Therefore, an offset amount e is set between the center of the pin 29 of the toggle link mechanism 25 and the center of the pin 31 at the end of the guide groove 32 so that the pin 31 is inward in the radial direction of the casing 7. At the same time, the length of the first link 21 is determined so that the position of the pin 24 when the first link 21 faces the radial direction of the casing 7 is the same as the center of the pin 29. The second link 22 and the third link 23 become a dogleg shape with the pin 24 as a bending point, that is, an over-center state is obtained, so that the locked state can be obtained. It is set to.
[0012]
In FIG. 5A, reference numeral 35 denotes a stopper pin protruding near the tip of the fixed arm 30 so that it can be fitted into a pin receiver 36 provided outside the front end of the casing 7. 37 is a link guide having a guide groove 32 for fitting the pin 31 on the inner surface of the side wall and covering the base end side of the fixed arm 30 with the outer wall, 38 is a gear cover, 39 is a stopper of the nut holder 17 and is used for launching Each pressure mechanism is shown.
[0013]
In the case of the device replacement mechanism 6 having the above-described configuration, when the motor 14 fails, the EVA crew inserts a tool such as a box wrench at the rear end portion of the screw shaft 8 protruding rearward from the back plate 10 of the casing 7. Then, the fixed arm 30 can be opened and closed by manually rotating the screw shaft 8.
[0014]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, as described above, when the EVA crew accesses from the back side of the device exchange mechanism 6, there is a problem that it is difficult to grasp the operation state of the fixed arm 30.
[0015]
Incidentally, in the case of a device exchange mechanism that can be accessed from the side surface that is coupled to and detached from the coupling portion 2 of the pallet 1 and the coupling portion 4 of the payload 3a shown in FIG. As shown, the marking line 40 at the soft dock position is attached to the outer surface of the fixed arm 30 and the marking line 40 is visually recognized using the end of the arm guide cover 37 as an index. In the case of the device exchange mechanism 6 that accesses from the beginning, it is difficult to visually recognize the marking line 40. Moreover, the conventional marking line 40 has only a display function for the soft dock state among the arm open, soft dock, arm close, and lock states. Also, even if a large number of different states are to be displayed, the number and area of markings increase, so the dimensions between the markings need to be highly accurate. It is necessary to increase the size of the paint or to make the paint stable and visible regardless of the presence or absence of sunlight. In any case, it is not possible to display a necessary and sufficient state when accessing from the back.
[0016]
Therefore, the present invention provides an internal mechanism for a toggle link mechanism or the like when the main drive system including the electrical system of the apparatus replacement mechanism mounted sideways on the exposed pallet fails and EVA backup is required from the back. The operation state of the fixed arm based on this state is to be grasped from the outside on the back side.
[0017]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention concentrically connects the screw shaft to the center line position in a cylindrical casing having a back plate attached to one end so that the rear end portion protrudes from the back plate of the casing. A plurality of arm portions that are arranged and screwed onto the screw shaft and project outward from the nut in a radial direction are assembled to the outer portion of the casing so as to be openable and closable in correspondence with the arm portions. The base ends of the plurality of fixed arms are connected to each other via a toggle link mechanism, and the movement of the nut in the screw shaft direction due to the rotation of the screw shaft is caused by the rotation of the screw shaft from each arm portion via the toggle link mechanism. One of the fixed arms is arranged on the outer side of the casing in the device exchange mechanism, which is converted into an opening / closing operation and is set sideways on a support frame standing on the exposure pallet. Near the end position, the intermediate portion of the opening and closing the display lever distal end side arranged to be brought into contact with the toggle link mechanism, and pivotally attached rotatably to the casing and out direction, the該枢attaching portion, the the device distal end side of the opening and closing the display lever biases pressed against the toggle link mechanism provided to allow grasping the opening and closing operation state of the fixed arm by moving position of the rear end portion of the opening indicating lever, further, the opening and closing In the vicinity of the position where the display lever is arranged, an intermediate part of the lock display lever arranged so that the tip part is interposed at the over-center position of the toggle link mechanism is pivotally attached to the casing so as to be rotatable inward and outward. A device for urging the tip of the lock display lever to be brought into contact with the toggle link mechanism displaced to the over center position is provided at the pivot attachment portion. A configuration in which by moving the position of the end portion to be grasped the locked state of the fixed arm.
[0018]
When the screw shaft is rotated from the back side of the device exchange mechanism and the movement of the nut is transmitted from the arm part to the toggle link mechanism, the opening / closing display lever is rotated by the operation of the toggle link mechanism, so the rear end of the opening / closing display lever The open / closed state of the fixed arm can be grasped by the position of the portion.
[0019]
In addition, an intermediate part of the lock display lever arranged so that the tip part is interposed in the over-center position of the toggle link mechanism is pivotally mounted in the vicinity of the position where the open / close display lever is arranged so as to be rotatable inward and outward of the casing. And a device for urging the tip end portion to abut against the toggle link mechanism displaced to the over center position, and locking the fixed arm according to the position where the rear end portion of the lock display lever moves. because are a configuration in which to be able to know the state, it is possible to lock the fixed arm, confirmed by the position of the rear end portion of the non-locked state lock indicator lever.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0021]
1 and 2 (a) (b) (c) (d) and FIG. 3 (b) (b) (c) (d) show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. In the apparatus replacement mechanism 6 having the same configuration as shown in (b) and FIG. 6, a guide groove 32 for guiding the pin 31 connecting the third link 23 of the toggle link mechanism 25 and the fixed arm 30 is formed. An open / close display lever 41 for detecting and displaying the operation state from the open state to the closed state of the fixed arm 30 in contact with the toggle link mechanism 25 in the link guide 37 at a certain upper position, and the lock state of the fixed arm 30 And a lock display lever 42 for detecting and displaying the unlocked state is arranged in the front-rear direction, which is the direction of the screw shaft 8, and the intermediate portion of the open / close display lever 41 is disposed on the inner surface of one side wall of the link guide 37. The shaft 43 is The front end of the lock display lever 42 is attached to the inner surface of the other side wall of the link guide 37 so as to be rotatable inward and outward of the casing 7 by the shaft 44. The rear end portions of the levers 41 and 42 are projected out of the link guide 37 through large and small display windows 45 and 46 provided on the outer wall of the link guide 37, and further, the torsion springs 47 and 48 are provided on the shafts 43 and 44. Is attached so that the tip end sides of the display levers 41 and 42 are always urged toward the inside of the casing 7.
[0022]
The open / close display lever 41 has a distal end extending to the vicinity of the starting end position of the arc groove 32 a of the guide groove 32, and can be brought into contact with any side end surface of the second link 22 and the third link 23 with the leading end being wide. In addition, a bulge 41a is provided on the inner abdomen near the shaft 43 so that the tip of the third link 23 can be easily contacted.
[0023]
For example, the lock display lever 42 is configured such that a position about 1/5 from the tip is pivotally attached to the shaft 44 and the rotational displacement on the tip side is transmitted to the rear end in an enlarged manner. In this case, a small rod 49 with a stepped portion 49 a arranged inward is rotatably attached by a pin 50, and the small rod 49 is passed through a fixed stopper sleeve 51 and rotated by the torsion spring 48. The position of the tip that is urged by movement can be regulated by the stepped portion 49a coming into contact with the stopper sleeve 51, and the foremost end of the small rod 49 is formed between the arc groove portion 32a and the linear groove portion 32b of the guide groove 32. When the second link 22 and the third link 23 of the toggle link mechanism 25 are pushed by the first link 21 to be in the over-center state, the small rod 49 is positioned corresponding to the outside of the boundary portion. The first link 21 are to be pushed outwardly.
[0024]
Other configurations are the same as those shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 1, when the fixed arm 30 is in the open state, the open / close display lever 41 is in contact with a position near the tip of the third link 23 of the toggle link mechanism 25, and the lock display lever 42. Is held at a position where the step portion 49a of the small rod 49 abuts against the stopper sleeve 51 without contacting the toggle link mechanism 25. At this time, the open / close display lever 41 protrudes from the display window 45 on the outer wall of the link guide 37. 2 and the rear end portion of the lock display lever 42 protruding from the display window 46 are positioned above as shown in FIG.
[0026]
In the above state, when access from the back side is performed, that is, when a tool is fitted to the rear end portion of the screw shaft 8 protruding from the back plate 10 and the screw shaft 8 is manually rotated in the required direction, the nut 15, the nut holder 17 is retracted and the toggle link mechanism 25 is displaced, so that the fixed arm 30 is displaced in the closing direction to be in a soft dock state. At this time, the distal end portion of the third link 23 extends along the circular arc groove portion 32a of the guide groove 32, whereby the distal end portion side of the open / close display lever 41 is pushed outward from the state of FIG. 1 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the rear end portion of the open / close display lever 41 is positioned at the intermediate portion of the display window 45 as shown in FIG.
[0027]
When the nut 15 is further retracted from the above state, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the tip of the third link 23 presses against the bulge 41 a of the abdomen of the display lever 41, and the display lever 41. The tip end side is further pushed outward and rotated about the shaft 43 counterclockwise in the figure. In this case, if there is no bulge 41a in the abdomen of the open / close display lever 41, the contact angle between the third link 23 and the open / close display lever 41 becomes acute, and the displacement of the open / close display lever 41 becomes slow. Due to the presence of the bulge 41a, the displacement of the open / close display lever 41 can be made large, and can be easily recognized.
[0028]
Further, when the nut 15 is retracted, the fixed arm 30 is closed. At this time, the tip of the third link 23 gets over the bulge 41a of the open / close display lever 41, but the tip of the second link 22 contacts the tip of the open / close display lever 41 at a shallow angle without causing jamming. Thus, the front end side of the open / close display lever 41 is continuously pushed outward, and the rear end portion is positioned below the display window 45 as shown in FIG.
[0029]
When the nut 15 is further retracted after the fixed arm 30 is closed as described above, the second link 22 and the third link 23 of the toggle link mechanism 25 are over, as shown in FIG. Since the fixed arm 30 is locked because it is in the center state, the tip of the first link 21 is pushed outwardly by pushing the small rod 49 connected to the tip of the lock display lever 42 at this time. In order to transmit to the lock display lever 42, the rear end portion of the lock display lever 42 is positioned below the display window 46 as shown in FIG.
[0030]
Thus, the operating state of the fixed arm 30 can be grasped from the outside on the back side as shown in FIGS. 2 (a), (b), (c), and (d) as the displacement of the open / close display lever 41 and the lock display lever. it can. Therefore, even if the main drive system breaks down, the EVA crew can perform the function of the device replacement mechanism 6 by controlling the supplied torque, rotational speed, etc. while visually checking the status display.
[0031]
In the above embodiment, the case where the display levers 41 and 42 are assembled with the fixed arm 30 positioned at the upper part as an object has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this and other departures from the gist of the present invention. It goes without saying that various changes can be made within the range not to be performed.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the fixed arm operation state display device of the exposure pallet unit device exchange mechanism of the space station experiment module of the present invention, the casing is positioned at the center line position in the cylindrical casing with the back plate attached to one end. A screw shaft is arranged concentrically so that the rear end portion protrudes from the back plate of the screw, a nut is screwed onto the screw shaft, and a plurality of arm portions projecting radially outward from the nut, Each of the fixed arms assembled to the outer side of the casing so as to be openable and closable corresponding to the arm portion is connected to each base end portion via a toggle link mechanism. The movement of the nut is converted from each arm to the opening / closing operation of the fixed arm via the toggle link mechanism, and set to the support frame standing on the exposure pallet. An intermediate portion of the open / close display lever arranged so that the distal end side is brought into contact with the toggle link mechanism at a position in the vicinity of the base end portion of one of the fixed arms in the outer portion of the casing in the device exchange mechanism. And a device for urging the front end of the open / close display lever to be pressed against the toggle link mechanism. The rear end of the open / close display lever The opening / closing operation state of the fixed arm can be grasped by the position where the part moves , and further, the tip part is arranged in the vicinity of the position where the opening / closing display lever is arranged so that the tip part is interposed at the over center position of the toggle link mechanism. An intermediate part of the lock display lever is pivotally attached to the inside and outside of the casing so that the toggle link mechanism is displaced to the overcenter position. Tsu tip of click indicating lever is provided with a device which biases brought into contact, since a structure in which to be able to grasp the locked state of the fixed arm by moving position of the rear end portion of the lock indicating lever, track When the upper drive device is in operation, when the main drive system including the electrical system of the device exchange mechanism fails and the EVA crew needs to access from the back, the operating state of the fixed arm and the internal toggle link mechanism Ru can be grasped as a displacement of the opening and closing display lever. In addition, an intermediate part of the lock display lever arranged so that the tip part is interposed in the over-center position of the toggle link mechanism is pivotally mounted in the vicinity of the position where the open / close display lever is arranged so as to be rotatable inward and outward of the casing. And a device for urging the tip end portion to abut against the toggle link mechanism displaced to the over center position, and locking the fixed arm according to the position where the rear end portion of the lock display lever moves. because are a configuration in which to be able to know the state, the lock of the fixed arm, it is possible to confirm the non-locked state, exhibits an excellent effect that.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cutaway side view showing an embodiment of a fixed arm operation state display device of an exposure pallet unit device exchange mechanism of a space station experiment module of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are views showing arrows II-II in FIG. 1, and (a), (b), (c), and (d) are diagrams showing different state displays by the display lever.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams schematically illustrating operations related to a toggle link mechanism and a display lever, wherein FIGS. 3A, 2B, 2C, and 3D are different operation states.
FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the structure of a planned exposure pallet unit.
FIGS. 5A and 5B show an apparatus replacement mechanism used in the exposed pallet section, where FIG. 5A is a cut side view, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is a front view of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a partial view showing a state display means of a fixed arm which has been conventionally employed.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pallet 5 Support frame 6 Apparatus exchange mechanism 7 Casing 8 Screw shaft 10 Back plate 15 Nut 16 Arm part 25 Toggle link mechanism 30 Fixed arm 41 Opening / closing display lever 42 Lock display lever
47 Torsion spring (device)
48 Torsion spring (device)

Claims (1)

A screw shaft is arranged concentrically at the center line position in a cylindrical casing with a back plate attached to one end so that the rear end protrudes from the back plate of the casing, and a nut is screwed onto the screw shaft. A plurality of arm portions projecting radially outward from the nuts are respectively attached to the base end portions of the plurality of fixed arms assembled to the outer side portion of the casing so as to correspond to the arm portions so as to be opened and closed. It is connected via a toggle link mechanism, and the movement of the nut in the screw shaft direction due to the rotation of the screw shaft is converted from each arm part to the opening / closing operation of the fixed arm via the toggle link mechanism. In the device exchange mechanism that is set sideways on the support frame standing on the pallet, the distal end side is located near the proximal end of one of the fixed arms on the outer side of the casing. The middle portion of the opening and closing the display lever arranged to be brought into contact with the link mechanism, and pivotally attached rotatably to the casing and out direction, the該枢attachment part, the tip end portion side of the opening and closing the display lever to the toggle link mechanism A device for urging to be pressed is provided so that the open / close operation state of the fixed arm can be grasped by the position of the rear end of the open / close display lever, and further, the tip is located near the position where the open / close display lever is disposed. The intermediate part of the lock display lever arranged so that the part is interposed at the over center position of the toggle link mechanism is pivotally pivoted in the inside and outside of the casing and is displaced to the over center position. A device that urges the toggle link mechanism so that the front end of the lock display lever is brought into contact is provided. Fixed arm operating state display apparatus of the exposed pallet unit device replacement mechanism space station experiment module characterized by having a structure in which to be able to grasp the locked state.

Images