JPH0145762B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a deployable antenna reflector, and particularly to the configuration of a deployable antenna mounted on, for example, an artificial satellite or a space station.

Conventionally, as this type of deployable antenna reflector, those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are known. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the shape of a conventional deployable antenna reflector when it is stored, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are a front view and a side view showing the shape of the deployable antenna reflector shown in FIG. 1 after being deployed. . In each of the above figures, 1 is a central dish, 2 is a large number of ribs arranged radially from this central dish 1, and 3 is a link between each rib 2 and the central dish 1, and each rib 2 is housed. 4 is a mesh-like conductive hinge stretched between two adjacent ribs 2 to form an antenna reflector surface in the deployed position. It is a flexible thin film.

Next, the operation will be explained. When storing, the first
As shown in the figure, each rib 2 is folded at the hinge 3 and is in a position substantially perpendicular to the plane of the central dish 1, and is held in the folded state by a retaining device (not shown). There is.
In addition, a flexible thin film 4 provided between each rib 2
is folded between each of the ribs 2 as shown in FIG. At the time of launch, this state is maintained by the holding device, and the satellite is fixed to a side wall of the satellite (not shown) or to a space shuttle payload chamber, and transported to orbit. After reaching the orbit, the holding device is released, and each rib 2 is expanded by the action of a rotation spring (not shown) built into the hinge 3, and finally reaches the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Finally, it is locked by a fixing device (not shown) built into the hinge 3. Each rib 2 is pre-shaped so as to lie on a predetermined parabolic surface at this position. Further, the flexible thin film 4 spreads as each rib 2 develops, and at the final position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a slight tension is applied by each rib 2. As a result, the above-mentioned shape stability can be obtained.

Since the conventional deployable antenna reflector is configured as described above, when it is stored, it requires a storage length of about 1/2 of the antenna reflector's deployed diameter, resulting in a large size and poor storage performance. Also,
Each rib 2 itself is on a predetermined parabolic plane, but a flexible thin film 4 is placed between them with some tension.
was not on the parabolic surface, and the mirror surface approximation, that is, the mirror surface precision was not good. Furthermore, in order to improve this mirror surface precision, it is necessary to increase the number of ribs 2 and reduce the spacing between each rib 2, which inevitably leads to an increase in the weight of the antenna reflector. There were some shortcomings.

The present invention has been made in order to eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional devices as described above, and includes an elastic spring that provides driving force for rotation, and a latch device that locks the rotation when a predetermined rotation angle is reached. a plurality of hinges, the ends of which are connected to each other by the respective hinges;
A large number of frames that are hoop-shaped as a whole,
two mesh-shaped flexible thin films, at least one of which is surrounded by the frames, whose edges are supported by the frames and hinges via support wires, and at least one of which is electrically conductive; A large number of bonding wires are disposed between the thin films and pull two opposing points on the flexible thin films inwardly to give the two flexible thin films a desired shape as an antenna reflector. It is an object of the present invention to provide a deployable antenna reflector that is lightweight, has high mirror surface accuracy, and is easy to store.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 4 and 5 are a front view and a side view showing the shape of a deployable antenna reflector according to an embodiment of the present invention when it is stored, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are a front view and a front view showing the shape after being deployed. FIG. 2 is a diagram and a side view. In each of the above figures, 11a is a hinge that incorporates an elastic spring such as a spiral spring that provides the driving force for rotation, and is equipped with a latch device that locks the rotation when a predetermined rotation angle is reached. Hinge A, which latches at 11b, is hinge B which also latches at a deployment angle of 135 degrees, and here, each hinge (A)
The hinge (B) 11a and the hinge (B) 11b may be configured to include a bearing capable of achieving low friction conditions, and this bearing may be, for example, a spherical bearing. 12
a, 12b are each hinge (A) 11a, hinge (B) 11b
These are tubular members whose ends are connected to each other to form a hoop shape as a whole, for example, a tubular long frame and a short frame made of carbon fiber composite material, and the long frame 12a is connected to the satellite side wall shown in FIG. The short frame 12b is provided at the attachment portion to the hoop 18 and at a position opposite thereto on the hoop, and the other portions form a hoop shape. 13
is held with adjustable tension by a long frame 12a and a number of support wires mounted on each hinge (A) 11a and hinge (B) 11b. 14
is supported at its edges by a number of support wires 13,
Two mesh-shaped flexible thin films, at least one of which is electrically conductive, 15 is a bonding wire that pulls the two facing flexible thin films 14 inwardly, the length of which is adjustable. It is possible to set it. 16 is each long frame 1 when stored.
2a and a spacer for holding the short frame 12b, and 17 is a fitting for fixing the long frame 12a to the satellite side wall 18.

Next, the operation will be explained. At the launch,
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, attach the ends to each hinge.
A hoop consisting of long frames 12a and short frames 12b connected by (A) 11a and hinge (B) 11b is folded at each of the hinges (A) 11a and hinge (B) 11b. Here, the lengths of the long frame 12a attached to the satellite side wall 18 via the attachment tool 17 and the length of the long frame 12a located opposite to this are as shown in FIG.
In order to prevent the folded left and right hinges (A) 11a from colliding with each other, they are made slightly longer than twice the length of the other short frame 12b. Furthermore, two mesh-like flexible thin films 14, which are provided inside the hoop via a number of support wires 13 and connected to each other by a number of bonding wires 15, are folded between each long and short frame 12a, 12b. It is. In this state, each adjacent long and short frame 12
Spacers 16 provided on a and 12b are in contact with each other and are fixed to the satellite side wall 18 in a tightly bound state by an appropriate binding device (not shown). After reaching orbit, when the bonding device is released,
Each long and short frame 12a, 12b begins to expand due to the torque of an elastic spring such as a spiral spring built into each hinge (A) 11a and hinge (B) 11b, and along with this, each long and short frame 12a ,12
The two flexible thin films 14 folded between b also begin to unfold. Here, the hinge (A) 11a, which was folded inward during storage, is locked by the built-in latch device when the unfolding angle reaches 180 degrees, and the hinge (B) 11b, which was folded outward.
is locked by a built-in latching device when the deployment angle reaches 135 degrees. Thus, when all the hinges (A) 11a and hinges (B) 11b are locked, an octagonal hoop is finally formed as shown in FIG. In this state, the length of each support wire 15 is adjusted in advance so that a predetermined tension is applied to the two mesh-shaped flexible thin films 14 connected by a large number of bonding wires 15.
Further, one flexible thin film 14 forms a parabolic surface. (Strictly speaking, the bonding point between each bonding wire 15 and the flexible thin film 14 is on the parabolic plane),
The length of each bonding wire 15 is adjusted in advance according to its position. Therefore, the mirror accuracy of the antenna reflector depends on the number of coupling points mentioned above.
If high mirror precision is to be obtained, the number of connection points may be increased. At this time, since the number of thin and relatively lightweight bonding wires 15 is only increased, there is almost no increase in weight.

Although the above embodiment shows a case in which the deployable antenna reflector is mounted on a satellite, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained even in the case of a so-called free flyer in which the antenna floats in space alone.

In addition, in the above embodiment, each length and short frame 12
Although the hoop formed by a and 12b has an octagonal shape, it may have a polygonal shape.

Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows a case where the flexible thin film 14 constituting the antenna reflector has a symmetrical shape, it can also be sufficiently applied to a non-symmetrical shape, for example, an offset antenna, and even in this case, the same as the above embodiment It has the effect of

As described above, according to the deployable antenna reflector according to the present invention, two opposing flexible thin films connected by a large number of length-adjustable bonding wires,
It was supported under tension on a hoop consisting of frames connected to each other by hinges surrounding it, and was configured to form a parabolic surface.
Compared to conventional products of this kind, the storage volume can be made extremely small, and a deployable antenna reflector that is relatively light in weight and has high mirror surface precision can be obtained, which is an excellent effect.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the shape of a conventional deployable antenna reflector when it is stored, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are front and side views showing the shape of the deployable antenna reflector shown in FIG. 1 after being deployed. 4 and 5 are front and side views showing the shape of a deployed antenna reflector according to an embodiment of the present invention when stored, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are front views showing the shape after deployment. and a side view. 11a...Hinge A, 11b...Hinge B, 1
2a...Long frame, 12b...Short frame, 1
3...Support wire, 14...Mesh-shaped flexible thin film, 15...Binding wire, 16...Spacer,
17... Attachment, 18... Satellite side wall. In addition,
In the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A large number of hinges each having an elastic spring that provides a driving force for rotation and a latch device that locks the rotation when a predetermined rotation angle is reached, and each hinge connects the ends to each other. A number of frames are connected together and have a hoop shape as a whole, and two mesh-shaped sheets are surrounded by each frame and supported at their edges by the frames and hinges via support wires, at least one of which is conductive. a flexible thin film of
disposed between the two flexible thin films, and pulling two opposing points on the flexible thin film inwardly;
The required shape of the antenna reflector is determined from the above 2.
1. A deployable antenna reflector comprising a plurality of bonding wires attached to a flexible thin film. 2. The deployable antenna reflector according to claim 1, wherein the frame is made of a tubular member, and the member is made of a carbon fiber composite material. 3. The deployable antenna reflector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the length of the coupling wire is adjustable. 4. The deployable antenna reflector according to claims 1 to 3, wherein the support wire is held with adjustable tension. 5. The deployable antenna reflector according to claims 1 to 4, wherein the hinge has a built-in bearing that can realize low friction conditions. 6. The deployable antenna reflector according to claim 5, wherein the bearing built into the hinge is a spherical bearing.