JPH0878922A - Developing-collapsible device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To easily control a developing.collapsing operation such as the developing speed control of a developing antenna panel or restoration during the development by using a shape memory alloy member to be bent at the time of cooling and to be developed at the time of heating. CONSTITUTION: An development control panel 21 composed of shape memory alloy is bent at the time of cooling, a pawl part 23 at the tip is engaged with a hooking groove 24, first and second panels 3 and 7 are collapsed, and a latch pin 9 depresses a sliding plane 8. In order to start the developing operation, power is supplied from a lead wire 26. The development of the development control panel 21 is started by the heating of a heater 25, the pawl part 23 presses a latch bar 10, a holder 5 holding the latch bar is turned around a rod 4, and the second panel 7 starts development to a first panel 3. In the state of completing the development, the latch pin 9 is fitted into a latch hole 15 and the pawl part 23 and the hooking groove 24 are disengaged. Therefore, the control panel 21 is independently restored into the bent state by interrupting power supply to the heater 25. The control of developing speed can be adjusted by power. In the middle of the developing operation, the control panel can be restored into the original collapsed state as well.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a deploying / folding device used for a folding / deploying section of a plurality of panels such as an antenna panel of a deployable antenna.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in order to improve the performance of equipment mounted on an artificial satellite, an increase in the size of an onboard antenna is an important factor. And it must be compact at launch. Therefore, a deployable antenna is used that is folded at the time of launch and widened in the satellite orbit after launch. Such a deployment antenna requires a deployment device that folds and deploys a plurality of antenna panels.

Next, a conventional configuration of a deploying device used for a folding deploying portion between antenna panels of such deploying antenna will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. Figure 5
[FIG. 6] is a side view showing a state where the panel of the deploying device is in the process of being deployed, and FIG. In both figures, 1 is a disk-shaped first holder, and a holding portion 2 is formed to project from the first holder 1 so as to hold one end of the first panel 3. A shaft 4 is rotatably supported at the center of the first holder 1,
One end of a second holder 5 is fixed to the shaft 4, and the second holder 5 is rotatably arranged with respect to the first holder 1. A holding portion 6 is formed at the other end of the second holder 5, and a second panel 7 is held by the holding portion 6. Further, a part of the second holder 5 is provided with a base portion of a latch bar 10 provided with a latch pin 9 which slides on a sliding surface 8 formed at an outer peripheral edge of the first holder 1 at a tip end thereof. 11
The tip of a spring 12 also attached to a part of the second holder 5 is brought into contact with the side surface of the latch bar 10 to press the latch pin 9 against the sliding surface 8 of the first holder 1. It has become.

On the side surface of the first holder 1, a deployment drive spring 14 having one end fixed to a part of the first holder 1 with a fixing jig 13 and the other end attached to the shaft 4 is shown in FIG. Are placed so as to urge the holders 1 and 5 to expand. As shown in FIG. 6, the latch pins 9 are fitted to the outer peripheral edge sliding surface 8 of the first holder 1 in a state where the holders 1 and 5, that is, the panels 3 and 7 have been developed. A latch hole 15 is formed.

Next, the operation of the developing device configured as described above will be described. First and second panels 3,7
When the locking mechanism (not shown) is released in the state where the folds are folded and locked, the first and second holders 1 and 5, that is, the first and second panels 3 and 7, cause the expansion drive spring. It is driven in the deployment direction by the spring force of 14. During this unfolding, the unfolding operation is continued at a constant speed due to the sliding friction between the latch pin 9 and the sliding surface 8 of the first holder 1.
Then, when the unfolded position is reached, the latch pin 9 is fitted into the latch hole 15, and the unfolded state of the panels 3, 7 is maintained.

[0006]

By the way, since the conventional unfolding device is constructed as described above, when it is used in the folding unfolding part of several panels, when the unfolding operation is started, all of the folding unfolding parts are started. However, the deployment speed cannot be controlled because the deployment speed is determined by the sliding frictional force between the outer peripheral edge sliding surface of the first holder and the latch pin and the spring force of the deployment drive spring. Also, if there is a problem with the expansion drive spring, latch pin, or outer peripheral edge sliding surface, the expansion operation may be disabled, or the expansion operation may stop halfway. There is a problem that it is impossible to restore the original folded state.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems in the conventional unfolding device, and can easily control the unfolding / folding operation such as the control of the unfolding speed, the stopping of the unfolding operation, and the folding / restoring operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide an unfolding / folding device capable of

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a sliding panel having a holding portion for holding a first panel at one end and a sliding surface having a latch hole on an outer peripheral edge. A first holder, a holding portion for holding a second panel, a second holder rotatably supported by the first holder, and a second end rotatably supported by the second holder. A latch rod having a latch pin that slides on the sliding surface of the first holder and a latch groove at the other end; and a latch pin for pressing the latch pin of the latch rod against the sliding surface of the first holder. And a shape memory alloy having one end fixed to the first holder and the other end provided with a hook portion capable of engaging with and disengaging from the latch groove of the latch bar. An expansion / folding device including a control plate and a heater for controlling the heating of the expansion control plate And it constitutes.

In the deploying / folding device constructed as described above, when cooling, the latch pin is on the sliding surface, the deployment control plate bends, and its claw engages with the catch groove of the latch rod. The panel is in a folded state. When performing the unfolding operation, the unfolding control plate starts to be extended by heating the unfolding control plate with the heater, and the second holder is rotationally driven with respect to the first holder via the latch rod at the tip claw portion thereof. . Then, when the deployment operation of the panel by the deployment control plate advances and reaches the deployment completion position, the latch pin is fitted into the latch hole, the second holder is held at that position, and the claw portion of the deployment control plate is pulled by the latch rod. Detach by hook groove. Therefore, even if the heating of the expansion control plate by the heater is stopped and the bending of the expansion control plate is resumed, the expanded state of the panel is maintained. Further, the deployment speed of the panel can be controlled by controlling the heating of the deployment control plate by the heater. Further, by stopping the heating of the deployment control plate by the heater during the deployment operation, the deployment operation can be interrupted and restored to the folded position.

[0010]

EXAMPLES Next, examples will be described. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an unfolded state of an embodiment of the unfolding / folding device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state at the time of completion of unfolding, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the unfolding control plate. . 1 to 2
, The same or corresponding members as those of the conventional developing device shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. The present invention uses, as a deployment drive source, a deployment control plate 21 made of a shape memory alloy instead of a conventional spring, and the deployment control plate 21 has a characteristic that it bends during cooling and extends during heating. Is fixed to the first holder 1 with a screw 22, and a claw portion 23 is formed at the other end. Further, it is rotatably supported by the second holder 5,
On the other end of the latch rod 10 having the latch pin 9 at one end, a hook groove 24 is formed to engage and disengage with the claw portion 23 of the deployment control plate 21, and the latch pin 9 slides on the first holder 1. When the latch 23 is fitted into the latch hole 15 formed in the surface 8, the engagement between the claw 23 and the hooking groove 24 is released. And the hook groove 24 are always engaged. A heater 25 is disposed along the deployment control plate 21, and power is supplied to the heater 25 from a lead wire 26.

Next, the operation of the thus-configured expanding / folding device will be described. The expansion control plate 21 is curved during cooling, and the claw portion 23 at the tip thereof is engaged with the hooking groove 24 of the latch rod 12, so that the first panel 3 and the second panel 7 are folded. In this state, the latch pin 9 is in a state of pressing the sliding surface 8 of the first holder 1. In such a state, to start the deployment operation, first, power is supplied to the heater 25 from the lead wire 26. When the expansion control plate 21 is heated by the heating of the heater 25, the expansion control plate 21 begins to expand, and as shown in FIG.
The 10 hooking grooves 24 are pressed. When the hooking groove 24 is pressed, the latch pin 9 is pressed against the sliding surface 8. Therefore, the second holder 5 supporting the latch rod 10 Rotating with respect to the holder 1, the second panel 7 starts to expand with respect to the first panel 3. At this time, the latch pin 9 of the latch bar 10 moves while sliding on the sliding surface 8.

The expansion operation of the expansion control plate 21 caused by the heating of the heater 25 advances the expansion operation of the panel. When the expansion control plate 21 reaches the expansion completion position, the latch pin 9 moved on the sliding surface 8 is fitted into the latch hole 15. Then, the second holder 5 is held at that position, and the panel is in an expanded state. Then, when the latch pin 9 is fitted into the latch hole 15, the claw portion of the expansion control plate 21
By disengaging the latch 23 from the hooking groove 24 of the latch rod 10, and thus stopping the supply of power to the heater 25, the deployment control plate 21 can be independently restored to the original curved state.

The speed of the unfolding operation can be controlled by controlling the heating by the electric power supplied to the heater 25, and the unfolding operation can be stopped in the middle of the unfolding operation to restore the original folded state. . That is, before the latch pin 9 is fitted into the latch hole 15 at the deployment completion position, the claw portion 23 of the deployment control plate 21
Since it is in engagement with the hooking groove 24 of 10, the power supply is interrupted, the heating of the heater 25 is stopped, the extension of the expansion control plate 21 is interrupted, and the expansion control plate 21 is bent again. The second holder 5 can be pulled in to the first holder 1 side through the hooking groove 24 at the portion 23, and the panel can be restored to the folded state again.

In the above embodiment, the first and second two
Although the present invention is applied to the folding and unfolding section of one panel, the present invention can also be applied to the folding and unfolding section of a large number of three or more panels, and a schematic configuration thereof is shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, 31A, 31B, 31C, and 31D are panels, respectively, and 32A, 32B, and 32C are expansion / folding devices provided between the panels.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the panel is held in the unfolded state, but by disposing the latch hole into which the latch pin is fitted so that the latch pin is fitted in the folded state of the panel, It can also be configured to maintain the folded state of the panel.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the description has been made assuming an apparatus for expanding / folding an antenna panel of a deployable antenna. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited to this. -It can be applied to a folding device.

[0017]

As described above on the basis of the embodiments,
According to the present invention, as the expansion or folding drive source of the panel, the expansion control plate made of a shape memory alloy that is controlled by the heater is used, so that by controlling the heater, the start of the expansion operation, the interruption of the expansion operation, It is possible to realize an unfolding / folding device capable of easily controlling the unfolding / folding operation such as control of the folding restoration / unfolding speed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state during an unfolding operation of an unfolding and folding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 when deployment is completed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a deployment control plate in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example in which the present invention is applied to a folding and unfolding portion of a large number of panels.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state during a deployment operation of a configuration example of a conventional deployment device.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the state of the conventional example shown in FIG. 5 at the time of completion of deployment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 1st holder 2 Holding part 3 1st panel 4 Shaft 5 2nd holder 6 Holding part 7 2nd panel 8 Sliding surface 9 Latch pin 10 Latch rod 11 Axis 12 Spring 13 Fixing jig 14 Expansion drive spring 15 Latch hole 21 Expansion control plate 22 Screw 23 Claw 24 Hooking groove 25 Heater 26 Lead wire

Claims (1)

[Claims] A first panel having a holding portion for holding a first panel at one end and having a sliding surface having a latch hole on an outer peripheral edge.
A second holder rotatably supported by the first holder, and a second holder rotatably supported by the second holder, and having one end at one end. A latch rod having a latch pin that slides on a sliding surface of the first holder and a hook groove at the other end; and a latch rod for pressing the latch pin of the latch rod against the sliding surface of the first holder. A spring, one end of which is fixed to the first holder, and the other end of which is provided with a claw which can be engaged with and disengaged from the latch groove of the latch bar. An unfolding / folding device comprising: a plate; and a heater that controls heating of the unfolding control plate.