JP2633587B2 - Hinge mechanism for deployment and storage of curved space antenna - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial application field) A parabolic antenna requires a large aperture in order to capture weak radio waves. Therefore, it is very difficult to transport and assemble when installing at a remote location.

The present invention relates to a space antenna which can be folded and transported in a small size, and which can be automatically deployed at an installation point, and more particularly to a hinge mechanism for deploying and storing a space antenna comprising a curved panel.

(Prior Art) In the case where a large-diameter parabolic antenna is installed at a remote location, it is a conventional method that the antenna is divided into small pieces, transported, and assembled locally. However, this method cannot be used where humans cannot reach. Therefore, the development of a mechanism that connects the divided panels with a hinge and automates the deployment of each panel is desired.

A hinge structure that enables the behavior of "Miura folding" by the Institute of Space Science, Miura has been disclosed. This will be briefly described below.

There is a method called "Miura fold" for folding small origami papers, which is divided into a plurality of parallelogrammatic sections by vertical lines and inclined horizontal fold lines as shown in FIG. (In FIG. 8, in the second row, the upper row includes the first, second, and third sections, and the lower row includes the fourth, fifth, and sixth sections, for a total of six sections. ),
The broken line a between the partitioned first and fourth sections, the second section
The polygonal line b between the section and the fifth section, the polygonal line d beside the polygonal line c between the third section and the sixth section, the polygonal line d between the first section and the second section, and the polygonal line e between the fourth section and the fifth section
And a bendable line f between the second and third sections and a vertical bend line of the bend line g between the fifth and sixth sections. In this case, each section is a parallelogram having a diagonal of the angle (α) and a diagonal of the angle (180 ° −α), but the horizontally adjacent sections, for example, the first section and the second section are vertical. Is formed symmetrically with respect to the polygonal line d, and every other section, for example, the first section and the third section have the same shape.

In the example of FIG. 8, the first section and the fourth section, the second section and the fifth section, and the third section and the sixth section are horizontal polygonal lines a,
Bends concavely in front of b and c respectively. Also vertical lines d and e
As shown in FIG. 9, the vertical polygonal lines f and g are formed by bending the respective sections toward the valley by the horizontal polygonal lines a, b, and c, respectively, and simultaneously with the second section, the third section, and the fourth section. Compartment and Fifth
The section is bent to the front using the vertical polygonal lines f and e as ridges. Also, the first section and the second section, and the fifth section and the sixth section
The section is bent with the vertical broken lines d and g as valleys.
Finally, it is folded into a trapezoid in which the hatched portion is added to the fourth section in FIG.

By the way, when folding the origami paper as shown in FIG. 8 as shown in FIG. 9, at the intersection P (for example, the intersection of the polygonal lines a, b, d and e) of the four vertical and horizontal polygonal lines intersecting each other, the first
The section rotates (θ) around the Y axis, and (-
φ) rotate. Also, the fourth section located below the first section rotates (−θ) about the Y axis and (φ) about the X axis, and is constrained by the equation tanφ = tanα · sinθ between θ and φ. It is supposed to be folded.

FIG. 10 shows a hinge that can be bent based on the above-mentioned restraint formula. The hinge A has a first hinge plate 1 having an apex angle of (180 ° −α) and a second hinge plate 2 having an apex angle of (α).
The first hinge plate 1 has one hinge piece 3a of the hinge 3 connecting the first section and the second section laterally adjacent to each other in FIG. 8 on two sides sandwiching the apex angle (180 ° -α). One hinge piece 4a of the hinge 4 connecting the vertically adjacent second section and fifth section is fixed. The hinge axis 3c of the hinge 3 and the hinge axis 4c of the hinge 4 coincide with the center of the vertical broken line d and the horizontal broken line b in FIG. 8, respectively.

Similarly, the second hinge plate 2 has a vertical angle (α)
One hinge piece 5a of a hinge 5 connecting the fourth section and the fifth section laterally adjacent to each other in FIG. 8 and one hinge piece 6a of a hinge 6 connecting the first section and the fourth section are fixed to the sides. ing. The hinge axis 5c of the hinge 5 and the hinge axis 6c of the hinge 6 coincide with the vertical broken line e and the horizontal broken line a in FIG. 8, respectively.

The hinge A in FIG. 10 described above crosses the horizontal fold lines a and b and the vertical fold lines d and e of the first section, fourth section, second section, and fifth section adjacent to the top, bottom, left, and right in FIG. Part P
It is applied to the part. Next, the intersection O of the horizontal polygonal lines b, c and the vertical polygonal lines f, g of the second section, the third section, the fifth section, and the sixth section is upside down with respect to the intersection P. A hinge (not shown) different from the one shown in the figure is used.

Now, when folding an origami having a folding line as shown in FIG. 8 as shown in FIG. 9, as described above, tanφ = tanα
Although the behavior is restricted by the expression of sin θ, the application of the hinge A for the intersection P shown in FIG. 10 is as follows.

In FIG. 8, the second section above the second vertical column and the fourth section below the first vertical column are omitted, and the first section above the first column and the fifth section below the second column are expressed by the above formula. Consider folding according to the constraints. That is, the second section and the fourth section in FIG. 8 are replaced by the first hinge plate 1 and the second hinge plate 2 of the hinge A in FIG. 10, and the first section includes the fourth section as shown in FIG. By combining the panel a expanded up to the second section and the panel b expanded similarly so that the fifth section includes the second section, the panel a and the panel b in FIG. 11 behave by being restricted by the above equation.

Similarly, the hinge A shown in FIG.
By applying a hinge different from the above, the behavior of the origami Miura folding shown in FIG. 8 can be obtained.

(Object of the Invention) It is an object of the present invention to provide a hinge mechanism which can be folded into a small size, transported to a remote place, and automatically deployed by remote control at an installation point, and a space antenna constituted by a curved panel to which the hinge mechanism is applied. .

(Solution According to the Invention) An arbitrary plane is divided into a plurality of parallelogrammatic sections by vertical lines and inclined horizontal broken lines, and each section has a diagonal of the angle α and a diagonal of the angle 180 ° −α. Is a parallelogram having
In these parallelogram sections, the horizontally adjacent sections are symmetrical with respect to the vertical polygonal line, and every other horizontal section has the same shape, and finally is folded by the vertical and horizontal polygonal lines. In a Miura fold that folds into a trapezoid, a curved panel a that is expanded until the first section above the first vertical column of the four sections arranged vertically and horizontally includes the fourth section below it. Curved panel b expanded so that the fifth section below the second vertical column includes the second section above it
Are provided in a plurality of rows vertically and horizontally by combining the first and second panels with a center hinge, and the first vertical panel a ₁ vertically adjacent to the first vertical row
, And the second vertical panel a ₂ ... And the first vertical panel b ₁ and the second panel b _2.
Are connected by a corner hinge at a corner portion, and the first row of vertical second panels a ₂ has the upper right corner at the lower left corner of the second row of vertical first panels b); also the lower right corner corner upper left corner of the second Retsutate third panel b _3, also first Retsutate third
Right corner angle portion and the lower left corner of the second Retsutate second panel b ₂ of the panel a ₃ are joined at the corner hinges, the center hinge and the hinge plate having the same apex angle α and the angle of the fold line, the top A long groove 16 'in which hinge plates having an angle of 180 ° -α are opposed to each other, hinge pieces are attached to two sides sandwiching the apex angle of each hinge plate, and a core shaft 16b is provided in a direction orthogonal to the panel surface. and movable along the b, the corner hinges, the first hinge piece 20a for coupling the first Retsutate upper left corner of the second panel a lower-right corner angle portions of ₂ and vertical second row third panel b ₃ And the first row vertical third panel a
Corners of the two fixing pins 25, 25 at the fixing portion of the second hinge piece 21a connecting the upper right corner of the _third panel _{3 and} the lower left corner of the second row vertical second panel b2. Fixing pin 2 on the side away from the corner
5 in order to the moving, the vertical second row second panel b ₂ Like third panel b ₃ and each arc-shaped long holes 23 of the formed and a pair of fixing pins 25, 25 between the elastic panel 24 The fixing pin 25 distant from the corner portion is movable along the arc-shaped long hole 23 at the time of bending by the spring force of the resilient panel.

(Embodiment) In FIG. 1, an arbitrary surface is divided into a total of nine quadrilateral panels (hereinafter simply referred to as panels) destined for three rows and columns. Each panel is constructed based on the same concept as the panel shown in FIG. And the first vertical panel a ₁ in the first vertical column,
A vertical second panel a ₂ , a vertical third panel a ₃ , a vertical first panel b ₁ , a vertical second panel b ₂ , a vertical third panel b _{3 in} the second row, and a vertical third panel b _{3 in} the third row. 1 panel c ₁ , vertical second panel c ₂ ,
A vertical third panel c _3, by the center hinge at the central portion of the upper and lower panels are connected by corner hinges corners of the panel adjacent the Matayoko. And the vertical first panel a ₁
Of the lower side center the longitudinal second upper side center of the panel a ₂ located thereunder or the lower center of the longitudinal second panel a _2, the upper side center of the longitudinal third Asnelles a ₃ located below its (of FIG. 1, When a hinge having the same configuration as the hinge of the type described in FIG. 10 is attached as a center hinge for connecting the white circles (marked with white circles), Miura folding behavior can be performed at this portion.

However, the lower right corner of the vertical first panel a ₁ above the first row and the second
Upper left corner of the column intermediate the second vertical panel b _2, at the connecting portion to the lower left corner of the vertical second panel b ₂ of the first column and the upper right corner of the bottom of the vertical third panel a ₃ second column intermediate That is, in the portion indicated by a black circle in FIG. 1, the behavior of Miura folding is not shown in the center hinge. The corner hinges for connecting the corners among the storage and deployment hinges of the panel divided as shown in FIG. 1, especially the panel constituted by a curved surface, will be described.

Well storage panel by "folding Miura", when performing expansion, vertical first panel a ₁ adjacent to and below the first vertical row of four panels for example FIG. 1 and the second vertical panel a _2, the second column four-bar linkage is formed first vertical panel b ₁ and a vertical second panel b ₂ adjacent to the upper and lower as a unit (the hatched portion of FIG. 7).

By the way, the four panels of FIG. 7, that is, the first vertical panel
If all of a ₁ , the second vertical panel a ₂ , the second vertical vertical panel b ₁ , and the second vertical panel b ₂ are flat, a four-bar link 4 is formed.
The points a, b, c, d always stay in the same plane, but the four panels a
_{If 1} , a ₂ , b ₁ and b ₂ are curved surfaces, point c is the other point a, b, d
Out of the plane formed by It is also necessary to expand and contract the sides ab, bc, cd, and da forming the four-node link.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the center hinge applied to the point a in FIG. 7 is obtained by modifying the hinge shown in FIG.
16b is configured to be movable along a long groove 16'b provided in a direction orthogonal to the panel surface.

Then the Figure 1 the first column vertical second panel a ₂ or vertical third panel a ₃ in the second row vertical second panel b ₂ a vertical third portion corner hinge coupling the panel b ₃ Description I do. Two in the fourth fixing portion of the first hinge piece 20a and a vertical second panel b ₂ of the vertical third panel b ₃ or the second hinge piece 21a and the second row of the second column of the corner hinge, as shown in FIG. Of the fixing pins 25, 25, the fixing pin 25 on the side remote from the corner is connected to the point c in FIG.
Arc-shaped long holes but other points a, b, in the vertical second panel b ₂ or the third panel b ₃ to be emitted without resistance out of the plane formed by the d
23 were provided. For example, a leaf spring 24 is provided as a resilient spring between the pair of fixing pins 25, 25, and the fixing pin 25 remote from the corner portion is formed in the arc-shaped elongated hole 23 against the spring force of the leaf spring 24. So that it can move smoothly along point c
(FIG. 7).

Turning the first panel a ₁ in FIG. 7 the second panel a ₂ in opposite directions to each other about the Y axis, also rotates about the X-axis through the center hinge of Figure 2. At this time, since each panel is a curved surface, the points b and d move in the Y-axis direction, and the first vertical panel b ₁ and the second vertical panel b _{2 in} the second row are centered around the point c around the Z axis. Try to rotate. At this time, the fixed pin 25 moves smoothly against the spring force of the leaf spring 24 along the arc-shaped long hole 23 of the corner hinge in FIGS. go free.

(Effect) In the case of a curved panel, the arc-shaped elongated hole 23 is formed in the panel side with respect to the fixing pin on the side away from the corner of the pair of fixing pins 25 in the hinge attachment portion to the panel of the corner hinge.
A spring, such as a leaf spring 24, is provided between the pair of fixing pins 25, 25 of the hinge fixing portion so that the spring can be smoothly moved by the spring force of the spring when deployed and contracted. The long groove 1 in which the core shaft 16b is provided in the direction orthogonal to the panel surface
Because it is movable along 6'b, it is possible to easily deploy and store panels such as parabolic antennas composed of curved surfaces.

Because deployment and storage are facilitated in this way, it can be deployed remotely even in remote areas of the universe, and even if it is composed of curved panels, it can be compactly transported and transported even in space. The operation of a large parabolic antenna composed of curved panels has been greatly facilitated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a stored and deployed state of a curved panel. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a center hinge that enables Miura folding with a curved panel. FIG. 3 is a left side view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the corner hinge. FIG. 5 is a left side view of FIG. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the mechanism of Miura folding. FIG. 8 is a modified explanatory view that defines the behavior of Miura folding. FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the behavior of Miura folding. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a hinge that enables Miura folding. FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the stored and unfolded state of the Miura fold panel using the hinge of FIG. In the figure: A ... hinge 1 ... first hinge plate 2, ... second hinge plate 3,4 ... hinge, 3a ... hinge piece (one of hinge 3) 3c ... hinge (of hinge 3) Shaft, 4a ... (one of hinges 4)
Hinge piece 4c… Hinge axis (of hinge 4), 5,6… Hinges 5a, 5b …… Hinge piece 5c …… Hinge axis (of hinge 5), 6a… (Hinge 6) ) Hinge piece 6c… Hinge shaft (of hinge 6) 11,12… Hinge plate 13a, 14a, 15a, 16a… Center hinge hinge piece 13b, 14b, 15b, 16b… Shaft core, 16′b …… Long groove 17,18 …… Hinge plate, 19a, 22a …… Hinge piece 19b, 20b, 21b, 22b …… Shaft core, 20a …… First hinge piece 21a …… Second hinge piece, 23 …… Long hole 24… leaf spring, 25… fixed pin

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An arbitrary plane is divided into a plurality of parallelograms by a vertical line and an inclined horizontal polygonal line, and each of the sections is formed of a diagonal of the angle (α) and a diagonal of the angle (180 ° −α). These parallelogram sections are diagonal, and these parallelogram sections are horizontally symmetric with respect to the vertical polygonal line, every other section has the same shape, and the vertical polygonal line and the horizontal In the Miura fold that finally folds into a trapezoidal shape by folding at the folding line, of the four sections arranged in two rows vertically and horizontally, the first section above the first vertical row is the fourth section below it. Panel connection in which the curved panel (a) expanded to include the section and the curved panel (b) expanded so that the fifth section below the second vertical row includes the second section above the panel by a center hinge a plurality columns body vertically and horizontally, the vertical first panel adjacent to the top and bottom of the vertical first row (a ₁₎ and the vertical second path Le (a ₂₎ ... and vertical adjacent to the side of the panels the second row upper and lower vertical first panel (b ₁₎ and the second panel (b ₂₎ corner and ... at corner hinges The first vertical second panel (a ₂ ) in the first row has the upper right corner at the lower left corner of the second vertical first panel (b ₁ ) and the lower right corner as well. The upper left corner of the second vertical third panel (b ₃ )
The upper right corner of the third row vertical panel (a ₃ ) and the lower left corner of the second row vertical second panel (b ₂ ) are joined by a corner hinge, and the center hinge has the same apex angle as the angle formed by the polygonal line. (Α)
And a hinge plate having an apex angle (180 ° -α) are opposed to each other, hinge pieces are attached to two sides of the apex angle of each hinge plate, and a core shaft (16b)
There is a movable along the long groove provided in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panel (16'b), said corner hinges, the lower right corner angle portion and the vertical of the second column of the first Retsutate second panel (a ₂₎ fixing part of the first hinge piece for coupling the upper left corner and (20a) of the third panel (b _3), and the upper right corner angle portion and the second Retsutate first Retsutate third panel (a ₃₎ the The side of each of the two fixing pins (25, 25) at the fixing portion with the second hinge piece (21a) joining the lower left corner of the two panels (b ₂ ), away from each corner. In order to make the fixed pin (25) of the
An arc-shaped long hole (23) is provided in each of the vertical second panel (b ₂ ) and the third vertical panel (b ₃ ) in the same manner as the second row, and a spring is provided between a pair of fixing pins (25, 25). A spring (24) is provided, and the fixing pin (25) on the side away from the corner is an arc-shaped long hole (23)
A hinge mechanism for deploying and storing a space antenna having a curved surface, wherein the hinge mechanism is movable when folded by the spring force of a spring for springing.