Type Synthesis of the Deployable Mechanisms for the Truss Antenna Using the Method of Adding Constraint Chains

In the deployable mechanism for a conventional truss antenna, the nodes cannot be adjusted to be uniform in attitude. To solve this problem, a method of adding constraint chains is proposed based on the reciprocal screw theory. By performing type synthesis of the deployable mechanisms for the truss antenna, a novel deployable mechanism is developed that not only enables complete folding and unfolding but also allows the attitude of the nodes to be made uniform. First, according to the unit division of the antenna reflection surface and the characteristic motions of the nodes, constraint chains that can be added between two adjacent nodes are synthesized based on the reciprocal screw theory. Second, to improve the overall rigidity of the mechanism, a series of basic developable unit mechanisms is obtained by adding virtual constraint chains, again based on the reciprocal screw theory. Next, a method of dividing the minimum combination unit of the curved-surface antenna mechanism is proposed. The design of the minimum combination unit mechanism is optimized, such that the attitude of all nodes in the final folded state can be made consistent. Finally, the feasibility of the optimized minimum combination unit mechanism is verified by simulation analysis. The proposed method for type synthesis provides a new approach to the design of deployable mechanisms for truss antennas, and novel deployable mechanisms for the curved-surface truss antenna with better performance are obtained.