CORING ASSEMBLY FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL DRILLING AND PREPARATION METHOD THEREOF

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to the Chinese Patent Application No. 202411730109.0, filed on Nov. 29, 2024, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a field of celestial body detection equipment, and in particular, to a coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling and a preparation method of the coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling.

BACKGROUND

Extraterrestrial detection and sampling typically refer to a process of collecting samples from other celestial bodies, such as planets, moons, asteroids, etc., using space probes or landers. These samples are of great significance for scientific research because they can provide information about the composition, history, environmental conditions, and potential for life of the celestial bodies.

However, shortcomings remain in the prior art. For example, Chinese Patent No. CN201822251830.8 discloses a sampling device for extraterrestrial celestial bodies. A bottom of a satellite main body is provided with support legs, a telescopic grabbing device, and a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm. The support legs are evenly distributed circumferentially. An upper end of the multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm is connected to the bottom of the satellite main body, and a lower end of the multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm is connected to a diamond chain saw for cutting samples from the extraterrestrial celestial bodies. The telescopic grabbing device is retractably mounted on the satellite main body. An upper end of the telescopic grabbing device is connected to a power source installed within the satellite main body and is driven to telescopically move by the power source. A lower end of the telescopic grabbing device is provided with a capture claw for collecting samples. The capture claw is extremely unstable during a coring operation, which can easily lead to sample loss.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling and a preparation method thereof, to solve the problems raised in the background.

To achieve the above objective, the present disclosure provides a coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling. The coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling includes: a limit locking mechanism, a flexible coring rotary body, a variable-diameter cone, an equal-tension bundled rope, and an end cap. One end of the flexible coring rotary body is connected to the limit locking mechanism, and the other end of the flexible coring rotary body is connected to one end of the variable-diameter cone. The flexible coring rotary body and the variable-diameter cone form a flexible coring structure. A storage structure is connected within the variable-diameter cone, and the other end of the variable-diameter cone is connected to the end cap via the equal-tension bundled rope. The limit locking mechanism includes: a limit cylinder, two breakaway cables, a locking ring spring, and a carbon fiber rope. A side wall of the one end of the flexible coring rotary body is connected to one side of the locking ring spring, and the other side of the locking ring spring is slidably connected to an inner wall of the limit cylinder. One end of the locking ring spring is connected to one end of one of the two breakaway cables via the carbon fiber rope, and one end of the other of the two breakaway cables is connected to the other end of the locking ring spring. The inner wall of the limit cylinder is connected to the one end of the flexible coring rotary body to guide flipping of the flexible coring rotary body and to provide structural reinforcement to the flexible coring rotary body. The limit cylinder and the flexible coring rotary body are made of a same material. The other end of each of the two breakaway cables extends beyond a side wall of the limit cylinder. The limit cylinder is made of a hollow fabric. The flexible coring rotary body and the variable-diameter cone are each a hollow fabric woven using a shuttleless loom or a shuttle loom. A diameter of one end of the variable-diameter cone is 25 mm, and a diameter of the other end of the variable-diameter cone is 15 mm A warp yarn of the hollow fabric is composed of one or two of an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, an aramid fiber, a PBO fiber, a PBOH fiber, a PIPD fiber, an aramid ester fiber, or a polyimide fiber, which are modified for resistance to space irradiation. A weft yarn of the hollow fabric is composed of one or two of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, the aramid fiber, the PBO fiber, the PBOH fiber, the PIPD fiber, the aramid ester fiber, the polyimide fiber, a metal fiber, a ceramic fiber, or a glass fiber, which are modified for resistance to space irradiation. The storage structure within the variable-diameter cone contacts a surface of a celestial body and is inserted into and engaged with the surface of the celestial body. The storage structure includes a plurality of partition plates made of the hollow fabric. Side walls of the plurality of partition plates are connected to an inner wall of a cavity of the variable-diameter cone to divide the cavity into eight equal parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a main structure of a coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection relationship between a locking ring spring and a flexible coring rotary body according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an axial view illustrating a variable-diameter cone according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary flowchart of a preparation method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

In drawings: 1000, coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling; 100, limit locking mechanism; 110, locking ring spring; 120, breakaway cable; 130, limit cylinder; 140, carbon fiber rope; 200, flexible coring rotary body; 300, variable-diameter cone; 310, storage structure; 311, partition plate; 320, cavity; 400, equal-tension bundled rope; 500, end cap; 600, flexible coring structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are merely for illustrating and explaining the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a main structure of a coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection relationship between a locking ring spring and a flexible coring rotary body according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an axial view illustrating a variable-diameter cone according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the present disclosure provides a coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling 1000. The coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling 1000 includes: a limit locking mechanism 100, a flexible coring rotary body 200, a variable-diameter cone 300, an equal-tension bundled rope 400, and an end cap 500. One end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is connected to the limit locking mechanism 100. The other end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is connected to one end of the variable-diameter cone 300. The flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 form a flexible coring structure 600. A storage structure 310 is connected within the variable-diameter cone 300. The other end of the variable-diameter cone 300 is connected to the end cap 500 via the equal-tension bundled rope 400.

The limit locking mechanism 100 includes: a limit cylinder 130, two breakaway cables 120, a locking ring spring 110, and a carbon fiber rope 140. A side wall of the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is connected to one side of the locking ring spring 110. The other side of the locking ring spring 110 is slidably connected to an inner wall of the limit cylinder 130. One end of the locking ring spring 110 is connected to one end of one of the two breakaway cables 120 via the carbon fiber rope 140. One end of the other of the two breakaway cables 120 is connected to the other end of the locking ring spring 110. The inner wall of the limit cylinder 130 is connected to one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 to guide flipping of the flexible coring rotary body 200 and to provide structural reinforcement to the flexible coring rotary body 200. The limit cylinder 130 and the flexible coring rotary body 200 are made of a same material. The other end of each of the two breakaway cables 120 extends outside a side wall of the limit cylinder 130.

The limit cylinder 130 is made of a hollow fabric. The flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 are each a hollow fabric woven using a shuttleless loom or a shuttle loom. A diameter of the one end of the variable-diameter cone 300 (as indicated by arrow L1 in FIG. 3) is 25 mm. A diameter of the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300 (as indicated by arrow L2 in FIG. 3) is 15 mm.

A warp yarn of the hollow fabric is composed of one or two of an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, an aramid fiber, a PBO fiber, a PBOH fiber, a PIPD fiber, an aramid ester fiber, and a polyimide fiber, which are modified for resistance to space irradiation. A weft yarn of the hollow fabric is composed of one or two of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, the aramid fiber, the PBO fiber, the PBOH fiber, PIPD fiber, the aramid ester fiber, the polyimide fiber, a metal fiber, a ceramic fiber, and a glass fiber, which are modified for resistance to space irradiation.

The storage structure 310 within the variable-diameter cone 300 contacts a surface of a celestial body and is inserted into and engaged with the surface of the celestial body. The storage structure 310 includes a plurality of partition plates 311 made of the hollow fabric. Side walls of the plurality of partition plates 311 are connected to an inner wall of a cavity 320 of the variable-diameter cone 300 to divide the cavity 320 into eight equal parts.

The coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling 1000 is an apparatus for drilling, collecting, and storing a sample from the surface of a celestial body other than Earth (e.g., the Moon, Mars, asteroids, etc.). The sample refers to soil or rock of the celestial body. A process for sample collection of the coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling 1000 may be referred to as ‘coring’.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling 1000 includes: the limit locking mechanism 100, the flexible coring rotary body 200, the variable-diameter cone 300, the equal-tension bundled rope 400, and the end cap 500. The one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is connected to the limit locking mechanism 100. The other end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is connected to the one end of the variable-diameter cone 300. The flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 form the flexible coring structure 600. The storage structure 310 is connected within the variable-diameter cone 300. The other end of the variable-diameter cone 300 is connected to the end cap 500 via the equal-tension bundled rope 400.

The flexible coring rotary body 200 refers to a flexible tubular structure capable of performing an inside-out and outside-in flipping movement. For example, the flexible coring rotary body 200 is in a hollow cylindrical shape in a natural state. Under an external force, the flexible coring rotary body 200 may perform the inside-out and outside-in flipping movement relative to the limit locking mechanism 100.

The inside-out flipping refers to a tube wall of the flexible coring rotary body 200 curling outward. For example, the tube wall of the flexible coring rotary body 200 curls away from a central axis itself. The outside-in flipping refers to the tube wall of the flexible coring rotary body 200 curling inward. For example, the tube wall of the flexible coring rotary body 200 curls toward the central axis of the flexible coring rotary body 200. By controlling the flexible coring rotary body 200 to perform the flipping movement, collection, wrapping, transportation, and release of the sample can be achieved. More descriptions regarding the flexible coring rotary body 200 performing the flipping movement may be found in the related descriptions below.

The one end and the other end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 are two ends in a direction of the central axis of the flexible coring rotary body 200. The central axis of the flexible coring rotary body 200 may be represented by the dashed line O in FIG. 1.

In some embodiments, the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is connected to the limit locking mechanism 100 via bonding, stitching, or the like. More descriptions regarding the connection between the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the limit locking mechanism 100 may be found in the related descriptions below.

The variable-diameter cone 300 refers to a conical tubular member whose radial dimension or cross-sectional area continuously changes along its axis. For example, the variable-diameter cone 300 is a tubular member in a shape of a truncated cone. The one end of the variable-diameter cone 300 is connected to the flexible coring rotary body 200. The other end of the variable-diameter cone 300 is connected to the equal-tension bundled rope 400. In the axial direction of the variable-diameter cone 300 from the one end to the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300, the diameter of the variable-diameter cone 300 uniformly decreases.

The one end and the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300 are two ends of the variable-diameter cone 300 in the axial direction of the variable-diameter cone 300. The axial direction of the variable-diameter cone 300 is the same as or parallel to the axial direction of the flexible coring rotary body 200. The one end of the variable-diameter cone 300 has the largest diameter and is connected to the flexible coring rotary body 200. The other end of the variable-diameter cone 300 has the smallest diameter and is connected to the end cap 500 through the equal-tension bundled rope 400.

In some embodiments, the other end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the one end of the variable-diameter cone 300 are integrally woven. For example, the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 are each the hollow fabric woven using the shuttleless loom or the shuttle loom. The shuttleless loom or the shuttle loom uses the warp yarn and the weft yarn to weave the one end of the variable-diameter cone 300 and continues to weave the flexible coring rotary body 200 without interruption.

The flexible coring structure 600 refers to a flexible tubular container, capable of inside-out and outside-in flipping, formed by connecting the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 through an integral weaving process. The flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 are each the hollow structure. When the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 are connected to form the flexible coring structure 600, the variable-diameter cone 300 may follow the flexible coring rotary body 200 to perform the flipping movement. The flexible coring rotary body 200 is in fluid communication the variable-diameter cone 300 to accommodate the sample.

The storage structure 310 refers to a partition device installed within the variable-diameter cone 300. The storage structure 310 is configured to collect and store the sample and to provide structural reinforcement to the variable-diameter cone 300.

In some embodiments, the storage structure 310 is connected within the variable-diameter cone 300 by integral forming (e.g., integral weaving), bonding, hot-press fusion, or stitching, etc. For example, the shuttleless loom or the shuttle loom (hereinafter referred to as the loom) uses the warp yarn and the weft yarn to weave the storage structure 310, followed by continuous weaving of the variable-diameter cone 300.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the storage structure 310 specifically includes the plurality of partition plates 311 made of the hollow fabric. The side walls of the plurality of partition plates 311 are connected to an inner wall of the cavity 320 of the variable-diameter cone 500 to divide the cavity 320 into eight equal parts. The partition plate 311 refers to a sheet-like partition structure made of the hollow fabric and fixed within the cavity 320 of the variable-diameter cone 300.

The cavity 320 of the variable-diameter cone 300 refers to a conical hollow cavity within the variable-diameter cone 300. For example, the cavity 320 of the variable-diameter cone 300 is a hollow cavity formed when weaving the variable-diameter cone 300.

In some embodiments, the side walls of the plurality of partition plates 311 may be connected to the inner wall of the cavity 320 of the variable-diameter cone 300 by integral forming (e.g., integral weaving), bonding, hot-press fusion, or stitching. For example, taking integral weaving as an example, the loom first weaves the plurality of partition plates 311, followed by continuous weaving of a tube wall of the variable-diameter cone 300. During the process of weaving the tube wall of the variable-diameter cone 300, the loom changes a yarn direction at edges of the partition plates 311. The yarn originally forming the edges of the partition plates 311 also serve as a yarn for weaving the tube wall of the variable-diameter cone 300.

Dividing into eight equal parts refers that the plurality of partition plates 311 divide the cavity 320 of the variable-diameter cone 300 into eight chambers of substantially identical size and shape. Merely by way of example, as shown in FIG. 3, a count of the plurality of partition plates 311 is eight. The eight partition plates 311 are uniformly distributed in the cavity 320 of the variable-diameter cone 300 at 45-degree intervals, dividing the cavity 320 of the variable-diameter cone 300 into eight identical sub-cavities.

Dividing the cavity 320 into eight equal parts by the plurality of partition plates 311 not only facilitates the collection and storage of the sample but also enhances structural strength of the variable-diameter cone 300. Furthermore, the uniformly distributed partition plates 311 can also significantly improve the tensile strength of the variable-diameter cone 300, particularly the mechanical properties and stability at 350° C., thereby enhancing reliability of the flexible coring structure 600.

The term “Inserted into and engaged with” refers to a manner that utilizes complementary geometries between components to achieve positioning and connection. For example, the plurality of partition plates 311 of the storage structure 310 are first inserted into the soil or rock crevices on the surface of the celestial body, and positioning is achieved by mutual embedding, thereby causing the storage structure 310 to be inserted into and engaged with the surface of the celestial body. Through this arrangement, the head of the sample can be preliminarily grasped before the coring, which prevents the sample from detaching during the subsequent coring process.

The surface of the celestial body refers to a ground surface of an extraterrestrial body to be sampled, e.g., a ground surface of Mars or the Moon.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 are each the hollow fabric woven using the shuttleless loom or the shuttle loom. The diameter of the one end of the variable-diameter cone 300 (as indicated by arrow L1 in FIG. 3) is 25 mm, and the diameter of the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300 (as indicated by arrow L2 in FIG. 3) is 15 mm.

The diameter of the one end of the variable-diameter cone 300 is 25 mm, and the diameter of the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300 is 15 mm. This size difference design can enhance the clamping effect of the flexible coring structure on the sample. Furthermore, the variable-diameter cone 300 and the flexible coring rotary body 200 engaged with each other to wrap the sample in a slip-free and in-situ manner. Slip-free refers that during the process of the flexible coring structure 600 wrapping the sample, there is substantially no relative sliding between different layers of the sample, or between the sample and an inner wall of the flexible coring structure 600. In-situ refers that the wrapped sample maintains its original orientation, structure, and stratification as present in extraterrestrial soil. More descriptions regarding wrapping the sample in slip-free and in-situ manner may be found in the related descriptions below.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the warp yarn of the hollow fabric is composed of one or two of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, the aramid fiber, the PBO fiber, the PBOH fiber, the PIPD fiber, the aramid ester fiber, or the polyimide fiber, which are modified for resistance to space irradiation. The term “modified for resistance to space irradiation” refers that the material is subjected to a series of special treatments to resist or mitigate damage caused by high-intensity radiation in the space environment. In some embodiments, the series of special treatments may include chemical modification (e.g., copolymerization, grafting, etc.), physical modification (e.g., surface coating, nanocomposite, etc.), process optimization, etc. For example, the fiber used in the warp yarn and weft yarn of the hollow fabric is composited or copolymerized with Nano-oxides to improve the retention rate of the mechanical properties and structural stability of the fiber under high-energy particle irradiation.

The weft yarn of the hollow fabric is composed of one or two of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, the aramid fiber, the PBO fiber, the PBOH fiber, the PIPD fiber, the aramid ester fiber, the polyimide fiber, the metal fiber, the ceramic fiber, or the glass fiber, which are modified for resistance to space irradiation.

The hollow fabric is a woven fabric composed of the warp yarn and the weft yarn, and therefore has advantages of high strength, light weight, simple structure, high adjustability, and ease handling. The advantages of the hollow fabric have extremely high application value to produce the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300. Since the warp yarn and the weft yarn are made of the material, which are modified for resistance to space irradiation, radiation protection capability of the sample after collection is further improved.

A range of materials selectable for the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 in the embodiments of the present disclosure is extremely wide, thereby reducing difficulty of structural manufacturing and facilitating mass and rapid production of the structure. Since the flexible coring rotary body 200 is a soft structure made of the above materials, the flexible coring rotary body 200 has excellent flexible self-adaptive tensioning capability over an ultra-long span. When the sample is collected, the flexible coring rotary body 200 has a precise spiral winding function to effectively protect an overall structure of the sample. This effectively protects originality of the sample even immediately after transport and under a limited technical condition of a recovery site, while also ensuring authenticity of sample research to obtain the most accurate data.

The equal-tension bundled rope 400 refers to a rope formed by weaving and braiding a plurality of fibers under equal tension. The equal-tension bundled rope 400 is connected to the end cap 500 and the variable-diameter cone 300. When a power output device pulls or pushes the end cap 500 to move, the end cap 500 transmits force evenly to the variable-diameter cone 300 and the flexible coring rotary body 200 via the equal-tension bundled rope 400, driving the flexible coring structure 600 to perform flipping. A movement direction of the end cap 500 may be represented by arrow X in FIG. 1.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the equal-tension bundled rope 400 is composed of a rope formed by hollow coating of 100-500 warp yarns under equal tension. In some embodiments, the equal-tension bundled rope 400 is composed of a rope formed by hollow coating of 150-450 warp yarns under equal tension. In some embodiments, the equal-tension bundled rope 400 is composed of a rope formed by hollow coating of 200-400 warp yarns under equal tension.

In some embodiments, the equal-tension bundled rope 400 is woven using a 12-spindle helical interlacing braiding method. For example, the equal-tension bundled rope 400 includes a core layer and a sheath layer wrapping around the core layer. The core layer is composed of 100-500 warp yarns bundled under equal tension, and the sheath layer is woven using the 12-spindle helical interlacing braiding method.

The 12-spindle helical interlacing braiding method is a specialized textile technique, typically employed in manufacturing products with high strength and high durability. This weaving method interweaves twelve independent warp yarns in a helical pattern to produce a tight and stable equal-tension bundled rope 400.

A count of the warp yarns used for the equal-tension bundled rope 400 may be determined based on actual circumstances. In some embodiments, the warp yarn used for the equal-tension bundled rope 400 is composed of one or two of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, the aramid fiber, the PBO fiber, the PBOH fiber, the PIPD fiber, the aramid ester fiber, and the polyimide fiber, which are modified for resistance to space irradiation.

An overall bundling tension of the equal-tension bundled rope 400 reaches a range of 5 N to 30 N, greatly increasing structural strength, providing excellent lifting and winding capabilities, and being beneficial for force transmission.

The end cap 500 refers to a power input interface of the coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling 1000. The end cap 500 is configured to transmit a driving force output by the external power output device to components such as the equal-tension bundled rope 400 and the flexible coring structure 600, driving the flexible coring structure 600 to perform the flipping for sample collection, wrapping, and release. For example, the end cap 500 is a cylindrical rigid structure. One end of the end cap 500 is fixed to the equal-tension bundled rope 400. The other end of the end cap 500 is provided with an interface (e.g., a ball head or a flange) connected to the external power output device. In some embodiments, the power output device includes a linear motor, a cylinder, an electric cylinder, or the like.

In some embodiments, the end cap 500 is printed on the equal-tension bundled rope 400 by 3D printing technology. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a material of the end cap 500 is specifically a cured resin.

The end cap 500 is formed by 3D printing using the cured resin, thereby reducing connection difficulty between the end cap 500 and the power output device. This design effectively transmits the force applied to the end cap 500 to the flexible coring structure 600, thereby driving the flexible coring structure 600 to perform the inside-out flipping or outside-in flipping. This design also reduces vibration coupling, thereby improving overall reliability.

In some embodiments, the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300 is integrally woven with the equal-tension bundled rope 400. The end cap 500 is arranged on the equal-tension bundled rope 400 by 3D printing. For example, after the loom finishes weaving the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300, the weaving process is not interrupted, and the warp yarn and the weft yarn are used to weave the equal-tension bundled rope 400. The end cap 500 is formed by directly printing a molten or uncured cured resin onto a woven equal-tension bundled rope 400 using 3D printing technology.

The limit locking mechanism 100 refers to a structural assembly for controlling an opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 to be locked and opened. During a coring operation, the limit locking mechanism 100 is controlled to open the opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200, so that the sample enters an interior of the flexible coring structure 600. After the coring is completed, the limit locking mechanism 100 is controlled to lock the opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200, thereby sealing the sample in the flexible coring structure 600 and facilitating transportation and storage of the sample. When releasing the sample, the limit locking mechanism 100 is controlled again to open the opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the limit locking mechanism 100 includes: the limit cylinder 130, the two breakaway cable 120, the locking ring spring 110, and the carbon fiber rope 140. The side wall of the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is connected to the one side of the locking ring spring 110. The other side of the locking ring spring 110 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the limit cylinder 130. The one end of the locking ring spring 110 is connected to the one end of one of the two breakaway cables 120 via the carbon fiber rope 140. The one end of the other of the two breakaway cables 120 is connected to the other end of the locking ring spring 110. The inner wall of the limit cylinder 130 is connected to the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200.

The other end of each of the two breakaway cables 120 extends beyond the side wall of the limit cylinder 130.

The limit cylinder 130 is specifically made of the hollow fabric.

The locking ring spring 110 refers to a spring arranged in a ring shape on an outer surface of the side wall at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200. For example, the locking ring spring 110 is arranged in a spiral shape around the outer surface of the side wall at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200. As another example, the locking ring spring 110 is arranged in a “C” shape around the outer surface of the side wall at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200.

The locking ring spring 110 may lock and open the opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 by its own contraction and expansion. During the coring operation, the locking ring spring 110 is in a natural state, the opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is open, and the flexible coring rotary body 200 may flip under an external force. After the coring is completed, the two breakaway cables 120 pull the two ends of the locking ring spring 110. The locking ring spring 110 is contracted and squeezes the flexible coring rotary body 200, thereby tightening the opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200. The opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is locked. When releasing the sample, the pulling force applied to the locking ring spring 110 is removed. The locking ring spring 110 expands under its own elastic force, and the opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is opened again.

It should be noted that “contraction” and “expansion” in this embodiment refer to the overall contraction and expansion of the ring structure formed by the locking ring spring 110. For example, if an overall radial dimension of the ring structure becomes decreases, the locking ring spring 110 is contracted. If the overall radial dimension of the ring structure increases, the locking ring spring 110 expands.

The one end and the other end of the locking ring spring 110 refer to two ends of the locking ring spring 110. For example, the locking ring spring 110 is a helical structure, and the two ends are a start point and an end point of the helical structure, respectively.

The one side of the locking ring spring 110 refers to a side surface of the locking ring spring 110 that contacts the outer surface of the side wall of the flexible coring rotary body 200 and applies a locking force. Due to the helical structure of the locking ring spring 110, the contact takes the form of a series of point contacts distributed along a helical path, rather than a complete surface contact.

The other side of the locking ring spring 110 refers to a side surface of the locking ring spring 110 that contacts and slides against the inner wall of the limit cylinder 130. The other side of the locking ring spring 110 may be referred to as an outer side of the locking ring spring 110. The one side of the locking ring spring 110 may be referred to as an inner side of the locking ring spring 110.

In some embodiments, the one side of the locking ring spring 110 is stitched to the side wall of the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200. For example, a high-strength thread is used to directly stitch the fabric of the flexible coring rotary body 200 to the inner side of the locking ring spring 110.

The breakaway cable 120 refers to a cable that can break at a fixed point and within a fixed force value range. The breakaway cable 120 is used to connect an external driving mechanism (e.g., a motor) and the locking ring spring 110 (e.g., the breakaway cable 120 may be connected to the locking ring spring 110 via the carbon fiber rope 140 or directly). The external driving mechanism tightens or releases the breakaway cable 120, causing the locking ring spring 110 to contract or expand, thereby locking or opening the opening of the flexible coring rotary body 200.

The one end and the other end of the breakaway cable 120 are two ends of the breakaway cable 120. The other end of the breakaway cable 120 is an end not connected to the carbon fiber rope 140 or the locking ring spring 110, and may also be referred to as a free end of the breakaway cable 120.

The limit cylinder 130 refers to a cylindrical member sleeved over the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200. For example, the limit cylinder 130 is a hollow cylinder. The limit cylinder 130 is used to connect the limit locking mechanism 100 to the flexible coring rotary body 200.

The inner wall of the limit cylinder 130 refers to an inner surface of the side wall of the limit cylinder 130, i.e., a surface of the side wall of the limit cylinder 130 facing the flexible coring rotary body 200. In some embodiments, the inner wall of the limit cylinder 130 is stitched to the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200. For example, an end of the limit cylinder 130 away from the variable-diameter cone 300 is stitched to the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 via a high-strength fiber thread. A stitching region between the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the limit cylinder 130 is an annular region surrounding the flexible coring rotary body 200.

In some embodiments, a gap exists between the side wall of the limit cylinder 130 and the side wall of the flexible coring rotary body 200. The gap is configured to allow the outer side of the locking ring spring 110 to maintain contact with the inner wall of the limit cylinder 130, and to allow the locking ring spring 110 to slide relative to the limit cylinder 130 in an axis direction of the limit cylinder 130. When the two breakaway cables 120 pull the locking ring spring 110, the locking ring spring 110 tends to expand outward (i.e., the Poisson effect). The limit cylinder 130 forces the elastic force of the locking ring spring 110 to be transmitted to the flexible coring rotary body 200, thereby tightening the flexible coring rotary body 200. In addition, under the pulling of the two breakaway cables 120, the locking ring spring 110 may move in the axis direction of the limit cylinder 130. The side wall of the limit cylinder 130 serves as a precise guide rail, ensuring that the flexible coring rotary body 200 does not tilt or deflect.

In some embodiments, the free end of the breakaway cable 120 may pass through a hole or channel provided on the side wall of the limit cylinder 130 and extends to an external space of the limit cylinder 130, thereby providing a force application point for the external driving mechanism. The hole or channel on the side wall of the limit cylinder 130 provides precise guidance for the breakaway cable 120, ensuring that the pulling force is transmitted along a predetermined path and preventing the breakaway cable 120 from tangling or jamming inside the limit cylinder 130.

The limit cylinder 130 is made of the hollow fabric. In some embodiments, a warp yarn of the hollow fabric for making the limit cylinder 130 is composed of one or two of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, the aramid fiber, the PBO fiber, the PBOH fiber, the PIPD fiber, the aramid ester fiber, and the polyimide fiber, which are modified for resistance to space irradiation. A weft yarn of the hollow fabric for making the limit cylinder 130 is composed of one or two of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber, the aramid fiber, the PBO fiber, the PBOH fiber, the PIPD fiber, the aramid ester fiber, the polyimide fiber, the metal fiber, the ceramic fiber, and the glass fiber, which are modified for resistance to space irradiation.

In some embodiments, the limit cylinder 130 has high mechanical strength. For example, a tensile strength of the limit cylinder 130 is greater than or equal to 1.2 Gpa. In some embodiments, a wall thickness of the limit cylinder 130 is less than or equal to 0.23 mm. Due to its high mechanical strength and thin side wall, in other embodiments of the present disclosure, the limit cylinder 130 may also be referred to as a high-strength ultra-thin limit cylinder.

The flipping process of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is as follows. First, when the power output device pushes the end cap 500, the end cap 500 drives the variable-diameter cone 300 and the flexible coring rotary body 200, via the equal-tension bundled rope 400, to move toward an end of the limit cylinder 130 away from the end cap 500 (which may be referred to as the tail end of the limit cylinder 130, as shown in FIG. 1). The one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 is connected to the limit cylinder 130. Under an axial thrust, the flexible coring rotary body 200 continuously undergoes bending deformation and curls outward. As the power output device continues to push, both the variable-diameter cone 300 and the flexible coring rotary body 200 perform the inside-out flipping, exposing the storage structure 310 so that the storage structure 310 may be inserted into and engaged with the extraterrestrial soil to collect the sample. The movement direction of the variable-diameter cone 300 and the flexible coring rotary body 200 may be represented by arrow X in FIG. 1.

Correspondingly, when the power output device pulls the end cap 500, the end cap 500 and the equal-tension bundled rope 400 pull the variable-diameter cone 300 and the flexible coring rotary body 200 to move toward an end of the limit cylinder 130 close to the end cap 500 (which may be referred to as the head end of the limit cylinder 130, as shown in FIG. 1). Under an axial thrust, the flexible coring rotary body 200 continuously undergoes bending deformation and curls inward. The storage structure 310 and the collected sample are stored into the flexible coring structure 600 until the flexible coring rotary body 200 substantially returns to the cylindrical shape.

Flipping guidance: the stitching region between the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the limit cylinder 130 becomes a fixed hinge point or flipping pivot point, preventing irregular twisting or drifting of the flexible coring rotary body 200 during flipping. In addition, during the flipping process of the flexible coring rotary body 200, the flexible coring rotary body 200 slides and curls along a surface of the inner wall of the limit cylinder. The inner wall of the limit cylinder 130 may serve as a guide rail for the movement of the flexible coring rotary body 200, guiding the flexible coring rotary body 200 to flip smoothly in a predetermined axis direction and preventing the flexible coring rotary body 200 from deviating from the centerline or undergoing unstable buckling.

Structural reinforcement: when the locking ring spring 110 is locked, it generates radial pressure on the flexible coring rotary body 200. When the equal-tension bundled rope 400 pushes and pulls the entire structure, it generates the axial tension force. The limit cylinder 130 may prevent a port of the flexible coring rotary body 200 from being torn or undergoing excessive deformation. The axial tension force is a tension force in the direction indicated by arrow X in FIG. 1.

The carbon fiber rope 140 is used to connect the breakaway cable 120 and the locking ring spring 110. The carbon fiber rope 140 is a flexible structure, which can better adapt to the complex motion path of the locking ring spring 110 sliding inside the limit cylinder 130. In addition, a flexible carbon fiber rope 140 may better distribute and buffer stress, avoiding stress concentration at connection points between components.

In some embodiments, the one end of the locking ring spring 110 is connected to the one of the two breakaway cables 120 via the carbon fiber rope 140, and the other end of the locking ring spring 110 is directly connected to the other of the two breakaway cables 120.

In some embodiments, the one end of the locking ring spring 110 is provided with a through hole. The one end of the carbon fiber rope 140 passes through the through hole and is fixed to the through hole by knotting, molding, or the like.

In some embodiments, the carbon fiber rope 140 is connected to the two breakaway cable 120 using a sleeve crimping manner, a resin molding manner, a woven splicing manner, or the like. For example, taking the resin molding manner as an example, the other end of the carbon fiber rope 140 (i.e., an end of the carbon fiber rope 140 away from the locking ring spring 110) and the one end of the one of the two breakaway cables 120 are placed into a specific mold, and the cured resin is injected to form a resin connection head.

In some embodiments, the locking ring spring 110 is connected to the two breakaway cable 120 using the sleeve crimping manner, the resin molding manner, riveting, or the like.

In other embodiments, two ends of the locking ring spring 110 are connected to the two breakaway cables 120 respectively via the carbon fiber ropes 140.

The working principle of the limit locking mechanism 100 includes: after structural coring is completed, the external driving mechanism simultaneously pulls the other ends of the two breakaway cables 120, or holds the other end of one of the two breakaway cables 120 fixed and pulls the other end of the other of the two breakaway cables 120. The one of the two breakaway cables 120 drives the carbon fiber rope 140 to move. The carbon fiber rope 140 is cooperate with the other of the two breakaway cables 120 to drive the two ends of the locking ring spring 110 to move closer to each other, thereby achieving sealing of the flexible coring rotary body 200. When the sealing of the flexible coring rotary body 200 needs to be released, the two breakaway cables 120 need only be released.

It should be noted that when the pulling force on the breakaway cable 120 is too large, a certain point of the breakaway cable 120 may break. This prevents the locking ring spring 110 from excessively tightening the flexible coring rotary body 200, thereby preventing damage to the flexible coring rotary body 200 or the sample. In some embodiments, the locking ring spring 110 is configured such that when the breakaway cable 120 breaks, the locking ring spring 110 may maintain its current state. For example, the locking ring spring 110 is designed such that when the breakaway cable 120 breaks, the contraction amplitude of the locking ring spring 110 exceeds its deformation critical point. The internal stress distribution of the locking ring spring 110 changes. Even if the breakaway cable 120 breaks, the locking ring spring 110 may maintain a contracted state, ensuring that the opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 remains locked. In some embodiments, after the breakaway cable 120 breaks, the two ends of the locking ring spring 110 may be directly pulled (e.g., via the external driving mechanism connected to the locking ring spring 110) to open the opening of the flexible coring rotary body 200.

The breakaway cable 120 in this embodiment can replace existing pyrotechnic breaking technology and has higher stability during the coring process. During operation of the coring assembly, no severe vibration is generated, thereby providing excellent protection for precision devices around the coring assembly. The material of the limit cylinder 130 is the same as the material of the flexible coring rotary body 200, so that the limit cylinder 130 may not only provide guidance when the flexible coring rotary body 200 flips, but also reduce the friction during the movement of the flexible coring rotary body 200. In addition, the limit cylinder 130 also provides a structural reinforcement effect to the flexible coring rotary body 200, thereby protecting the flexible coring rotary body 200.

The working principle of the coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling 1000 provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure is as follows.

When performing the coring operation, the end cap 500 drives the equal-tension bundled rope 400, the variable-diameter cone 300, the storage structure 310, and the flexible coring rotary body 200 to move toward the tail end of the limit cylinder 130. Under the constraint of the limit cylinder 130, the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 perform the inside-out flipping, exposing the storage structure 310. When the storage structure 310 inside the variable-diameter cone 300 contacts the surface of the extraterrestrial body, the storage structure 310 is inserted into and engaged with the surface of the celestial body. Subsequently, the end cap 500 drives the equal-tension bundled rope 400, the variable-diameter cone 300, the storage structure 310, and the flexible coring rotary body 200 to move in a reverse direction, thereby driving the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 to perform the outside-in flipping. The storage structure 310 drives an end of the sample to move synchronously. At this time, the inwardly flipped flexible coring rotary body 200 and variable-diameter cone 300 simultaneously wrap a side of the sample, thereby completing the coring operation. The limit locking mechanism 100 is activated to lock the opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200. After the transportation of the sample is completed, the limit locking mechanism 100 is activated again to open the opening at the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200. Finally, the movement of the end cap 500 drives the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 to perform inside-out flipping, thereby releasing the sample.

By setting the flexible coring rotary body 200, the variable-diameter cone 300, and the storage structure 310 within the variable-diameter cone 300, some embodiments of the present disclosure greatly simplify the structural complexity and ensures a high coring rate of the device. The flexible coring structure 600 may ensure that during the coring operation, sample loss is prevented. Furthermore, the original stratification of the extracted sample is highly preserved. This offers extremely high technical value for scientific research and enables also enables adaptation to various flight states. In addition, during the process of receiving the sample, the side wall of the flexible coring structure 600 performs the outside-in flipping and curls to cover the sample. This mechanism ensures minimal relative sliding between the various layers of the sample, or between the sample and the inner wall of the flexible coring structure 600. Thus, the sample is wrapped and stored inside the flexible coring structure 600 in the slip-free and in-situ manner. Such the wrapping manner can maintain the original stratification of the sample and avoid damage to the sample. By setting the limit locking mechanism 100, the sealing and opening actions for the flexible coring rotary body 200 can be performed, effectively preventing contamination of the sample. The arrangement of the flexible coring rotary body 200 and the variable-diameter cone 300 provides an excellent low vibration coupling effect. When the coring assembly is in the flight state and without adjustments to the flight control system, aerodynamic layout optimization, or modal analysis, it can effectively prevent the occurrence of resonance phenomena.

The present disclosure also provides a preparation method of the coring assembly for extraterrestrial drilling 1000 described above. FIG. 4 is an exemplary flowchart of a preparation method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the preparation method includes the following steps.

The storage structure 310, the variable-diameter cone 300, and the flexible coring rotary body 200 are sequentially woven using warp yarns and weft yarns based on the shuttleless loom or the shuttle loom.

In some embodiments, weaving the storage structure 310, the variable-diameter cone 300, and the flexible coring rotary body 200 sequentially using the warp yarns and the weft yarns based on the shuttleless loom or the shuttle loom includes: determining, by the shuttleless loom or the shuttle loom, the central axis of the variable-diameter cone 300 and positions of the two ends of the variable-diameter cone 300; first weaving the plurality of partition plates 311; then weaving the tube wall of the variable-diameter cone 300 sequentially from the one end toward the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300 in the central axis direction of the variable-diameter cone 300 from edges of the plurality of partition plates 311; and after completing weaving the variable-diameter cone 300, continuously weaving the flexible coring rotary body 200.

After finishing weaving the storage structure 310, the variable-diameter cone 300, and the flexible coring rotary body 200, the equal-tension bundled rope 400 is woven at the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300 using the shuttleless loom or the shuttle loom.

In some embodiments, after completing weaving the flexible coring rotary body 200, the shuttleless loom or the shuttle loom weaves continuously from the one end of the variable-diameter cone 300 towards the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300, and weaves the equal-tension bundled rope 400 starting from the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300.

The equal-tension bundled rope 400 is woven employing the 12-spindle helical interlacing braiding method.

After weaving the equal-tension bundled rope 400, the end cap 500 is printed onto the equal-tension bundled rope 400 using the 3D printer.

In some embodiments, after weaving the equal-tension bundled rope 400, printing the end cap 500 onto the equal-tension bundled rope 400 using the 3D printer includes: using 3D printing technology to print the molten or uncured cured resin onto the woven equal-tension bundled rope 400 to form the end cap 500.

The one side of the locking ring spring 110 is stitched onto the side wall of the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 to complete a preliminary installation of the limit locking mechanism 100.

After completing the preliminary installation of the limit locking mechanism 100, the inner wall of the limit cylinder 130 is stitched to the one end of the flexible coring rotary body 200 to complete preparation of the coring assembly.

By first weaving the storage structure 310 and then weaving the tube wall of the variable-diameter cone 300, it is more conducive to ensuring the structural accuracy of the woven variable-diameter cone 300 and flexible coring rotary body 200. Simultaneously, the woven storage structure 310 can provide the structural reinforcement effect to the tube wall of the variable-diameter cone 300 during its weaving process. Additionally, utilizing the characteristics of the storage structure 310, different tooling can be selected to clamp the preliminarily woven structure. After finishing weaving the flexible coring rotary body 200, the loom weaves from the one end towards the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300, and weaves the equal-tension bundled rope 400 starting from the other end of the variable-diameter cone 300. This improves the continuity of weaving and the connection accuracy between the equal-tension bundled rope 400 and the variable-diameter cone 300. The equal-tension bundled rope 400 is woven using the 12-spindle helical interlacing braiding method, thus endowing the equal-tension bundled rope 400 with high strength, excellent fatigue resistance, and dimensional stability, which ensures precise force transmission.

By using the 3D printer to print the end cap 500 onto the equal-tension bundled rope 400, the liquid resin can penetrate into fiber gaps of the equal-tension bundled rope 400, thereby improving the connection strength. The limit cylinder 130 is connected to the flexible coring rotary body 200 by stitching, which greatly improves the efficiency of structural preparation.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been disclosed as above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the present disclosure and embodiments. They can be fully applied to various fields suitable for the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, additional modifications can be easily implemented. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and their equivalents, the present disclosure is not limited to specific details and the illustrations shown and described herein.