Research on compression-rod lock–release mechanism with large load for space manipulator

With the development of Chinese space station, the space manipulator with large load plays a more and more important role. At the same time, the lock–release mechanism for the space manipulator must be reliable. In this study, the locking point layout method was proposed according to the size and the structure of the space manipulator, and the number and the position of the lock–release mechanism were determined. The design of lock–release mechanism including compression rod for large load lock–release was presented. By the established finite element models of lock–release mechanism and space manipulator, the locking stiffness and reliability was verified. A test prototype of the lock–release mechanism was developed. Through the stiffness measured in each direction, the accuracy of the stiffness and the strength were tested. At last, a space arm vibration test under lock status was carried out. The results show that the lock–release mechanism can meet the design specifications.