UMBRELLA ANTENNA FOR SPACECRAFT Russian patent published in 2018 - IPC H01Q15/16 

FIELD: astronautics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to space engineering, in particular to mirror antennas with a folding umbrella reflector used in spacecrafts with long life in orbit (not less than 15 years). Claimed umbrella antenna for spacecraft comprises an irradiating system and a reflector including rigid supporting ribs disposed in a working position radially with respect to the central hub and pivotally connected thereto, a radio reflecting surface formed using a net fabric formed in the form of wedges, elastically stretched along their radial boundaries between the ribs, contour cords connected to the wedges and elastically stretched between the ends of the ribs, auxiliary ribs of the same number located in each sector between adjacent supporting ribs, and a mechanism for opening the reflector from the transport (starting) position to the working (orbital) position including an actuator mechanically coupled in the central hub zone with each supporting rib to drive the opening force of the corresponding supporting rib during opening the reflector to the working position, wherein each spring actuator is provided with an elastic member in the form of a cylindrical helical tension spring connected through a lever system and a pulling device to said supporting rib, and the pulling device is made to ensure the tightening of the ribs at the final stage of opening the reflector into the working position - during the necessary working tension of the net fabric and contour cords, wherein the spring actuators in the reflector opening mechanism are duplicated by a common electromechanical linear actuator whose output rod is connected to the lever system of each of the above-mentioned spring actuators of each supporting rib by means of associated flexible rods equal in number to the supporting ribs.

EFFECT: technical result is highly reliable opening of the reflector at the entire opening angle, including in the initial period of its opening, stability of the working form of the radio reflecting surface of the reflector after opening, during and after the impact of operational factors in the process of resource tests.

1 cl, 11 dwg