An unmanned aerial vehicle automatic filling device and method of use

Abstract

The application discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle automatic loading device and a use method thereof, and relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle loading devices. The unmanned aerial vehicle automatic loading device comprises a lifting mechanism and a propelling mechanism arranged above the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism comprises a manual platform vehicle. The top of the manual platform vehicle is respectively provided with a lifting platform and an angle adjusting assembly. The propelling mechanism comprises a base arranged on the lifting platform. The base is provided with tool guide rails on both sides. The base is provided with a rack at the bottom along the length direction of the tool guide rails. A sliding table assembly is arranged above the rack. The sliding table assembly is loaded with a sliding table module. The output gear of the sliding table module is engaged with the rack for transmission. The base is provided with a rotating shaft support matched and installed together with a hinged assembly. When the angle adjusting assembly works, the hinged assembly can rotate the end of the tool guide rail by a certain angle. When the application works, the launching rack does not need to be hoisted and turned. The inclination angle can be adjusted, the rails can be transversely matched, the unmanned aerial vehicle can be tightly held, and the unmanned aerial vehicle can be automatically pushed and loaded. Therefore, manual operation is reduced, the loading efficiency is improved, and the operation cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of UAV launch structure technology, specifically relating to an automatic UAV loading device and its usage method, applicable to the automated loading operation of UAVs mounted on 15° tilt multi-layer launchers in trucks and container transport vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] The launcher is the core launch unit of the UAV system, enabling short-distance transport and launch of UAVs. It is compatible with ordinary trucks and container trucks. Each layer of the launcher's guide rails has a fixed tilt angle of 15°.

[0003] The existing loading process is as follows: First, an overhead crane is used to lift the entire launcher from the launch vehicle to a special support, and it is rotated and leveled to make the launcher guide rails horizontal; then, a lift truck is used to lift the UAV into the launcher guide rails; after loading is completed, the launcher is lifted back to the launch vehicle by an overhead crane.

[0004] The entire loading process involves two large-scale hoisting operations and the coordinated operation of multiple equipment, requiring a large amount of manual intervention and a long operation cycle, which seriously restricts the rapid execution of UAV missions. At the same time, the multiple hoisting and flipping of the launcher poses safety risks of collision and tipping, resulting in high operating costs and complex equipment scheduling.

[0005] Currently, the industry lacks integrated loading fixtures that can directly match a 15° tilt launcher, eliminate the need for hoisting and flipping the launcher, and can autonomously complete track alignment and automatically push / pull out the drone. Existing lifting vehicles and simple support frames lack angle self-adaptation, lateral fine adjustment, and automatic clamping and pushing integrated functions, making it difficult to meet the needs for fast, safe, and low-cost automated loading.

[0006] Existing UAV loading requires multiple hoisting and launching of the launcher, which is complex and slow in response to missions; there is no integrated tooling to achieve automatic rail alignment at a 15° tilt angle, stable clamping of the UAV, and automatic pushing over long distances; the tooling lacks ground-adaptive leveling and anti-rail misalignment locking structures, resulting in poor loading stability. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To overcome the shortcomings of existing drone loading processes involving multiple launchers, such as cumbersome loading procedures, high hoisting frequency, heavy reliance on manual labor, low operating efficiency, and high safety risks, the present invention aims to provide an automatic drone loading device that eliminates the need for hoisting and flipping the launcher. This device can autonomously complete tilt adjustment, lateral alignment, drone clamping, and automatic pushing loading, thereby reducing manual operation, improving loading efficiency, and lowering operating costs.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of using an automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: an automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles, including a lifting mechanism and a propulsion mechanism disposed above the lifting mechanism; The lifting mechanism includes a manual platform vehicle. The top of the manual platform vehicle is equipped with a lifting platform and an angle adjustment component. The lifting platform is equipped with left and right sliding platforms and a hinge component. The angle adjustment component includes a screw jack fixed to one end of the lifting platform and a lifting support seat located on the top of the screw jack. The propulsion mechanism includes a base located on a lifting platform, with tooling guide rails on both sides of the base, and a rack at the bottom of the base along the length of the tooling guide rails; a slide assembly is located above the rack. The slide assembly is equipped with a slide module, and the output gear of the slide module meshes with the rack and pinion for transmission. The slide assembly feeds along the tooling guide rail. The slide module is also equipped with left and right chucks on both sides of the tooling guide rail, which are gripped by servo motors to hold the front of the drone. Left and right support arms for supporting the two wings of the drone are also provided on both sides of the tooling guide rail. The bottom of the base is equipped with a rotating shaft support that matches and is installed with the hinge assembly. When the angle adjustment assembly is working, the tooling guide rail can be rotated by a certain angle through the hinge assembly to meet the requirement of the tilt angle consistent with the launcher guide rail.

[0010] Furthermore, the manual platform truck is equipped with leveling feet at the four corners of its bottom to adapt to uneven ground; a handle tube is welded to one side of the manual platform truck for easy manual transfer of tools; the manual platform truck is equipped with a scissor lift, which is driven by a hydraulic or electric push rod to raise or lower the lifting platform.

[0011] The left and right slides can be finely adjusted by ±2mm within the left and right range by servo motors until the tooling guide rail is tilted at a certain angle and aligned with the launcher guide rail.

[0012] The slide module is equipped with a servo motor, which enables the slide assembly to slide and feed along the tooling guide rail.

[0013] The hinge assembly includes a bearing housing assembly fixed to the surface of the lifting platform and a rotating shaft that passes through the bearing housing assembly. The rotating shaft also passes through a rotating shaft support between the two bearing housings.

[0014] The screw jack in the angle adjustment assembly is equipped with a servo motor; under the action of the angle adjustment assembly, the tooling guide rail is rotated and the angle is adjusted through the hinge assembly, with an angle adjustment range of 0-18°.

[0015] The other end of the tooling guide rail is equipped with a positioning frame, which has a positioning hole. By installing positioning screws at the positioning hole, the tooling guide rail and the launcher guide rail are locked together.

[0016] The left and right support arms are equipped with polyurethane pads at the contact points with the drone to protect the wings.

[0017] The present invention also provides a method for using an automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising the following steps: 1) Leveling the load: Push the manual platform vehicle to the front of the target launcher, rotate the four sets of leveling feet at the bottom to correct the level of the vehicle and eliminate the impact of ground elevation difference on the automatic loading of the UAV; 2) Loading and clamping of drones; using an overhead crane to hoist and place the drones equipped with front and rear adapters onto the tooling guide rails; starting the servo motor to make the left and right jaws close, the left and right jaws bite the front end of the drone to complete the fixation of the whole machine, and the left and right support arms simultaneously lift the two wings of the drone. 3) Precise alignment of height and tilt angle; start the scissor lift on the manual platform vehicle, raise it via the lifting platform, and align the rear end of the tooling guide rail with the launcher guide rail inlet; start the servo motor, raise the lifting support seat at the top of the screw jack, and drive the tooling guide rail to rotate around the axis within the angle range of 0-18°; start the servo motor, and finely adjust the tooling guide rail laterally by ±2mm via the left and right slides until the tooling guide rail is tilted to 15° and aligned with the launcher guide rail direction; 4) Fixture guide rail locking; Insert the positioning screw into the positioning hole at the end of the fixture guide rail to connect the fixture guide rail with the launcher guide rail to prevent deviation and shaking during the pushing process; 5) Automatic push and loading: Start the servo motor, and the slide module drives the slide assembly to move along the tooling guide rail to the rear end, smoothly pushing the UAV into the designated layer inside the launcher; 6) Tooling reset; After the UAV is loaded into place, the servo motor is started in reverse and the left and right jaws are released; the servo motor on the propulsion mechanism reverses, driving the slide assembly and the left and right jaws to return to the initial position along the tooling guide rail, completing a single loading operation, and then it is transferred to the next set of launchers for repeated operation.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are: Adaptive tilt alignment eliminates the need for hoisting and tilting the launcher: The lifting mechanism can be steplessly adjusted from 0-18°, directly positioning the launcher tilt angle at 15°. Combined with ±2mm lateral fine-tuning, it quickly completes track alignment, eliminating the need for overhead crane hoisting of the launcher, significantly shortening operation time and avoiding hoisting safety risks.

[0019] The entire process is automated with minimal human intervention: servo motors control clamping, angle adjustment, fine-tuning, and pushing, allowing the drone to automatically enter / exit the launch pad. Only manual transfer of tooling and tightening of guide rail screws are required, halving the manpower needed and increasing loading efficiency by more than 60%.

[0020] Stable load-bearing capacity and reliable protection: The left and right claws grip the drone fuselage at multiple points, and the left and right support arms have polyurethane pads to protect the wings; the interactive module has sufficient tensile redundancy, and the guide rail docking and locking structure eliminates the risk of displacement and slippage, making it suitable for complex field conditions.

[0021] Highly economical and easy to assemble: The screw jack, servo motor, moving module, and manual platform trolley are all standard industrial parts, resulting in low procurement costs; the whole machine adopts a welding and bolt assembly structure, which shortens the processing cycle and makes disassembly, assembly, and transportation convenient.

[0022] High adaptability to ground conditions: Four sets of independent leveling feet at the bottom can be used to level the tooling on uneven ground, ensuring the alignment accuracy of the track. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism in this invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the propulsion mechanism in this invention.

[0026] Appendix Figure 1-3 In the middle, 1. Lifting mechanism; 2. Propulsion mechanism; 3. Screw jack; 4. Servo motor; 5. Lifting support base; 6. Lifting platform; 7. Left and right slides; 8. Rotary shaft; 9. Bearing seat; 10. Leveling support; 11. Casters; 12. Manual platform trolley; 13. Handle tube; 14. Slide assembly; 15. Slide module; 16. Scissor lift frame; 17. Left and right chucks; 18. Tooling guide rail; 19. Positioning frame; 20. Left and right support arms; 21. Rotary shaft support; 22. Positioning hole; 23. Base. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] See appendix Figure 1-3 This is one embodiment of the present invention, which discloses an automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), wherein... Figure 1 As shown, the device consists of a lifting mechanism 1 and a propulsion mechanism 2 located above the lifting mechanism 1.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, the lifting mechanism 1 consists of a screw jack 3, a servo motor 4, a lifting support base 5, a lifting platform 6, left and right slides 7, a rotating shaft 8, a bearing seat 9, leveling feet 10, casters 11, a manual platform trolley 12, and a handle tube 13. To ensure strength, the manual platform trolley 12 and the lifting platform 6 are steel frame structures welded from several channel steels and steel plates.

[0030] The lifting mechanism includes a manual platform trolley 12. The top of the manual platform trolley 12 is provided with a lifting platform 6 and an angle adjustment assembly. The lifting platform 6 is provided with left and right sliding platforms 7 and a hinge assembly. The angle adjustment assembly includes a screw jack 3 fixed to one end of the lifting platform 6 and a lifting support seat 5 located on the top of the screw jack 3. The hinge assembly includes a bearing seat assembly fixed to the surface of the lifting platform 6 and a rotating shaft 8 that passes through the bearing seat assembly. The rotating shaft 8 also passes through a rotating shaft support 21 between the two bearing seats 9.

[0031] The screw jack 3 in the angle adjustment assembly is connected to a servo motor 4; under the action of the angle adjustment assembly, the tooling guide rail 18 is rotated to adjust the angle through the hinge assembly, and the angle adjustment range is 0-18°.

[0032] The screw jack 3 is a flat-head type SWL1TM-1AIV-300-ZC, which is used in conjunction with a 750W explosion-proof servo motor 4 and a lifting screw. The base 23 has tooling guide rails 18 on both sides. The outer bottom surface of the base 23 is connected and fixed to the rotating shaft 8. When the screw jack 3 is working, the tooling guide rails 18 can rotate around the bearing seat 9 at the rear end of the lifting platform 6 to adjust the angle. The angle adjustment range is 0-18°. At the same time, the tooling guide rails 18 can be finely adjusted left and right using the left and right slides 7. The left and right fine adjustment range is ±2mm until the angle of the tooling guide rails 18 is tilted to 15° and aligned with the launcher guide rail.

[0033] The lifting platform 6 is mounted on the manual platform cart 12, which serves to support the lifting mechanism 1, the propulsion mechanism 2, and the drone. To facilitate manual operation of the drone's automatic loading device, a handle tube 13 is welded to one end of the manual platform cart 12. The drone weighs 200kg, the lifting platform 1 and propulsion mechanism 2 weigh approximately 280kg, and the manual platform cart 12 needs to bear a weight of 480kg. Therefore, a 500kg load capacity manual platform cart 12 is selected to meet the requirements. Furthermore, the manual platform cart 12 is equipped with four leveling feet 13 at its bottom, adaptable to different ground conditions, ensuring the platform cart is placed horizontally and improving guide rail alignment efficiency.

[0034] like Figure 3As shown, the propulsion mechanism 2 consists of a slide assembly 14, a slide module 15, left and right chucks 17, a tooling guide rail 18, left and right support arms 20, and a rotating shaft support 21. Theoretical calculations show that the maximum pulling force required for the UAV to be loaded into and unloaded from the launch pad is 710.8 N. The slide module 14 uses a gear and rack module, specification HYC170B-L5-S2800-BC, with a maximum pulling force of approximately 2200 N. This slide module also incorporates a flexible bellows-like protective cover, making it suitable for a wider range of environments. The slide assembly 14 works in conjunction with the slide module 15. The output gear of the slide module 15 meshes with the rack, allowing the UAV to move freely on the tooling guide rail 18. The distance the UAV is pushed forward and pulled out is 2.7 m.

[0035] The left and right claws 17 are made of aluminum alloy and can securely hold the 10 screws on the front shell of the drone. The left and right support arms 20 can effectively support the two wings of the drone, and the contact parts of the wings are covered with polyurethane rubber pads to prevent scratches on the body. The rotating shaft support 21 works with the rotating shaft 8 and bearing 9 in the lifting mechanism 1. The lifting mechanism 1 makes the tooling guide rail 18 rotate around the rotating shaft 8 to adjust the angle and achieve alignment with the launcher. The other end of the tooling guide rail is provided with a positioning frame 23, which has a positioning hole 22. After the tooling guide rail 18 is aligned with the launcher guide rail, the positioning screw is installed at the positioning hole 22 to lock the tooling guide rail and the launcher guide rail at the joint, preventing the guide rail from shaking or misaligning during the loading process and improving loading efficiency.

[0036] The specific usage process of this invention embodiment is as follows: During loading, firstly, adjust the four leveling feet 10 at the bottom of the manual platform vehicle 12 to ensure that the platform vehicle 12 is placed horizontally. Use the overhead crane to place the UAV, including the front and rear adapters, on the tooling guide rail 18 of the propulsion mechanism 2. Then, use the left and right claws 17 on both sides to firmly hold the UAV with the screws on the front shell of the UAV as the force point, while ensuring that the left and right support arms 20 on both sides of the tooling guide rail 18 can effectively support the two wings of the UAV. Then, adjust the platform vehicle 12 according to the interlayer height of the launcher. The height is adjusted so that it is level with the front end of the launcher guide rail. The tooling guide rail 18 is rotated around the pivot 8 at the rear end of the lifting platform 6 via the lifting mechanism 1, with an angle adjustment range of 0-18°. Simultaneously, the left and right slides 7 are used to finely adjust the tooling guide rail 18 left and right until its angle is tilted to 15° and aligned with the launcher guide rail. Two positioning screws are then installed at the positioning holes 22 to secure the tooling guide rail 18 to the launcher guide rail, preventing misalignment and shaking during loading and improving loading efficiency. Finally, the slide module 15 in the propulsion mechanism 2 is activated to slowly and automatically load the UAV into the corresponding launcher. After loading, the servo motor is activated to release the left and right grippers 17, and then the propulsion mechanism 2 is used to reset the left and right grippers 17.

[0037] The embodiments of the present invention fully consider the economic cost, safety and convenience of loading UAVs into the launch pad, and can realize the function of aligning the automatic loading device of the UAV with the launch pad track, so as to ensure that the UAV can automatically and smoothly enter or exit the launch pad.

[0038] The specification of this invention only describes the core embodiments of the invention. Simple size, power substitutions, and structural equivalent transformations based on the same inventive concept all fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characterized in that: Includes a lifting mechanism and a propulsion mechanism located above the lifting mechanism; The lifting mechanism includes a manual platform vehicle. The top of the manual platform vehicle is equipped with a lifting platform and an angle adjustment component. The lifting platform is equipped with left and right sliding platforms and a hinge component. The angle adjustment component includes a screw jack fixed to one end of the lifting platform and a lifting support seat located on the top of the screw jack. The propulsion mechanism includes a base located on a lifting platform, with tooling guide rails on both sides of the base, and a rack at the bottom of the base along the length of the tooling guide rails; a slide assembly is located above the rack. The slide assembly is equipped with a slide module, and the output gear of the slide module meshes with the rack and pinion for transmission. The slide assembly feeds along the tooling guide rail. The slide module is also equipped with left and right chucks on both sides of the tooling guide rail, which are gripped by servo motors to hold the front of the drone. Left and right support arms for supporting the two wings of the drone are also provided on both sides of the tooling guide rail. The bottom of the base is equipped with a rotating shaft support that matches and is installed with the hinge assembly. When the angle adjustment assembly is working, the tooling guide rail can be rotated by a certain angle through the hinge assembly to meet the requirement of the tilt angle consistent with the launcher guide rail.

2. The automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The manual platform truck has leveling feet at the four corners of its bottom to adapt to uneven ground; a handle tube is welded to one side of the manual platform truck for easy manual transfer of tools; the manual platform truck is equipped with a scissor lift, which is driven by hydraulic or electric push rods to raise or lower the lifting platform.

3. The automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left and right slides can be finely adjusted by ±2mm within the left and right range by servo motors until the tooling guide rail is tilted at a certain angle and aligned with the launcher guide rail.

4. The automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slide module is equipped with a servo motor, which enables the slide assembly to slide and feed along the tooling guide rail.

5. The automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hinge assembly includes a bearing housing assembly fixed to the surface of the lifting platform and a rotating shaft that passes through the bearing housing assembly. The rotating shaft also passes through a rotating shaft support between the two bearing housings.

6. The automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The screw jack in the angle adjustment assembly is equipped with a servo motor; under the action of the angle adjustment assembly, the tooling guide rail is rotated and the angle is adjusted through the hinge assembly, with an angle adjustment range of 0-18°.

7. The automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The other end of the tooling guide rail is equipped with a positioning frame, which has a positioning hole. By installing positioning screws at the positioning hole, the tooling guide rail and the launcher guide rail are locked together.

8. The automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The left and right support arms are equipped with polyurethane pads at the contact points with the drone to protect the wings.

9. The method of using the automatic loading device for unmanned aerial vehicles according to any one of claims 1-8, comprising the following steps: 1) Leveling the load: Push the manual platform vehicle to the front of the target launcher, rotate the four sets of leveling feet at the bottom to correct the level of the vehicle and eliminate the impact of ground elevation difference on the automatic loading of the UAV; 2) Loading and clamping of drones; using an overhead crane to hoist and place the drones equipped with front and rear adapters onto the tooling guide rails; starting the servo motor to make the left and right jaws close, the left and right jaws bite the front end of the drone to complete the fixation of the whole machine, and the left and right support arms simultaneously lift the two wings of the drone. 3) Precise alignment of height and tilt angle; start the scissor lift on the manual platform vehicle, raise it via the lifting platform, and align the rear end of the tooling guide rail with the launcher guide rail inlet; start the servo motor, raise the lifting support seat at the top of the screw jack, and drive the tooling guide rail to rotate around the axis within the angle range of 0-18°; start the servo motor, and finely adjust the tooling guide rail laterally by ±2mm via the left and right slides until the tooling guide rail is tilted to 15° and aligned with the launcher guide rail direction; 4) Fixture guide rail locking; Insert the positioning screw into the positioning hole at the end of the fixture guide rail to connect the fixture guide rail with the launcher guide rail to prevent deviation and shaking during the pushing process; 5) Automatic push and loading; start the servo motor, the slide module drives the slide assembly to move along the tooling guide rail to the rear end, and smoothly push the UAV into the designated layer inside the launcher; 6) Tooling reset; After the UAV is loaded into place, the servo motor is started in reverse and the left and right jaws are released; the servo motor on the propulsion mechanism reverses, driving the slide assembly and the left and right jaws to return to the initial position along the tooling guide rail, completing a single loading operation, and then it is transferred to the next set of launchers for repeated operation.

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