Low-profile high-precision flexible cable winding and unwinding equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses low-profile high-precision flexible cable winding and unwinding equipment, and belongs to the field of mooring unmanned aerial vehicles. The equipment comprises a shell, and a cable storage mechanism, a cable arrangement mechanism and a main control unit which are mounted in the shell. A main motor of the cable storage mechanism is used for driving a cable storage cylinder to rotate, a first synchronous belt assembly is used for transmitting rotation of the main motor to the cable storage cylinder, and the cable storage cylinder is used for winding a stored cable. A cable arranging motor of the cable arranging mechanism is used for driving a lead screw of a lead screw sliding rail mechanism to rotate, the lead screw sliding rail mechanism is used for driving a guide wheel assembly to move in the axial direction of the lead screw, the guide wheel assembly is used for guiding a cable in the cable winding and unwinding process, and a second synchronous belt assembly is used for transmitting rotation of the cable arranging motor to the lead screw. The main control unit is electrically connected with the main motor and the winding displacement motor and controls operation of the whole equipment. The device is suitable for cables with different outer diameters, meets the requirement for high-speed cable winding and unwinding, has the function of monitoring all states, and is stable in work and high in reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of tethered unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular relates to a low-profile and high-precision flexible cable-retracting and -releasing device. Background Art

[0002] Drones were originally used for military purposes, but with the rise of the civilian market, more and more drones of various types are being used in public safety maintenance, emergency search and rescue, agriculture and forestry, environmental protection, communications, aerial photography and other fields. With the expansion of the low-altitude economic market, users have a more urgent need for the diversification of drone functions. The increase in load capacity will inevitably lead to more power consumption, making the endurance problem of drones more prominent. In order to solve this problem, tethered drones came into being, which connect traditional drones to retractable cable devices through cables to achieve real-time power supply and signal transmission, effectively extending the working time of drones and even meeting all-weather working needs. The endurance advantage of tethered drones is extremely obvious, which makes tethered drones irreplaceable in occasions such as fixed-point monitoring and emergency communications.

[0003] As an important device connecting the base station and the tethered drone, the main task of the cable retracting device is to ensure that the tethered cable follows the movement of the drone and is automatically retracted and released, so as to achieve the smooth and normal operation of the tethered drone. It can be seen that the cable retracting device, as a key device for the tethered drone, determines the working reliability of the tethered drone system.

[0004] The cable retracting and releasing devices commonly used in existing tethered drones generally use a DC or AC motor to drive the cable storage drum. The cable storage drum and the wire arrangement mechanism are driven by a pulley or sprocket, and this transmission maintains a fixed transmission ratio. The core device of its wire arrangement mechanism is a double-rotation transmission screw. The working principle is: the cable retracting and releasing motor runs, driving the cable storage drum to wind the cable, and at the same time drives the wire arrangement mechanism to move. When a layer of cable is wound, the wire arrangement head of the wire arrangement mechanism just runs to one end of the double-rotation screw. The nut with a reversing function on the screw will automatically reverse at the end of the screw. As the screw continues to rotate, the wire arrangement head returns, driving the cable to start a new layer of winding. The disadvantages of this cable retracting and releasing device are:

[0005] 1. Due to the fixed speed ratio mechanical transmission between the cable storage drum and the cable arrangement mechanism, the speed of the lead screw of the cable arrangement mechanism and the speed of the cable storage drum are in a fixed speed ratio relationship, that is, when the cable storage drum rotates one circle, the moving distance of the cable arrangement mechanism is also fixed (matching one wire diameter). Therefore, it can only be used for cables with fixed outer diameters and cannot be replaced with cables of other outer diameters (because for different cable diameters, when the cable storage drum needs to rotate one circle, the distance that the cable arrangement mechanism travels along the axial direction of the cable storage drum can be adjusted according to the wire diameter).

[0006] 2. Poor running stability. In the cable arrangement mechanism of the cable retracting and releasing device, in order to ensure that the reversing nut can easily change direction at the threaded end of the reciprocating screw, the reciprocating screw and the reversing nut are loosely matched, which makes the stability of the cable arrangement mechanism worse, which easily causes cable disorder or cable damage.

[0007] 3. The mechanical transmission parts are complex, especially because of the structural characteristics of the reciprocating screw, the screw speed is limited, and it cannot adapt to high-speed cable retraction and release and heavy-load conditions of drones.

[0008] 4. Poor heat dissipation performance. When a tethered drone uses a high-power power supply, the cable will heat up. After the cable is wrapped around the cable drum in multiple layers, the heat will be more serious. In order to solve this problem, the existing cable retracting and releasing device often increases the heat dissipation space by increasing the diameter of the cable drum, which increases the height of the entire device. However, the height of the tethered drone storage and transportation cabin is limited. If the height of the cable retracting and releasing device is too high, it will affect the height of the drone's take-off and landing platform, which is not conducive to the mounting of the drone. Summary of the invention

[0009] Technical issues to be solved:

[0010] In order to avoid the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a low-profile and high-precision flexible cable retracting and releasing equipment. The cable arranging mechanism uses an independently operated servo mechanism, and the main cable retracting and releasing motor of the cable storage drum is controlled by a main control unit. The cable storage drum and the lead screw are untied to achieve a fixed speed ratio transmission, so as to achieve precise control of the rotation speed of the cable storage drum and the travel speed of the cable arranging mechanism, thereby solving the problem that the existing cable retracting and releasing device for tethered drones can only be used for one type of cable with a fixed outer diameter, is not universal, has poor operating stability, and has limited cable retracting and releasing speed.

[0011] The technical solution of the present invention is: a low-profile high-precision flexible cable retracting and releasing device, comprising a housing, a cable storage mechanism, a cable arrangement mechanism, and a main control unit; the cable storage mechanism, the cable arrangement mechanism, and the main control unit are all installed inside the housing;

[0012] The cable storage mechanism comprises a main motor, a cable storage drum, and a first synchronous belt assembly. The main motor is fixed to the bottom of the housing through a main motor bracket, and is used to drive the cable storage drum to rotate. The cable storage drum is horizontally rotatably installed at the bottom of the housing through the bracket, and is arranged side by side and parallel to the main motor, and is used to wind the storage cable. One end of the first synchronous belt assembly is connected to the output shaft of the main motor, and the other end is connected to the support shaft of the cable storage drum, and is used to transmit the rotation of the main motor to the cable storage drum.

[0013] The cable arrangement mechanism includes a cable arrangement motor, a lead screw slide mechanism, a guide wheel assembly, and a second synchronous belt assembly; the cable arrangement motor is horizontally mounted on the bottom of the housing through a support, and is used to drive the lead screw of the lead screw slide mechanism to rotate; the lead screw slide mechanism is horizontally mounted on the support, and is located above the cable arrangement motor; the guide wheel assembly is mounted on the slider of the lead screw slide mechanism, and the lead screw slide mechanism is used to drive the guide wheel assembly to move along the axial direction of its lead screw, and the guide wheel assembly is used to guide the cable during the process of retracting and releasing the cable; one end of the second synchronous belt assembly is connected to the output shaft of the cable arrangement motor, and the other end is connected to the lead screw input end of the lead screw slide mechanism, and is used to transmit the rotation of the cable arrangement motor to the lead screw;

[0014] The main control unit is located at one side of the main motor and is electrically connected to the motor drivers corresponding to the main motor and the cable motor. The main control unit is used to control the operation of the entire device.

[0015] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the first synchronous belt assembly includes a first pulley, a second pulley, and a first synchronous belt; the first pulley is installed on the output shaft end of the main motor and is keyed to the output shaft of the main motor; the second pulley is installed on one side of the cable storage drum, is keyed to the support shaft at one end of the cable storage drum, and is coplanar with the first pulley; the first synchronous belt is sleeved on the first pulley and the second pulley, and meshes with the two.

[0016] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the cable storage drum is a hollow cylindrical structure, comprising a drum body, an end cover, a first support shaft and a second support shaft; wherein the drum body and the end covers at both ends constitute a cylindrical hollow drum, and the centers of the end covers at both ends are coaxially provided with support shafts with the drum body, which are used to be rotatably connected with the bracket fixed to the bottom of the shell body through bearings, and the two support shafts are respectively the first support shaft and the second support shaft; the second pulley is installed on the first support shaft; the cable is wound on the outer diameter of the drum, and its fixed end is fixed in the drum body, and its movable end is wound on the inner groove of the guide wheel and passes through the trumpet-shaped through hole of the guide ring to connect with external equipment; the second support shaft is provided with a through hole connected to the inner cavity of the drum body along the axis line, which is used to pass the fixed end of the cable; the drum body and the end cover are provided with heat dissipation holes for heat dissipation of the cable.

[0017] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the cable storage mechanism also includes a slip ring and an encoder, the slip ring is located in the cable storage drum and is coaxially installed on the second support shaft, and the slip ring is used for dynamic and static connection of the cable; the encoder is installed on the outer end of the second support shaft and is used to measure the rotation speed of the cable storage drum; the fixed end of the cable passes through the central through hole of the encoder from the outside to the inside in sequence, penetrates through the fixed end of the slip ring, and is electrically connected to the rotating end of the slip ring.

[0018] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the second synchronous belt assembly includes a third pulley, a fourth pulley, and a second synchronous belt; the third pulley is installed on the output shaft end of the cable arrangement motor and is keyed to the output shaft of the cable arrangement motor; the fourth pulley is installed on the input end of the screw, is keyed to the screw, and is coplanar with the third pulley; the second synchronous belt is sleeved on the third pulley and the fourth pulley, and meshes with the two.

[0019] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the screw slide mechanism includes a screw, a slider, a slide rail bracket, a guide rod, and a travel switch; the slide rail bracket is horizontally mounted on a support; the screw is horizontally rotatably installed on the slide rail bracket; a nut structure is provided at the lower end of the slider, which is connected with the screw thread and is used to convert the rotation of the screw into the axial movement of the slider along the screw; the two guide rods are symmetrically installed on both sides of the screw and pass through the bottom of the slider, so as to guide and support the slider; the two travel switches are respectively installed on the inner sides of the two ends of the slide rail bracket, so as to transmit the trigger signal to the main control unit when the slider slides to the end of the screw to trigger the travel switch.

[0020] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the guide wheel assembly includes a guide wheel, a guide wheel seat, a tension sensor, and a guide ring; the guide wheel seat is fixed on the slider to support other components of the guide wheel assembly; the tension sensor is arranged in parallel with the cable storage drum, and its outer shell is fixed to the guide wheel seat; the guide wheel is coaxially rotatably mounted on the induction shaft of the tension sensor through a rolling bearing, and the outer diameter circumference of the guide wheel is provided with an inner groove for accommodating the cable; the tension sensor is electrically connected to the main control unit to test the cable tension and feed back the data to the main control unit; the guide ring is fixed to the top of the guide wheel seat, and the guide ring is provided with a trumpet-shaped through hole along its central axis to pass the cable, and the axis of the trumpet-shaped through hole is coplanar with the axial center line of the inner groove of the guide wheel.

[0021] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the radius of curvature of the longitudinal section of the trumpet-shaped through hole is not less than 80 mm, and the diameter of the guide wheel is not less than 15 times the diameter of the cable.

[0022] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the cable retracting and releasing equipment also includes a heat dissipation component, and the heat dissipation component includes a first axial flow fan, a second axial flow fan, and an air guide plate; the first axial flow fan is installed on the shell, located above the main motor, and is used to dissipate the heat of the cables wound around the cylinder; the air guide plate is installed on one side of the first axial flow fan, located inside the shell, and is also located above the cable storage drum, and is used to form a guide air duct for the first axial flow fan together with the inner wall of the shell; the second axial flow fan is installed in the cable storage drum, and is used to cooperate with the heat dissipation holes of the cylinder and the end cover to dissipate the heat of the cables wound around the cylinder.

[0023] A further technical solution of the present invention is that the cable storage mechanism further comprises a torque limiter, which is installed at the end of the output shaft of the main motor and is used to limit the maximum value of the rotation torque of the main motor.

[0024] Beneficial Effects

[0025] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the present invention is a low-profile, high-precision, flexible cable reeling and unwinding device, in which the cable storage mechanism and the cable arranging mechanism are driven by their own power sources and controlled by the main control unit, so that the rotation speed of the cable storage drum and the travel speed of the guide wheel seat are flexibly controllable, so that the device can perform cable reeling and unwinding operations on cables of different diameters, and the cable storage rotation speed and the cable arranging speed can be adjusted according to cables of different diameters. In conjunction with the lead screw slide rail mechanism and the guide wheel assembly of the present invention, since the loose matching structure of the traditional reciprocating lead screw and the reversing nut is abandoned, a lead screw slide rail mechanism with a travel switch is adopted, and the reversal is achieved by controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the cable arranging motor through the main control switch, and the slider and the lead screw are closely matched, so that the operation is stable. In addition, the design of the guide wheel assembly can ensure that the cable is not easy to bend, and the tension sensor is used to ensure that the cable tension is within the set range, which plays a role in protecting the cable. Therefore, the structure of the present invention can adapt to any cable reeling and unwinding speed, realize the high-speed operation of the cable reeling and unwinding equipment, and can ensure stability and quietness during high-speed operation.

[0026] The design of the heat dissipation component meets the needs of the cable-releasing equipment for high-power power transmission. It can effectively dissipate heat while ensuring the cable is retracted and released, while also avoiding an increase in the height of the equipment. By selecting a smaller outer diameter of the cable storage drum and a longer axial length of the cable storage drum, the heat dissipation problem of the cable can be solved through the heat dissipation component, which reduces the height of the cable-releasing and retracting equipment and makes the structure compact. When used for tethered drones, it is beneficial for the drone's take-off and landing platform to be closer to the ground, making it easier to accommodate drones and mounts in the cabin.

[0027] The guide wheel assembly of the present invention is provided with a tension sensor to feed back the cable tension to the main control unit, and an encoder is installed at one end of the cable storage drum to feed back the rotation speed of the cable storage drum to the main control unit, so that the main control unit can adjust the motion parameters such as the direction and speed of cable reeling and releasing in real time according to the real-time data such as the cable tension value and the rotation speed of the cable storage drum, so as to ensure that the cable is always in a suitable tension state. At the same time, a torque limiter is provided at the output shaft end of the main motor to limit the maximum value of the rotation torque of the main motor. When the equipment works abnormally and the torque on the main motor shaft exceeds the set torque, the torque limiter slips, and the first pulley installed coaxially therewith slips, so that the cable storage drum cannot rotate, which further protects the cable. Therefore, each moving part of the present invention has a state monitoring function, and the equipment works stably and reliably. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 This is the overall appearance diagram of the cable retracting and unretracting device of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a diagram of the internal structure of the hidden housing of the cable retracting and unretracting device of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the installation structure of the cable storage mechanism in the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 The cable arrangement mechanism installation structure of the present invention Figure 1 (Hidden support side panels);

[0032] Figure 5 The cable arrangement mechanism installation structure of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0033] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the cable storage drum in the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the guide wheel assembly in the present invention.

[0035] Description of reference numerals: 1. housing; 2. cable storage mechanism, 21. main motor, 22. cable storage drum, 221. drum body, 222. end cover, 223. first support shaft, 224. second support shaft, 225. heat dissipation hole of drum body, 226. heat dissipation hole of end cover, 23. first synchronous belt assembly, 231. first pulley, 232. second pulley, 233. first synchronous belt, 24. main motor bracket, 25. bracket, 26. merge ring, 27. encoder, 28. torque limiter; 3. cable arrangement mechanism, 31. cable arrangement motor, 311. motor drive of cable arrangement motor Actuator, 32. lead screw guide rail mechanism, 321. lead screw, 322. slider, 323. guide rail bracket, 324. guide rod, 325. travel switch, 33. guide wheel assembly, 331. guide wheel, 332. guide wheel seat, 333. tension sensor, 334. guide ring, 335. rolling bearing, 34. second synchronous belt assembly, 341. third pulley, 342. fourth pulley, 343. second synchronous belt, 35. support; 4. main control unit; 5. heat dissipation assembly, 51. first axial flow fan, 52. second axial flow fan, 53. air guide plate; 6. cable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, but should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0037] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0038] Embodiment 1:

[0039] See also Figure 1 , this embodiment provides a low-profile, high-precision, flexible cable retracting and releasing device, which is mainly suitable for the cable retracting and releasing control of tethered drones, and can be applied to cables 6 of different diameters to meet different cable retracting and releasing speed requirements. The cable retracting and releasing device includes a closed shell 1, a cable storage mechanism 2, a wire arrangement mechanism 3, a main control unit 4, and a heat dissipation component 5 installed in the shell 1. The shell 1 is composed of an integrated outer cover and a base, and the base is located at the bottom of the shell 1. The cable storage mechanism 2 is used for winding the storage cable, the wire arrangement mechanism 3 is used for guiding the cable 6 during the cable retracting and releasing process, the main control unit 4 is used as the control center of the entire device to control the operation of the device, and the heat dissipation component 5 is used for dissipating heat from the cable 6 in the device. The entire device is described in detail below.

[0040] See also Figure 2 , 3 The cable storage mechanism 2 includes a main motor 21, a cable storage drum 22, a first synchronous belt assembly 23, a main motor bracket 24, and a bracket 25. The main motor 21 is horizontally fixed to the base at the bottom of the shell 1 through the main motor bracket 24. The output shaft of the main motor 21 extends out of the main motor bracket 24. The main motor bracket 24 is fixedly connected to the bottom plate of the shell 1. The main motor 21 is used to drive the cable storage drum 22 to rotate. The main motor 21 is electrically connected to the main control unit 4 and is controlled by it. The main motor 21 adopts an AC servo motor, which has the characteristics of precise control of speed and angle of rotation and smooth operation. The cable storage drum 22 is horizontally rotatably installed on the base at the bottom of the shell 1 through two brackets 25. The cable storage drum 22 and the main motor 21 are arranged side by side and parallel to each other for winding the cable 6. The two brackets 25 are fixed to the base of the shell 1, respectively located at the two ends of the cable storage drum 22, and are rotatably connected to the support shafts at the two ends of the cable storage drum 22 through spherical bearings. The use of spherical bearings reduces the manufacturing and installation precision requirements of the cable storage drum assembly, which is beneficial to cost control. For details, refer to Figure 3 , 6The cable storage drum 22 is a hollow cylindrical structure, including a cylinder body 221, an end cover 222, a first support shaft 223, and a second support shaft 224. The cylinder body 221 and the end covers 222 at both ends constitute a cylindrical hollow cylinder, and the cable 6 is wound around the outer diameter of the cylinder body 221. The end covers 222 at both ends simultaneously form limit baffles for the cable 6. The center of the end covers 222 at both ends is coaxially provided with a support shaft with the cylinder body 221, and is rotatably connected to the corresponding brackets 25 through bearings, and the support shafts at both ends are respectively recorded as the first support shaft 223 and the second support shaft 224. The second support shaft 224 is provided with a through hole connected to the inner cavity of the cylinder body 221 along the axis, which is used to pass through the fixed end of the cable 6 so that the fixed end of the cable 6 is fixed in the cable storage drum 22. Heat dissipation holes are provided on the cylinder body 221 and the end covers 222 for heat dissipation of the cable 6.

[0041] The first synchronous belt assembly 23 adopts a new structure of circular arc tooth synchronous belt transmission, which has the advantages of precise transmission, smooth transmission, no vibration and no noise. The first synchronous belt assembly 23 connects the output shaft of the main motor 21 and the first support shaft 223 of the cable storage drum 22, and is used to transmit the rotation of the main motor 21 to the cable storage drum 22. Specifically, the first synchronous belt assembly 23 includes a first pulley 231, a second pulley 232, and a first synchronous belt 233. The first pulley 231 is installed at the output shaft end of the main motor 21 and is keyed to the output shaft of the main motor 21. The second pulley 232 is installed on one side of the cable storage drum 22 and is keyed to the first support shaft 223 of the cable storage drum 22. The second pulley 232 is coplanar with the first pulley 231, and the two are a set of paired pulleys, which cooperate with the first synchronous belt 233 together. The first synchronous belt 233 is sleeved on the first pulley 231 and the second pulley 232, and meshes with the two for transmission. When the main motor 21 drives the first pulley 231 to rotate, the second pulley 232 is driven to rotate through the first synchronous belt 233, thereby driving the cable storage drum 22 to rotate.

[0042] See also Figure 2 , 4 5, the cable arrangement mechanism 3 includes a cable arrangement motor 31, a lead screw guide rail mechanism 32, a guide wheel assembly 33, and a second synchronous belt assembly 34. The cable arrangement motor 31 is an AC servo motor, and its motion state is precisely controllable. The cable arrangement motor 31 is horizontally mounted on the base of the housing 1 through a support 35, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, two supports 35 are fixed to the base of the housing 1, and the two sides of the supports 35 are enclosed by side panels. The cable arranging motor 31 is installed in the support 35, and is arranged parallel to the cable storage drum 22. Its output shaft passes through the support 35. The cable arranging motor 31 is used to drive the lead screw 321 of the lead screw slide rail mechanism 32 to rotate. The cable arranging motor 31 is electrically connected to the main control unit 4 and is controlled by it.

[0043] The lead screw slide mechanism 32 is horizontally mounted on the support 35, located above the cable arranging motor 31, and parallel to the axis of the cable storage drum 22. The guide wheel assembly 33 is mounted on the slider 322 of the lead screw slide mechanism 32. The lead screw slide mechanism 32 is used to drive the guide wheel assembly 33 to move axially along its lead screw 321. The guide wheel assembly 33 is used to guide the cable 6 during the process of retracting and releasing the cable. The second synchronous belt assembly 34 connects the output shaft of the cable arranging motor 31 and the input end of the lead screw 321 of the lead screw slide mechanism 32, and is used to transmit the rotation of the cable arranging motor 31 to the lead screw 321.

[0044] Specifically, the lead screw slide rail mechanism 32 includes a lead screw 321, a slider 322, a slide rail bracket 323, a guide rod 324, and a travel switch 325. The slide rail bracket 323 is horizontally mounted and fixed on the support 35, and the lead screw 321 is horizontally rotatably installed in the middle of the slide rail bracket 323, and the axis of the lead screw 321 is parallel to the axis of the cable storage drum 22. A nut structure is provided at the lower end of the slider 322, which is threadedly connected with the lead screw 321. When the lead screw 321 rotates, the slider 322 moves along the axis of the lead screw 321. The forward and reverse rotation of the lead screw 321 realizes the reciprocating motion of the slider 322 along the lead screw 321. Two guide rods 324 are symmetrically installed on both sides of the lead screw 321 and penetrate the bottom of the slider 322. The guide rods 324 are used to guide and support the slider 322, thereby improving the stability of the movement of the slider 322. Two travel switches 325 are respectively installed on the inner sides of both ends of the slide rail bracket 323. The travel switch 325 is electrically connected to the main control unit 4. When the slider 322 drives the guide wheel assembly 33 to arrange the wire and guides the cable 6 to be wound around the cable storage drum 22 for a full layer, the slider 322 just slides to the end of the screw 321, triggering the travel switch 325, thereby transmitting the trigger signal to the main control unit 4. The main control unit 4 collects data such as tension and speed, and gives a reversing command and a speed command after calculation to control the reverse rotation of the wire arrangement motor 31 to realize the reversal of the slider 322.

[0045] The second synchronous belt assembly 34 includes a third pulley 341, a fourth pulley 342, and a second synchronous belt 343. The third pulley 341 is mounted on the output shaft end of the cable motor 31 and is keyed to the output shaft of the cable motor 31. The fourth pulley 342 is mounted on the input end of the lead screw 321 and is keyed to the lead screw 321. The fourth pulley 342 is coplanar with the third pulley 341 and has the same tooth shape. The second synchronous belt 343 is sleeved on the third pulley 341 and the fourth pulley 342 and meshes with the two. When the output shaft of the cable motor 31 drives the third pulley 341 to rotate, the fourth pulley 342 is driven to rotate through the second synchronous belt 343, and then the lead screw 321 is driven to rotate.

[0046] See also Figure 7The guide wheel assembly 33 includes a guide wheel 331, a guide wheel seat 332, a tension sensor 333, and a guide ring 334. The guide wheel assembly 33 ensures the correct direction of the cable 6 during the retraction and release process, and ensures that the friction of the cable 6 is as small as possible when the cable 6 passes through the guide wheel assembly 33, and the cable 6 is bent as little as possible, so as to provide maximum protection for the cable 6.

[0047] The guide wheel seat 332 is fixedly mounted on the slider 322, and the guide wheel seat 332 is used to support other components of the guide wheel assembly 33. The tension sensor 333 is arranged in parallel with the cable storage drum 22, and its outer shell is fixed to the guide wheel seat 332. The guide wheel 331 is coaxially rotatably mounted on the sensing shaft of the tension sensor 333 through two rolling bearings. The outer diameter circumference of the guide wheel 331 is provided with an inner groove, and the inner groove is used to accommodate the cable 6. The tension sensor 333 is electrically connected to the main control unit 4, and is used to test the tension of the cable 6 and feed the data back to the main control unit 4. Figure 7 As shown, the cables on the upper and lower sides of the guide wheel 331 generate tension on the guide wheel mounting shaft. These two forces form a resultant force P. According to the angle between the upper and lower cables, the actual tension on the cable 6 can be decomposed. The main control unit 4 makes real-time adjustments to the rotation speed of the main motor 21 and the cable motor 31 as needed to ensure that the cable 6 is in a suitable constant tension state. The guide ring 334 is fixed to the top of the guide wheel seat 332. The guide ring 334 is provided with a trumpet-shaped through hole along its central axis for passing the cable 6. The axis of the trumpet-shaped through hole is perpendicular to the axis space of the guide wheel 331 and is coplanar with the axial center line of the inner groove. In order to avoid the cable 6 from being damaged or scratched during the retraction and release process, and to prevent the optical fiber in the cable 6 from being damaged due to excessive bending stress, the longitudinal section of the trumpet-shaped through hole is designed as a large arc with a radius of not less than 80 mm. The inner surface is hard anodized, flat and smooth, reducing the friction loss on the outer side of the cable. The diameter of the guide wheel 331 is not less than 15 times the diameter of the cable. In this embodiment, the diameter of the guide wheel 331 is 100 mm to ensure smooth wire passing. At the same time, the guide wheel 331 is installed on the tension sensor 333 through two rolling bearings, so that it can rotate flexibly, avoiding the cable 6 from being pulled and damaged due to the stagnation of the guide wheel 331.

[0048] See also Figure 6The cable storage mechanism 2 also includes a slip ring 26 and an encoder 27. The slip ring 26 is located in the cable storage drum 22 and is coaxially installed on the second support shaft 224. The slip ring 26 is used for the dynamic and static connection of the cable 6. The encoder 27 is installed on the outer end of the second support shaft 224 and is used to measure the rotation speed of the cable storage drum 22. The encoder 27 is electrically connected to the main control unit 4 to transmit the rotation speed of the cable storage drum 22 to the main control unit 4. The main control unit 4 makes real-time adjustments to the current instructions according to the tension data of the cable 6 measured by the tension sensor 333 and the rotation speed data of the cable storage drum 22, that is, adjusts the rotation speed of the main motor 21 and the cable arrangement motor 31 to prevent the unmanned aerial vehicle from being unstable or the cable 6 from being damaged due to excessive tension. The cable 6 is wound on the outer diameter of the cylinder 221, and its fixed end is fixed in the cylinder 221. Specifically, the fixed end of the cable 6 passes through the central through hole of the encoder 27 from the outside to the inside, penetrates through the fixed end of the slip ring 26, and is electrically connected to the rotating end of the slip ring 26. The merge ring 6 is designed with multiple conductive loops such as power supply, signal, and central optical fiber, which are compatible with all signal connections in the composite cable. The active end of the cable 6 is wound around the groove in the guide wheel 331 and passes through the shell 1 through the trumpet-shaped through hole of the guide ring 334 to connect to the external device. The external device is a tethered drone or a robot using the cable retracting device of the present invention, etc.

[0049] See also Figure 3 The main control unit 4 is located on one side of the main motor 21, and is electrically connected to the motor driver of the main motor 21, and is electrically connected to the motor driver 311 of the cable arranging motor 31. The main control unit 4 controls the direction and speed of the main motor 21 and the cable arranging motor 31, so as to realize the coordinated work between the cable arranging motor 31 and the main motor 21. That is, when the equipment is working, the guide wheel assembly 33 of the cable arranging mechanism 3 should move along the axis of the cable storage drum 22 (that is, the screw axis of the cable arranging mechanism 3) by a distance of one wire diameter for each rotation of the cable storage drum 22. Corresponding to cables 6 of different outer diameters, the speed at which the guide wheel assembly 33 moves along the axis of the cable storage drum 22 is different. The present invention can arbitrarily set the distance value of the guide wheel assembly 33 moving along the axis of the cable storage drum 22 for each rotation of the cable storage drum 22 by modifying the parameters, so that the equipment can adapt to cables of any wire diameter, avoid reprocessing the transmission system components to adapt to cables of different wire diameters, and save costs.

[0050] At the same time, the main control unit receives the cable tension data from the tension sensor 333 and the speed data of the cable storage drum 22 from the encoder 27, and processes the cable 6 retracting and releasing speed, the cable 6 tension, and the state of the cable arrangement mechanism 3 in real time according to the tension and speed feedback values. When the equipment operation state is abnormal, the main control unit 4 will promptly perform protective processing on the equipment, such as speed reduction, shutdown protection, etc. The main control unit 4 is connected to an external computer for easy operation, which is convenient for users to adjust the equipment working parameters and fully realize the flexible characteristics of the equipment; at the same time, it is convenient to monitor the operation state of the equipment online and make appropriate processing in emergency situations.

[0051] See also Figure 2 , Figure 6 The heat dissipation assembly 5 includes a first axial flow fan 51, a second axial flow fan 52, and an air guide plate 53. The first axial flow fan 51 is installed on the housing 1 and is located above the main motor 21. The first axial flow fan 51 is connected to the external air to dissipate the heat of the cable wound on the cable storage drum 22. The air guide plate 53 is an arc-shaped plate, which is installed on one side of the first axial flow fan 51, located in the housing 1, and is also located above the cable storage drum 22. The air guide plate 53 and the inner wall of the housing 1 together form a guide air duct for the first axial flow fan 51 to force air cooling on the cable 6. The second axial flow fan 52 is installed in the cable storage drum 22, and is used to cooperate with the heat dissipation holes of the cylinder 221 and the end cover 222 to dissipate the heat of the cable wound on the cable storage drum 22. The airflow enters the cable storage drum 22 from the heat dissipation hole 226 of the end cover, blows out from the heat dissipation hole 225 of the cylinder, and then flows out through the winding gap of the cable 6, so that the cable 6 on the cable storage drum is cooled. The second axial flow fans 52 cooperate with the second axial flow fans 52 to form an airflow cycle. The first axial flow fans 51 and the second axial flow fans 52 are connected to the power supply of the cable retracting and releasing device, and the heat dissipation can be started when the device is turned on.

[0052] In order to prevent the cable 6 from being damaged when the equipment is working abnormally, a torque limiter 28 is also provided in the cable storage mechanism 2 of the present invention. The torque limiter 28 is installed at the end of the output shaft of the main motor 21, and is used to limit the maximum value of the rotation torque of the main motor 21. When the equipment is working abnormally, causing the torque on the output shaft of the main motor 21 to exceed the set torque, the torque limiter 28 slips, and the synchronous pulley of the first pulley 231 coaxially installed slips, so that the cable storage drum 22 cannot rotate, thereby protecting the cable 6. This torque limiter 28 is a purely mechanical structure, the torque limit value is adjustable, and the operation is reliable, and it can be used as the most basic and reliable protection device for the cable 6.

[0053] This cable retractable equipment can realize intelligent cable retraction and release, adjustable and controllable cable tension, can adapt to cables of various outer diameters, can be adapted to high-speed cable retraction and release, has multiple safety monitoring and protection features, has high equipment operation accuracy, is small in size and height, and has a heat dissipation design that can ensure that the cable can provide high-power power transmission; each component is installed in the shell, with a compact overall structure and a neat and beautiful appearance, while ensuring the safety of equipment operation and personnel.

[0054] It should be noted that the cable retracting and releasing device of this embodiment is not only used for automatic cable retracting and releasing of moored cable unmanned aerial vehicles, but can also be used in tunnels, underwater cable-controlled robots and other related fields to realize automatic retracting and releasing of towed cables. For example, the pipeline crawling robot carrying platform can be used to complete tasks such as petroleum and petrochemical and drainage pipeline inspection by equipping corresponding detection instruments, and adopts wired power supply and wired signal transmission to ensure communication quality and working time.

[0055] Embodiment 2:

[0056] The same as embodiment 1, the only difference is: the start control method of the first axial flow fan 51 and the second axial flow fan 52 in the heat dissipation component 5. In this embodiment, a temperature sensor is installed in the device housing 1, and the temperature sensor is connected to the main control unit 4. When the temperature exceeds the set temperature value, the control unit 4 controls the two fans to operate.

[0057] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and intent of the present invention.

Claims

1. A low profile, high precision, flexible cable retracting and releasing device, characterized in that: It includes a housing, a cable storage mechanism, a cable arrangement mechanism, and a main control unit installed in the housing; The cable storage mechanism comprises a main motor, a cable storage drum, and a first synchronous belt assembly. The main motor is fixed to the bottom of the housing through a main motor bracket, and is used to drive the cable storage drum to rotate. The cable storage drum is horizontally rotatably installed at the bottom of the housing through the bracket, and is arranged side by side and parallel to the main motor, and is used to wind the storage cable. One end of the first synchronous belt assembly is connected to the output shaft of the main motor, and the other end is connected to the support shaft of the cable storage drum, and is used to transmit the rotation of the main motor to the cable storage drum. The cable arrangement mechanism includes a cable arrangement motor, a lead screw slide mechanism, a guide wheel assembly, and a second synchronous belt assembly; the cable arrangement motor is horizontally mounted on the bottom of the housing through a support, and is used to drive the lead screw of the lead screw slide mechanism to rotate; the lead screw slide mechanism is horizontally mounted on the support, and is located above the cable arrangement motor; the guide wheel assembly is mounted on the slider of the lead screw slide mechanism, and the lead screw slide mechanism is used to drive the guide wheel assembly to move along the axial direction of its lead screw, and the guide wheel assembly is used to guide the cable during the process of retracting and releasing the cable; one end of the second synchronous belt assembly is connected to the output shaft of the cable arrangement motor, and the other end is connected to the lead screw input end of the lead screw slide mechanism, and is used to transmit the rotation of the cable arrangement motor to the lead screw; The main control unit is located at one side of the main motor and is electrically connected to the motor drivers corresponding to the main motor and the cable motor. The main control unit is used to control the operation of the entire device.

2. According to claim 1, the low-profile, high-precision flexible cable retracting and releasing device is characterized in that: The first synchronous belt assembly includes a first pulley, a second pulley, and a first synchronous belt; the first pulley is installed on the output shaft end of the main motor and is keyed to the output shaft of the main motor; the second pulley is installed on one side of the cable storage drum, is keyed to the support shaft at one end of the cable storage drum, and is coplanar with the first pulley; the first synchronous belt is sleeved on the first pulley and the second pulley, and meshes with the two.

3. The low-profile, high-precision flexible cable retracting and unreeling device according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The cable storage drum is a hollow cylindrical structure, comprising a drum body, an end cover, a first support shaft and a second support shaft; the drum body and the end covers at both ends constitute a cylindrical hollow drum, and the centers of the end covers at both ends are provided with support shafts coaxially with the drum body, which are used to be rotatably connected with the bracket fixed to the bottom of the shell through bearings, and are respectively the first support shaft and the second support shaft; the second pulley is installed on the first support shaft; the cable is wound on the outer diameter of the drum body, its fixed end is fixed in the drum body, and its movable end is wound on the inner groove of the guide wheel and passes through the trumpet-shaped through hole of the guide ring to connect with external equipment; the second support shaft is provided with a through hole connected to the inner cavity of the drum body along the axis line, which is used to pass the fixed end of the cable; the drum body and the end cover are provided with heat dissipation holes for heat dissipation of the cable.

4. The low-profile, high-precision flexible cable retracting and releasing device according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The cable storage mechanism also includes a slip ring and an encoder; the slip ring is located in the cable storage drum and is coaxially installed on the second support shaft, and the slip ring is used for dynamic and static connection of the cable; the encoder is installed on the outer end of the second support shaft and is used to measure the rotation speed of the cable storage drum; the fixed end of the cable passes through the central through hole of the encoder from the outside to the inside in sequence, penetrates through the fixed end of the slip ring, and is electrically connected to the rotating end of the slip ring.

5. The low-profile, high-precision flexible cable retracting and unreeling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second synchronous belt assembly includes a third pulley, a fourth pulley, and a second synchronous belt; the third pulley is installed on the output shaft end of the cable arrangement motor and is keyed to the output shaft of the cable arrangement motor; the fourth pulley is installed on the input end of the lead screw, is keyed to the lead screw, and is coplanar with the third pulley; the second synchronous belt is sleeved on the third pulley and the fourth pulley and meshes with the two.

6. The low-profile, high-precision flexible cable retracting and releasing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lead screw slide rail mechanism includes a lead screw, a slider, a slide rail bracket, a guide rod, and a travel switch; the slide rail bracket is horizontally mounted on a support; the lead screw is horizontally rotatably mounted on the slide rail bracket; a nut structure is provided at the lower end of the slider, which is connected with the lead screw thread and is used to convert the rotation of the lead screw into the axial movement of the slider along the lead screw; the two guide rods are symmetrically installed on both sides of the lead screw and pass through the bottom of the slider to guide and support the slider; the two travel switches are respectively installed on the inner sides of the two ends of the slide rail bracket, and are used to transmit the trigger signal to the main control unit when the slider slides to the end of the lead screw to trigger the travel switch.

7. The low-profile, high-precision flexible cable retracting and releasing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide wheel assembly includes a guide wheel, a guide wheel seat, a tension sensor, and a guide ring; the guide wheel seat is fixed on the slider to support other components of the guide wheel assembly; the tension sensor is arranged in parallel with the cable storage drum, and its outer shell is fixed to the guide wheel seat; the guide wheel is coaxially rotatably mounted on the induction shaft of the tension sensor through a rolling bearing, and an inner groove is provided on the outer diameter circumference of the guide wheel to accommodate the cable; the tension sensor is electrically connected to the main control unit to test the cable tension and feed back the data to the main control unit; the guide ring is fixed to the top of the guide wheel seat, and a trumpet-shaped through hole is provided along the central axis of the guide ring to pass the cable, and the axis of the trumpet-shaped through hole is coplanar with the axial center line of the inner groove of the guide wheel.

8. The low-profile, high-precision flexible cable retracting and releasing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The arc radius of the longitudinal section of the trumpet-shaped through hole is not less than 80 mm, and the diameter of the guide wheel is not less than 15 times the diameter of the cable.

9. The low-profile, high-precision flexible cable retracting and releasing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cable retracting and releasing device also includes a heat dissipation component, which includes a first axial flow fan, a second axial flow fan, and an air guide plate; the first axial flow fan is installed on the shell, located above the main motor, and is used to dissipate heat of the cables wound on the cable storage drum; the air guide plate is installed on one side of the first axial flow fan, located in the shell, and is also located above the cable storage drum, and is used to form a guide air duct for the first axial flow fan together with the inner wall of the shell; the second axial flow fan is installed in the cable storage drum, and is used to cooperate with the heat dissipation holes of the cylinder body and the end cover to dissipate heat for the cables wound on the cable storage drum.

10. The low-profile, high-precision flexible cable retracting and releasing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cable storage mechanism also includes a torque limiter, which is installed at the end of the output shaft of the main motor and is used to limit the maximum value of the rotation torque of the main motor.

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