US-20260125166-A1 - HATCH MECHANISM FOR SPACECRAFT, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

US20260125166A1US 20260125166 A1US20260125166 A1US 20260125166A1US-20260125166-A1

Abstract

A representative hatch system can include a base portion surrounding an opening, a hatch portion movable relative to the base portion between a closed configuration and an open configuration, and a movement mechanism positioned to move the hatch portion relative to the base portion between the closed and open configurations. The movement mechanism can include four arms pivotably attached to the hatch portion and the base portion via four pivot axes. When the hatch portion is in the closed configuration, the axes can be coplanar. The axes can be spaced apart from a sealing plane between the hatch portion and the base portion. The arms can traverse a periphery of the hatch portion. A representative aerospace system can include a hatch system supported in a wall portion of an aerospace vehicle. The movement mechanism can keep the sealing surface of the hatch facing away from an interior of the vehicle.

Inventors

Pedro Henrique Coelho Dias
Noah Thomas Chartier
David Gary Terbovic

Assignees

Blue Origin Manufacturing, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251230

Claims (20)

1 . A hatch system for an aerospace vehicle, the hatch system comprising: a base portion surrounding an opening; a hatch portion, movable relative to the base portion, between a first configuration in which the hatch portion blocks passage through the opening, and a second configuration in which the hatch portion permits access through the opening; and a movement mechanism positioned to move the hatch portion between the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein the movement mechanism comprises: a first arm extending between the base portion and the hatch portion, the first arm connected to the base portion at a base pivot structure at a first first arm end, and to the hatch portion at a hatch pivot structure at a second first arm end; a second arm extending between the base portion and the hatch portion, the second arm connected to the base portion at the base pivot structure at a first second arm end, and to the hatch portion at the hatch pivot structure at a second second arm end; a third arm extending between the base portion and the hatch portion, the third arm connected to the base portion at the base pivot structure at a first third arm end, and to the hatch portion at the hatch pivot structure at a second third arm end; and a fourth arm extending between the base portion and the hatch portion, the fourth arm connected to the base portion at the base pivot structure at a first fourth arm end, and to the hatch portion at the hatch pivot structure at a second fourth arm end; wherein each of the first arm and the second arm are configured to rotate about a first base pivot axis at the base pivot structure and a first hatch pivot axis at the hatch pivot structure; wherein each of the third arm and the fourth arm are configured to rotate about a second base pivot axis at the base pivot structure and a second hatch pivot axis at the hatch pivot structure; and wherein each of the first arm, the second arm, the third arm, and the fourth arm are configured to curve about a portion of a periphery of the hatch portion.
2 . The hatch system of claim 1 , wherein the hatch portion and the base portion meet at a sealing plane when the hatch portion is in the first configuration.
3 . The hatch system of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the hatch portion is configured to pass between the first arm and the second arm while moving between the first configuration and the second configuration.
4 . The hatch system of claim 1 , wherein when the hatch portion is in the first configuration, the first base pivot axis, the second base pivot axis, the first hatch pivot axis, and the second hatch pivot axis are coplanar.
5 . The hatch system of claim 1 , wherein the first arm includes a first bend at the first first arm end and a second bend at the second first arm end.
6 . The hatch system of claim 5 , wherein the first bend extends in a downward direction toward the first base pivot axis and the second bend extends in the downward direction toward the first hatch pivot axis.
7 . The hatch system of claim 1 , wherein the movement mechanism further comprises a damping mechanism positioned between at least one of the hatch portion and the base portion or between at least one of the first arm, the second arm, the third arm, or the fourth arm and the base portion.
8 . The hatch system of claim 7 , wherein the damping mechanism is at least one of a spring or a damping strut.
9 . The hatch system of claim 1 , wherein: the first arm and the second arm are coupled together via a first bar element extending through the base pivot structure; and the third arm and the second arm are coupled together via a second bar element extending through the base pivot structure.
10 . A hatch system for an aerospace vehicle, the hatch system comprising: a base portion surrounding an opening; a hatch portion movable relative to the base portion between a first configuration, in which the hatch portion blocks passage through the opening, and a second configuration, in which the hatch portion permits access through the opening; and a movement mechanism positioned to move the hatch portion relative to the base portion between the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein the movement mechanism comprises two pairs of arms pivotably attached to the hatch portion and the base portion via four pivot axes arranged in a coplanar configuration when the hatch portion is in the first configuration; wherein a first pair of arms of the two pairs of arms are positioned radially outward from a second pair of arms of the two pairs of arms.
11 . The hatch system of claim 10 , wherein the hatch portion engages the base portion at a sealing plane while in the first configuration.
12 . The hatch system of claim 11 , wherein the hatch portion is configured to move along an axis normal to the sealing plane for at least a portion of movement from the first configuration to the second configuration.
13 . The hatch system of claim 10 , wherein each arm of the two pairs of arms includes a first portion that is bent relative to a second portion, and wherein each first portion extends toward, and intersects, a pivot axis of the four pivot axes.
14 . The hatch system to claim 10 , wherein the movement mechanism further comprises a damping mechanism positioned between the hatch portion and the base portion.
15 . The hatch system of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the arms of a first pair of arms are radially outward from at least a portion of the arms of a second pair of arms.
16 . An aerospace vehicle system comprising: a base portion having an opening supported in a wall portion; and a hatch portion movably attached to the base portion or the wall portion via a movement mechanism configured to facilitate movement of the hatch portion between a first configuration in which the hatch portion covers the opening and engages the base portion at a sealing plane, and a second configuration in which the hatch portion is spaced apart from the base portion and the second opening; wherein the movement mechanism comprises: a pair of first arms pivotably attached to the base portion at a first base pivot axis and pivotably attached to the hatch portion at a first hatch pivot axis; and a pair of second arms pivotably attached to the base portion at a second base pivot axis, coplanar to the first base pivot axis, and pivotably attached to the hatch portion at a second hatch pivot axis; and wherein when the hatch portion is in the first configuration the first hatch pivot axis and the second hatch pivot axis are spaced apart from the sealing plane.
17 . The aerospace vehicle system of claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of the arms of a pair of first arms are radially outward from at least a portion of the arms of the pair of second arms.
18 . The aerospace vehicle system of claim 16 , wherein the movement mechanism further comprises a damping mechanism positioned between the hatch portion and the base portion.
19 . The aerospace vehicle system of claim 16 , wherein the wall portion includes a wall portion opening that surrounds at least a portion of at least one of the base portion or the opening.
20 . The aerospace vehicle system of claim 16 , wherein the hatch portion is configured to move along an axis normal to the sealing plane for at least a portion of movement from the first configuration to the second configuration.

Description

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. For example, this is a continuation application that is related to and that claims the benefit of priority from allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/422,975, filed on Jan. 25, 2024, entitled “HATCH MECHANISM FOR SPACECRAFT, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS.” The entire contents of the application is incorporated by reference herein and form a part of this specification for all purposes. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure is directed generally to hatch mechanisms for spacecraft, and associated systems and methods. BACKGROUND Some vehicles, especially spacecraft, require a hatch for facilitating ingress and egress and for providing a seal against the outside environment. Conventional hatch designs include, for example, floating/detachable designs which do not include a hinge, and hatches with fixed hinges on one side that open like a door. Many existing hatch opening and closing mechanisms open in a way that faces the seals and sealing surfaces toward the interior of the vehicle, which increases a risk of damage to the seals and/or sealing surfaces by people or equipment inside the vehicle. Existing hatch opening and closing mechanisms also generally tend to be cumbersome and inefficiently shaped or sized, which is undesirable in many environments, especially in spacecraft. Embodiments of the present technology are directed to addressing these challenges and other challenges. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, wherein the same reference number indicates the same element throughout the views: FIG. 1A illustrates a partially schematic perspective view of a vehicle system having a hatch system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology; FIG. 1B illustrates a partially schematic internal perspective view of part of the vehicle system shown in FIG. 1A, in which the hatch system is closed; FIG. 1C illustrates a partially schematic internal perspective view of part of the vehicle system shown in FIG. 1A, in which the hatch system is open. FIG. 2A illustrates a partially schematic front (e.g., from an interior perspective) view of the hatch system shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, in a closed configuration; FIG. 2B illustrates a partially schematic side view of the hatch system shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, in a closed configuration; FIG. 2C illustrates a partially schematic interior perspective view of the hatch system shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, in a closed configuration; FIG. 3A illustrates a partially schematic side view of the hatch system shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, in a partially open configuration (i.e., between being fully open and fully closed); FIG. 3B illustrates a partially schematic interior perspective view of the hatch system shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, in the partially open configuration shown in FIG. 3A; FIG. 3C illustrates a partially schematic side view of the hatch system shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, in a fully open or at least mostly open configuration; FIG. 4 illustrates a partially schematic side view of a portion of a mechanism for a hatch system, in accordance with embodiments of the present technology; FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a hatch system configured in accordance with additional embodiments of the present technology; and FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate partially schematic side views of portions of a hatch system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments of the technology disclosed herein are directed generally to hatch mechanisms, and associated systems and methods. Hatch mechanisms configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can be implemented in spacecraft, aircraft, boats, submarines, other vehicles, buildings, or other suitable structures or devices. A representative hatch system can include, for example, a base portion surrounding an opening, a hatch portion movable relative to the base portion between a closed configuration in which the hatch portion covers the opening, and an open configuration in which the hatch portion does not fully cover the opening, and a movement mechanism positioned to facilitate moving the hatch portion relative to the base portion between the closed configuration and the open configuration. The movement mechanism can include four arms pivotably attached to the hatch portion and the base portion via four pivot axes. In some embodiments, when the hatch portion is in the closed configuration, the four pivot axes are coplanar. In some embodiments, the pivot axes are spaced apart from a sealing plane between the hatch portion and the base portion. In some embodiments, the arms traverse a periphery of the hatch portion. A representative vehicle system (e.g., an aerospace vehicle system)