JPH0433574B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an assembly support platform which is required to perform an assembly function in a manned space station or an unmanned flying vehicle when assembling or deploying a large structure in outer space.

For example, in the field of space communications, if we could launch a large multi-beam antenna into geostationary orbit, we would be able to obtain several thin radio beams.
Different information on the same frequency can be used in different areas, which not only increases frequency usage efficiency, but also
Transmission power in space and on the ground will also be reduced. In addition, space experiments require power generation equipment outside the laboratory to supply electricity, and communication equipment with the ground. It is difficult to assemble such large antennas and space experiment equipment on the ground and then launch them on a rocket. Therefore, it is difficult to assemble these large antennas and space experiment equipment on the ground and then launch them on a rocket and dock them in space. It has become necessary to assemble and deploy using unmanned flying vehicles.

Currently proposed assembly methods rely solely on the manipulators of the manned space station or unmanned vehicle. In this method, when a space station or an unmanned flying object (hereinafter referred to as an assembled flying object) captures a large-mass object to be assembled, the manipulator absorbs all the force based on the relative velocity difference between the manipulator and the object to be assembled. There is a risk that excessive force will be applied to the manipulator. Furthermore, when joining an appendix to the main body of the object to be assembled, when the additional object is captured by a manipulator and brought close to the main body of the object to be assembled, the center of gravity of the assembled flying object shifts, and as a result, the posture of the assembled flying object is disturbed. This method has the drawback of interfering with subsequent work to capture additional objects to be added.

Furthermore, there is also the drawback that the attitude of the assembled flying object is disturbed due to the impact when a heavy object is mounted on the assembly support stand.

The purpose of the present invention is to facilitate not only the ease of assembly work but also the capture of the main body of the object to be assembled when performing assembly work on a flying object that has an assembly function, and to reduce the amount of flying objects generated during the assembly work. An object of the present invention is to provide an assembly support stand for a space station that has less influence on the attitude.

According to the present invention, it is attached to a flying object for assembly,
In addition, in an assembly support stand for a space station used with a manipulator attached to this flying object for assembly, a support shaft that can rotate with one end attached near the manipulator handle, and one end attached to the other end of the support shaft. a support arm that is attached to the other end of the support arm and has at least two joints that are controlled by a step motor to bend in a plane that includes the rotation axis of the support shaft; There is obtained an assembly support stand for a space station, which is equipped with a rotary support stand that is rotatable within a plane, and adjusts the positions of the manipulator and the support arm so that the center of gravity of the assembly flying object is approximately constant.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an assembly support stand for a space station according to the present invention, and FIG. 1A is a front view thereof;
Figure B shows a side view, Figure C shows a side view when the support shaft 5 is rotated by 45 degrees, and Figure D shows a front view when the support arm 3 is folded. The manipulator 2 and the assembly support stand are attached to the assembled flying object by an attachment part 1. When the assembly support is not in use, it is folded up as shown in FIG. 1D. On the other hand, during assembly and use, as shown in FIG.
1, 62 and 63, it is expanded. The support shaft 5, to which one end of the arm element 33 is connected via the joint 63, is attached to the attachment portion 1 so as to be rotatable. Further, the support stand 4 is also configured to be rotatable (rotation shaft 12) within a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis 11 of the support shaft 5.

Assembly work in outer space cannot be carried out as easily as on the ground, so it is assembled on the ground as much as possible, and the smallest divisions are launched into low orbit at an altitude of several hundred kilometers using a space shuttle or rocket (hereinafter referred to as a carrier). The carrier is controlled to gradually approach the assembly support platform of the assembly flying object. The main body (not shown) of the object to be assembled thus transported is first installed on a rotating support base 4 by a manipulator 2 shown in FIG. 1A. At this time, the rotary support base 4 helps the installation work of the manipulator by the rotation function of the support shaft 5 and the rotary support base 4, and the extendable function of the support arm 3. In other words, the assembly support stand itself has a capturing function.
Due to the capturing function of the assembly support stand, even if the relative speed between the carrier and the flying object for assembly is not completely zero, the main body of the assembly can be pulled out from the carrier without applying excessive force to the manipulator 2.

The rotation angles of the joints 62 and 63 are controlled so that the center of gravity of the main body of the object to be assembled is approximately on the extension line of the rotation axis 11 of the support shaft 5. Further, the center of gravity of the main body of the object to be assembled is controlled so as to be on the rotation axis 12 of the rotation support base 4. The body of the object to be assembled that is first attached to the assembly support table generally has a large mass, but if the center of gravity is controlled to align with the rotation axes 11 and 12 as described above, the reaction force due to the rotation of the body of the object to be assembled can be suppressed. However, the flight attitude of the assembled flying vehicle is not significantly affected. Despite such control, if the attitude of the assembled flying object collapses due to reaction etc., as is well known,
A propulsion system for attitude control is provided in the assembled flying object as necessary and operated.

The fitting groove 7 of the rotary support base 4 serves to align the center of gravity of the object to be assembled with the rotation axis 12 of the rotary support base 4 . As shown in FIG. 2, this fitting groove 7 is formed from locking plates 41, 42, and 43, and is initially opened sufficiently so that it can easily catch the fitting part attached to the main body of the object to be assembled. There is. After capturing the main body of the object to be assembled, the holding plate is moved in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 2 to fix the main body of the object to be assembled to the support base 4.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the joints 61 to 63. Each arm element is attached to a screw 641 and folded around the screw 641 by a combined mechanism of a circular gear 642, a worm 643, and a step motor 644.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of another embodiment of the invention.
Support arms 31, 32, 33 have the same function as in FIG.
4, 65, and 66, the rotation support base 4 is moved in parallel with the rotation shaft 11. By providing such a degree of freedom of movement to the rotary support base 4, the object to be assembled can be captured more easily than in FIG. Therefore, the shock that occurs when attaching the main body of the object to be assembled to the rotating support base can be further alleviated.

As detailed above, by using the assembly support stand according to the present invention together with the manipulator, assembly work in space can be carried out smoothly. In other words, according to the present invention, it is possible to stably maintain the attitude of the flying object, while it is not only easy to attach a light-mass additional object (for example, a large antenna) to the main body of the object to be assembled, but also the dotted line. Further, when attaching a large mass to the main body of the object to be assembled, changes in the attitude of the flying object can be reduced by operating the manipulator and adjusting the position of the rotary support base.

Furthermore, since the fuel consumption of the propulsion system for attitude control of the assembled flying object can be reduced, the life of the flying object can be extended.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1A to 1D are a front view, a side view, a side view when the support shaft is rotated by 45 degrees, a front view with the support arm folded, and a second The figure shows the locking mechanism of the fitting groove of the rotary support base in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a structural diagram of the support arm joint in Figure 1, and Figure 4 shows the second assembly support base according to the present invention. A front view of the embodiment is shown. 1... Attachment part for manipulator and assembly support base, 2... Manipulator, 3... Support arm part, 4
... Rotation support base, 5 ... Support shaft, 7 ... Rotation support base fitting groove, 11 ... Rotation shaft of support shaft, 12 ... Rotation shaft of rotation support base, 31, 32, 33, 34, 3
5... Arm element of support arm, 41, 42, 43... Locking plate, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65,
66... Support arm joint, 641, 642, 64
3,644 . . . indicates a screw thread, a circular gear, a worm, and a step motor of the joint portion 64, respectively.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an assembly support stand for a space station that is attached to a flying object for assembly and used together with a manipulator attached to the flying object for assembly, one end of which is attached near the vicinity of the manipulator. a support shaft rotatable; and a support arm having one end attached to the other end of the support shaft and controlled by a step motor to bend in a plane including the rotation axis of the support shaft;
a rotary support base attached to the other end of the support arm and rotatable in a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis of the support shaft; An assembly support stand for a space station, which is characterized by adjusting the position of the arm. 2. Claim 1, characterized in that a restraining plate is provided on the mounting surface of the rotating support for the object to be assembled to form a groove into which a fitting portion attached to the object to be assembled is fitted. An assembly support stand for space stations.