JP2024000964A - Deployment structure and hinge structure - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a hinge structure which is suppressed in a constriction on design at an external periphery of a panel when reducing a clearance between the panels, and a deployment structure.SOLUTION: A first member 132 and a second member 134 of a hinge part 130 are rotatably connected to each other via a rotating shaft 138. The first member 132 has a first support part 132a. The first member 132 is connected to an end edge part 110c of a first structure 111 so as to be slidable in a prescribed slide direction, and the second member 134 is connected to the end edge part 110c of the second structure 112. A first energization member 136 is arranged between the first support part 132a and the first structure 111. When the first energization member 136 transits to a deployment start from a folded state, the first energization member energizes and moves the first structure 111 toward a second structure 112 in the slide direction, and at least a part of the hinge part 130 is immersed into the first structure 111 from the outside of the first structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a deployable structure that transitions from a folded state to a deployed state by a deploying operation, and a hinge structure included in such a deployable structure.

It is generally desirable for an article having a substantially planar portion to have no breaks or irregularities in the substantially planar portion. On the other hand, storage space for items may be limited. When the article including the substantially flat portion is carried by a person or transported by a transport aircraft, it should be folded so that the area viewed from a predetermined direction is small, and when used, it can be unfolded. It is provided as a deployable structure. Examples of articles that have a substantially flat portion and are provided as deployable structures include electronic devices such as game machines or mobile phones, and solar battery paddles or deployable antennas mounted on spacecraft.

Patent Document 1 discloses a solar cell paddle as an example of a deployable structure. In this solar cell paddle, a plurality of plate-shaped solar cell plates (1) are connected to each other by deployment hinges (4). Further, when storing the solar cell paddle, the two solar cell plates are folded so that their surfaces are parallel to each other. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 of Patent Document 1, the solar cell paddle is folded into an accordion shape (W-shape) by alternately mountain-folding and valley-folding the plurality of hinges (4). . Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 of Patent Document 1, solar cell plates (1a, 1b) adjacent to each other at both ends are folded in the same direction, so that the solar cell paddle (1) is folded into a spiral shape, and multiple The envelope volume of one (three in the figure) solar cell plates (1) can be made thick. From this folded state, a plurality of deployment hinges (4) fixed to the side end surfaces of each solar cell plate (1) rotate in order, so that the solar cell plate (1) is aligned on a flat surface. Transition to.

Patent Document 2 discloses a foldable mobile terminal as an example of a deployable structure. In this foldable mobile terminal, two casings (3, 5) housing display modules (11, 12) are connected by a hinge part (6) attached to the side of the casing. The foldable mobile terminal can be folded so that the two sides are facing each other. Further, as shown in FIG. 13 of Patent Document 2, a leaf spring (27) is arranged between the display module (11, 12) and the housing (3, 5). In the unfolded state, the two display modules are urged inward from the outside by the leaf springs, so that the two display modules come into contact with each other.
Patent Document 3 will be described later.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-147298 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-119830 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-187089

In the prior art, it is common to connect panels obtained by dividing a plane with hinges, thereby making the substantially plane portion foldable. In the deployable structure of Patent Document 1, a deployable hinge (4) such as a rotating shaft is disposed between the solar battery plates (1) in the deployed state, so that a gap is created between the solar battery plates (1), and a substantially flat surface is formed between the solar battery plates (1). Continuity of parts is lost.
Examples of panels that are divided and folded include the screen of an electronic device such as a mobile phone or a game device, the antenna of a synthetic aperture radar, or the solar cell plate of a solar cell paddle. If a gap occurs between the panels, the image displayed on the screen of the electronic device will be divided, a portion of the synthetic aperture radar antenna will not be able to receive microwaves, and a portion of the solar array paddle will not be able to generate electricity. For this reason, it is preferable that the substantially flat portion be provided with as few gaps as possible in the unfolded state.

In the mobile terminal of Patent Document 2, the display modules (11, 12), which are panels, can be brought into contact with each other without any gaps due to the biasing force of the leaf spring in the unfolded state. However, since it is necessary to arrange the housing (3, 5) for supporting the leaf spring around the outer periphery of the display module (11, 12), the design of the outer periphery of the display module is limited. For example, when connecting two display modules and one more display module to create a three-panel structure, the presence of the casing allows the new display module to be connected between the two display modules. Edges are restricted. Further, in the portable terminal of Patent Document 2, the casing cannot be removed due to miniaturization or design. It is common for synthetic aperture radars and solar array paddles to be designed so that three or more panels are linearly connected, and it is preferable that all three or more panels are connected to each other without gaps. However, in the method of connecting panels (display modules (11, 12)) as in Patent Document 2, although it is possible to connect two panels without a gap by the urging force of a leaf spring, the third panel It is difficult to connect them linearly and without gaps. When attempting to connect a third panel to two horizontally arranged panels, the second panel is connected to one side end surface of the first panel, and the casing is connected to the other side end surface. This is because it is not possible to connect the third panel here without a gap because of the provision of the third panel. Furthermore, electronic devices sometimes require smaller bezels from a design standpoint, and articles such as synthetic aperture radars, solar array paddles, and electronic devices often require smaller sizes. For this reason, there is a strong desire for a deployable structure or a hinge structure that is not subject to design constraints that prevent miniaturization of the casing surrounding the display module.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a hinge structure with fewer design restrictions on the outer periphery of panels in order to reduce the gap between panels, and a deployable structure that expands a plane in this way. It provides:

According to the present invention, a first structure, a second structure, and a hinge portion that rotatably connects the first structure and the second structure to transition from a folded state to an unfolded state; In the deployed state, the first structure and the second structure are deployable structures that are arranged side by side with their edge portions facing each other, and the hinge portion is arranged side by side with respect to the rotation axis. a first member and a second member rotatably connected to each other via a biasing member; the first member has a support portion and is attached to the end edge of the first structure; The second member is connected to the end edge of the second structure, and the biasing member is connected to the supporting part and the first structure. The biasing member biases and moves the first structure in the sliding direction toward the second structure when the folded state changes to the unfolded state. , there is provided a deployable structure characterized in that at least a portion of the hinge portion is recessed into the first structure from the outside.

According to the present invention, the invention includes a first bracket, a second bracket, and a hinge portion that rotatably connects the first bracket and the second bracket to transition from a folded state to an unfolded state, The hinge portion includes a first member and a second member rotatably connected to each other via a rotating shaft, and a biasing member, and the first member has a support portion and is attached to the first bracket. the second member is connected to the second bracket in a predetermined sliding direction, and the biasing member is disposed between the support portion and the first bracket. When the folded state changes to the unfolded state, the biasing member biases and moves the first bracket in the sliding direction toward the second bracket, and at least one of the hinge portions is moved. The hinge structure is characterized in that the portion retracts from the outside of the first bracket into the inside of the first bracket.

When the deployable structure of the above invention transitions from the folded state to the deployed state, the first structure slides toward the second structure in a direction closer to each other, and the first structure is disposed between the first structure and the second structure. At least a portion of the hinge portion is recessed into the first structure. Thereby, the gap generated between the first structure and the second structure can be reduced. Further, the first structure and the second structure are connected via a hinge portion at end edges that are close to each other in the unfolded state. Thereby, the hinge portion does not protrude from the outer periphery of the first structure and the second structure, and design restrictions around the deployable structure can be reduced.

According to the deployable structure and hinge structure of the present invention, design restrictions on the outer periphery of the structure (first structure or second structure) can be minimized while reducing the gap between panels. For example, one more panel can be linearly connected to the structure, and an article using the deployable structure can be miniaturized.

(a) is a perspective view of the unfolded structure in a folded state according to the first embodiment. (b) is a sectional view taken at the width center of the hinge structure in (a). (a) is a perspective view of the deployable structure during the deploying operation according to the first embodiment. (b) is a sectional view taken at the width center of the hinge structure in (a). (a) is a perspective view of the deployed structure in the deployed state according to the first embodiment. (b) is a sectional view taken at the width center of the hinge structure in (a). (a) is a perspective view of the unfolded structure in a folded state according to the second embodiment. (b) is a sectional view taken at the width center of the hinge structure in (a). (a) is a perspective view of the deployable structure during the deploying operation according to the second embodiment. (b) is a sectional view taken at the width center of the hinge structure in (a). (a) is a perspective view of a deployed structure in a deployed state according to a second embodiment. (b) is a sectional view taken at the width center of the hinge structure in (a). (a) is a perspective view of the unfolded structure in a folded state according to the third embodiment. (b) is an enlarged view of region X in (a). (a) is a perspective view of the deployable structure during the deploying operation according to the third embodiment. (b) is an enlarged view of region X in (a). FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a deployed structure in a deployed state according to a third embodiment. (a) is a schematic diagram of a deployable structure in a folded state according to a modification, and (b) is a schematic diagram of a deployable structure in a deployed state according to a modification.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. Note that similar components in all the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations will be omitted as appropriate.
Further, in the following description, the deployable structure 100 will be described as a solar cell paddle, but the present invention is not limited to this. As mentioned above, the present invention can also be applied to electronic devices such as folding mobile phones and game machines, and other articles.

<First embodiment>
1(a), FIG. 1(b), FIG. 2(a), FIG. 2(b), FIG. 3(a), and FIG. 3(b) show the unfolded structure 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the principle of a sequence. Specifically, FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are explanatory diagrams of the unfolded structure 100 of this embodiment in a folded state. FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are explanatory diagrams of the unfolded structure 100 during the unfolding operation. 3(a) and 3(b) are explanatory diagrams of the deployed state of the deployed structure 100. In FIG. 1(a), FIG. 2(a), FIG. 2(b), and FIG. 3(a), illustration of the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a is omitted.
In this embodiment, the link member 134a side of the first structure 111, the first member 132, and the first biasing member 136 is referred to as the "front end side," and the opposite side, specifically, the first support part 132a side, is referred to as the "front end side." It is written as "rear end side". For example, in FIG. 1B, the front end side of the structure 110, the first member 132, and the first biasing member 136 is the left side in the drawing, and the rear end side is the right side in the drawing. In FIG. 3(b), the front end sides of the first structure 111, the first member 132, and the first biasing member 136 are on the left side in the drawing, and the rear end sides are on the right side in the drawing, but the second structure The front end side of 112 is the right side in the drawing, and the rear end side is the left side in the drawing. In addition, in the first structure 111 and the second structure 112, when the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 face each other in a folded state, the sides facing each other are referred to as the "inner side", and the opposite side is the "inner side". is referred to as the "outer side." For example, in FIG. 1B, the inner side of the first structure 111 is the upper side in the drawing, and the outer side is the lower side in the drawing. Further, for the second structure 112, the inner side is the lower side in the drawing, and the outer side is the upper side in the drawing.
In this embodiment, the width direction is the direction in which the main surface of the panel extends when the deployable structure 100 is viewed in the front and rear end directions, and is the depth direction in the plane of the paper in FIG. 1(b). Further, when the deployable structure 100 is viewed in the front and rear end directions, the direction perpendicular to the width direction is referred to as the thickness direction. That is, in the folded state shown in FIG. 1(b), the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are adjacent to each other in the thickness direction. The same applies to the width direction and the thickness direction in the hinge structure 10, and the direction in which the first bracket 111b and the second bracket 112b face each other in the folded state is called the thickness direction, and is perpendicular to both the front and rear end directions and the thickness direction. The direction is called the width direction.

First, an overview of this embodiment will be explained.
The deployable structure 100 of this embodiment includes a first structure 111, a second structure 112, and a hinge part 130. The hinge portion 130 rotatably connects the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 to transition from the folded state to the unfolded state. In the unfolded state, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are arranged side by side with their end edges 110c facing each other. The hinge portion 130 has a first member 132, a second member 134, and a first biasing member 136. The first member 132 and the second member 134 are rotatably connected to each other via a rotating shaft 138. The first member 132 has a first support portion 132a. The first member 132 is slidably connected to the edge 110c of the first structure 111 in a predetermined sliding direction, and the second member 134 is connected to the edge 110c of the second structure 112. has been done. Specifically, the first member 132 slides in the direction in which the first member 132 extends. The first biasing member 136 is arranged between the first support portion 132a and the first structure 111. When the folded state changes to the unfolded state, the first biasing member 136 biases and moves the first structure 111 in the sliding direction toward the second structure 112, and at least a portion of the hinge portion 130 moves toward the second structure 112. One enters the inside of the structure 111 from the outside.

The hinge structure 10 is used together with the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a to configure the deployable structure 100. The hinge structure 10 of this embodiment includes a first bracket 111b, a second bracket 112b, and a hinge part 130. The hinge portion 130 rotatably connects the first bracket 111b and the second bracket 112b to transition from the folded state to the unfolded state. The hinge portion 130 includes a first member 132, a second member 134, and a first biasing member 136. The first member 132 and the second member 134 are rotatably connected to each other via a rotating shaft 138. The first member 132 has a first support portion 132a. The first member 132 is slidably connected to the first bracket 111b in a predetermined sliding direction. Specifically, the first member 132 slides in the direction in which the first member 132 extends. The second member 134 is connected to the second bracket 112b. The first biasing member 136 is arranged between the first support portion 132a and the first bracket 111b. When the folded state changes to the unfolded state, the first biasing member 136 biases and moves the first bracket 111b in the sliding direction toward the second bracket 112b, so that at least a portion of the hinge portion 130 moves toward the first bracket 112b. 111b from the outside.

Next, the deployable structure 100 and hinge structure 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail.
When the deployable structure 100 is carried by a person or transported by a transport aircraft, the deployable structure 100 has a small area when viewed from a predetermined direction. Further, when in use, the deployable structure 100 is configured such that at least a portion of the deployable structure 100 performs a deploying operation so that the area of the deployable structure 100 when viewed from a predetermined direction becomes larger than that in the carried or transported state. expand. The deployable structure 100 of this embodiment includes two structures 110 (a first structure 111 and a second structure 112) and a hinge part 130 that connects the structures 110 to each other. A state where the area seen from a predetermined direction before the unfolding operation is small is called a folded state, and a state where the area when seen from the predetermined direction after the unfolding action is larger than the folded state is called a unfolded state. However, as described later, the deployable structure 100 may be one in which three or more structures 110 are connected by two or more hinge parts 130.
Note that the state of each member and the relative positional relationship between the members when the deployable structure 100 is in the folded state is referred to as the folded state of the member or the folded state of the members. Similarly, the state of each member and the relative positional relationship between the members when the deployable structure 100 is in the deployed state is referred to as the deployed state of the member or the deployed state of the members. For example, when the first member 132 and the second member 134 are in a folded state, it means that the first member 132 and the link member 134a (second member 134) are centered around the rotating shaft 138 as shown in FIG. 1(b). This means that the angle formed is approximately 90 degrees. Furthermore, when the first member 132 and the second member 134 are in the unfolded state, it means that the first member 132 and the link member 134a (second member 134) form an angle with the rotation axis 138 as the center, as shown in FIG. 3(b). is approximately 180 degrees.

The structure 110 is an object that rotates by a hinge part 130. The deployable structure 100 includes a first structure 111 and a second structure 112 as the structure 110 . The first structure 111 includes a first panel 111a and a first bracket 111b, and the second structure 112 includes a second panel 112a and a second bracket 112b. That is, the structure 110 includes a part of the hinge structure 10 (the first bracket 111b and the second bracket 112b) and members other than the hinge structure 10 (the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a).
The first bracket 111b and the second bracket 112b are parts or parts to which the first member 132 or the second member 134 in the structure 110 (the first structure 111 and the second structure 112) are connected. The first panel 111a and the second panel 112a are flat plate-like members. When the deployed structure 100 is a solar cell paddle, the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a are solar cell panels in which solar cells are laminated on a substrate made of a honeycomb panel or the like. When the deployment structure 100 is a transmitting or receiving reflector such as an antenna reflector or an optical reflector, or a shield such as a light shield or a heat shield, the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a are reflectors.
The first bracket 111b and the second bracket 112b are embedded in, connected to, or otherwise fixed to the side end surface 110b of the first panel 111a or the second panel 112a. The first bracket 111b and the first panel 111a, and the second bracket 112b and the second panel 112a may be separate members. Alternatively, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 may be configured by using the first bracket 111b and the first panel 111a, and the second bracket 112b and the second panel 112a as one integral member.
The hinge structure 10 includes a hinge portion 130, a first bracket 111b, and a second bracket 112b, and rotatably connects the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a. The deployable structure 100 in this embodiment has a first panel 111a and a second panel 112a connected by a hinge structure 10.
The first bracket 111b and the second bracket 112b are rotated by the hinge part 130, and the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 change their relative positions, so that the deployable structure 100 can be folded. Transition from state to expanded state.

The hinge portion 130 is a component that rotatably connects the first structure 111 and the second structure 112. That is, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are connected to each other by the hinge portion 130 without being separated. The hinge portion 130 includes a first member 132, a second member 134, and a first biasing member 136. The first member 132 and the second member 134 are members that are rotatable relative to each other around the rotating shaft 138, and are each made of one member or a combination of a plurality of members. The first member 132 is connected to the first structure 111 and the second member 134 is connected to the second structure 112. The first member 132 is inserted through the edge portion 110c of the first structure 111, and the first member 132 slides inside the first structure 111 in the direction in which the first member 132 extends. Here, the edge portion 110c refers to the main surface 110a near the side end surface 110b of the structure 110 or the side end surface 110b.
Here, the main surface 110a is a surface of the structure 110 that constitutes a substantially flat surface in the deployed structure 100 in the unfolded state, and the side end surface 110b is an end surface that connects the peripheral edges of the front and back main surfaces 110a of the structure 110. It is. The side end surface 110b does not need to be a physical surface. For example, when the first panel 111a constituting the structure 110 is a hollow body such as a honeycomb panel, the side end surface 110b may be a virtual surface connecting the peripheries of the front and back main surfaces 110a. Note that the "surfaces" such as the main surface 110a and the side end surfaces 110b do not need to be geometrically perfect surfaces, and may include local unevenness or defects. When the first bracket 111b is embedded in the first panel 111a and a part of the first bracket 111b protrudes from the end surface of the first panel 111a, the first bracket 111b protrudes from the end surface of the first panel 111a. A part of the first structure body 111 forms a side end surface 110b of the first structure 111 together with an end surface of the first panel 111a.

The first member 132 has a support portion (first support portion 132a). In the second embodiment described below, the deployable structure 100 has a first support part 132a and a second support part 134d as support parts, but in this embodiment, the deployable structure 100 has only the first support part 132a. The first support portion 132a is a portion that comes into contact with the first biasing member 136 and applies the biasing force of the first biasing member 136 to the entire first member 132. In this embodiment, the first support portion 132a is a portion formed by forming an end portion of the shaft portion (first shaft portion 132b) of the first member 132 into a flange shape. The first member 132 is an elongated member having a first shaft portion 132b. The extending direction of the first member 132 refers to the longitudinal direction of the first member 132.
The biasing member is a member that biases the first structure 111 or the second structure 112 toward the front end side in the expanded state. The deployable structure 100 in a second embodiment described below includes a first urging member 136 and a second urging member 137 as urging members. The deployable structure 100 according to this embodiment includes only the first biasing member 136. In this embodiment, the first biasing member 136 is a coil spring. A first member 132 is inserted into the inside of the coil spring. The first biasing member 136 may be composed of a single coil spring, or may be composed of a plurality of coil springs arranged in series or in parallel. The first biasing member 136 in the folded state is arranged in a pre-compressed state between the first structure 111 and the first support portion 132a. Therefore, the first biasing member 136 applies an outward biasing force in the extending direction of the first member 132 to the first structure 111 and the first support portion 132a.
The first member 132 has a first bearing portion 132c at the other end opposite to the first support portion 132a. The first bearing portion 132c is combined with the second member 134 by a rotating shaft 138.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the aspects of this embodiment, but also includes aspects such as various modifications and improvements. For example, the first support portion 132a may be formed at an end portion of the first member 132 as shown in this embodiment, or may be formed at a midway portion in the length direction of the first member 132. Further, in this embodiment, a coil spring is used as the first biasing member 136, but other elastic materials such as a disc spring may be used as the first biasing member 136, and the elastic force However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a mechanism that provides a driving force may be used. For example, a mechanism that is fixed to the first structure 111 and pulls the first member 132 is exemplified as the first biasing member 136. In this case, the first support portion 132a is a portion of the first member 132 to which the mechanism is connected. Specifically, the mechanism includes a wire pulling mechanism including a wire and a means for pulling the wire. As an example of the wire pulling mechanism, one end of the wire may be connected to either the first support portion 132a or the first structure 111, and a pulling means may be installed on the other side. By pulling the other end of the wire by this pulling means, the first member 132 is moved toward the rear end side relative to the first structure 111. Specific examples of the pulling means include one that pulls the other end of the wire using the contraction force of a pre-stretched spring, and one that winds up the other end of the wire using the rotational force of a motor.
In this embodiment, when viewed in the axial direction of the first member 132, the first structure 111 and the first support portion 132a have a shape and dimensions that include the pressing surface of the first urging member 136. . That is, when a coil spring is used as the first biasing member 136, the entire end surface of one side (the right side in FIG. 1(b)) of the coil spring is in contact with the flange-shaped first support portion 132a. The first support portion 132a is formed to be large enough to be in contact with the entire surface of the end surface of the coil spring. Further, the entire surface of the end surface on the opposite side (the left side in the figure) of the coil spring contacts a part of the first structure 111 that forms the periphery of the insertion hole 111g through which the first member 132 is inserted. Further, the insertion hole 111g is formed small enough that the entire surface of the end surface of the coil spring touches the part of the first structure 111 as described above. Thereby, the biasing force of the first biasing member 136 can be efficiently applied to the first support portion 132a and the first structure 111.

In this embodiment, the second member 134 has a link member 134a. The link member 134a is one or more members having the rotating shaft 138 and the second rotating shaft 134b as both ends. The link member 134a is rotatably connected to a second structure bearing portion 112d, which is a protrusion of the second structure 112, by a second rotation shaft 134b. In this embodiment, the link member 134a and the second rotating shaft 134b are collectively referred to as a second member 134.
Instead of this embodiment, the second member 134 may be a rigid body that does not have a rotatable structure. For example, when the folded state is defined as a state in which the unfolded angle of the first structural body 111 and the second structural body 112 is approximately 90 degrees as described later, the second member 134 may be configured in this manner. Specifically, the second member 134 may not include the second support biasing member 139, and the link member 134a and the second bracket 112b may be integrally formed as a rigid body. In other words, in FIG. 1(b), the second bracket 112b may be arranged to stand up with respect to the first bracket 111b, and the second panel 112a may extend in the vertical direction in the figure.

As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), in the folded state, the main surface 110a of the first structure 111 overlaps the main surface 110a of the second structure 112 in the thickness direction and is approximately parallel to the main surface 110a of the second structure 112. It is located in Specifically, a normal vector N1 pointing outward with respect to the main surface 110a of the first structure 111, a normal vector N2 pointing outward with respect to the main surface 110a of the second structure 112, The angle formed by is approximately 180 degrees. Here, the supplementary angle of the angle formed by the normal vector N1 and the normal vector N2 is defined as the development angle. In the figure, the development angle is 0 degrees. The unfolding angle in the folded state is not limited to 0 degrees, but can be, for example, 120 degrees or less. Further, it is preferable that the unfolding angle in the folded state is 90 degrees or less. More preferably, the unfolding angle in the folded state is 75 degrees or less. Instead of this embodiment, the unfolding angle in the folded state may be greater than or equal to 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees. In other words, in the folded state, the second panel 112a may be in an upright state relative to the first panel 111a, or may be in a more open state than the upright state. When the second panel 112a is in an upright state with respect to the first panel 111a, it means, for example, that the unfolding angle in the folded state is approximately 90 degrees. When the unfolding angle in the folded state is slightly smaller than 90 degrees or slightly larger than 90 degrees, it can be said that the second panel 112a is in an upright state with respect to the first panel 111a. Deployment of the deployable structure 100 may be started from a state where the second panel 112a stands up with respect to the first panel 111a, or from a state where it is more open than the upright state.
In the unfolded state, the unfolded angle is larger than in the folded state. In the unfolded state shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are arranged side by side with their side end surfaces 110b adjacent to each other, and the unfolded angle is 180 degrees. The state is illustrated. However, the unfolded state in the present invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if the unfolded angle is larger than the folded state. A typical unfolding angle in the unfolded state is 150 degrees or more and 210 degrees or less.

Next, the unfolding operation of the deployable structure 100 according to the present embodiment to transition from the folded state to the unfolded state will be described. In the unfolded structure 100 in the folded state shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the first biasing member 136 extends It is biased outward in the direction in which it is located. The deployable structure 100 is unfolded from this folded state as the second structure 112 rotates relative to the first structure 111 by the hinge portion 130. Specifically, the first member 132 and the link member 134a rotate relatively around the rotation axis 138, and the link member 134a and the second structure 112 rotate relatively around the second rotation axis 134b. By rotating, the deployable structure 100 is deployed.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show an example of the deployable structure 100 being deployed, and show a state in which the deployable structure 100 is deployed until the deployment angle is approximately 60 degrees. In this embodiment, the angle at which the first member 132 and the link member 134a rotate around the rotation axis 138, and the angle at which the link member 134a and the second structure 112 rotate around the second rotation axis 134b. The sum of these is the deployment angle of the deployment structure 100. That is, in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) where the unfolding angle is 60 degrees, the first member 132 and the link member 134a, and the link member 134a and the second structure 112 are each 30 degrees from the folded state. It's rotating.
In this embodiment, the first member 132 and the link member 134a, and the link member 134a and the second structure 112 rotate equally in order to have a predetermined unfolding angle, but the invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the rotations of the first member 132 and the link member 134a and the rotations of the link member 134a and the second structure 112 do not need to be synchronized. For example, the first member 132 and the link member 134a do not rotate until a predetermined deployment angle is reached, only the link member 134a and the second structure 112 rotate, and then the first member 132 and the link member 134a rotate. Rotation may start.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show an example of a deployed state in which the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are arranged side by side and the deployment angle is 180 degrees. When the deployable structure 100 is in the deployed state, the first biasing member 136 biases the first member 132 (particularly the first support portion 132a) toward the rear end side relative to the first structure 111. , the first member 132 slides toward the rear end inside the first structure 111. In other words, the first biasing member 136 biases the first bracket 111b of the first structure 111 toward the front end with respect to the first member 132 and the link member 134a. As the first member 132 slides toward the rear end with respect to the first structure 111, a portion of the hinge portion 130 is recessed into the first structure 111. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a are developed into a planar shape with their respective end surfaces abutting each other without any gaps. Note that instead of this embodiment, a small gap may be formed between the end surface of the first panel 111a and the end surface of the second panel 112a.
Note that the first member 132 may start sliding inside the first structure 111 after the deployable structure 100 has completely transitioned to the deployed state, or during the deploying operation of the deployable structure 100.
A cavity 110j is provided inside the first structure 111 adjacent to the rear end side of the first bracket 111b. The depth direction of the cavity 110j is the sliding direction of the first member 132, that is, the front and rear end direction of the first bracket 111b. In this embodiment, the length of the first member 132 in the cavity 110j in the extending direction is longer than the sliding distance during the transition of the first member 132 from the folded state to the unfolded state. Specifically, the length of the first member 132 in the hollow portion 110j in the extending direction is equal to or longer than the length of the link member 134a in the longitudinal direction. This prevents the first member 132 sliding toward the rear end from interfering with the internal structure of the first panel 111a, thereby preventing the sliding of the first member 132 from being inhibited.

Here, in the solar cell paddle described in Patent Document 1, the deployment hinge (4) is arranged between the solar cell plates (1) in the unfolded state, so that a gap is created between the solar cell plates (1). A continuous plane cannot be obtained.
When the deployable structure 100 of this embodiment transitions from the folded state to the deployed state, the first member 132 moves inside the first structure 111 toward the rear end, and the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 A portion of the hinge portion 130 disposed between the first structure body 111 and the first structure body 111 are partially inserted into the first structure body 111. As a result, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 approach each other. Thereby, the gap generated between the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 can be reduced, and the continuity of the plane formed by the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 can be improved. can.
In addition, the deployable structure (foldable mobile terminal (1)) described in Patent Document 2 requires a housing (3, 5) to be provided on the outer periphery of the deployable structure, and the design of the outer periphery of the deployable structure is limited. In this embodiment, the structures 110 are connected to each other by the adjacent end edges 110c in the unfolded state. In the deployable structure 100 of this embodiment, the first support part 132a is arranged inside the first structure 111 and does not protrude outside from the side end surface 110b of the first structure 111. That is, the hinge portion 130 is disposed only inside the first structure 111, inside the second structure 112, and between the first structure 111 and the second structure 112, and is arranged around the outer periphery of the deployable structure 100 in the deployed state. The hinge portion 130 does not protrude. Therefore, the deployable structure 100 can be made smaller without being subject to design restrictions on the outer periphery of the deployable structure 100, and further structures 110 that can be deployed or decorations or the like can be provided on the outer periphery of the deployable structure 100. I can do it. Thereby, three or more panels can be linearly connected without gaps, as described in the third embodiment.

The first structure 111 and the second structure 112 each have a plate shape having a main surface 110a and a side end surface 110b. Here, plate-like means that the thickness is smaller than the width and depth. The first structure 111 and the second structure 112 do not need to be solid structures and may be hollow structures. For example, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 may consist only of a frame that constitutes the outer shape of the first structure 111 or the second structure 112. In the unfolded state, the first structural body 111 and the second structural body 112 are arranged side by side with respect to each other, with opposing side end surfaces 110d, which are side end surfaces located at the edge portions, facing each other. The opposing side end surface 110d refers to the side end surfaces of the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 that face each other among the four side end surfaces of the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 that are arranged side by side in the unfolded state. This refers to the side end surface 110b on the side that is open. Here, lining up horizontally means that the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are arranged side by side with their side end surfaces 110b close to each other. In this embodiment, the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a are arranged in mirror symmetry with each other in the unfolded state, and the opposite end surfaces 110d are arranged in parallel, but the invention is not limited thereto. The first member 132 is connected to the opposite end surface 110d of the first structure 111, and the second member 134 is connected to the opposite end surface 110d of the second structure 112.

Here, Patent Document 3 discloses a two-dimensional deployable structure mounted on an artificial satellite as an example of the deployable structure 100. In this two-dimensional deployable structure, a plurality of square planar panels (6) are arranged clockwise, and a hinge (3) incorporating a torsion coil spring (8) is attached to the front or back surface of the square planar panel (6). They are connected to each other by being attached. Since the plurality of hinges (3) arranged clockwise are alternately mountain-folded or valley-folded, the two-dimensional unfolded structure can be folded to take up the envelope volume of one sheet. As the hinge (8) rotates from this folded state due to the biasing force of the torsion coil spring (8), the square planar panel (6) changes to the unfolded state where it is lined up on a plane.
In the two-dimensional deployable structure of Patent Document 3, the gap between the square planar panels (6) can be made relatively small; The parts including the rotating shaft (7) protrude and the continuity of the plane is impaired. When a protrusion occurs on the panel surface, for example, if the panel is a solar cell panel, the protrusion casts a shadow on the solar cell paddle, reducing power production efficiency. For this reason, it is preferable that the substantially planar portion in the deployed state, like the deployable structure 100 of this embodiment, be provided with no or small protrusions protruding from the main surface 110a.
In contrast, in the deployable structure 100 of this embodiment, the first member 132 and the second member 134 are connected to the side end surface 110b of the first structure 111 or the second structure 112, respectively. Therefore, compared to the case where the first member 132 and the second member 134 are connected at the main surface 110a of the first structure 111 or the second structure 112, a part of the hinge part 130 is connected to the first structure 111 or the second structure 112. This prevents the structure 112 from protruding outward from the main surface 110a. Thereby, in the deployable structure 100 of this embodiment, a flat surface with small or no protrusions can be obtained in the deployed state.

In the folded state shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the rotating shaft 138 protrudes outward beyond the opposite end surface 110d of the first structure 111. That is, the rotating shaft 138 protrudes from the side end surface 110b of the first structure 111 to the outside of the first structure 111, and the axial center of the rotating shaft 138 is located further outside the first structure 111 than the opposing end surface 110d. . In the unfolded state, the rotation shaft 138 sinks deeper into the first structure 111 than the opposite end surface 110d. Here, the expression that the rotating shaft 138 sinks deeper into the first structure 111 than the opposite end surface 110d means that at least the axial center of the rotating shaft 138 enters the envelope volume of the first structure 111. For example, when the axis center of the rotating shaft 138 is located on the rear end side of the end surface of the first bracket 111b, the rotating shaft 138 is assumed to be sunk deeper into the first structure 111 than the opposing end surface 110d.
The rotating shaft 138, which was disposed outside the first structure 111 relative to the opposite end surface 110d, is housed inside the first structure 111, so that the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are brought closer together. The gap between the structures 110 can be further reduced.

The first structure 111 has a housing recess 111c. The accommodation recess 111c accommodates the first member 132 so as to be slidable in a predetermined sliding direction. Specifically, the housing recess 111c is formed in the first bracket 111b, and has an opening 111h on the opposite end surface 110d. The depth direction of the accommodation recess 111c is the sliding direction of the first member 132, that is, the front and rear end direction of the first bracket 111b. In the folded state, the link member 134a is arranged to intersect with the sliding direction of the first member 132. That is, the link member 134a is arranged at an angle greater than 0 degrees and smaller than 180 degrees with respect to the sliding direction. The sliding direction of the first member 132 is the direction in which the first shaft portion 132b of the first member 132 extends. When the folded state changes to the unfolded state, the link member 134a rotates about the rotation axis 138 relative to the first member 132, and the second member 134 (link member 134a) and the first member 132 are aligned on a straight line.
As the first member 132 slides inside the first structure 111, at least a portion of the second member 134 (link member 134a) and the rotating shaft 138 are accommodated inside the accommodation recess 111c.
Sliding refers to changing the position while bringing at least a portion into contact with another member. The first member 132 moves toward the rear end while bringing a portion thereof into contact with the inside of the first structure 111 (first bracket 111b). In this embodiment, the shape and dimensions of the first bearing portion 132c of the first member 132 viewed from the extending direction are substantially the same as the shape and dimensions of the opening 111h of the accommodation recess 111c viewed from the extending direction. . The opening 111h of the accommodation recess 111c here refers to the area from the virtual side 111e (see FIG. 1B) to the outer side (lower side in the same figure) of the opening area on the front end side of the accommodation recess 111c. ) area. The opening 111h of the accommodation recess 111c is connected with a space region (the recessed space 111i in FIG. 1(b)) which is rounded by the sliding surface 110e. That is, the retraction space 111i is connected to the inner side (upper side in the figure) of the opening 111h. Further, the shape and dimensions of the first shaft portion 132b viewed from the extending direction of the first member 132 are substantially the same as the shape and dimensions of the insertion hole 111g of the first bracket 111b viewed from the extending direction. As a result, when the first member 132 slides, the first bearing portion 132c comes into contact with the first member sliding surface 111d, which is a part of the circumferential surface defining the accommodation recess 111c of the first structure 111, The first shaft portion 132b contacts the peripheral wall surface defining the insertion hole 111g in the first structure 111. In this way, when the first member 132 slides, it contacts the first structure 111 at two locations: the first shaft portion 132b and the first bearing portion 132c. Therefore, the first member 132 can slide in the desired sliding direction (front and rear end direction) without being laterally displaced inside the first structure 111. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first shaft portion 132b is spaced apart from the first member sliding surface 111d of the accommodation recess 111c, so that when the first member 132 slides, the first shaft portion 132b Friction of the first member 132 is suppressed. In this way, when the first member 132 slides inside the first structure 111, it is not necessary that all of the first member 132 be in contact with the first structure 111.

By arranging the first member 132 and the link member 134a on a straight line, the thickness of the hinge portion 130 is reduced, and it is easy to accommodate the hinge portion 130 within the thickness of the first structure 111 in the unfolded state. Become. Thereby, the hinge portion 130 can be prevented from protruding from the main surface 110a of the first structure 111.
Furthermore, by accommodating at least a portion of the link member 134a in addition to the rotating shaft 138 inside the first structure 111, the gap created between the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 is further reduced. be able to. In the unfolded state of this embodiment, all of the link members 134a and the second rotating shaft 134b are housed inside the first structure 111. As a result, in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the opposite end surfaces 110d of the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are in contact with each other, and the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are in contact with each other. The gap between them is becoming infinitely small.

In the unfolded state shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a are in contact with each other without a gap between their end surfaces. As a result, movement of the link member 134a toward the rear end side is stopped. That is, the unfolding operation of the deployable structure 100 ends when the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 come into contact with each other at their side end surfaces 110b. Therefore, the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a are adjacent to each other without any gap in the unfolded state. At this time, the first support portion 132a of the first member 132 has not reached the wall surface on the rear end side defining the cavity 110j of the first structure 111 (first bracket 111b). In other words, the first support portion 132a is located away from the wall surface toward the front end. In other words, the length by which the first member 132 can retreat from the folded state (the distance between the first support portion 132a in the folded state and the wall surface on the rear end side defining the cavity 110j) is The distance is longer than the length by which the first member 132 actually moves toward the rear end due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 136 during operation. However, instead of this embodiment, the unfolding operation may be completed when the first bearing portion 132c of the first member 132 comes into contact with the wall surface on the rear end side defining the cavity 110j of the first structure 111. Good too.

In this embodiment, in the unfolded state, the link member 134a is in contact with both the first member sliding contact surface 111d and the outer side (lower side in FIG. 3(b)) of the accommodation recess 111c. That is, the dimension in the thickness direction of the part of the link member 134a sandwiched between the first member sliding surface 111d and the outer surface of the accommodation recess 111c is approximately the same as the dimension in the thickness direction of the accommodation recess 111c. be. Therefore, rotation of the link member 134a with respect to the first member 132 is stopped by the accommodation recess 111c, and rotation of the first member 132 and the link member 134a is stopped in the deployed state. This makes it possible to maintain the expansion of the link member 134a and the first member 132, while eliminating the need for a deployment maintaining means for maintaining the expanded state of the link member 134a and the first member 132. Here, the first member sliding surface 111d is a surface on the inner side (upper side in FIG. 3(b)) with which the first member 132 (first bearing portion 132c) slides in the accommodation recess 111c.

As shown in FIG. 1(b), the first structure 111 has a sliding surface 110e that smoothly connects to the accommodation recess 111c. The sliding surface 110e is a surface obtained by chamfering the virtual side 111e of the opening 111h, which is a part of the front end side of the accommodation recess 111c in the first structure 111. The sliding surface 110e is a surface that is continuously formed without steps between it and the first member sliding surface 111d. The virtual side 111e here is the side located on the inner side of one side of the quadrilateral that forms the opening 111h of the accommodation recess 111c if the virtual side 111e is not rounded.
The link member 134a transitions from the folded state to the unfolded state while slidingly contacting the sliding surface 110e. Specifically, the transition to the expanded state is as follows. In the folded state, the first biasing member 136 applies an outward biasing force to the first structure 111 and the first support portion 132a in a direction in which they move away from each other. Due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 136 against the first structure 111, the region of the first structure 111 where the first structure 111 and the link member 134a are in contact with each other and which is inward from the first member 132 ( The first structure 111 pushes the link member 134a toward the front end at a pushing edge 111f) to be described later. Further, the first member 132 slides toward the rear end side with respect to the first structure 111 due to the urging force of the first urging member 136. When the first member 132 slides toward the rear end, the end of the link member 134a on the rotating shaft 138 side is pulled toward the rear end. As a result, the link member 134a rotates relative to the first member 132 about the rotation axis 138 in the direction of transition from the folded state to the unfolded state (counterclockwise in FIG. 1(b)).
Note that when the holding and releasing mechanism (not shown) is activated to release the restraint between the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a, the outward biasing force of the first biasing member 136 forces the first member 132 and the link member 134a automatically starts rotating. Further, when the link member 134a starts rotating relative to the first member 132, the link member 134a is drawn into the retraction space 111i while slidingly contacting the sliding surface 110e, and furthermore, one end of the link member 134a on the rotating shaft 138 side begins to sink into the accommodation recess 111c. That is, the link member 134a rotates while being accommodated inside the first structure 111.

In the folded state or in the process of transitioning from the folded state to the unfolded state, the region of the first structure 111 that pushes the link member 134a toward the front end may be a plane or substantially a line. In this embodiment, the first structure 111 (first bracket 111b) pushes out the link member 134a toward the front end side by the pushing edge 111f formed in a substantially linear shape. The push side 111f is an inward side of the sides forming the front end side of the first structure 111 (first bracket 111b), and is a ridgeline where the curved sliding surface 110e terminates at the front end side. . In this way, the region of the first structure 111 that presses the link member 134a (the pressed edge 111f or the region including the pressed edge 111f) is located on the innermost side of the first structure 111. In this way, by pushing the link member 134a toward the front end in a region of the link member 134a that is inwardly away from the rotating shaft 138, a large moment is applied to the link member 134a, and rotation of the link member 134a with respect to the first member 132 is achieved. movement can be started more easily. Further, it is preferable that the region of the first structure 111 that presses the link member 134a has a small dimension in the thickness direction of the first structure 111. For example, it is preferable that the dimension in the thickness direction of the region of the first structure 111 that presses the link member 134a be less than half the distance in the thickness direction between the pressing side 111f and the virtual side 111e.
In this embodiment, the surface where the link member 134a and the first structure 111 (the first bracket 111b) contact each other on the inner side of the first member 132 is substantially only the push edge 111f. As a result, the first structure 111 pushes the link member 134a toward the front end at a position farthest from the rotating shaft 138, so that a larger moment can be applied from the first structure 111 to the link member 134a. In order for the first structure 111 (first bracket 111b) to press the link member 134a only with the push side 111f, is the radius when rounding the virtual side 111e equal to the distance between the virtual side 111e and the push side 111f? Or it may be longer.

When the deployable structure 100 is further deployed, the intermediate portion of the link member 134a and a portion on the second rotating shaft 134b side are gradually drawn into the accommodation recess 111c through the retracting space 111i. Since the link member 134a rotates relative to the first member 132 while being recessed into the accommodation recess 111c, the volume through which the deployable structure 100 passes when transitioning from the folded state to the unfolded state is reduced. This can prevent interference between the deployable structure 100 and other components during the deploying operation.

Moreover, the rotation of the link member 134a relative to the first member 132 can be controlled by sliding the link member 134a into the accommodation recess 111c while slidingly contacting the sliding surface 110e. Specifically, when the link member 134a rotates relative to the first member 132 as shown in FIG. The moving surface 110e is in contact with the moving surface 110e. When the link member 134a comes into contact with the sliding surface 110e of the first structure 111, the link member moves in the opposite direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2(b)) from the unfolded state to the folded state. Rotation of 134a is regulated by first structure 111. As a result, the rotation of the link member 134a during the unfolding operation is limited only to the direction in which the link member 134a transitions to the unfolded state. Furthermore, when the rotating shaft 138 enters the envelope volume of the first bracket 111b, the rotation of the link member 134a (particularly the rotation in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. regulated by the surface. Therefore, during the unfolding operation, excessive rotation of the link member 134a is prevented, and in the unfolded state, the link member 134a is maintained in a linearly unfolded state with respect to the first member 132.

Here, if the first structure 111 does not have the sliding surface 110e in the accommodation recess 111c, the link member 134a cannot be immediately drawn into the accommodation recess 111c even if it starts unfolding from the folded state. The link member 134a starts sliding toward the rear end only when the link member 134a and the first member 132 are lined up in a straight line in the unfolded state. The link member 134a and the first member 132, which are arranged in a straight line, slide rapidly within the accommodation recess 111c due to the urging force of the first urging member 136. Therefore, the impact force that the side end surfaces 110b of the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 receive from each other at the end of the unfolding operation becomes large. In contrast, when the first structure 111 has the sliding surface 110e as in the present embodiment, the link member 134a slides little by little toward the rear end while rotating, so that the impact force generated at the end of deployment is can be made smaller.

In this embodiment, the width dimension of the link member 134a is smaller than the width dimension of the first bearing part 132c. Further, the width of the sliding surface 110e is greater than or equal to the width of the link member 134a, and smaller than the width of the first bearing portion 132c. This prevents the first bearing portion 132c from shifting inward from the accommodation recess 111c, and the first member 132 can slide in parallel with the first panel 111a.

The deployable structure 100 of this embodiment includes a support biasing member 135 in addition to the first biasing member 136. The support biasing member 135 applies a biasing force to the deployable structure 100 so that the first member 132 and the second member 134 transition from the folded state to the deployed state. The support biasing member 135 is a different member from the first biasing member 136. Here, applying a biasing force to the deployable structure 100 means applying a biasing force to a part of the deployable structure 100.
The position and direction at which the support biasing member 135 applies biasing force to the deployable structure 100 are not particularly limited as long as the first member 132 and the second member 134 transition from the folded state to the deployed state. A specific example of the support biasing member 135 is a torsion spring that is disposed coaxially with the rotating shaft 138 and biases the link member 134a and the first bearing portion 132c in the deployment direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 1(b)). can be exemplified. Such a support biasing member 135 may be provided inside or around the rotating shaft 138, or may be arranged between the first member 132 and the link member 134a.
Other examples of the support biasing member 135 include a mechanism similar to the wire pulling mechanism described above as a modification of the first biasing member 136. When using a wire traction mechanism as the support biasing member 135, it is preferable to connect one end of the wire to one of the first panel 111a or the second panel 112a, and install a traction means on the other. By pulling this wire with a pulling means, the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a are urged in a direction in which they are separated from each other. For example, if the rear end side of the first panel 111a is fixed to the system (for example, the spacecraft main body or boom yoke), a wire is connected to the rear end side of the second panel 112a, and this wire is connected in the deployment direction (Fig. By pulling upward in b), the first member 132 and the link member 134a (second member 134) transition to the expanded state.
By applying a biasing force to the deployable structure 100 by the support biasing member 135 so that the link member 134a (second member 134) and the first member 132 transition from the folded state to the deployed state, the first bias is applied. Automatic rotation of the first member 132 and the link member 134a by the member 136 is assisted. Thereby, the first member 132 and the link member 134a can be reliably rotated automatically.

In this embodiment, the deployable structure 100 further includes a second support biasing member 139. The second support biasing member 139 in this embodiment applies a biasing force to the deployable structure 100 so that the second structure 112 and the link member 134a transition from the folded state to the deployed state. and the link member 134a. Specifically, the second support biasing member 139 is arranged coaxially with the second rotating shaft 134b and rotates the second structure bearing portion 112d in the deployment direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 1(b)) with respect to the link member 134a. ) can be exemplified by a torsion spring that biases. Such a second support biasing member 139 may be provided inside or around the second rotation shaft 134b, or may be arranged between the shaft member 134c and the link member 134a.

In order for the deployable structure 100 to transition from the folded state to the deployed state, the first member 132 and the link member 134a rotate around the rotation axis 138, and the second structure 112 and the link member 134a rotate around the second rotation axis. 134b.
If the rotational force around the second rotational shaft 134b is sufficiently smaller than the rotational force around the rotational shaft 138, the rotation of the second structure 112 and the link member 134a is stopped by the first structure 111 and expanded. There is a possibility that the structure 100 will not expand normally. Specifically, if the rotational force around the second rotational shaft 134b is negligibly small compared to the rotational force around the rotational shaft 138, before the second structure 112 and the link member 134a start rotating. Then, the first member 132 and the link member 134a are in an expanded state, and the side end surface 110b of the first structure 111 and the main surface 110a of the second structure 112 can come into contact with each other. In this state, the second structure 112 that rotates in the direction of transitioning to the deployed state with respect to the link member 134a is locked by the first structure 111, and the transition of the deployable structure 100 to the deployed state is inhibited. .
In order for the deployable structure 100 to deploy normally without the rotation of the second structure 112 relative to the link member 134a being restricted by the first structure 111, it is necessary to It is preferable that the second structure 112 and the link member 134a expand until the angle between the second structure 112 and the link member 134a becomes a predetermined angle or more at the timing when the first structure 111 slides. Therefore, before this timing, the second support biasing member 139 It is recommended to set a biasing force of .
Here, the predetermined angle is the threshold value of the unfolding angle of the second structure 112 when the first structure 111 is slid by the first biasing member 136 and the first structure 111 is in contact with the second structure 112. It is. If the deployment angle is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the second structure bearing portion 112d is pulled toward the first structure 111 by the urging force of the first urging member 136 so as to be drawn into the inside of the first structure 111. As a result, the second structure 112 transitions toward the expanded state. Conversely, if the unfolding angle is less than the threshold, the first structure 111 urges the main surface 110a of the second structure 112 due to the urging force of the first urging member 136, so that the second structure 112 folds. Transition towards the tatami state. The predetermined angle is an angle that serves as a boundary between whether the second structure 112 transitions toward the unfolded state or the folded state. The predetermined angle described above varies depending on various factors. For example, the predetermined angle is 135 degrees.
Furthermore, either the rotational force around the second rotating shaft 134b or the rotational force around the rotating shaft 138 may be larger or smaller. For example, the support biasing member 135 and the second support biasing member 139 support the rotation of the first member 132 and the link member 134a and the rotation of the link member 134a and the second structure 112, respectively, as described above. , the rotational force applied by the second support biasing member 139 around the second rotating shaft 134b is the rotational force applied by the first biasing member 136 around the rotational shaft 138 and the rotational force applied by the support biasing member 135 around the rotational shaft 138 It may be larger or smaller than the sum of the rotational force applied to the surroundings. Further, the rotational force that the second support biasing member 139 applies around the second rotation shaft 134b may be larger than the rotational force that the support biasing member 135 applies around the rotation shaft 138. Thereby, when the first structural body 111 is expanded and slid to come into contact with the second structural body 112, it becomes easy to make the second structural body 112 expand at an angle greater than or equal to the predetermined angle.

If the support biasing member 135 is a mechanism that biases the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a away from each other using a wire as described above, the second support biasing member 139 can be made unnecessary. When the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a are urged in a direction away from each other, the first member 132 and the link member 134a rotate, and the second structure 112 and the link member 134a rotate. This is because the movement also takes place.
In this embodiment, the rotational force around the rotational shaft 138 that the first biasing member 136 applies to the link member 134a is larger than the rotational force applied around the rotational shaft 138 by the support biasing member 135. Thereby, the link member 134a can rotate while slidingly contacting the sliding surface 110e without leaving the sliding surface 110e.

The deployable structure 100 may include deployment maintaining means (not shown) for maintaining the link member 134a and the second structure 112 in the deployed state. Further, instead of or in addition to the method of restricting the rotation of the first member 132 and the link member 134a by the accommodation recess 111c in this embodiment, the first member 132 and the link member 134a may be in an expanded state. The deployment structure 100 may include deployment maintenance means (not shown) for maintaining the deployment structure 100.
For example, the first structure 111 or the link member 134a, or the link member 134a or the second structure 112 may be provided with a locking portion for regulating the upper limit of the mutual rotation angle. This can prevent the first member 132 and the link member 134a, or the link member 134a and the second structure 112, from rotating by more than 180 degrees.
In addition, in order to prevent transition from the unfolded state to the folded state, the first member 132 and the link member 134a, or the link member 134a and the second structure 112, are rotated from the initial state (folded state) to a rotation angle greater than a predetermined angle. The deployable structure 100 may be provided with a latch structure in which the two are locked when the two are reached. This restricts the reverse rotation of the first member 132 and the link member 134a, or the link member 134a and the second structure 112 in the folding direction. In addition, when the support biasing member 135 or the second support biasing member 139 is a torsion spring, even if the two members are in a straight line, the support biasing member 135 or the second support biasing member 139 has elasticity. A portion of the resilience may remain. That is, the amount of twist in the folded state is set in advance so that even in the unfolded state, the first member 132 and the link member 134a, or the link member 134a and the shaft member 134c, have a rotational force that rotates 180 degrees or more. It would be good if it were done.
Furthermore, even if the first structural body 111 and the second structural body 112 come into contact with each other in the expanded state, a portion of the elastic restoring force may remain in the first biasing member 136. That is, even in the unfolded state shown in FIG. It is preferable to set the compressed length of the biasing member 136. As a result, in the deployed state, the side end surfaces 110b of the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are pressed against each other by the biasing force remaining in the first biasing member 136, so that the deployable structure 100 The unfolded state is maintained well.

<Second embodiment>
4(a), FIG. 4(b), FIG. 5(a), FIG. 5(b), FIG. 6(a), and FIG. 6(b) illustrate the deployment sequence of the deployable structure 100 of the second embodiment. FIG. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are explanatory diagrams of the unfolded structure 100 of the second embodiment in a folded state. FIGS. 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams of the unfolded structure 100 of the second embodiment during the unfolding operation. FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are explanatory diagrams of the deployed structure 100 of the second embodiment in the deployed state. In FIGS. 4(a), 5(a), 5(b), and 6(a), illustration of the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a is omitted.
Similarly to the first embodiment, in the structure 110, the first member 132, the shaft member 134c, the first biasing member 136, and the second biasing member 137, the link member 134a side is the "front end side", and the first support part 132a or The second support portion 134d side will be referred to as the "rear end side." In addition, in the first structure 111 and the second structure 112, when the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 face each other in a folded state, the direction toward each other is "inward", and the opposite direction is "inward". "Outer side".

This embodiment is the first embodiment in that not only the first structure 111 is biased toward the second structure 112, but also the second structure 112 is biased toward the first structure 111. Different from the form.
The hinge structure 10 in the folded state of this embodiment has mirror symmetry in a plane passing through the center of the link member 134a in the extending direction and perpendicular to the axis of the link member 134a. That is, the first structure, the first member 132, and the first biasing member 136, and the second structure 112, the shaft member 134c, and the second biasing member 137 have mirror-symmetrical structures. However, the hinge structure 10 is not limited to mirror symmetry, and the first structure, the first member 132 and the first biasing member 136, the second structure 112, the shaft member 134c and the second biasing member 137 may differ from each other in shape and size.

The first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are connected by a hinge part 130. The first member 132 is inserted through the edge portion 110c of the first structure 111, and the first member 132 slides inside the first structure 111 in the direction in which the first member 132 extends. The first member 132 has a support portion (first support portion 132a).

The second member 134 has a second rotating shaft 134b, a link member 134a, and a shaft member 134c. The link member 134a and the shaft member 134c are rotatably connected to each other via a second rotation shaft (second rotation shaft 134b). The link member 134a is one or more members having a rotating shaft 138 and a second rotating shaft 134b at both ends. The shaft member 134c has a second support portion (second support portion 134d). The shaft member 134c is slidably connected to the second structure 112. That is, the shaft member 134c is inserted through the end edge 110c of the second structure 112 and slides inside the second structure 112 in the direction in which the shaft member 134c extends. The shaft member 134c is a long object, and the extending direction of the shaft member 134c is the longitudinal direction of the shaft member 134c.
The second biasing member (second biasing member 137) is arranged between the second support portion 134d and the second structure 112. The second biasing member 137 applies an outward biasing force to the second structure 112 and the second support portion 134d in the direction in which the second biasing member 137 extends. The second support portion 134d is a portion of the shaft member 134c that applies the biasing force of the second biasing member 137 to the shaft member 134c. In this embodiment, the second support portion 134d is a portion formed by forming an end portion of the shaft member 134c into a flange shape.
The shaft member 134c is combined with the link member 134a by a second rotating shaft 134b, with the other end opposite to the second support portion 134d serving as a bearing portion. The link member 134a and the shaft member 134c rotate around the second rotation shaft 134b.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the aspects of this embodiment, and includes aspects such as various modifications and improvements as exemplified in the first embodiment. For example, the second support portion 134d may be formed at the end of the shaft member 134c as shown in this embodiment, or may be formed at a midway point in the length direction of the shaft member 134c. Further, the second biasing member 137 may be an elastic material such as a coil spring, or may be a mechanism that applies a driving force between the second structure 112 and the shaft member 134c. Such a mechanism may include, for example, the wire pulling mechanism described above as a modification of the support biasing member 135. In this case, the second support portion 134d is a portion of the shaft member 134c to which the mechanism is connected. Specifically, one end of the wire is connected to either the second support part 134d or the second structure 112, and a pulling means is installed on the other side to pull the other end of the wire, thereby connecting the shaft member 134c and the second structure. The relative change in positional relationship with the body 112 supports the transition to the expanded state.
An insertion hole is formed on the rear end side of the second structure 112 (second bracket 112b) to allow the shaft member 134c to pass through in the front and rear end directions. In this embodiment, when viewed in the axial direction of the shaft member 134c, the second structure 112 and the second support portion 134d have shapes and dimensions that respectively include the pressing surfaces at both ends of the second biasing member 137. ing. Thereby, the biasing force of the second biasing member 137 is efficiently applied to the second support portion 134d and the second structure 112.

When transitioning from the folded state to the unfolded state, the first biasing member 136 biases and moves the first structure 111 toward the second structure 112, and the second biasing member 137 moves the first structure 111 toward the second structure 112. is urged and moved toward the first structure 111. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), 6(a), and 6(b), a portion of the hinge portion 130 is retracted from the outside to the inside of the first structure 111, and , another part of the hinge part 130 is inserted into the second structure 112 from the outside.

In this embodiment, the second structure 112 has a second housing recess 112c that opens on the opposite end surface 110d. The second accommodation recess 112c is a recess that accommodates the shaft member 134c so as to be slidable in the sliding direction of the shaft member 134c.
As shown in FIG. 4(b), the second structure 112 has a sliding surface 110e that smoothly connects to the second accommodation recess 112c.

Next, the unfolding operation in which the present embodiment transits from the folded state to the unfolded state will be described.
FIG. 4(a) illustrates the deployable structure 100 in a folded state. The main surface 110a of the first structure 111 and the main surface 110a of the second structure 112 face each other while overlapping in the thickness direction. The deployment angle of the deployment structure 100 in FIG. 4(a) is 0 degrees. The rotating shaft 138 and the second rotating shaft 134b each protrude outward from the opposite end surface 110d of the first structure 111 or the second structure 112. In the folded state, the link member 134a is arranged to intersect with the sliding direction of the shaft member 134c.
From this folded state, the first member 132 and the link member 134a rotate around the rotating shaft 138, and the link member 134a and the shaft member 134c rotate around the second rotating shaft 134b. As a result, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 change their positions relative to each other, and the deployable structure 100 expands. Specifically, the state transitions from the folded state to the unfolded state as follows.
In the folded state, the first biasing member 136 applies an outward biasing force to the first support portion 132a and the first structure 111 in the direction in which the first biasing member 136 extends, and a second biasing force The member 137 applies an outward biasing force to the second support portion 134d and the second structure 112 in the direction in which the second biasing member 137 extends. Due to the urging force of the first urging member 136 and the second urging member 137, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 respectively push the link member 134a toward the front end side. On the other hand, the biasing forces of the first biasing member 136 and the second biasing member 137 cause the first member 132 and the shaft member 134c to move toward the rear end side relative to the first structure 111 or the second structure 112, respectively. Slide to. When the first member 132 and the shaft member 134c slide toward the rear end side, both ends of the link member 134a to which the first member 132 and the shaft member 134c are connected are connected to the first structure 111 and the second structure 112. Each is towed toward the rear end. In other words, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are urged by the first urging member 136 or the second urging member 137, respectively, and guided by the link member 134a to move toward each other. As a result, the link member 134a rotates relative to the first member 132 about the rotation axis 138 in the direction of transition from the folded state to the unfolded state (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4(b)), and , rotates about the second rotating shaft 134b with respect to the shaft member 134c in the direction of transition from the folded state to the unfolded state (clockwise direction in FIG. 4(b)).

The support biasing member 135 applies a biasing force to the deployable structure 100 so that the first member 132 and the second member 134 transition from the folded state to the deployed state. Assists automatic rotation of member 132 and link member 134a. Further, the deployable structure 100 includes a second support biasing member 139 that applies a biasing force to the deployable structure 100 so that the link member 134a and the shaft member 134c transition from the folded state to the deployed state. Unlike the first embodiment, the second support biasing member 139 in this embodiment transitions the link member 134a and the shaft member 134c from the folded state to the unfolded state. The second support biasing member 139 assists the automatic rotation of the link member 134a and the shaft member 134c by the biasing force of the second biasing member 137.
When the link member 134a and the first member 132 start rotating around the rotating shaft 138, the link member 134a slides into the inside of the first structure 111 while slidingly contacting the sliding surface 110e of the first structure 111. Start. Further, when the link member 134a and the shaft member 134c start rotating around the second rotating shaft 134b, the link member 134a moves into the second structure 112 while slidingly contacting the sliding surface 110e of the second structure 112. Begin immersion.

5(a) and 5(b) show the deployable structure 100 of the second embodiment during the deploying operation, and show a state where the deploying angle is approximately 60 degrees.
In FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), since the first urging member 136 and the second urging member 137 are urging members having the same degree of urging force, the first member 132 and the link member 134a , and the link member 134a and shaft member 134c are evenly expanded. Alternatively, the first member 132 and the link member 134a, and the link member 134a and the shaft member 134c may not be deployed at the same time. That is, in order for the deployable structure 100 to take a predetermined deployment angle, the first member 132 and the link member 134a, and the link member 134a and the shaft member 134c may rotate independently without being synchronized.

6(a) and 6(b) show a state in which the deployable structure 100 is deployed until the deployment angle becomes approximately 180 degrees.
When the deployable structure 100 is deployed from the folded state to the deployed state, the first biasing member 136 and the second biasing member 137 cause the first structure body 111 and the second structure body 112 to move toward the first member 132 and the shaft member 134c. They each move along the front end side. By moving the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 toward the front end, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 accommodate at least a portion of the hinge portion 130 therein. Preferably, a portion of the hinge portion 130 is recessed into the first structure 111 such that the rotating shaft 138 is located inside the first structure 111 rather than the opposing end surface 110d of the first structure 111. Alternatively, a portion of the hinge portion 130 is recessed into the second structure 112 such that the second rotating shaft 134b is disposed inside the second structure 112 rather than the opposing end surface 110d of the second structure 112. More preferably, the first member 132, the shaft member 134c, and the link member 134a are arranged in a straight line, and a part of the link member 134a and the rotating shaft 138 are accommodated in the accommodation recess 111c of the first structure 111. Further, another part of the link member 134a and the second rotating shaft 134b are accommodated in the second accommodation recess 112c of the second structure 112. In this embodiment, a part of the link member 134a and the rotating shaft 138 are accommodated in the accommodation recess 111c of the first structure 111, and another part of the link member 134a and the rotation shaft 138 are accommodated in the second accommodation recess 112c of the second structure 112. A second rotating shaft 134b is accommodated.
The first structure 111 and the second structure 112 may start moving after the deployable structure 100 has completely transitioned to the deployed state, or may start moving while the deployable structure 100 is transitioning to the deployed state.

In this embodiment, the second biasing member 137 also biases the second structure 112 toward the first structure 111, so that the first biasing member 136 moves the first structure 111 by a length is shortened compared to the first embodiment. As a result, if the length of the link member 134a in the axial direction is the same in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the lengths of the first biasing member 136 and the first member 132 can be made shorter than that of the first embodiment. The hinge portion 130 embedded in the first structure 111 can also be made smaller.
As shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), a part of the link member 134a and the rotating shaft 138 are accommodated in the accommodation recess 111c of the first structure 111, and the second accommodation recess 112c of the second structure 112 A part of the link member 134a and the second rotating shaft 134b are accommodated in the . As a result, the rotation of the first member 132 and the link member 134a, and the rotation of the link member 134a and the shaft member 134c are locked by the accommodation recess 111c and the second accommodation recess 112c. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the deployed state of the first member 132 and the link member 134a, and of the link member 134a and the shaft member 134c, while eliminating the need for the deployment maintaining means.

<Third embodiment>
FIG. 7(a) is a perspective view showing a folded state of the deployable structure 100 of the third embodiment, and FIG. 7(b) is an enlarged view of region X in FIG. 7(a). FIG. 8(a) is an explanatory diagram of a deployable structure 100 of the third embodiment that performs a deploying operation, and FIG. 8(b) is an enlarged view of region X in FIG. 8(a). FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the unfolded state of the unfolded structure 100 of the third embodiment.
As in the second embodiment, the hinge portion 130 side of the structure 110 is referred to as the front end side. In addition, in the first structure 111 and the second structure 112, when the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 face each other in a folded state, the direction toward each other is "inward", and the opposite direction is "inward". "Outer side".

The deployable structure 100 of this embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that three or more structures 110 are connected. The deployable structure 100 of this embodiment has three panels (a first panel 111a, a second panel 112a, and a third panel 113) arranged linearly as shown in FIG. 8(a) using the hinge structure 10 of the second embodiment. It is connected. In this embodiment, the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a, and the second panel 112a and the third panel 113 are connected by two sets of hinge structures 10, respectively. The panels may be connected by three or more sets of hinge structures 10, or may be connected by one set of hinge structures 10.
Hereinafter, for the sake of explanation, the first panel 111a and the third panel 113 may be referred to as the first structure 111 and the second panel as the second structure 112.

The deployable structure 100 has a plurality of first structures 111 and a plurality of hinge parts 130. The plurality of first structures 111 and second structures 112 each have a plate shape having a main surface 110a and a side end surface 110b. Here, the plurality of first structures 111 are the first panel 111a and the bracket, and the third panel 113 and the bracket. That is, the first panel 111a and the third panel 113 correspond to the first panel 111a in the first structure 111.
In the unfolded state, the plurality of first structures 111 (first panel 111a, third panel 113) and second structure 112 (second panel 112a) have a plurality of The first structures 111 are arranged side by side with their side end surfaces 110b facing each other. This embodiment shows a mode in which the first panel 111a and the third panel 113 are respectively connected to opposing side end surfaces of the second panel 112a. Thereby, the first panel 111a, second panel 112a, and third panel 113 in the unfolded state are lined up in a straight line. However, instead of this embodiment, the first panel 111a and the third panel 113 may be connected to adjacent side end surfaces of the second panel, respectively. The side end surfaces 110b of the plurality of first structures 111 (first panel 111a, third panel 113) and the side end surfaces 110b of the second structure 112 (second panel 112a) are each connected by a hinge portion 130.
When transitioning from the folded state to the unfolded state, the plurality of first structures 111 and second structures 112 are urged toward each other by the first biasing member 136 and the second biasing member 137 and move. At least a portion of each of the hinge portions 130 is recessed into the plurality of first structures 111 from the outside.

In this embodiment, the first panel 111a, the second panel 112a, and the third panel 113 are hollow bodies that include plate-shaped parts on the main surface 110a and the side end surfaces 110b. The shapes of the main surfaces 110a of the first panel 111a, the second panel 112a, and the third panel 113 may be rectangular, square, or regular hexagonal.
The first panel 111a, the second panel 112a, and the third panel 113 have a side plate 110f on the side end surface 110b. The side plate 110f has a concave surface 110g and a flange surface 110h that is in contact with the main surface 110a on the long side. In order to increase the rigidity of the structure 110, the side plate 110f is provided with ribs perpendicular to the main surface 110a. As shown in FIG. 8(a), at least a portion of the bracket (first bracket 111b and second bracket 112b) is provided on the concave surface 110g. Specifically, a mounting hole (not shown) is formed in the concave surface 110g, and the first bracket 111b is inserted into the mounting hole. A part of the rear end side of the first bracket 111b is embedded closer to the rear end side of the first panel than the side plate.

The brackets (first bracket 111b and second bracket 112b) are provided on the side plate 110f so as to be in contact with the inner flange surface 110h in the folded state. That is, the first bracket 111b and the second bracket 112b are installed on the inner side of the thickness center of the first structure 111 or the second structure 112 in the folded state. Thereby, the length of the link member 134a can be designed to be short, and the distance by which the structures 110 are brought close to each other can be shortened. Further, since the biasing members (the first biasing member 136 and the second biasing member 137) for bringing the structures 110 closer to each other can be designed to be short, the hinge portion 130 can be miniaturized.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), in the folded state, the back surface of the first panel 111a and the back surface of the second panel 112a, and the front surface of the second panel 112a and the surface of the third panel 113 are made to face each other, so that the unfolded structure is The object 100 is folded into an N-shape. That is, in the second panel 112a, the first panel 111a and the third panel 113 are connected by the hinge structure 10 on both opposing sides (side end surfaces 110b), but the hinge structure 10 provided on one side of the second panel 112a One hinge structure 10 is mountain-folded, and the hinge structure 10 provided on the other side opposite to the one side is valley-folded.
The rotation shaft 138 and the second rotation shaft 134b of the hinge portion 130 that connect the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a, and the second panel 112a and the third panel 113, respectively, are connected to the first structure 111 (the first panel 111a, the The third panel 113) or the side end surface 110b of the second structure 112 (second panel 112a) protrudes laterally to the outside. The first panel 111a and the third panel 113 start rotating relative to the link member 134a due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 136 (see FIG. 4(a)) of the plurality of hinge parts 130, and the second biasing force is applied. The second panel 112a starts to rotate relative to the link member 134a due to the urging force of the member 137 (see FIG. 4(a)).

As shown in FIG. 8A, the deployable structure 100 is deployed by mutually deploying the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a, and the second panel 112a and the third panel 113 by the plurality of hinge parts 130. . The figure shows a mode in which the unfolding angle of the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a and the unfolding angle of the second panel 112a and the third panel 113 are the same angle during the unfolding operation. The invention is not limited to this. The rotations of the hinge section 130 that connects the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a and the hinge section 130 that connects the second panel 112a and the third panel 113 do not need to be synchronous.
In the figure, at the same time as the folded state changes to the unfolded state, a part of the hinge part 130 is inside the first structure 111 (first panel 111a and third panel 113) and second structure 112 (second panel 112a). Although a mode in which the hinge portion 130 is retracted into the first structure 111 or the second structure 112 is shown, the retraction of the hinge portion 130 into the first structure 111 or the second structure 112 may be started after transitioning to the expanded state.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the unfolded state, the first panel 111a, the second panel 112a, and the third panel 113 are arranged side by side in this order. When the deployable structure 100 is deployed, the hinge portion 130 is retracted into the first panel 111a and the third panel 113 by the first biasing member 136 (see FIG. 4(a)). Similarly, the hinge portion 130 is retracted into the second panel 112a by the second biasing member 137 (see FIG. 4(a)). In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 138 and a part of the link member 134a are inserted into the inside of the first panel 111a and the third panel 113, and the second rotating shaft 134b and the other part of the link member 134a are inserted into the inside of the second panel 112a. Some are immersed. As a result, the side end surfaces 110b of the first panel 111a and the second panel 112a and the side end surfaces 110b of the second panel 112a and the third panel 113 come into contact with each other, and the first panel 111a, the second panel 112a, and the second The gap between the panel 112a and the third panel 113 is extremely small.

Here, when the panels are connected to each other using the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, there are gaps between the panels in the unfolded state, and a continuous plane cannot be obtained. In addition, in the method of Patent Document 3, two panels can be developed as a continuous plane without any gaps, but when three panels are connected, a protrusion due to a hinge is generated on the front and back surfaces, resulting in a continuous plane. I can't. The method of Patent Document 2 also allows two panels to be unfolded without a gap, but since the casing (3, 5) is required on the outer periphery, three panels cannot be unfolded without a gap.
In contrast, in the present embodiment, at least a portion of the hinge portion 130 disposed between the structures 110 is recessed into the inside of the structures 110, so that the panel can be unfolded so that the gap between the structures 110 becomes smaller. Furthermore, by connecting the hinge portion 130 to the opposite end surface 110d of the structure 110, the hinge portion 130 can be prevented from protruding outward from the main surface 110a of the structure 110, and the three panels can be connected to the opposite end surface 110d of the structure 110. It can be expanded into fewer planes. Furthermore, the edge parts 110c of the structure 110 are connected by the hinge part 130, and the hinge part does not protrude to the outer periphery of the panel. Can be connected.

<Modified example>
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications and improvements as long as the object of the present invention is achieved.
The present invention is not limited to the biaxial hinge structure shown in the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment, and as shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), the first member 132 and the The deployment structure 100 may have a uniaxial hinge structure in which the two members 134 are rotatable. FIG. 10(a) is a schematic diagram of a deployable structure 100 according to a modified example in a folded state, and FIG. 10(b) is a schematic diagram of a deployable structure 100 according to a modified example in an expanded state.

The deployable structure 100 of this embodiment has a first structure 111, a second structure 112, and a hinge part 130, and the hinge part 130 can rotate the first structure 111 and the second structure 112. Connect to and transition from the folded state to the unfolded state.
In the unfolded state, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 are arranged side by side with their end edges 110c facing each other. The hinge portion 130 has a first member 132, a second member 134, a first biasing member 136, and a second biasing member 137, and the first member 132 and the second member 134 are rotatable with respect to each other via a rotation shaft 138. It is connected to the. The first member 132 and the second member 134 each have a first support portion 132a and a second support portion 134d. The first member 132 and the second member 134 are each connected to the edge portion 110c of the first structure or the second structure 112 so as to be slidable in a predetermined sliding direction. The sliding direction of the first member 132 is the extending direction of the first member 132, and the sliding direction of the second member 134 is the extending direction of the second member 134.
The first biasing member 136 and the second biasing member 137 are arranged between the first support part 132a and the first structure 111 and between the second support part 134d and the second structure 112, respectively. There is.
In this embodiment, a recess 110i is provided in the end edge portion 110c of the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 on the rotating shaft 138 side. The first member 132 and the second member 134 are inserted not into the side end surface 110b of the first structure 111 or the second structure 112, respectively, but into a surface parallel to the main surface 110a among the surfaces of the recess 110i.
The first structural body 111 and the second structural body 112 rotate about the rotation axis 138, so that the deployable structure 100 is deployed. In FIG. 10A, the second structure 112 rotates counterclockwise about the rotation axis 138 with respect to the first structure 111, so that the deployable structure 100 is deployed.

In the folded state shown in FIG. 10(a), the first biasing member 136 and the second biasing member 137 support the first support portion 132a and the first structure 111, and the second support portion 134d and the second structure. 112 is biased outward.
When the deployable structure 100 transitions from the folded state to the deployed state as shown in FIG. They are urged and moved in the sliding direction toward each other. That is, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 slide toward the rotating shaft 138 along the first member 132 and the second member 134, respectively. The first structure 111 and the second structure 112 slide toward the rotating shaft 138, with the first member 132 inside the first structure 111 and the second member 134 inside the second structure 112. Accommodate each. As a result, the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 approach each other, and the gap between the first structure 111 and the second structure 112 becomes smaller.
The rotating shaft 138 is housed inside a recess 110i provided in the edge portion 110c of the first structure 111 and the second structure 112. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the rotating shaft 138 from protruding outside from the main surface 110a of the structure 110.

The various components of the deployable structure 100 or hinge structure 10 of the present invention do not need to exist independently. A plurality of components are formed as a single member, a component is formed of a plurality of members, a component is a part of another component, and a component is a single component. It is allowed that a portion of a component overlaps with a portion of another component, etc.

The above embodiment includes the following technical ideas.
(1) It has a first structure, a second structure, and a hinge portion that rotatably connects the first structure and the second structure to transition from a folded state to an unfolded state. In the deployed state, the first structure and the second structure are deployed structures that are arranged side by side with their edge portions facing each other, and the hinge portions are arranged side by side with each other through a rotation axis. It has a first member and a second member rotatably connected to each other, and a biasing member, and the first member has a support portion and a predetermined sliding portion with respect to the edge portion of the first structure. the second member is connected to the edge of the second structure, and the biasing member is connected between the support and the first structure. When the folded state changes to the unfolded state, the biasing member biases and moves the first structure in the sliding direction toward the second structure, and the hinge A deployable structure characterized in that at least a portion of the section is recessed into the first structure from the outside.
(2) The first structure and the second structure each have a plate shape having a main surface and a side end surface, and in the unfolded state, the first structure and the second structure have the edge portion The first member is connected to the opposite end surface of the first structure, and the second member is connected to the second structure. The deployable structure according to (1), which is connected to the opposite end surface of the body.
(3) In the folded state, the rotation shaft protrudes outward beyond the opposite end surface of the first structure, and in the unfolded state, the rotation shaft protrudes beyond the opposite end surface of the first structure. The deployable structure according to (2), wherein the deployable structure is immersed inside the first structure.
(4) The first structure has an accommodation recess that accommodates the first member slidably in a predetermined sliding direction, and in the folded state, the second member When they are arranged to intersect, and transition from the folded state to the unfolded state, the second member rotates about the rotation axis relative to the first member, so that the second member and the first member are on a straight line. The deployable structure according to (3), wherein at least a portion of the second member and the rotating shaft are accommodated inside the accommodation recess.
(5) The first structure has a sliding surface that smoothly connects to the accommodation recess, and the second member transitions from the folded state to the unfolded state while slidingly contacting the sliding surface (4 ) Deployable structures described in ).
(6) The deployment according to (5), further comprising a support biasing member that applies a biasing force to the deployable structure so that the first member and the second member transition from the folded state to the deployed state. Structure.
(7) The second member has a second rotation shaft, and a link member and a shaft member that are rotatably connected to each other via the second rotation shaft, and the link member has a second rotation shaft. one or more members having a shaft and the second rotating shaft as both ends, the shaft member having a second support portion and being slidably connected to the second structure; A second biasing member is disposed between the second support portion and the second structure, and when the folded state transitions to the unfolded state, the second biasing member engages the second structure. is biased toward the first structure and moved, and a part of the hinge part is recessed into the second structure from the outside to the inside of the second structure. Deployable structure according to item 1.
(8) It has a plurality of said first structures and a plurality of said hinge parts, and said plurality of first structures and said second structures each have a plate shape having a main surface and a side end surface, and said expansion In the state, the plurality of first structures and the second structures are arranged side by side with each other with the side end surfaces of the plurality of first structures facing different side end surfaces of the second structures. arranged, the side end surfaces of the plurality of first structures and the side end surfaces of the second structures are respectively connected by the hinge portion, and when the folded state changes to the unfolded state, The plurality of first structures and the second structures are urged toward each other by the urging member and the second urging member, and at least a portion of each of the plurality of hinge portions is The deployable structure according to (7), which is immersed into the first structure from the outside.
(9) A first bracket, a second bracket, and a hinge portion that rotatably connects the first bracket and the second bracket to transition from a folded state to an unfolded state, the hinge portion has a first member and a second member rotatably connected to each other via a rotating shaft, and a biasing member, and the first member has a support portion and is positioned at a predetermined position with respect to the first bracket. The second member is connected to the second bracket, and the biasing member is disposed between the support portion and the first bracket. , when the folded state transitions to the unfolded state, the biasing member biases and moves the first bracket in the sliding direction toward the second bracket, and at least a portion of the hinge portion moves toward the second bracket. A hinge structure that is recessed into the inside of the first bracket from the outside.

10: Hinge structure, 100: Deployable structure 110: Structure, 110a: Main surface, 110b: Side end surface, 110c: Edge portion, 110d: Opposite end surface, 110e: Sliding surface, 110f: Side plate, 110g: Concave surface , 110h: flange surface, 110i: recess, 110j: cavity 111: first structure, 111a: first panel, 111b: first bracket, 111c: accommodation recess, 111d: first member sliding surface, 111e: virtual Side, 111f: Pressed side, 111g: Through hole, 111h: Opening, 111i: Retraction space 112: Second structure, 112a: Second panel, 112b: Second bracket, 112c: Second accommodation recess, 112d: Second Two-structure bearing part, 113: Third panel 130: Hinge part, 138: Rotating shaft 132: First member, 132a: First support part, 132b: First support part, 132c: First bearing part 134: Second Member, 134a: Link member, 134b: Second rotating shaft, 134c: Shaft member, 134d: Second support portion 135: Support biasing member, 139: Second support bias member, 136: First bias member, 137 :Second biasing member N1/N2: Normal vector

Claims (9)

a first structure, a second structure, and a hinge portion that rotatably connects the first structure and the second structure to transition from a folded state to an unfolded state; In the state, the first structure and the second structure are deployable structures arranged side by side with their edge portions facing each other,
The hinge portion includes a first member and a second member rotatably connected to each other via a rotation shaft, and a biasing member,
The first member has a support portion and is slidably connected to the end edge of the first structure in a predetermined sliding direction, and the second member has a support portion and is slidably connected to the end edge of the second structure. connected to the
The biasing member is disposed between the support portion and the first structure, and when the folded state changes to the unfolded state, the biasing member pushes the first structure toward the second structure. The deployable structure is biased and moved in the sliding direction toward the first structure, and at least a portion of the hinge portion is recessed into the first structure from the outside. The first structure and the second structure each have a plate shape having a main surface and a side end surface,
In the unfolded state, the first structure and the second structure are arranged side by side with opposite side end surfaces, which are the side end surfaces located at the end edge portions, facing each other;
The deployable structure according to claim 1, wherein the first member is connected to the opposite end surface of the first structure, and the second member is connected to the opposite end surface of the second structure. In the folded state, the rotation shaft protrudes outward beyond the opposite end surface of the first structure, and in the unfolded state, the rotation shaft projects further outward than the opposite end surface of the first structure. The deployable structure according to claim 2, wherein the deployable structure is immersed inside the structure. The first structure has an accommodation recess that accommodates the first member so as to be slidable in a predetermined sliding direction,
In the folded state, the second member is arranged to intersect with the sliding direction,
When the folded state transitions to the unfolded state, the second member rotates relative to the first member around the rotation axis so that the second member and the first member are aligned on a straight line, and the second member The deployable structure according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the member and the rotation shaft are accommodated inside the accommodation recess. The first structure has a sliding surface that smoothly connects to the accommodation recess,
The deployable structure according to claim 4, wherein the second member transitions from the folded state to the deployed state while slidingly contacting the sliding surface. The deployable structure according to claim 5, further comprising a support biasing member that applies a biasing force to the deployable structure so that the first member and the second member transition from the folded state to the deployed state. The second member has a second rotation shaft, and a link member and a shaft member rotatably connected to each other via the second rotation shaft,
The link member is one or more members having both ends of the rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft,
The shaft member has a second support portion and is slidably connected to the second structure,
A second biasing member is disposed between the second support portion and the second structure, and when the folded state changes to the unfolded state, the second biasing member Any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the structure is biased and moved toward the first structure, and a part of the hinge part is recessed into the second structure from the outside. Deployable structure according to item 1. having a plurality of the first structures and a plurality of the hinge parts,
The plurality of first structures and the second structures each have a plate shape having a main surface and a side end surface,
In the expanded state, the plurality of first structures and the second structures are arranged such that the side end surfaces of the plurality of first structures are respectively opposed to the different side end surfaces of the second structure. arranged side by side,
The side end surfaces of the plurality of first structures and the side end surfaces of the second structures are each connected by the hinge portion,
When transitioning from the folded state to the unfolded state, the plurality of first structures and the second structures are urged toward each other by the urging member and the second urging member, and move; The deployable structure according to claim 7, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of hinge portions is recessed into the plurality of first structures from the outside. It has a first bracket, a second bracket, and a hinge portion that rotatably connects the first bracket and the second bracket to transition from a folded state to an unfolded state,
The hinge portion includes a first member and a second member rotatably connected to each other via a rotation shaft, and a biasing member,
The first member has a support portion and is slidably connected to the first bracket in a predetermined sliding direction, and the second member is connected to the second bracket,
The biasing member is disposed between the support portion and the first bracket, and when the folded state changes to the unfolded state, the biasing member directs the first bracket toward the second bracket. The hinge structure is characterized in that it is biased and moved in the sliding direction, and at least a portion of the hinge portion is recessed into the inside of the first bracket from the outside.

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