An arm folding device for a drone and a drone having the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of drones and discloses an arm folding device for a drone and a drone having the arm folding device, wherein the arm folding device includes a mounting base plate, a reciprocating drive mechanism, a reciprocating seat, and an arm folding mechanism; the reciprocating drive mechanism is arranged on the mounting base plate; the reciprocating seat is transmission-connected to the reciprocating drive mechanism; a plurality of arm folding mechanisms are discretely connected to the reciprocating seat; the arm folding mechanism includes a rotating seat, an arm, and a strut; the rotating seat is hinged to the mounting base plate; one end of the arm is connected to the rotating seat; one end of the strut is hinged to the reciprocating seat, and the other end is hinged to the rotating seat. The present invention drives the arm folding mechanism through the reciprocating drive mechanism, thereby realizing automatic folding and unfolding of the arm, reducing manual intervention, facilitating storage and preparation work before and after drone operation, and ensuring the stability of the arm after folding and unfolding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and in particular to an arm folding device for a UAV, an arm folding device for a UAV, and a UAV with the arm folding device. Background Art

[0002] Drones were initially used primarily in the military, for target drones, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and strike missions. Later, various countries began exploring the civilian application of drones. Thanks to advances in information technology, payload capabilities, and satellite navigation, drones are increasingly being used in industrial fields such as inspection, security monitoring, agricultural and forestry plant protection, and surveying and mapping.

[0003] Most drones today are multi-rotor drones, such as quadcopters and hexacopters. Due to their long arms and bulk, multi-rotor drones are typically folded for transport. Current arm folding mechanisms often use snap-on design, requiring manual operation of each arm individually, requiring significant labor. Furthermore, the gap between the two snap-on components creates a constant collision between the two components, which can damage the components and shorten the lifespan of the drone. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides an arm folding device for a drone and a drone having the arm folding device, aiming to reduce the need for manpower during the folding and unfolding process of the drone arm.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0006] A drone arm folding device comprises a mounting base plate, a reciprocating drive mechanism, a reciprocating seat and an arm folding mechanism; wherein the reciprocating drive mechanism is arranged on the mounting base plate; the reciprocating seat is transmission-connected to the reciprocating drive mechanism to achieve reciprocating movement; a plurality of arm folding mechanisms are connected to the reciprocating seat; the arm folding mechanism comprises a rotating seat, an arm and a strut; the rotating seat is hinged to the mounting base plate; one end of the arm is connected to the rotating seat; one end of the strut is hinged to the reciprocating seat, and the other end is hinged to the rotating seat, and the reciprocating seat drives the arm to fold and unfold through the strut.

[0007] In some embodiments, the reciprocating drive mechanism includes a motor and a transmission screw; the motor is connected to the mounting base plate; the transmission screw is in transmission connection with the motor; a threaded hole is provided on the reciprocating seat and is connected to the transmission screw.

[0008] In some embodiments, the reciprocating drive mechanism further includes a coupling; the transmission screw is connected to the motor through the coupling.

[0009] In some embodiments, the reciprocating drive mechanism is a hydraulic telescopic cylinder, an electric telescopic cylinder, or a pneumatic telescopic cylinder.

[0010] In some embodiments, the arm folding device further includes a fixed seat; the fixed seat is connected to the mounting base plate; and the rotating seat is hinged to the fixed seat.

[0011] In some embodiments, through slots for the support rods to pass through are provided on the mounting base plate respectively corresponding to the arm folding mechanisms.

[0012] In some embodiments, the rotating seat has an extension portion for hinged connection with the support rod.

[0013] In some embodiments, the arm folding mechanism further includes an angle adjustment connector; one end of the angle adjustment connector is connected to the support rod, and the other end is hinged to the reciprocating seat.

[0014] In some embodiments, the mounting base plate includes a fuselage and a drive mounting plate; the rotating seat is hinged to the fuselage; the reciprocating drive mechanism is arranged on the drive mounting plate; the fuselage and the drive mounting plate are connected as one.

[0015] A drone is provided, wherein the drone has the above-mentioned arm folding device.

[0016] In summary, compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects: the present invention drives the arm folding mechanism through a reciprocating drive mechanism, thereby realizing automatic folding and unfolding of the arm, reducing manual participation, and facilitating the storage preparation work before and after the drone operation, while ensuring the stability of the arm after folding and unfolding. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view of the three-dimensional structure of the arm folding device of the present invention after folding.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom-up stereoscopic structure of the arm folding device of the present invention after folding.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic top view of the three-dimensional structure of the arm folding device of the present invention after it is unfolded.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a bottom-up perspective structural diagram of the unfolded arm folding device of the present invention.

[0021] The meanings of the numbers in the figure are: mounting base plate 11, fuselage 12, through slot 13, drive mounting plate 14, motor 21, coupling 22, transmission screw 23, reciprocating seat 24, angle adjustment connector 31, strut 32, rotating connecting seat 33, extension part 41, rotating seat 42, machine arm 43, rotor mechanism 44, fixed seat 51. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with specific implementation methods.

[0023] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0024] In the description of the present invention, "several" means one or more, "many" means more than two, "greater than," "less than," and "exceed" are understood to exclude the number itself, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the number itself. The use of terms such as "first" and "second" in the description is solely for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, implicitly specifying the number of the indicated technical features, or implicitly specifying the order of the indicated technical features.

[0025] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, and connecting should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0026] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the arm folding device of the drone described in the embodiment of the present application includes a mounting base plate 11, a reciprocating drive mechanism, a reciprocating seat 24 and an arm folding mechanism.

[0027] Among them, such as Figure 2 As shown, the mounting base plate 11 includes a body 12 and a drive mounting plate 14, and the body 12 and the drive mounting plate 14 are connected to each other as a whole. The body 12 and the drive mounting plate 14 can be an integrated structure or a split structure.

[0028] like Figure 1As shown, the reciprocating drive mechanism is provided on the mounting base plate 11. The reciprocating seat 24 is connected to the reciprocating drive mechanism, and the reciprocating drive mechanism is used to drive the reciprocating seat 24 to move back and forth. The reciprocating drive mechanism can be a drive mechanism capable of realizing telescopic movement such as a hydraulic telescopic cylinder, an electric telescopic cylinder or a pneumatic telescopic cylinder, or can be a Figure 1 The structure shown is mainly composed of a motor 21 and a transmission screw 23. Figure 2 As shown, the motor 21 is fixedly connected to the drive mounting plate 14. If there is no drive mounting plate 14, the motor 21 can also be fixedly connected to the fuselage 12. Figure 1 As shown, the transmission screw 23 can be directly connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 21, or it can be connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 21 through a coupling 22. A speed reducer can even be provided between the transmission screw 23 and the motor 21 to change the transmission ratio. Correspondingly, a threaded hole is provided on the reciprocating seat 24, through which the reciprocating seat 24 is screwed to the transmission screw 23, so that the rotation of the transmission screw 23 can drive the reciprocating seat 24 to move up and down.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, several arm folding mechanisms are discretely connected to the reciprocating base 24. There is at least one arm folding mechanism, and the number can be adjusted as needed. Each arm folding mechanism can include a rotating base 42, an arm 43, and a strut 32. One end of the rotating base 42 is hinged to an edge of the fuselage 12, and the other end of the rotating base 42 is connected to one end of the arm 43. The other end of the arm 43 is used to mount mechanisms such as a rotor mechanism 44. One end of the strut 32 is hinged to the reciprocating base 24, and the other end is hinged to the rotating base 42.

[0030] In the embodiment of the present application, the reciprocating seat 24 drives the arm 43 to fold and unfold through the support rod 32. For example, Figure 1 As shown, when the reciprocating seat 24 is located away from the motor 21, the arm 43 is folded and retracted; Figure 3 As shown, when the reciprocating base 24 is near the motor 21, the arm 43 unfolds and disperses. This eliminates the need for manual intervention in the folding and unfolding of the arm 43, which is instead driven by the telescopic cylinder or motor 21, thus reducing labor requirements. During this process, the support rod 32 not only adjusts the angle of the rotating base 42 (i.e., adjusts the position of the arm 43), but also supports and locks the position of the rotating base 42 after the arm 43 has unfolded and dispersed, thereby firmly fixing the position of the arm 43. This, in turn, reduces the vibration generated by the rotor mechanism 44 at the end of the arm 43 during operation and prevents it from causing collisions with other components.

[0031] In order to further enhance the stability of the machine arm 43, the machine arm folding device described in the embodiment of the present application further includes a fixing seat 51. Figure 1As shown, the fixed base 51 is connected to the body 12, and the rotating base 42 is hinged to the fixed base 51. This allows the rotating base 42 to rotate with the fixed base 51 as its base, providing a more stable force distribution. When the arm 43 is fully deployed, the strong support of the strut 32 allows the rotating base 42 to fit snugly against the fixed base 51, creating a large contact area and seamless contact, further reducing vibration-induced impacts. Furthermore, the telescopic rod or drive screw 23 is self-locking once in position, further assisting in locking the arm 43 in its folded or deployed state.

[0032] In order to further optimize the structure of the entire device, such as Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, a through slot 13 for passing a strut 32 may be provided on the body 12 corresponding to each position of the arm folding mechanism. When the reciprocating drive mechanism drives the arms 43 to fold and unfold via the strut 32, the strut 32 can pass through the through slot 13 on the body 12, thereby facilitating force transmission and making the entire device more compact.

[0033] In order to further make the movement of the arm folding mechanism more labor-saving, Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, an extension portion 41 may be extended from the rotating seat 42, and the extension portion 4 is used to be hinged to the support rod 32. The extension portion 4 forms an angle with the rotating seat 42, so that the support rod 32 does not need to move over a large range when driving the rotating seat 42 to rotate, thereby further shortening the lifting distance of the reciprocating seat 24. At the same time, due to the lever effect, the support rod 32 can more easily drive the rotating seat 42 to rotate, and the power of the corresponding telescopic cylinder or motor 21 can also be further reduced.

[0034] In order to facilitate the connection between the support rod 32 and the extension part 4, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, a rotating connection seat 33 may be further provided at one end of the support rod 32 , and the rotating connection seat 33 is hinged to the extension portion 4 , which can help improve the stability of the connection between the two.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, an angle adjustment connector 31 may be provided at the other end of the support rod 32. One end of the angle adjustment connector 31 is connected to the support rod 32, and the other end is hinged to the reciprocating seat 24. The angle adjustment connector 31 may be in an S-shape or similar shape to facilitate adjustment of the angle of the support rod 32 relative to the reciprocating seat 24, thereby making the overall arrangement of the device more reasonable and diverse.

[0036] This embodiment of the present application also introduces a drone equipped with the aforementioned arm-folding device. After being equipped with the arm-folding device, the drone's arms 43 can be folded during transport to reduce space usage; during operation, the arms can be unfolded without affecting normal flight. Furthermore, because this embodiment of the present application optimizes the connections between various components, vibrations generated by the rotor mechanism 44 prevent them from causing collisions with other components, further improving the drone's flight safety and service life.

[0037] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0038] The above preferred embodiments should not be construed as limiting the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drone arm folding device, characterized by: The arm folding device comprises a mounting base plate (11), a reciprocating drive mechanism, a reciprocating seat (24) and an arm folding mechanism; Wherein, the reciprocating drive mechanism is provided on the mounting base plate (11); the reciprocating seat (24) is in transmission connection with the reciprocating drive mechanism to achieve reciprocating movement; a plurality of the arm folding mechanisms are connected to the reciprocating seat (24); The arm folding mechanism comprises a rotating seat (42), an arm (43) and a support rod (32); the rotating seat (42) is hinged to the mounting base plate (11); one end of the arm (43) is connected to the rotating seat (42); one end of the support rod (32) is hinged to the reciprocating seat (24), and the other end is hinged to the rotating seat (42); the reciprocating seat (24) drives the arm (43) to fold and unfold through the support rod (32); The rotating seat (42) has an extension portion (41) for being hinged to the support rod (32); the extension portion (41) is located between the hinge axis of the rotating seat (42) and the mounting base plate (11) and the support rod (32), and has an angle with the rotating seat (42); when the support rod (32) drives the rotating seat (42) to rotate, a lever effect is generated.

2. The drone arm folding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reciprocating drive mechanism comprises a motor (21) and a transmission screw (23); the motor (21) is connected to the mounting base plate (11); the transmission screw (23) is in transmission connection with the motor (21); and the reciprocating seat (24) is provided with a threaded hole and is connected to the transmission screw (23).

3. The drone arm folding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The reciprocating drive mechanism further includes a coupling (22); the transmission screw (23) is transmission-connected to the motor (21) via the coupling (22).

4. The drone arm folding device according to claim 1, wherein: The reciprocating drive mechanism is a hydraulic telescopic cylinder, an electric telescopic cylinder or a pneumatic telescopic cylinder.

5. The drone arm folding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arm folding device further comprises a fixing seat (51); the fixing seat (51) is connected to the mounting base plate (11); and the rotating seat (42) is hinged to the fixing seat (51).

6. The drone arm folding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting base plate (11) is provided with through slots (13) for the support rods (32) to pass through, respectively corresponding to the machine arm folding mechanisms.

7. The drone arm folding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arm folding mechanism further comprises an angle adjustment connector (31); one end of the angle adjustment connector (31) is connected to the support rod (32), and the other end is hinged to the reciprocating seat (24).

8. The drone arm folding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting base plate (11) includes a body (12) and a drive mounting plate (14); the rotating seat (42) is hinged to the body (12); the reciprocating drive mechanism is provided on the drive mounting plate (14); and the body (12) and the drive mounting plate (14) are connected as one body.

9. A drone, characterized by: The drone has an arm folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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