JP2576696B2 - Deployment truss - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a deployment truss that expands and contracts one-dimensionally.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a deployment truss is used to constitute a main structure of a space structure, and is used to extend and support onboard equipment from a satellite or a spacecraft to outside air. Is generally provided with a hinge in the middle of most of the longitudinal members in the longitudinal direction, and is generally of a type that bends or expands and contracts by sliding.

[0003]

The above-mentioned conventional deploying truss has a bending or sliding hinge in the middle of most of the vertical members, so there is a problem in maintaining rigidity after the deployment, and it is necessary to ensure the deployment. To do so, all hinges need to operate synchronously, which has a drawback in deployment reliability. Furthermore, since most of the vertical members are bent, it is difficult to secure space for laying power cables and communication cables.
There is a problem that an excessive load such as bending is applied to the cable. In addition, the mounted equipment and truss members move in the direction perpendicular to the expansion and contraction direction during deployment and contraction, which causes harmful dynamic fluctuations to the mounting equipment or the platform fixing the truss due to the inertia. There is also the problem that there is a possibility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing problems, and has as its object to improve rigidity during deployment and to ensure the reliability of deployment, and to secure a space for arranging cables, and An object of the present invention is to provide a deployment truss that can prevent unnecessary fluctuations on a platform or the like.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a deployment truss according to the present invention has the following configuration. That is, the deployment truss of the present invention includes a predetermined number of basic units as one.
An expansion truss connected in a three-dimensional expansion and contraction direction; wherein the basic unit is a regular triangular frame formed of three equal-length frame members, and expands and contracts its regular triangular surface. A pair of regular triangular frames arranged to face each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction; six pieces having the same length as the frame material and both ends connected to the connection ends of the two regular triangular frames via hinges; Wherein the six diagonal members are composed of three connecting diagonal members having a uniaxial hinge at the center; and an integral diagonal member having no hinge in the middle. It is assumed that.

[0006]

Next, the operation of the deployment truss of the present invention configured as described above will be described. The deployment truss of the present invention can be deployed and contracted by rotating one or both of a pair of regular triangular frames of the basic unit around the central axis of the regular triangular surface.

Here, three of the six diagonal members do not have a hinge in the middle, so that the rigidity during deployment is improved. Further, in the operation of the expansion and contraction, the synchronization of the hinge is performed in units of the basic unit, so that the synchronization can be easily achieved, and the reliability of the expansion can be secured. Further, since the direction in which the connecting diagonal member is bent is a direction along the frame member, a space for arranging the cables can be secured. In addition, a pair of positive 3
In the method of expanding and contracting by rotating one of the rectangular frames, every other regular triangular frame is moved in parallel, so the mounting equipment and platform installed at the tip of the truss are attached to the bottom of the truss. It expands and contracts without rotating with respect to the place, and does not give useless fluctuation.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a basic unit used for the deployment truss of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows the basic unit in an expanded state, and the vertical direction in the figure is the expansion and contraction direction. In FIG. 1, 1 is an upper regular triangular frame, and 2 is a lower regular triangular frame, which is a combined regular triangular shape. Each of the lower surfaces of the three connection ends of the upper regular triangular frame 1 has a biaxial hinge (b
₁ and b ₂ are rotating shafts, both of which are orthogonal to each other. 5 and a uniaxial hinge (c ₁ is a rotating shaft) 6 are provided, and the upper surface of three connection ends of the lower regular triangular frame 2 is provided. Have a bifurcated mounting end in each of the three axis hinges (a ₁ , a ₂ , a ₃ are rotation axes, a
₁ and a ₂ are orthogonal to each other) 7 is provided.

Further, 3a, 3b and 3c are integrally inclined materials,
Reference numerals a, 4b, and 4c denote connecting diagonal members. The lengths of these diagonal members are equal to the length of the square frame member of the regular triangular frame, but the integral diagonal members (3
a, 3b, 3c) are one piece without a hinge in the middle, while the connecting diagonal members (4a, 4b, 4c)
A shaft hinge (d ₁ is a rotation shaft) 8 is provided.

One end of the integral member (3a, 3b, 3c) is connected to the biaxial hinge 5, and the other end is connected to one of the bifurcated mounting ends (angle 60 °) of the triaxial hinge 7. One end of the connecting member (4a, 4b, 4c) is connected to the uniaxial hinge 6, and the other end is connected to the other of the forked mounting ends of the triaxial hinge 7. In short, one frame member, one integral diagonal member, and one connecting diagonal member of the regular triangular frame form a regular triangular shape, and this basic unit is formed of a regular octahedron.

Next, the operation of expanding and contracting the basic unit will be described. FIG. 2 is a state diagram in the course of expansion or contraction. In order to facilitate visual understanding, one diagonal member 3 and one connecting diagonal member 4 are shown. In FIG.
Reference numeral 9 denotes a center point of the upper regular triangle 1, 10 denotes a center point of the lower regular triangle 2, and 11 denotes a rotation axis passing through the central point 9 and 10.

For example, when the lower regular triangular frame 2 is fixed and the upper regular triangular frame 1 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure, the connecting diagonal member 4 is bent by the hinge 8 and the upper and lower regular triangular frames are bent. The body can approach and contract. In the illustrated example, the connecting diagonal member 4 is bent along the upper and lower regular triangular frames, but it should be noted that the connecting diagonal member 4 is bent along the upper and lower triangular frames. Internal space can be secured. On the other hand, the upper regular triangular frame 1
Is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow in the figure, the bent connecting diagonal member 4 becomes straight, and the state shown in FIG. 1 is obtained.
The hinge 8 has a latch mechanism.

Next, the deployment truss of the present invention is formed by connecting a predetermined number of the basic modules shown in FIG. 1, and the following two connection methods are conceivable. That is, the first method is a method of sequentially connecting the basic modules in which the positions of the integrated diagonal material and the connecting diagonal material are interchanged. The second method is a method of simply connecting the same basic modules. Of course,
The upper and lower regular triangular frames are shared. Hereinafter, each method will be specifically described.

First, in the second method, expansion and contraction are performed while sequentially rotating each regular triangular frame in the same direction. Accordingly, the expansion and contraction is driven by rotating the regular triangular frame by the rotating nut canister having the thread groove formed therein.

In the first method, when two upper and lower basic units are considered, three regular triangular frames are provided at the upper, middle and lower sides. It is symmetrical with respect to the intermediate regular triangular frame. Therefore, only by rotating the middle regular triangular frame, the upper regular triangular frame and the lower regular triangular frame move in parallel in the vertical direction. Conversely, if the upper and lower regular triangular frames are not rotated but the translation is biased in the vertical direction, the intermediate regular triangular frame rotates with the urging force, and the same result is obtained. . Therefore, the expansion and contraction drive is performed such that the three vertices of the regular triangular frame (every other one) that does not rotate due to the reciprocating motion of the linear drive canister are sequentially expanded and contracted in the axial direction.

Each of the above methods will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 shows a sequence from storage to deployment of a deployment truss in which two basic units are connected by the first method. In the first method, the lower regular triangular frame and the upper regular triangular frame are rotated with respect to each other. Without bias. On the other hand, in the second method,
The center regular triangular frame is rotated with respect to the rectangular frame, and the upper regular triangular frame is rotated with respect to the central regular triangular frame. Therefore, in the second method, the whole is twisted and stretched. This point 1
The scheme is advantageous.

Next, FIG. 4 shows a state in which the deploying truss shown in FIG. 3 is viewed from the deploying and contracting direction. A predetermined internal space can be secured as shown by a broken line in the figure, so that a cable cannot be forced there. Can be laid without load.

FIG. 5 shows a case where a plurality of basic units are connected by the first method. FIG. 5 is a sequence for developing the fifth and sixth from the top.

[0019]

As described above, according to the deploying truss of the present invention, the deploying truss is constructed by connecting a predetermined number of basic units, but is opposed to each other in the deploying / contracting direction.
Of the six diagonal members connecting the pair of regular triangular frames, three of them are frame members having no hinge in the middle. Therefore, the rigidity can be improved. Further, in the operation of the expansion and contraction, the synchronization of the hinge is performed in units of the basic unit, so that it is easy to secure the reliability of the expansion. Furthermore, since the direction in which the connecting diagonal member bends is along the frame member, a space for arranging the cables can be secured. In addition, in a method of expanding and contracting by rotating one of a pair of regular triangular frames in a predetermined number of basic units, every other regular triangular frame is translated in parallel, so that a truss is used. The mounted equipment and platform installed at the tip end are expanded and contracted without rotating with respect to the mounting portion at the lower end of the truss, and there is an effect that unnecessary fluctuation is not given.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view (when deployed) of a basic unit used for a deployed truss of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory diagram of expansion and contraction.

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram from storage to deployment of a deployment truss of the first type in which two basic units whose diagonal material arrangements are exchanged are connected.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the deployment truss shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the extension direction.

FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram of a deployment truss in which a plurality of basic units are connected by a first method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Upper regular triangular frame 2 Lower regular triangular frame 3 Integral diagonal material 4 Continuous diagonal material 5 2-axis hinge 6 1-axis hinge 7 3-axis hinge 8 1-axis hinge

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A deployable truss comprising a predetermined number of basic units connected in a one-dimensional expanding / contracting direction, wherein said basic unit is a regular triangular frame composed of three equal-length frame members. A pair of regular triangular frames, the regular triangular surfaces of which are orthogonal to the direction of expansion and contraction and opposed to each other; Six diagonals connected to the coupling end via hinges; and the six diagonals are three coupling diagonals having a uniaxial hinge at the center; And a one-piece diagonal member having no diagonal member.