FR3063186A1 - CONNECTION SYSTEM FOR USE IN A SPATIAL DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a connection system (10), comprising an on-board equipment (12) defining a housing (22) having a connecting face (26) comprising a connection socket (30), a flexible cable (14) for connecting electrically this equipment (12) to another equipment and a connector (16) disposed on one end of the cable (14) and having a connecting face adapted to come into contact with the connection face (26) of the housing (22) for connect the connector (16) to the connection socket (30), the connector (16) being movable between a disconnected position and a connected position. When the connector (16) is in the connected position, the cable (14) forming a curved portion and a substantially rectilinear portion. When the connector (16) is in the connected position, the curved portion of the cable is devoid of inflection point.

Description

© Publication no .: 3,063,186 (to be used only for reproduction orders)

©) National registration number: 17 51367 ® FRENCH REPUBLIC

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

COURBEVOIE

©) Int Cl ⁸ : H 02 G 15/08 (2017.01), H 02 G 15/007

A1 PATENT APPLICATION

©) Date of filing: 21.02.17. ©) Applicant (s): NATIONAL CENTER FOR SPA STUDIES (30) Priority: TIALES Public establishment - FR. ©) Inventor (s): PAYAN DENIS. ©) Date of public availability of the request: 24.08.18 Bulletin 18/34. ©) List of documents cited in the report preliminary research: Refer to end of present booklet (© References to other national documents ©) Holder (s): CENTER NATIONAL D'ÉUDES SPA- related: TIALES Public establishment. ©) Extension request (s): @) Agent (s): CABINET GERMAIN ET MAUREAU.

THE CONNECTION SYSTEM FOR USE IN A SPACE MACHINE

FR 3 063 186 - A1

The invention relates to a connection system (10), comprising on-board equipment (12) defining a housing (22) comprising a connection face (26) comprising a connection socket (30), a flexible cable (14) for connecting electrically this equipment (12) to another equipment and a connector (16) disposed on one end of the cable (14) and comprising a connection face capable of coming into contact with the connection face (26) of the housing (22) for connect the connector (16) to the connection socket (30), the connector (16) being movable between a disconnected position and a connected position.

When the connector (16) is in the connected position, the cable (14) forming a curved portion and a substantially straight portion.

When the connector (16) is in the connected position, the curved portion of the cable is devoid of inflection point.

Connection system usable in a spacecraft

The present invention relates to a connection system usable in on-board systems in particular in a mobile vehicle, such as a spacecraft.

Such on-board systems are placed in an environment subject to strong constraints. These constraints are mainly due to the presence of a strong electromagnetic field or a thermal field or even significant mechanical vibrations.

The connection system according to the invention makes it possible in particular to electrically connect on-board equipment to another on-board equipment via a flexible connection cable.

The spacecraft is for example a satellite or a launcher.

The spacecraft presents a particularly restrictive operating environment. The constraints imposed by this medium are mainly mechanical in nature such as mechanical vibrations during the test or launch phases of the spacecraft, or thermal in nature such as for example the temperature difference during different operating phases of the spacecraft. Another type of constraint is due to the reduced interior space of the spacecraft.

Different types of connection systems including in particular on-board equipment are known in the state of the art.

In general, in these connection systems, the on-board equipment such as an on-board computer, defines a box having the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. Such a housing has a connection face housing one or more connection sockets capable of cooperating with a connector of the appropriate type.

The connector is arranged on one end of a connection cable to electrically connect the on-board equipment to another on-board equipment via a wired link.

The connection cable is for example a power cable capable of conducting electricity or even a data transmission cable for computer data.

However, the existing connection systems are not completely satisfactory. In particular, these systems can become unsuitable when the constraints of the environment increase. These constraints are for example presented by a high confinement rate, high vibrations, a high electromagnetic field, etc. An example of such a medium is the constraining medium of a spacecraft such as a satellite or a launcher.

Indeed, during the test or launch phases of the spacecraft, these systems undergo significant mechanical vibrations. The heavier the cable, the more likely it is to be weakened.

These connection systems also have a large surface for capturing any electromagnetic wave, which increases the sensitivity of the on-board equipment connected to the cable.

Finally, existing connection systems are relatively bulky.

The object of the present invention is to propose a connection system adapted to be used in on-board systems operating in a restrictive environment, such as a spacecraft.

To this end, the subject of the present invention is a connection system usable in on-board systems, comprising: on-board equipment disposed on a base and defining a housing comprising a connection face comprising a connection socket; a flexible cable to electrically connect the on-board equipment to another on-board equipment; and a connector disposed on one end of the cable and comprising a connection face capable of coming into contact with the connection face of the housing in order to connect the connector to the connection socket, the connector being movable between a disconnected position in which the connector is away from the outlet and a plugged-in position in which the connector is plugged into the outlet, the connector connection side being perpendicular to a normal direction.

When the connector is in the connected position, the cable forms, successively from the housing, a curved portion in a first area adjacent to the connection face of the housing, then a substantially straight portion along a cable axis in a second adjacent area at the first zone, the cable axis being located away from the socket.

When the connector is in the plugged-in position, the bent portion of the cable has no inflection point.

According to other advantageous aspects of the invention, the system comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken in isolation or in any technically possible combination:

- when the connector is in the connected position, the cable axis deviates from the normal direction by a separation angle;

the connector defines a connector axis tangent to the curve formed by the cable at the point of exit of the cable from the connector; and the connector axis deviates from the normal direction by a spacing angle;

- the spreading angle is greater than 5 °, preferably greater than 10 °;

- The housing further comprises at least two faces parallel to each other, a direction perpendicular to the connection face of the housing forming the spacing angle with each of the parallel faces;

- The housing further comprises at least one face perpendicular to each of the parallel faces, the perpendicular face comprising a connection support projecting relative to the perpendicular face, the connection face of the housing forming one face of the connection support;

the connector defines a connector axis tangent to the curve formed by the cable at the point of exit of the cable from the connector; and the connector has an elongated shape along the connector axis;

- the connector has a bent shape;

- when the connector is in the connected position, the connection face of the box is perpendicular to the cable axis;

- the curved portion of the cable extends from the connection face to a first point of contact of the cable with the base and in which the substantially straight portion of the cable extends from the first point of contact of the cable with the 'base; and

- The system as described above is embedded in a spacecraft.

These characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of nonlimiting example, and made with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a connection system according to a first embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the connection system of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is a schematic side view of another alternative embodiment of the connection system of Figure 1;

- Figure 4 is a schematic side view of a connection system according to a second embodiment of the invention; and

- Figure 5 is a schematic side view of another alternative embodiment of the connection system of Figure 4.

The connection system 10 in FIG. 1 can be used for on-board systems operating in a restrictive environment.

Such a constraining medium presents, for example, constraints due to the presence of a strong electromagnetic field or of a thermal field or of significant mechanical vibrations.

Such a constraining medium corresponds for example to a spacecraft such as a satellite or a launcher.

The connection system 10 comprises on-board equipment 12, a flexible cable 14, and a connector 16 disposed on one end of the cable 14.

The on-board equipment 12 is for example an on-board computer.

According to other exemplary embodiments, the equipment 12 includes any other on-board equipment, such as an electronic box, a solar panel, an antenna, an actuator or even a battery of the spacecraft.

According to a particular embodiment, the equipment 12 comprises a means of connecting cables of the same nature or of different natures.

The equipment 12 is fixed to a base 20 connected for example to the mass of the spacecraft. In FIG. 1, the base 20 has a substantially flat surface.

The equipment 12 defines a box 22 comprising internal components of the equipment 12.

The housing 22 is in the form of a straight prism comprising in particular two parallel faces 24A and 24B to each other, a face 25 perpendicular to the parallel faces and an oblique face 26 disposed opposite the perpendicular face 25.

According to FIG. 1, the parallel face 24B of the housing 22 is fixed to the base 20 so that the other parallel face 24A is parallel to the base 20.

The direction N perpendicular to the oblique face 26 forms a spacing angle a with each of the parallel faces 24A, 24B and therefore with the base 20. The value of the spacing angle a is strictly greater than 0 °, of preferably more than 5 °, more preferably more than 10 °, and is less than 90 °.

In FIG. 2, the value of the angle of separation a is equal to approximately 45 °.

According to the invention, the oblique face 26 is a connection face of the housing 22 comprising a connection socket 30.

The connection socket 30 is for example a male type supply socket adapted to cooperate with the connector 16. Thus, according to this exemplary embodiment, the cable 14 is a supply cable for the equipment 12.

The connector 16 is for example a multi-pin type connector, has substantially the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and defines a connector axis A (visible in FIG. 2).

The connector 16 has two parallel faces, namely a connection face 32 and an entry face 34 of the cable 14.

The connection face 32 defines means for connecting the connector 16 to the connection socket 30 and when the connector 16 is connected to the socket 30, comes into contact with the connection face 26 of the housing 22.

Thus, in this exemplary embodiment, the connection means form a socket of the female type capable of cooperating with the socket of the male type 30 of the connection face 26 of the housing 22.

The connection face 32 of connector 16 is perpendicular to the axis of connector A.

When coming into contact, the connection faces 26, 32 respectively of the housing 22 and of the connector 16 form a contact surface 39 comprising a substantially flat portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the contact surface coincides with each of the connection faces 26, 32.

The entry face 34 defines an opening for the passage of the cable 14 in the connector 16. The passage opening then forms the entry point for the cable 14 in the connector 16.

When the connector 16 is connected to the socket 30, the cable 14 forms a curved portion in the vicinity of the point of entry into the connector 16 in a first zone 40.

In particular, the curved portion of the cable 14 extends from the point of entry into the connector 16 to a first point of contact with the base 20.

Then, in a second zone 41 adjacent to the first zone 40, the cable 14 forms a substantially rectilinear portion extending along a cable axis B following the base 20. Thus, the substantially rectilinear portion of the cable 14 extends from the first point of contact with the base 20.

The cable axis B thus forms the spacing angle a with the connector axis A.

The cable axis B is spaced from the socket 30 by a spacing value greater than for example 0.1 m.

The term "substantially rectilinear" means a curve deviating from a straight line formed, by a maximum value less than 10%, preferably less than 1%, of the total length of the cable. This maximum value is for example less than 10 cm, preferably less than 1 cm.

The length of the part of the cable 14 extending in the first zone 40 is for example greater than 0.1 m, preferably greater than 0.5 m, advantageously less than 2 m, and preferably less than 1 m.

The length of the part of the cable 14 extending in the second zone 41 is for example greater than 0.1 m, preferably greater than 0.5 m, advantageously less than 2 m, and preferably less than 1 m.

In the first zone 40, the cable 14 extends along a curve forming a "C". In other words, in the first zone 40, the curve along which the cable extends has a curvature of the same sign. Thus, in this zone, the cable 14 has no inflection point.

A point on the curve is an inflection point when in the vicinity of this inflection point, the curvature of the curve changes the sign. In other words, in a point of inflection, the curve extends on both sides of the tangent to the curve in this point.

In the second zone 41, the cable 14 extends along a substantially straight line so that the curvature of the curve along which the cable extends in the vicinity of the border with the first zone 40 is also of the same sign.

Another alternative embodiment of the connection system 10 according to the first embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 3.

According to this alternative embodiment, the housing 22 has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped comprising in particular two parallel faces 45 and 46 perpendicular to the base 20.

The face 46 comprises a connection support 50 projecting from this face 46 and comprising an oblique face forming an angle 90 ° "with the base 20 and with the cable axis B.

According to this alternative embodiment, the connection face 26 of the housing 22 as described above is formed by the oblique face of the connection support 50. In particular, as in the previous case, the connection face 26 comprises the connection socket 30 suitable to cooperate with the connector 16.

In the two embodiments described, the cable axis B deviates from the direction N perpendicular to the contact surface 39, and in particular to the substantially flat portion of this surface, and therefore to the connection face 26 of the housing 22 of the spacing angle a.

It is therefore understood that the connection system according to the first embodiment has a number of advantages.

Indeed, the existing connection systems are configured so that the connector is connected to the corresponding socket perpendicularly. In this case, the connector and cable axes are perpendicular to the connection surface comprising the socket. This then requires the cable to have a point of inflection as it travels. The cable thus extends along an "S" in the first zone.

Unlike existing systems, no inflection point forms in the system according to the invention when the connector is plugged into the outlet. In other words, the cable in the connection system according to the invention has no bending point.

This then makes the connection system more compact and prevents weakening of the cable during significant vibrations.

In addition, it decreases the area of capture of electromagnetic waves, which decreases the sensitivity of the on-board equipment.

The reduction in the total area of the wiring reduces the number of constraints imposed on the materials used, which also has a thermal advantage.

A connection system 110 according to a second embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 4.

This system is substantially similar to the connection system described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

Unlike the system of Figures 1 and 2, the connection face 26 of the housing 22 of Figure 4 is perpendicular to the base 20. The housing 22 forms a rectangular parallelepiped.

According to this embodiment, the connector axis A forms the spacing angle a with the base 20 and therefore with the cable axis B. Thus, according to this embodiment, the connector axis A s 'deviates from the direction N perpendicular to the connection face 32 of the connector 16 by the spacing angle a.

The connector 16 has for example a cylinder shape truncated by a surface forming an angle 90 ° -a with the connector axis A.

Another alternative embodiment of the connection system 110 according to the second embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 5.

According to this alternative embodiment, the connector 16 comprises a part 60 having the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and a cylindrical part 61 defining a connector axis A.

When the connector 16 is connected to the socket 30, the part 60 is adjacent to the socket 30 and forms a bent part of this connector 16 relative to the connector axis A.

The cylindrical part 61 has a face adjacent to the part 60 and a face opposite to it which forms the entry face 34 of the cable 14 as described above.

Another alternative embodiment of the connection system 110 according to the second embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 6.

According to this exemplary embodiment, the connection system 110 of FIG. 6 differs from the connection system 110 of FIG. 4 only in that it further comprises a cable support 70.

The cable support 70 is arranged on the base 20 below the curved part of the cable 14. This support 70 comprises in particular cable guide means 14 for guiding the cable 14 in order to avoid the appearance of an inflection point in the first zone 41.

The connection system according to the second embodiment also makes it possible to avoid the appearance of an inflection point of the cable 14 when the connector 16 is connected to the socket 30.

The particular shape of the connector of the system according to the second embodiment has an additional technical advantage, because it makes it possible to keep the conventional shape of the housing 22 while solving the technical problem of the invention.

In particular, the conventional shape of the housing makes the system more compact compared to that according to the first embodiment.

Of course, other embodiments of the invention are also possible.

Thus, it is possible to mix the two abovementioned embodiments by simultaneously providing the housing 22 and the connector 16 with an oblique connection face with respect to the cable axis B and to the connector axis A. In this In this case, care should be taken to ensure that the contact surface 39 obtained is not perpendicular to the connector axis A or to the cable axis B.

The housing 22 and the connector 14 can be manufactured according to all methods suitable according to the state of the art.

Thus, conventional machining methods can be used to manufacture the housing 22.

To manufacture the connector 14 comprising an oblique connection face, it is possible either to manufacture a straight connector and to bend it subsequently, or to directly weld such a connector with an oblique face.

In all the aforementioned embodiments and variants, the value of the angle of separation a is chosen to be sufficiently distant from 0 ° to avoid the appearance of an inflection point when the connector is connected to the socket.

Claims (11)

1.-Connection system (10; 110) usable in embedded systems, comprising: - on-board equipment (12) disposed on a base (20) and defining a housing (22) comprising a connection face (26) comprising a connection socket (30); - a flexible cable (14) for electrically connecting the on-board equipment (12) to another on-board equipment; - a connector (16) disposed on one end of the cable (14) and comprising a connection face (32) capable of coming into contact with the connection face (26) of the housing (22) for connecting the connector (16) to the connection socket (30), the connector (16) being movable between a disconnected position in which the connector is away from the socket (30) and a connected position in which the connector is connected to the socket (30) , the connection face (32) of the connector (16) being perpendicular to a normal direction (N); when the connector (16) is in the connected position, the cable (14) forming, successively from the housing (22), a curved portion in a first zone (40) adjacent to the connection face (26) of the housing ( 22), then a substantially straight portion along a cable axis (B) in a second zone (41) adjacent to the first zone (40), the cable axis (B) being located away from the socket ( 30) ; the system (10; 110) being characterized in that when the connector (16) is in the connected position, the curved portion of the cable is devoid of inflection point. 2. - System (10) according to claim 1, wherein, when the connector (16) is in the connected position, the cable axis (B) deviates from the normal direction (N) by an angle d 'spacing (a). 3. - System (110) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which: - the connector (16) defines a connector axis (A) tangent to the curve (C) formed by the cable (14) at the point of exit of the cable (14) from the connector (16); and - the connector axis (A) deviates from the normal direction (N) by a spacing angle (a). 4. - System (10; 110) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the spacing angle (a) is greater than 5 °, preferably greater than 10? 5. - System (10; 110) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the housing (22) further comprises at least two parallel faces (24A, 24B) between them, a direction perpendicular to the face of connection (26) of the housing (22) forming the spacing angle (a) with each of the parallel faces (24A, 24B). 6. - System (10; 110) according to claim 5, wherein the housing (22) further comprises at least one face perpendicular to each of the parallel faces (24A, 24B), the perpendicular face comprising a connection support (50 ) projecting from the perpendicular face, the connection face (26) of the housing (22) forming one face of the connection support (50). 7. - System (10; 110) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which: - the connector (16) defines a connector axis (A) tangent to the curve (C) formed by the cable (14) at the point of exit of the cable (14) from the connector (16); and - the connector (16) has an elongated shape along the connector axis (A). 8. - System (10; 110) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the connector (16) has a bent shape. 9. - System (110) according to claim 8, in which, when the connector (16) is in the connected position, the connection face (26) of the housing is perpendicular to the cable axis (B). 10. - System (10; 110) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the curved portion of the cable (14) extends from the connection face (26) to a first contact point of the cable (14 ) with the base (20) and in which the substantially straight portion of the cable (14) extends from the first point of contact of the cable (14) with the base (20). 11. - System (10; 110) according to any one of the preceding claims, on board a spacecraft. 30631- ⁸⁶ AO U 24A AT'