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US 8,132,761 B2Granted
Robust capacitive distance sensor
AssigneeDeutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
InventorsRobin Gruber, Andreas Baumann
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Abstract
The invention refers to a docking device for the docking of a maintenance device to a nozzle of a satellite, including a distance sensor for determining the distance between the maintenance device and the nozzle of the satellite. Further, a locking device is provided for connecting the docking device with the nozzle of the satellite.
Claims26
Docking device for the docking of a maintenance device to a nozzle of a satellite, comprising:
- a distance sensor for determining the distance between the maintenance device and the nozzle of the satellite, and
- a locking device for connecting the docking device with the nozzle of the satellite,
- wherein the distance sensor is designed as a capacitive distance sensor wherein the capacitive distance sensor comprises at least one capacitive sensor module,
- wherein the at least one capacitive sensor module is mounted on the outer side of an annular holding device,
- wherein the annular holding device is designed as an annular truncated cone, and wherein the at least one capacitive sensor module is arranged on the outer side of the shell surface of the annular truncated cone.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.