The application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202211151778.3, filed on Sep. 21, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to the technical field of spacecraft connection-separation mechanisms, and particularly an SMA wire-driven reusable release mechanism having a self-resetting function.
A spacecraft requires multiple connection and separation mechanisms to achieve space connection and unlocking functions, such as separation of multi-stage launch vehicles, and deployment of solar wings on satellites or spacecrafts. At present, such unlocking devices are mostly initiating explosive device bolts (also known as explosive bolts). With the development of an aerospace technology, especially the emergence of new-generation small satellites, impact and pollution problems caused by initiating explosive devices are becoming increasingly serious. One of the main focuses to solve the problems is to develop a novel space unlocking mechanism using shape memory alloys (SMA).
There has been some progress in the development of novel non-initiating explosive device unlocking mechanisms domestically and internationally, and various SMA-driven design schemes have been proposed, such as a design scheme using SMA columns as drive proposed by Hi Shear Technology Company in the United States, and the “SMA WIRE-DRIVEN CONNECTION AND UNLOCKING MECHANISM” proposed domestically (patent application number: 200810119580.0). The “SMA WIRE-DRIVEN CONNECTION AND UNLOCKING MECHANISM” uses an SMA wire as a driving element, the structure is shown as
The “SMA WIRE-DRIVEN CONNECTION AND UNLOCKING MECHANISM” has the advantages of large margin, good synchronization, etc., but also has fatal disadvantages: during a release process of the mechanism, sliding friction exists between the split nut and the hoop drum; when release load is large, the frictional resistance is also large, which affects the driving process of the SMA wire, the success rate of release is reduced, and reliability is reduced, thereby limiting the use of the release load.
In view of this, the present invention provides an SMA wire-driven reusable release mechanism having a self-resetting function, which is large in release load, can realize automatic reset, and is strong in impact resistance, and high in reliability.
The SMA wire-driven reusable release mechanism having a self-resetting function, provided in the present invention internally and sequentially includes an SMA driver assembly, a thrust bearing assembly, a tray assembly, and a separation assembly from bottom to top, and external encapsulating of the mechanism is realized by a shell and a bottom cover, where
In the present invention, the separation assembly forms a load reduction structure through cooperation with multiple inclined surfaces. Load reduction is performed on the load borne by the compression rod by means of two-stage inclined surfaces, namely a cooperation inclined surface of the compression rod and the hoop petal as well as the cooperation inclined surface of the inclined block and the sliding block. Most of the load is borne by the shell, and only a small part of the load acts on the thrust bearing. Such design can significantly increase locking load. The separation assembly adopts a locking manner of enclasping the compression rod by the hoop petal, which achieves unlocking and automatic reset through movement of the inclined block and the sliding block. When re-locking is needed, the inclined block and the sliding block remain stationary. By moving the hoop petal downwards, the hoop petal moves outwards along the inclined surface that cooperates with the inclined block, allowing the compression rod to slide in. As the compression rod slides in, the pressure of the compression rod on the hoop petal disappears, and the hoop petal moves upwards under the action of the tray spring to enclasp the compression rod. This structure can achieve quick mounting and automatic reset.
In the SMA driver assembly, the driving shaft can rotate in the groove of the support frame, the SMA wire is electrified for heating, and the SMA wire contracts to drive the driving shaft to rotate. When the SMA wire cools, under the action of the reset spring, the driving shaft resets, and besides, the SMA wire is stretched for the next driving. The use of the structure can convert linear motion of the SMA wire into rotating motion, which can be used to drive the rotation of the middle ring of the thrust bearing.
When the thrust bearing assembly is in a locking state, the balls fall into the raceway. When unlocking is needed, the driving shaft drives the middle ring of the thrust bearing to rotate by a certain angle, and the balls fall into the pits to enable the upper ring to descend by a certain displacement, which in turn causes the sliding block to descend by a certain displacement, thereby achieving release. After the SMA wire cools, under the action of the reset spring, the driving shaft drives the middle ring of the thrust bearing to move, so as to enable the balls to return to the raceway of the middle ring, thereby achieving reset. Release and reset are easy to realize by means of the structure.
A working process:
When the mechanism automatically resets, after the SMA wire cools, the driving shaft resets under the action of the reset spring. The driving shaft drives the middle ring of the thrust bearing to rotate by a certain angle, and the balls slide from the pits into the raceway, thereby eliminating axial clearance. The sliding block moves upwards, the inclined block moves radially inwards, and the hoop petal radially moves inwards to reset.
When the compression rod is inserted for repeated locking, under the action of pressure, the hoop petal compresses the tray spring by means of the tray. After the hoop petal moves downwards, radial limit of the hoop petal and the inclined block is eliminated, and the hoop petal is opened. With the sliding in of the compression rod, the pressure borne by the hoop petal is eliminated. Under the action of the tray spring, the hoop petal resets and enclasps the compression rod, thereby achieving locking.
Preferably, the thrust bearing assembly is of a double-column structure, and sequentially includes an upper ring, an upper row of balls, an upper cage, a middle ring, a lower cage, a lower row of balls, and a lower ring from top to bottom, where the lower ring of the thrust bearing is pressed onto the support frame, and the middle ring is connected to the driving shaft; and pits are formed in the raceway of the middle ring and are evenly spaced from the raceway.
Preferably, balls in the thrust bearing assembly are coated with a molybdenum disulfide lubricating coating, which can effectively reduce friction so as to reduce a torque transmitted to a driving shaft, thereby effectively bearing axial loads.
Preferably, the separation assembly further includes a sliding block, the sliding block is mounted on an upper end surface of the thrust bearing assembly, the sliding block is provided with an inclined surface which cooperates with the inclined block, and the inclined block slides up and down along the inclined surface of the sliding block.
Preferably, an inner hexagonal groove is processed in the bottom of the driving shaft, a circular hole is processed in a center of the bottom of the bottom cover, such that an inner hexagonal wrench can enter from the circular hole, so as to rotate the driving shaft, thereby realizing manual unlocking and resetting; and by means of such design, unlocking and resetting can be conveniently performed without power supply.
Preferably, a square groove is processed in the side surface of a base, the protrusion is processed in the side surface of the upper cage and clamped into the square groove in the base, the upper cage can be rotated by means of the protrusion, and under the condition that the SMA driver assembly is not influenced, manual unlocking and resetting can be realized.
(1) the present invention adopts a structure of two-stage load reduction and one-stage release. First-stage load reduction: a compression rod and a hoop petal, as well as an inclined block and a sliding block, all cooperate with each other by means of inclined surfaces, which can effectively transfer most of tension load of the compression rod to the shell, leaving only a small part of the load transmitted to a thrust bearing. Second-state load reduction: balls in the thrust bearing are coated with a molybdenum disulfide lubricating coating, which can effectively reduce friction so as to reduce a torque transmitted to a driving shaft, thereby effectively bearing axial loads. First-stage release: the driving shaft drives a middle ring of a thrust bearing to rotate by a certain angle, causing an upper ring of the thrust bearing to descend to release a certain axial clearance. The structure can significantly improve load-bearing capacity of the mechanism and improve release reliability.
(2) The repeated locking and release assembly in the present invention adopts an automatic reset manner. After the SMA wire is electrified for heating to release, as the SMA wire cools, the restoring force of the reset spring is greater than tension of the SMA wire. The reset spring drives the driving shaft to rotate, such that the balls move from the pits in the middle ring of the thrust bearing to the raceway, thereby eliminating axial clearance and achieving automatic reset. The method avoids repeated mounting of the release structure and is convenient to use.
(3) The present invention adopts a mounting manner of quick insertion of the compression rod. When relocking is needed, the compression rod is inserted from the release structure, and the hoop petal moves downwards with the compression rod, while moving outwards along a cooperation surface with the inclined block, such that the compression rod can slide into the groove of the hoop petal. With the sliding of the compression rod, the hoop petal moves upwards under the action of the tray spring, thereby re-enclasping the compression rod. This design greatly simplifies the mounting process of the compression rod, enabling the mechanism to be used for repeated locking of spacecrafts in orbit.
(4) The present invention adopts the manner of driving the shaft to rotate for releasing. Through the design of winding the SMA wire on a pulley and the driving shaft, when the SMA wire contracts, the driving shaft is driven to rotate, thereby converting linear motion into rotating motion, greatly saving the space and weight of the mechanism.
(5) The present invention adopts two sets of SMA wire driving devices to achieve redundant design, which can successfully unlock even if one set of SMA wires fails, thereby improving the reliability of release.
Where, 1-shell; 2-compression rod; 3-hoop petal; 4-inclined block; 5-sliding block; 6-tray; 7-tray spring; 8-tray shaft; 9-tray bracket; 10-tray nut; 11-reset spring; 12-driving shaft; 13-SMA wire; 14-support frame; 15-upper ring of thrust bearing; 16-upper row of balls; 17-upper cage; 18-middle ring of thrust bearing; 19-lower cage; 20-lower row of balls; 21-lower ring of thrust bearing; 22-bottom cover.
The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
The specific structure of the present invention is shown in
As shown in
The locking state of a self-resetting releaser is shown as
The process of locking the compression rod of the self-resetting releaser is a reverse process of the unlocking process, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Apparently, the embodiments described are merely a part rather than all of the embodiments of the present invention. The SMA driver assembly, the thrust bearing assembly, the tray assembly, and the separation assembly all have alternative schemes.
Taking the separation assembly as an example, three alternative schemes can be proposed. Scheme 1 is shown as
The compression rod 2 and a separation structure of the present invention adopt a pluggable connection manner which can be replaced with a threaded connection, as shown in
To sum up, the above only describes preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the protection scope thereof. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, and the like made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202211151778.3 | Sep 2022 | CN | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/CN2022/123823 | Oct 2022 | WO |
Child | 18904034 | US |