JPH0569759B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a lightweight deployable truss structure with high retractability.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, the performance and reliability of space shuttles, Ariane rockets, etc. have improved, bringing economic benefits to space utilization. In particular, large deployable antennas are indispensable for communication in mobile bodies such as ships and vehicles, and deployable truss structures for constructing these antennas have been actively developed. On the other hand, there are plans to build a huge space base for scientific purposes, and the deployment truss structure as the basic structure of this base is an important development theme. This is because the expanding structure method is believed to be the most economical way to construct huge structures in space.

Figure 7 shows the above-mentioned unfolding truss structure.
ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION”AP−
This is a diagram showing the conventional deployable truss structure shown in Vol. 17, No. 4 (1969). In the diagram, 1 constitutes a triangular lattice on the upper and lower surfaces of this truss structure, and the structure is bent at the center. Possible bent members 2 are diagonal members that support the triangular lattice on the upper and lower surfaces, and 3 is a connector that connects the bent members 1 and the diagonal members 2 with pins. Figure 8 shows the 7th
This is an enlarged view of part A surrounded by the dashed circle in the figure.
Reference numeral 4 denotes a web provided around the connector 3, which connects the bending member 1 and the diagonal member 2 to the connector 3 with a pin.

Figure 9 shows B enclosed in the dashed circle in Figure 7.
This is an enlarged view showing details of the central bent part of the bending member 1. In the figure, 5 is a rotatable hinge lever consisting of two plates whose central parts are connected with a pin, and 6 is a diagram showing details of the central bent part of the bending member 1.
7 is a spiral spring that is attached to one base of the hinge lever 5 and rotates the hinge lever 5 in the direction in which the bending member 1 is unfolded; 7 is a coupling pin that connects the bending member 1 and the hinge lever 5; 7a and 7b are pins that connect the hinge lever 5 and the bending member 1, and 7c is a connecting pin that connects the bending members 1 together at the center.

The above structure is also called a tetrahedral truss structure because it has a configuration in which a plurality of tetrahedrons made up of three bent members 1, three diagonal members 2, and three connectors 3 are connected. There is. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the expansion truss structure in progress.

Next, the operation will be explained. Initially, the structure, which is restrained by a holding cable (not shown) in its stored shape, becomes movable by cutting the holding cable with a blast tube or the like in response to a command from the ground, and begins to expand due to the spring force of the spiral spring 6. For deployment, the hinge lever 5 is rotated by the spring force of the spiral spring 6, thereby extending the bending member 1 while rotating it around the connecting pin 7c. Bending member 1
As a result of the extension, the connectors 3 on the upper and lower surfaces spread radially and progress in expansion. When the bending member 1 extends linearly, the rotational torque generated by the spring force of the hinge lever 5 and the spiral spring 6 and the contact surface pressure on the bending surface of the bending member 1 are balanced, and the bending member 1 moves. stop. This is the developed shape, and the structure is connected only by a triangular lattice. A triangular lattice is basically a rigid and stable structure, and conventionally this type of structure was considered to be very rigid and suitable for deployable antennas or structures for space bases.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, the conventional structure actually has a flexible structure that cannot even maintain its own shape because the connection points of each member are not concentrated at one point. In other words, the triangular lattice is rigid only when each member is connected at one point as shown in Fig. 11, but in the conventional structure, this triangular lattice is stiff at the 12th point.
As shown in the figure, having many hinge connection points not only lacks rigidity but also results in an unstable link structure. In FIGS. 11 and 12, 8 is a basic member constituting a triangular lattice, 9 is a pin joint that connects the basic member 8, and 3 is a pin joint 9 that connects the basic member 8.
It is a connector that connects .

As explained above, the conventional deployable truss structure using bent members is basically an unstable structure.
There was a fatal problem in that the required rigidity could not be achieved in the structure of the deployable antenna or the main body of the space base.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a deployable truss structure that is structurally stable and highly rigid in its deployed shape.

[Means for solving problems]

The deployable truss structure according to the present invention has a mandrel to which a connector having a pin joint part is connected at one end, a locking mechanism at the other end, and an engaging part that engages with the locking mechanism during deployment, and the structure has a mandrel having a locking mechanism at the other end. It consists of a main slide hinge that slides, and three ribs that extend radially, one end of which is pin-coupled to the main slide hinge. A wire that is stretched between the connectors when deployed is attached to a plurality of frames connected to connectors of adjacent mandrels in opposite directions.

Further, in the deployable truss structure according to another invention of the present invention, a synchronous slide hinge is attached to the shaft, the synchronous slide hinge and the rib are connected using a synchronous beam, and a coil is connected between the synchronous slide hinge and the main slide hinge. It is equipped with a spring.

[Effect]

In this invention, the wire stretched between the vertices of the tetrahedron generates compressive force on the stem and ribs, achieving a force equilibrium state, so the looseness of the pin-connected parts disappears and the basic module The tetrahedron has a stable structure and can easily obtain high rigidity.

Further, in another aspect of the present invention, each tetrahedron unfolds in synchronization with each other, thereby increasing the reliability of the unfolding and eliminating the need for external energy to unfold the tetrahedron by the force of a spring.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a deployable truss structure in a deployed shape showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which 3a and 3b are connectors having pin joints, 3c is a rib that becomes the free end of the deployable transformer structure, and other parts. A connector at the end, 10 is a shaft with a connector 3 attached to the tip,
Adjacent mandrels are arranged with opposite axial directions. 11 is a main slide hinge that slides on the mandrel 10; 12 is a rib that is radially pin-coupled to the main slide hinge 11 at one end and can be expanded in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the mandrel; The connector 3a is oriented in the opposite direction, and is pin-coupled to the connector 3b attached to the adjacent mandrel 10 in the opposite direction. Further, the rib which becomes the free end of the deployable truss structure is connected to the connector 3c.

13 is between the connectors 3a and 3b attached to the tip of the mandrel 10, between the connectors 3c arranged at the free end of the deployable truss structure, and between the connectors 3a and 3b installed on the mandrel. and a connector 3c placed at the free end of the deployable truss structure.
This is a wire attached between them, and is set to be pulled when the deployable truss structure is deployed.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of section C in Figure 1.
4 is a stopper formed of a coil spring provided at the end of the mandrel 10, and 15 is a lock pin provided at the holding position of the main slide hinge 11 on the mandrel 10, and is interposed between the inside of the mandrel and the lock pin 15. The main slide hinge 11 is projected outwardly by a spring (not shown) and is fitted into a pin groove 16 provided in the main slide hinge 11. In the figure, θ indicates the angle formed between the shaft 11 and the rib 12, and is set to be around 90° when deployed.

FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the deployable truss structure in the middle of deployment.

The unfolding operation of the deployable truss structure configured as described above will be explained below. The deployable truss structure of the present invention has a connector, for example 3a, on the mandrel 10 and a main slide hinge 1 on the mandrel 10 when stored.
1 and another connector, for example 3b, which is connected to the other end of the rib 12 whose one end is pin-connected to the main slide hinge 11, is collapsed, and the rib shown in FIG. Although the angle θ between the connector 3a and the shaft 10 is zero, when the main slide hinge 11 is moved to the holding position where the locking mechanism is located, the connector 3a and the main slide hinge 1
1 increases, but the distance between the connector 3a and the other connector 3b is kept below a certain length by the wire 13, and the distance between the other connector 3b and the main slide hinge 11 is Since the distance is also maintained by the length of the rib 12, the triangle formed by the three vertices expands, and the angle θ between the rib 12 and the mandrel 10 increases. When the angle θ between the rib 12 and the mandrel 10 increases, the another connector 3b,
The distance between further connectors, such as 3c, provided at the other end of another rib 12 pin-coupled at one end to the main slide hinge 11 is also increased. When the main slide hinge 11 reaches a predetermined holding position,
The wires 13 between the connector 3a and the other connector 3b as well as the other connector 3b and the further connector 3c are stretched, and at the same time the wires 13 are inserted into the pin grooves 16 provided in the main slide hinge 11. The upper lock pin 15 is fitted, and the main slide hinge 11 hits the stopper 14, receives a reaction force from the stopper 14, is pressed against the lock pin 15, and is restrained in its expanded shape. As described above, in the expanded configuration, tension is applied to the wire 13, and compressive force is generated in the mandrel 10 and the ribs 12, which balances the tension, and a state of force balance is achieved, making the expanded truss structure stable and highly rigid. becomes.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an unfolded truss structure in an unfolded shape showing another embodiment of the present invention.
18 shows a synchronous slide hinge that slides on a shaft between the connector 3 and the main slide hinge 11, and 18 shows a synchronous beam whose one end is pin-coupled to the synchronous slide hinge 17 and the other end is pin-coupled onto the rib 12. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of section D in FIG. 4, and 19 indicates a telescopic spring. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the expanded trust structure of the above-mentioned another invention is being expanded. Figure 4~
In FIG. 6, numerals 3, 10 to 16 are the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

The deployable truss structure configured as described above has a synchronized slide hinge 17 when retracted and a main slide hinge 1.
Expansion is performed by the strain energy of the telescopic spring 19 compressed by 1, and the expansion of the ribs 12 is further synchronized by the synchronization beam 18. Therefore, this deployable truss structure has the advantage that no external energy is required for deployment, and that highly reliable deployment is possible without worrying about tangles of the wires 13 that tend to occur during asynchronous deployment. .

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, this invention has a structure in which the wire is stretched between the vertices of each tetrahedron without backlash, and therefore has the advantage that high rigidity can be easily obtained.

Another invention of this invention is that it incorporates a synchronization beam that synchronizes the deployment between the rib and the mandrel, and a telescopic spring that supplies the deployment energy, which increases the reliability of the deployment and has the effect that the deployment can be achieved by itself. There is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a deployable truss structure after deployment showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a member connection portion in an embodiment of this invention, and FIG. Diagram showing the shape in the middle of development,
FIG. 4 is a diagram of the developed shape of an embodiment of another invention of this invention, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a member joining part in another invention of this invention, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the shape of the conventional example after it has been expanded. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the diagonal member joining part of the conventional example. FIG. 9 is a diagram of the triangular shape of the conventional example. Diagram showing the mechanism of the bent members of the lattice, 1st
Figure 0 is a diagram showing the shape in the middle of development in the conventional example.
FIG. 1 shows a physical model diagram of a conventional triangular lattice, and FIG. 12 shows an actual physical model diagram of a triangular lattice in the conventional example. In the figure, 1 is a bent member, 2 is a diagonal member,
3 is a connector, 4 is a web, 5 is a hinge lever, 6
1 is a spiral spring, 7 is a coupling pin, 8 is a basic member, 9 is a pin joint, 10 is a mandrel, 11 is a main slide hinge, 12 is a rib, 13 is a wire, 14 is a stopper, 15 is a lock pin, 16 is a pin groove, 1
7 is a synchronous slide hinge, 18 is a synchronous beam, and 19 is a telescopic spring. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A mandrel to which a connector having a pin joint portion is connected at one end and a locking mechanism at the other end, and an engaging portion that engages with the locking mechanism when the deployable truss structure is deployed. , a main slide hinge that slides on the mandrel, and three ribs each having one end radially pin-coupled to the main slide hinge and expandable in directions perpendicular to the axial direction of the mandrel, a plurality of frames arranged such that adjacent mandrels are oriented in opposite directions, and ribs other than the ribs serving as free ends of the deployable truss structure are connected by connectors of mandrels oriented in opposite directions; between the connectors, between the other ends of the ribs serving as the free ends of the deployable truss structure, and between the other ends of the ribs serving as the free ends of the deployable truss structure and the connector; A deployable truss structure characterized by comprising a wire that is stretched between each object when the object is deployed. 2. A mandrel to which a connector having a pin joint part is coupled at one end and a locking mechanism at the other end, having an engaging part that engages with the locking mechanism when the deployable truss structure is deployed, and sliding on the mandrel. a main slide hinge, one end of which is radially pin-coupled to the main slide hinge, and three ribs that can be expanded in directions perpendicular to the axial direction of the mandrel; A sliding synchronous slide hinge, three synchronous beams having one end radially pin-coupled to the synchronous slide hinge and the other end pin-coupled to each of the three ribs, between the main slide hinge and the synchronous slide hinge. The mandrels are arranged in such a way that the directions of the mandrels are opposite to each other, and the ribs other than the ribs that become the free ends of the deployable truss structure are connected to each other in opposite directions. between a plurality of frames connected with each other, between the connectors, between the other ends of the ribs that are the free ends of the deployable truss structure, and between the other ends of the ribs that are the free ends of the deployable truss structure and the above. A deployable truss structure characterized by comprising a wire between the connectors and stretched between the connectors when the deployable truss structure is deployed.