JPH0749280B2 - Structure alignment equipment - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a device for aligning a structure. In particular, the present invention has a structure in which one structure is provided with a telescopic probe, and the other structure has a socket that engages with the tip of the probe, and the alignment means is used to perform alignment after the probe and the socket are engaged. It relates to an alignment device of the type adapted to be adjusted.

[Prior art]

U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,964 and drawings disclose an alignment apparatus for aligning structures such as two spacecraft when they are docked or bursted. FIG. 5 shows an outline of the alignment apparatus according to this US patent. In the figure, one structure 30 is provided with a cylindrical housing 31 having a conical surface 32 on the front surface, and a retractable probe 33 is supported on the front part of the housing 31.
The rear part of the probe 33 is a hydraulic cylinder arranged radially.
Detained by 35. A spherical engagement portion is formed at the tip of the probe 33. The extension and contraction of the probe 33 are controlled by the hydraulic cylinder 43. The other structure 37 is provided with a receiving member 39 having a conical surface 38.
At the bottom of the conical surface 38 of 39, the spherical engaging portion of the tip of the probe 33.
A socket 40 is formed that engages 36. Further, a sensor 41 is provided on the housing 31, and the target 42 on the structure 37 is collimated.

In this known structure, when the structures 30 and 37 come close to each other and are ready to be captured, the axis of the probe 33 is aligned with the center of the other structure by the signal from the sensor 41,
Extend the probe so that the engaging portion 36
Engage with. Next, by contracting the probe 33, the structure 37 is drawn toward the structure 30 and the conical convex surface 32 is converted into the conical concave surface.
Aligning the structures 30, 37 by engaging 38.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional structure, the alignment adjustment is performed while pulling one structure toward the other structure. When adopting such an adjusting method, if the mass of the structure is large, the kinetic energy due to the pulling speed at the time of alignment adjustment becomes large. Therefore, the alignment adjusting device needs to be provided with a buffer device having a large capacity capable of absorbing the kinetic energy thereof, resulting in a complicated structure and a large size and an increase in weight. Further, if the shock absorber is not provided, it is necessary to have a structural strength sufficient to withstand a shock during alignment adjustment, which causes an increase in weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the conventional structure, and an object thereof is to provide a structure alignment device which can be constructed in a lightweight and compact structure.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is configured so that alignment adjustment can be performed independently of the retracting operation of a structure. That is, in the alignment apparatus according to the present invention, one structure is provided with an axially extendable and contractible probe, the other structure is provided with a socket that engages with the tip of the probe, and the other structure is provided on the probe. Relates to a structure alignment device provided with an alignment means for engaging the concave surface of the structure to perform alignment between the axial centers of the one and the other structures, wherein the probe has the socket at the tip and A head for engagement is provided, and the alignment means is arranged on the probe at a position displaced rearward of the tip of the probe and slidably in the axial direction of the probe, and the alignment means is provided at the tip of the probe. It is characterized in that a driving means for pushing toward is further provided.

The probe has a configuration in which a plurality of pipe members are coaxially arranged, the alignment means is slidably arranged on the innermost pipe member, and the driving means has the alignment means with the innermost pipe member in the contracted state. Placed near the tip, the alignment means is controlled to drive backwards along the innermost pipe member as the innermost pipe member is extended.

[Work]

According to the above configuration of the present invention, after the head of the probe is engaged with the socket, the alignment means is pushed out by the driving means in the distal direction of the probe and engaged with the concave surface of the other structure. You can Therefore, the alignment can be adjusted without generating kinetic energy due to the drawing of the structure. Since the alignment adjusting means is supported by the spherical bearing at the front part and by the cushioning mechanism made of the elastic means at the rear part, the alignment adjustment can be performed without giving an excessive force to the probe. The driving means for driving the alignment adjusting means may be of any type, but it is preferable that the rack and pinion mechanism is housed in the probe in order to make the apparatus compact and lightweight.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, referring to FIG. 1, a gimbal mechanism 4 is attached to the structure 1.
The probe 3 is swingably supported via. The probe 3 is configured by arranging a plurality of pipes 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d having different diameters coaxially and slidably in the axial direction. The front end of the outermost pipe 3d is swingably supported by the structure 1 by the gimbal mechanism 4 described above, and the rear end is elastically supported by the structure 1 by a plurality of springs 5 arranged in the radial direction. .

An axial compression spring 15 is arranged between the pipes 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d to urge each pipe in the extension direction. The rear end of the innermost pipe 3a is connected to a cable 14, which is axially passed through the probe 3 to be turned by a pulley 16a and wound around a winding drum 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the cable 14 is wound on the drum 16 in the axial direction of the drum at a predetermined pitch, and the drum 16 is wound around the drum 16 in accordance with winding and unwinding of the cable 14. It is configured so that it can be moved in the axial direction by one pitch of the winding for one rotation. According to this structure, the cable 14 can be always positioned in the center of the groove of the pulley 16a, and the drum does not overlap with each other.
Wound up in 16. The drum 16 is driven by a motor 16b via a reduction gear mechanism 16c, and regulates the feeding amount of the cable 14. When the cable 14 is extended, the probe 3
The pipe is moved in the extension direction by the action of the spring 15.

A head 7 is provided at the tip of the innermost pipe 3a of the probe 3. The head 7 has a conical tip portion 7a and a cylindrical main body portion 7b which extends rearward from the tip portion.
A plurality of hooks 18 are provided on 7b. The hook 18 is biased by a spring so as to project in the radial direction, and can be pushed into the main body portion 7b against the action of the spring.

As shown in FIG. 2, the structure 2 combined with the structure 1
Is a socket 6 that engages with the head 7 at the tip of the probe 3.
And a conical concave surface 17 for alignment. The socket 6 has a conical concave surface 6 a that engages with the tip portion 7 a of the head 7 and a shoulder portion 6 b that engages with the hook 18. Therefore, by pushing the head 7 of the probe 3 into the socket 6 at the time of coupling, they can be coupled to each other.

As shown in detail in FIG. 2, a conical member 8 forming an alignment means is arranged near the tip of the innermost pipe 3a. The conical member 8 is supported by a sleeve 9 which is slidable on the pipe 3a in the axial direction. That is, the front end of the conical member 8 is swingably supported on the sleeve 9 by the spherical bearing 11, and the rear end thereof is supported in the radial direction by a plurality of springs 19 as shown in FIG. .

A drive mechanism for driving the sleeve 9 is incorporated in the innermost pipe 3a. This drive mechanism has a gear 10 that meshes with rack teeth 9a formed in the inner circumference of the sleeve 9 in the axial direction. This gear 10 is a pipe 3a
Is disposed inside, and a part of the periphery goes out from an axial slot formed in the pipe 3a and meshes with the rack tooth 9a. A worm gear 10a is arranged at the center of the pipe 3a and is driven by a motor 10c via a reduction gear 10b. The worm gear 10a meshes with a worm wheel 10d formed coaxially and integrally with the gear 10. With this configuration, the motor 10c can be operated to move the sleeve 9 in an arbitrary direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the structure 1 has a conical member 8 for alignment at the contracted position of the probe 3. There is provided a restraining member 1a which engages with the outer periphery and restrains the conical member 8 from swinging.

In the structure described above, the probe 3 is extended in the extension direction when the structures 1 and 2 approach the distance at which they can be captured. This feeding is performed by driving the winding drum 16 in the feeding direction by the motor 16b as described above.
It is done by paying out. When the cable 14 is fed out, the pipes 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d are fed out. The head 7 at the tip of the probe 3 reaches the socket 6 of the structure 2 and engages with the socket 6.

In this state, the motor 10c is operated and the sleeve 9
Is driven axially forward so that the conical surface of the conical member 8 engages the conical surface 17 of the structure 2. Due to this engagement, the structure 1,
Two alignment adjustments are made. Since this alignment adjustment is not performed while pulling the structure 2 toward the structure 1, the impact due to the kinetic energy of the structure 2 is significantly reduced. Then, by driving the probe 3 in the contracting direction, the structure 2 is pulled toward the structure 1 and coupled to each other by a latch mechanism (not shown),
Complete the combining work.

[Effect]

As described above, in the present invention, the retractable probe is provided with the alignment means, and after the tip of the probe is engaged with the socket, the alignment means is axially driven on the probe to perform the alignment adjustment. Therefore, the impact can be removed by the kinetic energy of the structure. As a result, the structure can be made light in weight, and the cushioning means can be relatively small in capacity.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a sectional view of a probe and an alignment apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing details of a probe tip portion, FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing details of a cable winding mechanism, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the structure of the alignment adjusting device, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the conventional structure. 1, 2 ... Structure, 3 ... Probe, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d ... Pipe, 4 ... Gimbal mechanism, 6 ... Socket, 7 ... Head, 8 ... Conical member, 9 ... Sleeve , 9a …… rack, 10 …… gear, 10c …… motor, 17 …… conical surface.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Motohiko Yoshida 1 Kawasaki-cho, Kakamigahara-shi, Gifu Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. Gifu factory (72) Inventor Kenji Terajima Kawasaki-cho, Kakamigahara, Gifu Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. Gifu factory (56) Reference US Patent No. 4177964 (US, A)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An axially extendable and contractible probe provided on one structure, a socket provided on the other structure for engaging the tip of the probe, and the other provided on the probe. In a structure alignment device comprising an alignment means that engages a concave surface on a structure to perform alignment between axes of the one and the other structures, the probe has a tip for engaging with the socket. A head having a hook, the alignment means is disposed on the probe at a position displaced rearward from the tip and slidably arranged in the axial direction of the probe, and the alignment means is attached to the tip of the probe. An alignment device for a structure, characterized in that a drive means for pushing the structure toward is provided. 2. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the probe has a structure in which a plurality of pipe members are coaxially arranged, and the alignment means is slidably arranged on the innermost pipe member, The driving means places the alignment means in the vicinity of the tip of the innermost pipe member in a state where the probe is contracted, and moves the alignment means as the innermost pipe member is extended. A structure alignment device characterized in that it is controlled so as to be driven backward along the structure. 3. The apparatus for aligning a structure according to claim 1, wherein the alignment means is a spherical bearing on a side close to the tip of the probe, and an elastic means allowing radial displacement on the opposite side. An apparatus for aligning structures, each of which is supported on the probe. 4. The alignment device according to claim 1, wherein the alignment means has a conical convex surface, and the concave surface has a conical shape.