JPH066439B2 - Deployable space structure - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a deployable space structure for forming a required surface in outer space.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, as a typical example of this type of deployable space structure,
As a development type solar cell paddle shown in FIG. 5 and an improved version thereof, there is one shown in JP-A-59-18097. In FIG. 5, 1 is a functional material such as a solar cell or an antenna element, 2a to 2f are paddles having the functional material 1 on the surface layer, and 3 are rotatably connected in series between the paddles 2a to 2f. Hinges, 4 is an artificial satellite that holds the deployable space structure, and 5 is the artificial satellite 4.
And a paddle 2a.

Next, the operation will be described.

In this type of deployable space structure, the paddles 2a to 2f are folded at the hinge 3 at the time of launching the artificial satellite 4, and a spring (not shown) built in the hinge 3 after the artificial satellite 4 is put into orbit. ) Or the like, the paddles 2a to 2f become flat or flat.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional deployable space structure as described above, the restoring force of the spring built in the hinge 3 is used as a power source for performing the deploying motion. In this case, the deploying sequence of the plurality of paddles 2a to 2f is regularly controlled. Therefore, the attitude control of the entire satellite 4 is significantly disturbed before and after the deploying operation.

Moreover, when the paddles 2a to 2f are deployed by the restoring force of the spring,
This restoring force has a sufficient margin in order to establish the operation, and therefore, the paddle 2a at the end of the deployment is set.
2f or the hinge 3 portion will receive an excessive impact force. Therefore, a member having a large strength is required to withstand the impact force, and the weight increases accordingly. In addition, in such a deployment method, the deployment direction is on a straight line, so that a large-area flat surface is obtained. Had to construct a very long deployable structure, and there was a problem that posture control after deployment became difficult due to a decrease in overall natural frequency.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and can obtain a deployable space structure capable of forming various planar shapes while reducing the factors that disturb the attitude of the entire satellite and reducing the weight. The purpose is to

[Means for solving problems]

The deployable space structure according to the present invention sequentially holds the adjacent ones of the planar structures in the joints between the planar structures so that the adjacent planar structures are rotatably connected to each other. It is configured to be deployed while being parallel to each other about the axis.

[Action]

In the present invention, the planar structures in different planes are deployed while being parallel to each other with the joint portion as an axis.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the deployable space structure of the present invention. In this figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 5 indicate the same parts, 6a and 6b are pivots for connecting planar structures to each other, and 7a and 7b are latches added as necessary. It is a mechanical part.

Next, the operation of the deployable space structure of the present invention will be described.

For convenience of description, the X, Y, and Z coordinate axes will now be defined as shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, each paddle 2a to 2f is Z.
It shows a state in which the paddle 2b has been completely deployed in the axial direction, and before the deployment, all of the paddles 2b and below are stored under the paddle 2a in an overlapping manner. Further, at the time of launching, since the artificial satellite 4 main body is also stored on the top of the launch rocket, all of the paddles 2a to 2f stored by using the support member 5 are separately stored on the side surface of the artificial satellite 4 main body. The unfolding operation is basically performed in the reverse procedure. That is, all of the paddles 2a to 2f are set by the support member 5 so that the XZ axis plane coincides with the plane of the paddles 2a to 2f.

Next, the paddle 2a keeps its position and the paddle 2b
˜2f integrally rotate about the Y-axis about the pivot 6a and are deployed in the Z-axis direction. When the rotation angle reaches a predetermined amount, this rotational movement is 1 in this case.
When it reaches 80 degrees, it stops and is fixed by, for example, the latch mechanism portions 7a and 7b having the configuration shown in FIG. The driving force for deployment is, for example, a restoring force of the spring 8 which is incorporated in each pivot and fixed at both ends to the paddles 2a and 2b in a configuration as shown in FIG. For example, even when the spring 8 is used for deployment, the impact force generated can be significantly reduced as compared with the conventional deployment by the hinge mechanism by setting the position at the end of the deployment to the neutral position of the spring 8.

Further, the unfolding operation is subsequently performed, and the paddle 2c to the paddle 2f are unfolded one after another with rotational movement in the Z-axis direction, and are similarly latched and fixed. In this way, the development in the Z-axis direction by the rotational movement is performed a required number of times according to the number of paddles, and the development is completed.

As for the unfolding operation, all the paddles 2a to 2f can be unfolded at the same time in addition to the method of sequentially performing the unfolding operation.
In that case, each paddle 2a around the pivots 6a, 6b
By reversing the rotation direction for each 2f, the impact force can be canceled and the disturbance given to the attitude control of the entire artificial satellite 4 during deployment can be significantly reduced.

In the above embodiment, the paddle 2a that constitutes the solar cell is
Although 2 to 2f have the same shape, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a deployable antenna, a deployable radio telescope, or the like. Paddles 2a to 2f in a trapezoidal shape
By reducing the width of the paddles and reducing the weight toward the tip, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary decrease in the natural frequency of the entire paddles 2a to 2f.

Further, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, paddles 2a to 2c are provided.
Is expanded in the Z-axis direction, and the paddles 2d and 2e are expanded in the X-axis direction by the pivot 6c on the paddle 2c.
May be expanded again in the Z-axis direction by the pivot 6e.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the adjacent parts of the planar structures are sequentially rotatably held at the joints between the planar structures, and the planar structures in different planes are mutually connected with the joints as axes. Since it is configured to be deployed in parallel, the impact force generated during deployment is reduced and the attitude of the artificial satellite is stabilized, and since it is not necessary to use heavy members with great strength, weight reduction can be achieved. There is an effect that it is possible and can be developed in any direction.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a deployable space structure of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a latch mechanism portion in FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of a pivot that generates a driving force at the time of deployment, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the deployable space structure of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a conventional deployable sun. It is a figure which shows a battery paddle. In the figure, 1 is a functional material, 2a to 2f are paddles, 4 is an artificial satellite, 5 is a support member, 6a to 6e are pivots, 7a,
7b is a latch mechanism section. The same reference numerals in each drawing indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A deployable space structure which comprises a plurality of planar structures connected to each other at a connecting portion, and which operates after expanding these planar structures in outer space, said planar structures. A structure in which adjacent ones of the respective planar structures are sequentially rotatably held in the joint portion between them, and the respective planar structures in different planes are developed while being parallel to each other with the joint portion as an axis. A deployable space structure characterized by the above. 2. The deployable space structure according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of planar structures are held by an adjacent planar structure and a latch structure at the end of deployment. 3. The deployable space structure according to claim 1, wherein the weight is reduced as the plurality of planar structures are deployed farther away.