JPH0433680B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a latch-up mechanism for a deployable solar battery paddle that deploys and maintains that state when a panel having solar battery cells pasted on its surface is deployed during use.

The first latch-up mechanism of this type in the past.
The one shown in Fig. 2 was found. In the figure,
1 and 2 are panels on which solar cells (not shown) are pasted; 3 is a first hinge clevis fitting attached to the corner of the panel 1; and 4 is attached to the corner of the panel 2. 5 is a hinge pin that is integrated with the first hinge clevis fitting 3; 6 is a bearing that is integrated with the second hinge clevis fitting 4; 7 is the first hinge clevis. The latch pawl 8 attached to the metal fitting 3 is a plate spring having one end fixed to the second hinge clevis metal fitting 4, and has a hole into which the latch pawl 7 is fitted, and the latch pawl 8 is a plate spring that has a hole in which the latch pawl 7 is fitted. The rotatable connection allows the panels 1 and 2 to be folded before use and unfolded during use.

Next, the operation of the conventional mechanism will be explained. 1st
As shown in the figure, as the unfolding movement of the solar array paddle progresses and the adjacent panels 1 and 2 connected by the hinges become nearly flush, the latch attached to the second hinge clevis fitting 4 of one of the hinges The leaf spring 8 comes into contact with the latch claw 7 on the other side of the first hinge clevis fitting 3, and rises while being gradually bent. When the panels 1 and 2 are flush and the clevis fittings 3 and 4 are in contact, the tip of the hole drilled in the latch plate spring 8 reaches the tip of the latch pawl 7,
The latch pawl 7 fits into the hole in the leaf spring 8. In this case, since the surface of the pawl that the tip of the hole contacts is made at a slightly shallower angle than the direction perpendicular to the leaf spring 8, the leaf spring 8 stops midway along the pawl 7 (FIG. 2). After this state is reached, even if the panel tries to move in the opposite direction, the pressing force due to the elastic deflection of the leaf spring 8 and the frictional force between the pawl 7 and the leaf spring 8 will cause the leaf spring 8 to be pressed against the pawl 7 and latched. do.

However, since the conventional latch-up mechanism is constructed as described above, the latch leaf spring 8 is pressed against the latch claw 7 by the force of its own deflection and the frictional force with the claw 7, but the hole in the leaf spring comes into contact with the latch leaf spring 8. The surface of the latch pawl 7 is not perpendicular to the leaf spring 8, but has a shallower angle than that, so the surface of the latch pawl 7 is not perpendicular to the leaf spring 8.
If the reverse rotational force acting on 2 is large, a force is generated in the direction of detaching the leaf spring 8 from the pawl 7, and this may overcome the force due to the above-mentioned deflection and the frictional force, causing the leaf spring 8 to fall off from the pawl 7. Ta. Furthermore, since the leaf spring 8 is in a bent state in the latched state, the rigidity of the hinge portion is controlled by the bending rigidity of the leaf spring 8, and if high rigidity is to be obtained, the thickness of the leaf spring 8 must be made extremely large. It is necessary to increase the thickness, but if this is done, the frictional force when the leaf spring 8 rises up the latch pawl 7 will increase, which may hinder the expansion of the panels 1 and 2, making it difficult to increase the rigidity. Ta.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and when latched, a latch pin provided on the clevis fitting of one hinge fits into the groove of the clevis fitting of the other hinge, thereby ensuring the latched state after deployment. The object of the present invention is to provide a latch-up mechanism for a solar cell paddle that can be maintained while maintaining high rigidity.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, attach the clevis fittings 3 and 4 to which the panels 1 and 2 are attached to the hinge pin 5.
The so-called hinge structure in which the hinges are rotatably connected via the bearing 6 shown in FIG. An arm 10 is rotatably attached via a shaft 13, and a latch up guide 11 is provided on the second hinge clevis fitting 4. Furthermore, the latch pull pin 9 is connected to the latch pull guide 1.
1 and finally fit into the groove H provided in the second hinge clevis fitting 4.
A spring 12 is provided which pulls the latch-up pin towards the hinge pin 5.

Next, the operation will be explained. 3 and 4 show the panels 1 and 2 in a retracted state before deployment, but as shown in FIG. When the adjacent panels 1 and 2 are flush with each other by sliding on the peripheral edge of the latch up guide 11 which is a plate, the latch up pin 9 slides on the peripheral edge of the latch up guide 11 as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8. is fitted into the groove H provided in the second hinge clevis fitting 4 due to the tensile force of the spring 12.
At this time, the width of the groove H provided in the second hinge clevis fitting 4 becomes narrower as it goes deeper as shown in FIG. It will be completed. Further, since the right edge of the groove is higher than the left edge, the latch-up pin 9 does not pass through the groove during latching-up, so that the latch-up can be performed reliably.

When the latch-up is completed, a sufficient locking force is obtained by the frictional force between the latch-up pin 9 and the groove, the tensile force of the spring 12, and the deployment surplus force, and the panels 1 and 2 are maintained at the predetermined deployed position.

As described above, according to the present invention, by providing a latch-up pin and a groove into which the pin fits, high rigidity of the hinge portion can be obtained without increasing the frictional force at the time of latch-up, and the latched state is ensured. It has the advantage of being able to maintain

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views showing the latch-up mechanism of a conventional deployable solar array paddle, and Figures 3 to 8
The figures show an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 3 and 4 are a plan view and a front view when the panel is in the retracted state, Figure 5 is a front view when the panel is unfolded, and Figure 6 is a latch-up view. 7 is a sectional view of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG. 6. In the figure, 1 and 2 are panels, 3 and 4 are first hinge clevis fittings, second hinge clevis fittings, 5 is a hinge pin, 6 is a bearing, 7 is a latch-up pawl, 8 is a leaf spring, 9 is a latch-up pin, 10
11 is a latch up arm, 11 is a latch up guide, 12 is a spring, and 13 is a shaft. Note that the same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a deployable solar battery paddle that deploys and maintains a panel with solar cells on its surface when in use, a first clevis fitting provided on one side of the hinge connecting the panels; a shaft provided in the first clevis fitting;
A latch up arm rotatably provided to the shaft, a latch up pin provided at the tip of the latch up arm, and a second latch up arm provided on the other side of the hinge and having a groove into which the latch up pin can fit. a hinge pin rotatably connecting the clevis fitting, the first clevis fitting and the second clevis fitting; a semicircular latch pin provided on the second clevis fitting and on which the latch up pin slides; a spring provided between a guide, the latch-up pin and the hinge pin, the spring for sliding the latch-up pin on the latch-up guide as the panel is unfolded, and for fitting the latch-up pin into the groove when the panel is latched up; A latch-up mechanism for a deployable solar battery paddle, characterized by comprising: