JPH035300A - Developing device for development structure of space travelling craft - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a simple and free development storing and reduce air resistance by mutually bending a plurality of plate members so as to be retained disengageably, and installing an extension mast along the development direction of each plate member so as to go forward or rearward freely. CONSTITUTION:A part storing member 3 of a solar battery paddle 5 is constructed such that a retaining metal fitting 9 mounted on a retaining plate 4 is retained by a lock lever 10 and lock spring 15 set at the lower side of an inner side retaining plate 2. In developing the part storing member 3, the fitting 9 is disengaged from the lock plate 10 in accordance with the extension of extension mast 8 connected to an outside retaining plate via a connection part 7, whereby the paddle 5, retaining plate 4 and part storing member 3 are developed in order. It is thus possible to enable simple and sure development/ storing and reduce air resistance by developing only part of the plate members.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a deployable structure consisting of a combination of plate members mounted on a spacecraft such as an artificial satellite, a free flyer, or a space station, such as a solar battery paddle or a radiator panel. The present invention relates to an apparatus for deploying a deployable structure of a spacecraft for deploying a spacecraft into a plate-like state during use.

(Prior Art) The conventional deployable structure described above connects a plurality of plate-like members in a freely rotatable manner at connecting portions provided near adjacent sides of the plate-like members, and connects the plates of the adjacent plate-like members. The surfaces are stored close to each other and folded together at the connecting portion. In order to deploy a plurality of plate-shaped members, an explosion bolt part that is broken by the explosion of gunpowder is provided on the holding metal fitting that maintains the stored state, and when used, the explosion bolt part is broken by the explosion, and the holding metal fitting holds the plurality of plate-like members. The restraint of the plate-like member is released and the plate-like member is expanded. Therefore, once it was unfolded, it could not be stowed again.

Furthermore, there is a structure in which the above-mentioned deployable structure can be freely deployed or stored, increasing the convenience of use. In this device, a plurality of plate-like members are connected to each other by a plurality of link bars, and the link bars are driven by a driving means such as an electric motor.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the conventional deployable structure deployment device for a spacecraft has the following drawbacks.

That is, the above-mentioned explosive bolt cannot be stored again and is inconvenient.

In addition, with a link bar and an electric motor, etc., for deployment, the drive device becomes larger and weighs more, while the reliability of each part must be taken into consideration due to the structure. .

Furthermore, since the conventional method deploys all of the plurality of plate-like members into a plate-like state, it is not possible to deploy only a part of the plurality of plate-like members as necessary. The disadvantage is that the deployed structure creates aerodynamic resistance when correcting the orbit of the satellite, resulting in an unnecessary waste of propellant gas for orbit control, and that the aerodynamic resistance may cause the orbit to deteriorate during normal navigation of the artificial satellite. There is.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and while it is possible to freely deploy and store the device, the structure is simple, and the reliability of the device can be improved, It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for deploying a deployable structure for a spacecraft, which can deploy only a part of the vehicle, reduce aerodynamic drag, and prevent waste of propellant gas and a drop in orbit.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The above object is to connect a plurality of plate-like members in a freely rotatable manner by connecting portions provided near adjacent sides of the plate-like members, and to A deployable structure for an astronautical vehicle in which a deployable structure, which is stored in close proximity to each other and folded at the connecting portion, is deployed into a plate-like state by rotating the plurality of plate-like members at the connecting portion. In the object deployment device, a specific plate-like member located in the middle among the plurality of plate-like members connected to the connecting portion is attached to the spacecraft, and the plurality of plate-like members closer to the spacecraft than the specific plate-like member are connected to the spacecraft. The plate-like members are held in a mutually bent state and can be freely engaged and detached, while the extension mast that regulates the expansion dimensions of the plurality of plate-like members can be freely advanced and retreated along the direction of expansion of the plurality of plate-like members. This problem can be solved by providing the following.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this example, an example will be described in which a flexible solar cell paddle is deployed as a deployable structure. In addition, Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the solar battery paddle in a stored state, and Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the solar battery paddle in a holding state, where the right side of the figure is a partially housed state and the left side of the figure is a partially housed state. It is a figure which shows the release state of. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the solar battery paddle partially housed and partially deployed, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the solar battery paddle fully deployed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the solar battery paddle partial storage section 3, the holding fitting 9 attached to the holding plate 4 is connected to the compression spring 12 of the holding section attached to the holding plate 2. It is compressed by the holding force and held by the lock lever 10 and lock spring 15 of the holding section.

At the time of partial deployment, the solar array paddle is deployed to the partial deployment position by the extension mast 8 as shown in FIG.
A compression spring 12 as shown in the figure (left side) is held in a relaxed state. As shown in Figures 2 and 4,
When the solar battery paddle is fully deployed, by further tightening the extension mast 8, the holding fitting 9 of the presser plate 4 is removed from the lock lever 10 of the holding portion, and the solar battery paddle is fully deployed. When partially deployed rather than fully deployed, it is possible to achieve the stowed state shown in FIG. 1 by retracting the extension mast 8, and then by the same method as the partially deployed state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. .

According to this embodiment, it is possible to maintain the partially deployed state of the deployable structure using the deploying force and storage force of the deployable structure.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the partially deployed state can be easily set, when the orbit of the artificial satellite is corrected, by obtaining the partially deployed state that ensures the minimum function of the deployable structure, it is possible to control the orbit. It is possible to reduce the weight by reducing propellant consumption, and by partially deploying the deployment structure in the standby state in the event of a satellite emergency, it is possible to reduce aerodynamic drag and reduce orbit deterioration.

<Effects of the Invention> As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to freely deploy and store the device, the structure is simple, and the reliability of the device can be improved. Since only one part of the aircraft can be deployed, it is possible to reduce aerodynamic drag and prevent wasting propellant gas and lowering the orbit.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stored state of the solar cell paddle in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a held state of the solar cell paddle in the embodiment of FIG. The right side of the figure shows the partially retracted state, the left side of the figure shows the partially retracted state released, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the partially retracted and partially unfolded state of the solar battery paddle in the embodiment of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fully expanded state of the solar battery paddle in the embodiment of FIG. 1; DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Artificial satellite, 2...Holding plate, 3...Partial storage part (solar battery paddle), 4...Press plate, 5...Solar battery paddle, 6...Holding plate (outside) ), 7... Connecting portion, 8... Extension mast, 9... Holding fitting, 10...
Lock lever 11...Supporting metal fittings, 12...Compression springs, 13...Screws, 14...Fixing metal fittings, 15.
・Lock spring.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A plurality of plate-like members are rotatably connected at connecting portions provided near adjacent sides of the plate-like members, and the plate surfaces of the adjacent plate-like members are brought close to each other and mutually bent at the connecting portions. In the deployable structure deploying device for an astronautical vehicle, the deployable structure stored in the spacecraft is deployed into a plate-like state by rotating the plurality of plate-like members at the connecting part. A specific plate-like member located in the middle among a plurality of plate-like members,
The plurality of plate-like members closer to the spacecraft than the specific plate-like member are held in the spacecraft in a mutually folded state so as to be freely engaged and detachable, while regulating the unfolded dimensions of the plurality of plate-like members. A deployable structure deploying device for a spacecraft, characterized in that an extendable mast is provided to freely move forward and backward along the deploying direction of the plurality of plate-like members.