JPH07480B2 - Braking method for falling objects - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for recovering a falling object, in particular a free-falling object, by braking it using a gas cushion and preventing the damage of the object. It is a thing.

[Prior art]

For example, various experiments such as an experiment for producing an alloy in a weightless state and an experiment for causing a chemical reaction or a biological reaction have been attempted. A typical example of this is the method of using artificial satellites, but this requires enormous cost, and there are problems such as the launch time of artificial satellites, so it is not easy to carry out experiments. Absent. Therefore, it is desired to conduct an experiment on the ground in a state of zero gravity or a state close to this, and various experiments have been attempted.

When the fall distance is short, it is not necessary to consider the air resistance acting on the falling object, but when the fall distance is long, such as when dropping the object from an aircraft, the air acting on the falling object The resistance increases and the predetermined microgravity cannot be obtained.

In order to avoid such problems and obtain a weightless state or a state close to this in an early stage, a method of dropping a capsule equipped with experimental equipment in a vacuum chamber is adopted. Generally, a vacuum tank is constructed by constructing a high tower and installing it inside it, or by digging deep underground, and the equipment using such a vacuum tank has the following problems.

That is, if the length of the vacuum chamber is made long in order to give a sufficient speed to the falling object, a great braking acceleration is generated or it is necessary to make the braking distance sufficiently large. Therefore, it may be difficult or impossible to safely collect a falling object, and there is a problem that the cost is significantly increased.

As a braking means for general falling objects, a pit is dug at the falling position of the object and a sand pit braking method in which sand is put in this, or a cushion type braking method using other cushion material, guiding the falling object There is a guide rail type braking method in which a guide rail is provided and a brake is applied to this guide rail.

Further, a system using a linear motor has been proposed as a means for softly landing a falling object, but this device has a drawback that it becomes large-scale.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

As described above, conventionally, as a means for braking an object falling at a high speed, a means for applying a shock to braking has been widely adopted, and therefore it has been difficult to safely collect a falling object.

Further, the method of soft landing using a linear motor has a problem that the equipment becomes large in size and there is a problem in cost, and it is necessary to develop a new technique for putting the linear motor into practical use.

[Object of the Invention]

The present invention was obtained in order to solve the problems of the conventional braking method for a falling object, and its object is to provide a means for softly landing an object falling at a high speed, Another object is to provide a device that can be realized at low cost.

[Outline of Invention]

According to the present invention for achieving the above object, a vacuum tank provided with a vacuum barrier which is rupturable by a falling object below and a gas tank below the vacuum tank are provided, and the falling object has a gas cushioning action in a gas layer. It is a braking method for a falling object, which is characterized by applying and braking.

The present invention uses a device in which a vacuum tank and at least two tanks of a gas braking tank are combined in series, and free falling in the vacuum tank eliminates air resistance and preferably creates a weightless state in a falling object. Then, the soft landing is surely realized by subjecting the falling object to gas braking, preferably pneumatic braking.

Means for moving the falling object from the vacuum chamber to the air braking chamber has not been proposed in the past, but in the present invention, in particular,
While maintaining a vacuum or reduced pressure state in the vacuum tank by providing a vacuum barrier at the lower end of the vacuum tank that can break a falling object,
When the falling object is transferred to the next gas braking tank, the easy-breaking barrier that maintained the vacuum in the vacuum tank is broken by the falling object itself, and it is easily transferred from the vacuum tank to the gas braking tank. is there.

As a plate material that constitutes a barrier that is easily broken, it is necessary that it can be easily broken by the impact force of a falling object and that a sufficient vacuum state can be formed in the vacuum chamber.

Specifically, for example, a thin aluminum plate, a metal plate processed to be easily broken, or a synthetic resin plate that is easily broken can be used. When the vacuum barrier is broken by a falling object, it is preferable not to give a large impact force to the falling object so as to destroy the inside.

As the gas braking tank, the falling object itself is regarded as a kind of piston or a constituent member of the piston, and the gas cushion acts while moving the piston in the gas braking tank. The gas cushion can be controlled by controlling the rate at which the gas, especially the air, in the gas damping tank is discharged.

When the piston descends in the gas braking tank while compressing the gas, it is possible to softly land the falling object by controlling the amount of the compressed gas from the relationship between the position of the falling object and the gas pressure. is there.

〔Example〕

An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention in which a vacuum tank 1 and a gas braking tank 2 are arranged in series, and an upper portion of the vacuum tank 1 is provided. The object (test equipment etc.) 3 is allowed to fall freely, the vacuum barrier 4 fixed to the lower end of the vacuum chamber 1 is broken, and the braking piston 5 which is stopped at the upper part of the gas braking chamber 2 is reached. It descends in the gas braking tank 2 together with the braking piston 5 and receives braking by the cushioning action of the gas in the meantime. In addition,
The cushioning action utilizes the repulsive force due to the compression effect of gas.

A plurality of position detection sensors 6 and pressure detection sensors 7 are provided in the longitudinal direction of the gas braking tank 2, and an automatic flow rate adjusting device 8 provided at the lower portion of the gas braking tank 2 is controlled by signals from these sensors. Then, the descent speed of the braking piston 5, that is, the object 3 is controlled.

Various sensors such as a phototube, a laser sensor, and a limit switch can be used as the sensor.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus to which the braking control system is applied, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram.

The object 3 is, for example, a kind of capsule or the like containing a testing device such as a small alloy manufacturing device, and the braking piston 5
At the same time, the gas a below the braking piston 5 descends in the gas braking tank 2 while being compressed. At this time, the pressure of the gas a rises as the object 3 descends. The position detection sensor 6 detects the position of 3, and the pressure sensor 7 detects a pressure change, and the automatic flow rate controller 8 is operated to control the flow rate of the gas b to be discharged to softly land the object 3.

The braking control system of each of the sensors 6 and 7 and the automatic flow rate adjusting device 8 is as shown in the block diagram of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a mounting structure of the vacuum barrier 4 provided at the lower end of the vacuum chamber 1, in which a vacuum barrier 4 made of a thin film material such as a stainless thin plate is fastened via an O-ring 9.
The airtightness is maintained by engaging with the engaging portion 11 provided at the lower end of the vacuum chamber 1 by means of 10. When the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 is in a vacuum state, the vacuum barrier 4 is inflated and attached in a spherical shape by the pressure of the outside air. Further, when the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 1 is high, the vacuum barrier 4 surely adheres to the end of the vacuum chamber 1 and seals it.

For example, when the inner diameter of the vacuum chamber 1 is 200 cm and the vacuum barrier 4 made of a stainless plate is used, the plate thickness may be 0.3 mm to 0.4 mm.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the braking piston 5 standing by to receive the object 3 in the upper part of the gas braking tank 1, and the central portion of the braking piston 5 is hollowed out in a mortar shape. A cushioning material 15 is provided to provide a cushioning effect when receiving the falling object 3. A fixing device 16 for fixing the falling object 3 is provided on the bottom of the fixing device 16. Further, a large number of gas ejection holes 17 are provided around the braking piston 5, and a high pressure gas g is ejected from the high pressure gas cylinder 18 into the gap between the gas braking tank 2 and the braking piston 5 to provide a gas bearing effect. ing.

Braking piston 5 that descends due to the inertial force of falling object 3
Is extremely high speed and may cause seizure when its peripheral surface comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the braking tank 2, but by ejecting the high pressure gas g from around the braking piston 5 as described above. That drawback can be prevented.

As described above, the vacuum barrier 4 is provided in the vacuum tank 1, and the vacuum barrier 4 is ruptured by the falling object 3 and thrusts into the gas braking tank 2. In the gas braking tank 2, a cushion due to the gas compression effect is provided. Since it is made to act, it is possible to softly land the object 3 that has dropped at a high speed, and it is possible to prevent damage to the devices housed inside the object 3.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment, in which a guide mechanism 20 (lubricating magnetic guide or the like) for guiding the falling object 3 is provided inside the braking tank 2 to drop the falling object 3 at a high speed.
Can be dropped while being accurately guided to provide a gas cushion. In the case of this device, the gas bearing mechanism as shown in FIG. 5 may not be provided in the braking piston 5.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention has a vacuum tank and a gas braking tank arranged in series, and a vacuum barrier that can be broken by a falling object is provided in the lower portion of the vacuum tank to compress gas in the gas braking tank. The following effect can be obtained because the falling object is braked using the accompanying cushioning action.

(1) Since it is possible to apply a braking action to an object that has dropped in a vacuum chamber at high speed with a simple device, various experiments involving, for example, weightlessness can be easily performed on the ground and the object can be destroyed. It is possible to prevent the destruction of the internal equipment even if the object is recovered without any damage or the object is slightly damaged.

(2) Since the gas braking tank is provided below the vacuum tank, a kind of cylinder and piston action can be performed between the falling object and this gas braking tank, and even an object falling at high speed can be performed. You can brake in a short distance.

(3) Appropriate braking can be applied to the object by controlling the amount of gas in the gas braking tank by the falling position of the object and the pressure of the gas inside.

(4) Since the vacuum tank is provided with a vacuum barrier that can be broken by a falling object, the vacuum tank can be dropped in a vacuum, and the gas can be safely braked by the gas braking tank with a cushion due to the compression of gas.

Moreover, the braking means using the gas braking tank can be manufactured relatively inexpensively.

Since the present invention can apply a soft landing by applying braking to an object falling at a high speed at a relatively short distance as described above,
It can be suitably used for microgravity experiment equipment and drop collection during underground storage of nuclear waste.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a method of braking a falling object according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a main part of a gas braking device, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control system of the gas braking device. , FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a vacuum barrier portion provided in the vacuum chamber,
FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an example of a braking piston, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a braking method according to the second embodiment. 1 ... Vacuum tank, 2 ... Braking tank, 3 ... Falling object, 4 ...
Vacuum barrier, 5 ... Braking piston, 6 ... Position detection sensor, 7 ... Pressure sensor, 8 ... Automatic flow rate control device, 9
...... O-ring, 10 ...... tightener, 11 ...... engagement part, 15 …… buffer material, 16 …… fixing device, 17 …… high pressure gas jet, 18 ……
High-pressure gas cylinder (compressed gas).

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shinyasu Matsunaka 5-6-4 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Mitsui Engineering & Ships Co., Ltd. (72) Hidehiro Nishizawa 5-6-4 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Mitsui Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tomio Tamura 3-10-1 Iwamotocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tatsuo Ito 3-10-1 Iwamoto-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd. (56) Reference JP 62-187700 (JP, A) JP 62-248000 (JP, A) JP 63-266232 (JP, A) U.S. Pat. A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vacuum chamber provided with a vacuum barrier which can be broken by a falling object below, and a gas chamber below the vacuum chamber, wherein the falling object is braked by providing a gas cushioning action in the gas chamber. A method of braking a falling object characterized by.