JP2001001996A - Working table for extravehicular activity - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a working table for an extravehicular activity for repairing an apparatus in an exposed part and assembling an apparatus to be loaded. SOLUTION: A working table 1 including a working area 5 on a top surface is provided with a device to be connected 2 which is provided on a side surface of the working table 1, and is connected to a connecting device provided on an exposed part, a device to be held 3 which is provided on a top surface of an end part of the working table 1, and is held by an robot arm provided in a pressurized part, and guard rails which are provided on a periphery of the top surface working area 5 of the working table 1, and prevent a worker from being separated from the working table 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an outboard activity workbench for assembling and repairing equipment and the like in an exposed portion for installing equipment and the like in a space station.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A space station has a pressure-resistant structure and includes a pressurizing section in which a crew member lives, and an exposure section in which equipment is mounted while being exposed to outer space. The equipment mounted on the exposed part is carried and mounted on a rocket or space shuttle.

[0003]

Many of the devices installed in the exposed part are used for a long period of time, and need to be repaired.
In addition, a device to be mounted becomes large, and there is a case where the device is mounted after being transported and assembled with parts. However, many devices are usually mounted on the exposed part, and the space required for repair and assembly is often not obtained. In addition, there are devices such as an antenna which is folded at the time of transportation and deployed at the time of installation, but few devices have such a telescopic mechanism.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a workbench capable of performing an outboard operation for repairing equipment in an exposed part and assembling equipment to be mounted.

[0005]

To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a work table having a work area on an upper surface, and a coupling device provided on a side surface of the work table and provided on an exposure section. A coupled device to be coupled, a gripped device provided on an end upper surface of the worktable and gripped by a robot arm provided on a pressurizing unit, and a worker provided around a work area on the upper surface of the worktable. A handrail that keeps the work bench from separating from the work table.

[0006] A device to be gripped on the workbench is gripped by a robot arm provided on the pressurizing section, the device to be coupled on the worktable is brought closer to the coupling device on the exposed section, and the worktable is coupled to the exposed section. In this connected state, the equipment is moved from the exposed part and repaired.
Also, a large structure is assembled from components in the work area of the workbench. The worker secures himself to the handrail and works safely without leaving the workbench. This makes it possible to repair equipment and assemble large structures on space orbit by outboard activities.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a tool box storing tools and a container storing parts to be assembled in the work area can be mounted in the work area.

[0008] Placing the tool box on the worktable facilitates taking in and out of the tool. Further, since a container for storing the assembled parts can be mounted, the supply of the parts to the work area is facilitated, and the assembling of a large structure is facilitated.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an outboard activity workbench according to the present invention. 1A is a plane view, and FIG.
FIG. 1A shows a view on arrow XX, and FIG. 1C shows a view on arrow YY of FIG. 1A. The outboard activity workbench includes a worktable 1 having a substantially square planar shape, a coupled device 2 provided on a side surface of the workbench 1 and connected to a coupling device attached to an exposure unit, and an end of the workbench 1. A gripping device 3 is provided on the upper surface of the work table and is gripped by a robot arm provided on the pressurizing unit, and a handrail 4 is provided around the upper surface of the work table 1. The upper surface of the worktable 1 constitutes a work area 5, a work 6 such as equipment or a large structure is placed in the center, and a tool storing tools necessary for repairing and assembling the work 6 at the end. Box 7 is installed. There is also provided a space for mounting a container 8 in which components constituting the work 6 are stored.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the device to be coupled 2 and the coupling device 11 provided at the exposed portion. The coupling device 2 is provided with three arms 12 around it, and the device to be coupled 2 is provided with an arm guide 13 for guiding the arm 13. A cover 14 is provided on an end surface of the coupling device 11, and a cover 15 is also provided on an end surface of the coupled device 2. A damper 16 is provided at the center of the cover 15. A guide hole 17 is provided around the cover 14 of the coupling device 2, and a positioning pin 18 that fits into the guide hole is provided in the coupled device 2. Cover 14 of coupling device 11
Is provided with a metal fitting 19, which, when combined, comes into contact with the cover 15 of the device to be coupled 2. With this configuration, when the device to be coupled 2 approaches the coupling device 11, the arm 12 is inserted into the arm guide 13, and when the arm 12 is closed, the damper 16 hits and contracts, and the positioning pin 18 is moved into the guide hole 17. enter. Further arm 1
When the cover 2 is closed, the metal fitting 19 finally contacts the cover 15 of the device 2 to be connected, and the connection is completed. To release the connection, the connecting device 11 and the connected device 2 are separated by the damper 16 by opening the arm 12.

FIG. 3 shows the top of the device 3 to be gripped. An antenna 20 is provided at the center on the top of the gripped device 3 and guides the robot arm. Three holding members 21 are provided around the antenna 20, and the claws of the robot arm are hooked on the holding members 21 and held.

FIG. 4 shows the robot arm 22 and the device 3 to be gripped.
And The robot arm 22 has a plurality of joints and is freely deformable. The distal end has a cylindrical gripping portion 23, which is guided to the antenna 20 of the gripped portion 3, is coupled to the gripped device 3 by using the antenna 20 as a guide, and the claws provided on the gripping portion 23 are gripped by the gripping metal 21. And join. Thereby, the workbench 1 can be moved by the robot arm 22 and the device to be coupled 2 can be coupled to the coupling device 11 of the exposed portion.

FIG. 5 shows a handrail 4 provided on the upper surface of the work table 1.
Is shown. FIG. 5A shows a perspective view, and FIG. 5B shows a cross-sectional view of the handrail rail 24. The handrail 4 is a handrail rail 24
And a support 25 that supports the handrail rail 24 at both ends. As shown in FIG. 5B, the handrail rail 24 has a hollow cross section and a member constituting a side surface has a dogbone shape. The handrail rail 24 is fixed to one support 25 and slidably mounted to the other support. It has a structure that absorbs thermal expansion. When working in the work area 5, the worker moves along the handrail 4, ties the handrail 4 with a string or the like, and works safely so as not to jump out of the worktable 1 into outer space.

FIG. 6 shows the work table 1 coupled to the exposure section 31. The space station includes a pressurizing unit 30 for workers and researchers, and an exposing unit 31 provided with equipment such as machines. The pressurizing unit 30 is configured with a pressure-resistant structure and includes facilities that allow human life. The exposing unit 31 is provided with devices for the pressurizing unit 30 and devices for experiments and research in a state where they are exposed to outer space. . The worktable 1 is attached to the exposed part 31 by the robot arm 2
2. Hold and connect with 2. The exposure unit 31 has a device 32
The device 33 is also connected to the side surface by the connecting device 11 and the connected device 2 in the same manner as the work table 1.

The work table 1 is connected to the exposure unit 31 by gripping the device 3 of the work table 1 with the robot arm 22 provided on the pressurizing unit 31 and connecting the device 2 of the work table 1 to the exposure unit 31. And the connection is performed by the method described with reference to FIG. The work 6 is assembled on the work table 1 and mounted at the position indicated by the broken line of the exposure unit 31, or the device located at the position indicated by the broken line is moved to the work table 1 for repair. The work table 1 has a tool box 7 and a container 8 for storing parts to be assembled.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which a large structure is being assembled. A large structure is assembled on the work table 1 as a work 6. The worker 34 performs an assembling operation by hardening himself with outboard equipment to perform an outboard activity.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which the work 6 is being assembled on the work table 1. A device to be coupled 2 provided on a side surface of the work table 1;
Shown are a gripping device 3 provided at an end of the upper surface, a handrail 4 provided around the upper surface, a container 8 storing assembly parts, a jig 9 for mooring and holding the work 6, and the like.

[0018]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, since the work table is provided with the device to be coupled and the device to be gripped, the work table is connected to the exposure unit using the robot arm of the pressurizing unit. In addition, the work can be assembled and repaired by outboard activities. Handrails are provided around the upper surface of the workbench to prevent workers from jumping into outer space.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an outboard activity workbench according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a coupling device and a coupled device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a gripped device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of gripping a device to be gripped by a robot arm.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a handrail.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a coupling state between an exposure unit and a work table.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which a large structure is being assembled on the workbench;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which a structure is being assembled on a workbench;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 work table 2 device to be coupled 3 device to be gripped 4 handrail 5 work area 6 workpiece 7 tool box 8 container 9 jig 11 coupling device 12 arm 13 arm guide 14 and 15 cover 16 damper 17 guide hole 18 positioning pin 19 Metal fittings 20 Antenna 21 Grasping metal fittings 22 Robot arm 23 Grasping part 24 Handrail rail 25 Prop 30 Pressurizing part 31 Exposure part 32, 33 Equipment 34 Worker

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A worktable having a work area on an upper surface, a device to be coupled provided on a side surface of the worktable and coupled to a coupling device provided on an exposure unit, and a worktable provided on an end upper surface of the worktable. A gripping device to be gripped by a robot arm provided in the pressurizing section, and a handrail provided around a work area on the upper surface of the work table to keep the worker from leaving the work table, Outboard activity workbench. 2. The outboard boat according to claim 1, wherein a tool box storing tools and a container storing parts to be assembled in the work area can be mounted in the work area. Activity workbench.