JPH08282600A - Payload protective cover - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a payload protective cover which can protect the payload of a rocket from the dust, before the rocket reaches to the aerospace. CONSTITUTION: A payload protective cover 9 made of a soft materail and having a hollow shields the opening of the payload 11 being engaged with the groove of the opening. And the protective cover 9 is pulled by the tensile force of a drawing line 10. By the reduction of the atmospheric pressure as the rocket rises, the payload protective cover 9 is expanded, the diameter is reduced, and finally the protective cover 9 is to be positioned at the outer side of the opening of the payload 11. Consequently, a payload protective cover which has no complicated mechanism, can carry out a stable operation, and has little possibility of generating a trouble, can be obtained.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a payload protection cover for cutting off dust from the inside of a fairing due to vibration and impact during launch from a payload such as a spacecraft mounted in a rocket fairing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional mechanism for protecting the surface of a payload, for example, a structure shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 58-100200 is known.

FIG. 2 shows the structure of a protective cover for an optical sensor as an example. In the figure, 1 is an optical sensor housing, 2
Is an optical sensor unit, 3 is an opening of the optical sensor housing, 4 is a sensor protective cover, 5 is a rotating shaft, 6 is a spiral bimetal, 7
Is a heater and 8 is a switch circuit.

In operation, the sensor protection cover 4 is opened and closed by the movement of the bimetal 6 due to the heating of the heater 7, in response to a command signal from the ground which causes a current to flow to the heater 7.

[0005]

The conventional protective cover is
This is a method in which a portion to be protected is attached or detached or covered with an opening / closing cover mechanism or a shutter mechanism, and there is a disadvantage that an unnecessary mechanism remains after launch for the purpose of blocking dust only at launch. Further, due to a mechanical failure, the cover or the shutter remains closed, and there is a danger that the mission cannot be achieved.

An object of the present invention is to solve such problems and to provide a payload protective cover that shields dust from the payload at the time of launch and does not leave a protective cover mechanism in the payload opening after launch. .

[0007]

The payload protection cover of the present invention has a hollow structure composed of a flexible film-like material, and engages the payload opening to shield the payload under atmospheric pressure. It is characterized by removing dust from the payload and removing it from the payload opening by expanding the cover so that the cover diameter becomes smaller as the rocket height increases.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.
(A) is before launch, (b) is an intermediate stage after launch,
(C) shows the state of the final stage after launch.

Before the launch, as shown in (a), the dust that falls from the rocket fairing 12 onto the payload 11 is blocked by the payload protection cover 9. The payload protection cover 9 is fixed to the opening of the payload 11. The cover pull-in line 10 connects the payload protection cover 9 and the payload 11 with a certain tension. In the present invention, the protective cover 9 is made of a flexible film material and has a hollow inside.

Next, when the atmospheric pressure decreases with the rise of the rocket altitude, the expansion of the hollow flexible film-shaped payload protection cover 9 is promoted, and the diameter is reduced. Further, in (c), when the diameter is further reduced, it is dropped from the inner diameter of the opening of the payload 11 and is brought into a retracted state by the cover retracting line 10.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent pollution due to the environment during storage and testing and to protect dust from the inner wall of the fairing before the rocket fairing is opened. In the environment, since it is removed from the payload opening, there is no fear of mechanical trouble.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention,
(A) shows a state before launch, (b) shows an intermediate stage state after launch, and (c) shows a final stage state after launch.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional payload protection mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Optical Sensor Housing 2 Optical Sensor Section 3 Optical Sensor Housing Opening 4 Sensor Protective Cover 5 Rotating Shaft 6 Spiral Bimetal 7 Heater 8 Switch Circuit 9 Payload Protective Cover 10 Payload Protective Cover Line 11 Payload 12 Rocket Fairing

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A payload protection cover that blocks a payload opening, wherein the payload protection engages with and shields the payload opening under atmospheric pressure and is disengaged in outer space. . 2. The payload protection cover according to claim 1, wherein the payload protection cover is formed of a flexible material and has a hollow inside. 3. The payload protection cover according to claim 2, which has a predetermined diameter under atmospheric pressure and maintains an engaged state with a groove provided in the payload opening. 4. The payload protection cover according to claim 3, wherein the payload protection cover expands so that the diameter decreases when the atmospheric pressure in the outside world decreases. 5. The payload protection cover according to claim 3, wherein tension is applied to the outside in an engaged state with the groove of the payload opening.