JPH0574520B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a latch-up mechanism that allows fine adjustment of the panel deployment position in a deployable solar battery paddle that deploys and maintains that state when a panel with solar cells affixed to its surface is deployed during use. be.

Conventional latch-up mechanisms are shown in FIGS. 1-7. In the figure, 1 and 2 are panels on which solar cells (not shown) are pasted, 3 is a first hinge clevis fitting attached to a corner of the panel 1, and 4 is a corner of the panel 2. 5 is a hinge pin that is integral with the first hinge clevis fitting 3; 6 is the second hinge clevis fitting 4;
It is a bearing that is integrated with the Further, a latch up arm 8 equipped with a latch up pin 7 is attached to the shaft 9 on the first hinge clevis fitting 3.
The clevis fitting 4 is provided with a latch up guide 10.
Furthermore, a spring 11 is provided that pulls the latch up pin 7 toward the hinge pin 5 so that the latch up pin 7 slides on the latch up guide 10 and finally fits into the groove provided in the second hinge clevis fitting 4. .

Next, the operation will be explained. 1 and 2 show the panels 1 and 2 in a retracted state before deployment, but as the solar array paddles are deployed as shown in FIG.
The latch up guide 10 slides on the peripheral edge of the latch up guide 10, which is a thin semicircular plate, and when the adjacent panels 1 and 2 become flush as shown in FIG.
The latch-up pin 7 that has slid around the peripheral edge of the latching pin 7 fits into the groove H provided in the second hinge clevis fitting 4 due to the tensile force of the spring 11. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the width of the groove H becomes narrower as it goes deeper, so the latch pull pin 7 as shown in FIG.
The latch-up is completed in a state in which it bites into the groove H. Further, since the right edge of the groove H is higher than the left edge, the latch-up pin 7 does not pass through the groove H during the latch-up process, so that the latch-up can be performed reliably. When the latch-up is completed, the latch-up pin 7
A sufficient locking force is obtained by the frictional force between the grooves H, the tensile force of the spring 11, and the deployment surplus force,
Panels 1, 2 are maintained in the deployed position.

Note that FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the shaft portion.

However, since the conventional latch up mechanism is configured as described above, the position and size of the groove H provided in the second hinge clevis fitting 4 and the spring 1
The latch-up completion position changes somewhat depending on the strength of 1. If the deployment is completed and locked in a position where panels 1 and 2 are not flush, the center of gravity of the solar panel will shift from the paddle rotation axis, and the center of gravity will change when the paddle rotates, causing the satellite to This is one of the causes of posture disturbance of the main body. Furthermore, since the light-receiving surfaces of the panels 1 and 2 are not parallel, disadvantages such as power loss occur, so it is necessary to be able to finely adjust the latch-up position of the panels.

With conventional latch-up mechanisms, it is difficult to make this fine adjustment, for example, weakening the spring tension will lead to a decrease in the locking force after deployment, while increasing it will increase the frictional force during deployment, which is not good. Ta.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks and provides a latch-up mechanism that can finely adjust the panel position after latch-up is completed.

An embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 will be described below.

8 to 10, the basic mechanism is the same as the conventional one, but in the embodiment of the present invention, the shaft 9, which attaches the latch up arm 8 equipped with the latch up pin 7 to the clevis fitting 3, is an eccentric shaft 13. There is. (See Figure 8, Figure 7 shows the conventional one.) Because of this structure, the position of the latch up pin 7 can be changed by rotating the shaft 9 as shown in Figure 9. . Therefore, once the latch-up is completed and the position of the latch-up pin 7 is fixed, by rotating the shaft 9, the position of the panel 1 changes somewhat as shown in FIG.

Therefore, by utilizing this, it is possible to finely adjust the flush state of the panels 1 and 2 after the latch-up is completed. Note that 12 is the central axis of the shaft.

As described above, according to the present invention, the panel position can be finely adjusted after latch-up is completed, and the alignment of the solar array paddle after deployment can be easily adjusted. This has the effect of reducing postural disturbances, keeping adjacent panels parallel, and reducing power loss.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams showing the conventional solar cell panel before deployment, Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views and plan views showing the conventional solar battery panel after deployment, and Figure 5 is the conventional solar panel. FIG. 6 is a front view of a conventional solar panel after it has been expanded, FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a conventional shaft portion, and FIG. 8 is a shaft portion according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a front view of the solar cell panel according to the present invention immediately before the expansion is completed, and FIG. 10 is a front view of the solar cell panel according to the present invention after the expansion is completed. In the figure, 1 and 2 are panels, 3 and 4 are first and second hinge clevis fittings, 5 is a hinge pin, 6 is a bearing, 7 is a latch up pin, 8 is a latch up arm, 9 is a shaft, and 10 is a latch up guide , 11 is the spring, 12 is the central axis of the shaft, 1
3 is the eccentric axis of the shaft. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first clevis fitting provided on one side of a hinge connecting a plurality of solar battery panels, a shaft provided on the first clevis fitting, and a latch up arm rotatably provided with respect to this shaft. a latch-up pin provided on the latch-up arm, a second clevis fitting provided on the other side of the hinge and having a groove into which the latch-up pin can fit, the first clevis fitting and the second clevis fitting. a hinge pin that rotatably connects the clevis fitting; a latch up guide provided on the second clevis fitting for sliding of the latch up pin; and a latch up guide provided between the latch up pin and the hinge pin, In the latch-up mechanism of a deployable solar cell paddle, the latch-up mechanism for a deployable solar cell paddle is provided with a spring for sliding the latch-up pin on the latch-up guide and fitting the latch-up pin into the groove at the time of latch-up. 1. A latching mechanism for a deployable solar cell paddle, wherein the shaft is rotated to adjust the plurality of solar cell panels so that they are flush with each other after the latching of the deployable solar cell paddle is completed.