IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,882,643
Granted Patent B2
US 10,882,643 · App. 15/607,191 · Granted Jan 5, 2021

Capturing plate, on-orbit device and method for capturing

Inventor: Mitsunobu Okada (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Astroscale Japan Inc.
B64G1/646B64G1/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,882,643
App. No.
15/607,191
Granted
Jan 5, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A capturing plate is attached to an on-orbit device, and the capturing plate is attached to a part of the on-orbit device where a capturing device bonds to the on-orbit device in space with a bonding component, including adhesive, of the capturing device. A method for capturing the on-orbit device includes moving the capturing device including the bonding component to the on-orbit device and letting the bonding component of the capturing device adhere to the on-orbit device.

Claims (22)

1. A capturing plate, the capturing plate comprising:

a base;

a surface treated layer disposed on a front side of the base; and

a magnetic layer disposed on a back side of the base,

wherein the capturing plate is included on an on-orbit device, the on-orbit device being configured to be captured by a capturing device, and

wherein the magnetic layer is configured to serve as a guide structure that defines a bonding position of the on-orbit device with the capturing device by a magnetic force and the surface treated layer is configured to permanently bond the on-orbit device to a bonding component including adhesive in the capturing device by an adhesive force of the adhesive, and

wherein the surface treated layer is a metal-oxide coating layer formed by anodic oxidation of aluminum of the base and includes a plurality of holes each having a diameter in a range from 100 nm to 150 nm to facilitate permeation of the adhesive into the plurality of holes.

2. The capturing plate according to claim 1 , wherein the surface-treated layer includes a mark or a color.

3. The capturing plate according to claim 1 , wherein the surface-treated layer is configured to reflect light.

4. The capturing plate according to claim 1 , wherein the capturing plate includes a plurality of divided pieces.

5. The capturing plate according to claim 1 , wherein the capturing plate is attached on a maximum principal axis of inertia of the on-orbit device.

6. The capturing plate according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is silicon adhesive.

7. The capturing plate according to claim 1 , further comprising a protrusion that is disposed on a surface of the capturing plate and configured to guide the capturing device.

8. A capture system, the capture system comprising:

a capturing plate included on an on-orbit device; and

a capture device configured to capture the on-orbit device and including a bonding component, the bonding component including adhesive,

wherein the capturing plate includes:

a base;

a surface treated layer disposed on a front side of the base; and

a magnetic layer disposed on a back side of the base,

wherein the magnetic layer is configured to serve as a guide structure that defines a bonding position of the on-orbit device with the capturing device by a magnetic force and the surface treated layer is configured to permanently bond the on-orbit device to the bonding component of the capturing device by an adhesive force of the adhesive.

9. The capture system according to claim 8 , wherein the surface treated layer is a metal-oxide coating layer formed by anodic oxidation of a material of the base.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2017
From: OKADA, MITSUNOBU
To: ASTROSCALE JAPAN INC.
Reel/Frame 043208/0868 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2016-106545 · May 27, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170341783A1 · Nov 30, 2017
Cited By (3)
US 12,234,043 US 12,391,411 US 12,734,713