A collision avoidance mechanism for drones

Abstract

This utility model discloses a collision avoidance mechanism for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), suitable for installation on UAVs. The UAV fuselage has two arms on each of its left and right sides, with wings at their free ends. The collision avoidance mechanism includes four protective covers and two connecting frames. The protective covers are detachably mounted on the free ends of the corresponding arms and are distributed around the outer periphery of the corresponding wings. The two connecting frames are distributed on the left and right sides of the UAV fuselage. Each connecting frame extends in a front-to-back direction, positioned between two protective covers on the same side, and its front and rear ends are hinged to adjacent protective covers. This utility model effectively protects the UAV through the cooperation of the protective covers and connecting frames, minimizing collision damage, and its compact size after folding makes it easy to carry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and specifically to a collision avoidance mechanism for UAVs. Background Technology

[0002] When drones perform close-range tasks such as bridge inspection, the risk of accidental collisions increases significantly due to complex environments and potentially limited GPS signals. Considering the precision and value of onboard equipment (including but not limited to high-precision computers, LiDAR, and camera gimbal systems), designing an efficient, lightweight, and reliable collision avoidance mechanism as a last line of defense is crucial.

[0003] In existing technologies, large impact rings are often directly attached to the main fuselage of the drone. Theoretically, the ideal solution is for a large impact ring to directly transfer the impact force to the strongest central frame. However, this approach requires the use of more and longer carbon fiber support rods, which not only significantly increases the structural weight and production cost, but also necessitates that the excessively long carbon rods be made thicker or have greater deformation allowance to effectively absorb impact energy. Both of these factors further increase the weight, contradicting the goal of lightweighting the entire drone and resulting in a larger overall size.

[0004] In addition, the existing bumper rings cannot be folded, making them inconvenient to store and carry. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model proposes a collision avoidance mechanism for drones, which solves the technical problem that existing collision avoidance mechanisms are large in size and inconvenient to store and carry.

[0006] This utility model discloses a collision avoidance mechanism for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which is suitable for installation on UAVs. The UAV has two arms on both the left and right sides of its fuselage, and wings are provided at the free ends of the arms. The collision avoidance mechanism includes four protective covers and two connecting frames.

[0007] The protective cover is adapted to be detachably installed at the free end of the corresponding arm and distributed on the outer periphery of the corresponding wing;

[0008] Two connecting frames are distributed on the left and right sides of the drone's fuselage; the connecting frames extend in the front-to-back direction and are positioned between the two protective covers on the same side, with their front and rear ends respectively hinged to the adjacent protective covers. The cooperation between the protective covers and the connecting frames effectively protects the drone, and its compact size after folding makes it easy to carry.

[0009] Furthermore, the protective cover includes a fan-shaped anti-collision ring and a support rod;

[0010] The fan-shaped anti-collision rings are distributed on the side of the wing away from the fuselage of the UAV; the end of the connecting frame is hinged to the end of the adjacent fan-shaped anti-collision ring;

[0011] One end of the support rod is connected to the fan-shaped anti-collision ring, and the other end is adapted to be detached and plugged into the free end of the corresponding arm. This design achieves the connection between the protective cover and the drone.

[0012] Furthermore, two support rods are provided on the same sector-shaped anti-collision ring, and the two support rods are respectively located at both ends of the sector-shaped anti-collision ring, and the included angle between the two support rods is 90° to 110°;

[0013] The fan-shaped anti-collision ring and the support rods at both ends form a fan-shaped structure. This design allows the fan-shaped anti-collision ring to be effectively connected to the drone via the support rods.

[0014] Furthermore, the wing located in front of the drone body is positioned above the corresponding arm, and the support rod located in front of the connecting frame is positioned at the bottom of the corresponding fan-shaped anti-collision ring;

[0015] The wing, located at the rear of the UAV fuselage, is positioned below the corresponding arm, and the support rod, located behind the connecting frame, is positioned at the top of the corresponding fan-shaped anti-collision ring. This design effectively avoids collisions with the wing's rotor blades.

[0016] Furthermore, the drive motor of the wing is mounted on the free end of the arm via a corresponding motor mount; the motor mount is provided with a slot;

[0017] The support rod is adapted to be detachably inserted into the corresponding slot.

[0018] Furthermore, the fan-shaped anti-collision ring has a double-layer structure, including an upper fan-shaped frame, a lower fan-shaped frame, and a connecting frame disposed between the two.

[0019] In this design, the upper fan-shaped frame is positioned at a horizontal plane higher than the corresponding wing, while the lower fan-shaped frame is positioned at a horizontal plane lower than the corresponding wing. This design effectively protects the wing.

[0020] Furthermore, the connecting frame has a double-layer structure, including an upper connecting frame, a lower connecting frame, and a vertically detachable support frame disposed between the two. This design achieves a lightweight connecting frame.

[0021] Furthermore, the anti-collision mechanism also includes a reinforcing frame, which is distributed on the front or rear side of the drone fuselage; the reinforcing frame extends in the left-right direction, and its left and right ends are detachably hinged to the adjacent protective cover. This design effectively protects the drone and reduces the risk of localized damage.

[0022] Furthermore, there are two reinforcement frames, distributed on the front and rear sides of the drone fuselage;

[0023] The protective cover, the connecting frame, and the reinforcing frame are adapted to form a collision protection ring; the UAV is adapted to be installed within the inner ring of the collision protection ring. This design effectively protects the UAV.

[0024] Furthermore, the reinforcement frame has a double-layer structure, including an upper reinforcement connecting frame, a lower reinforcement connecting frame, and a vertically detachable support frame disposed between the two. This design achieves a lightweight reinforcement frame.

[0025] By adopting the above technical solution, this utility model has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0026] The combination of protective cover and connecting frame effectively protects the drone, minimizes collision damage, and has a small size when folded for easy carrying.

[0027] Through a specific support rod layout, the impact force from a single point can be effectively distributed to adjacent arms, thereby significantly reducing the risk of local damage to the drone.

[0028] The double-layer structure enables the anti-collision mechanism to be lightweight.

[0029] The above description of the disclosed content and the following description of the embodiments are intended to demonstrate and explain the spirit and principle of the present invention, and to provide a further explanation of the scope of the patent application of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram (a) of the anti-collision mechanism of this utility model being assembled on a drone.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the anti-collision mechanism after it has been deployed in this utility model;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the anti-collision mechanism after it has been folded in this utility model;

[0034] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram (II) of the anti-collision mechanism of this utility model mounted on a drone.

[0035] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0036] 1. Protective cover; 11. Fan-shaped anti-collision ring; 12. Support rod; 2. Connecting frame; 3. Reinforcing frame; 4. Drone; 41. Arm; 42. Wing; 43. Motor mount; 44. Camera. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of this utility model will be presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this utility model are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the utility model in conjunction with the embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of this utility model. To provide a deep understanding of this utility model, many specific details will be included in the following description. This utility model may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of this utility model, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this utility model can be combined with each other.

[0038] In the description of this embodiment, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "bottom", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the utility model product is usually placed in during use. They are only for the convenience of describing the utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the utility model.

[0039] The terms “first”, “second”, etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0040] In the description of this embodiment, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "provided with," "set up," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this embodiment based on the specific circumstances.

[0041] This application discloses a collision avoidance mechanism for a drone, suitable for installation on a drone 4.

[0042] In this embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 As shown, a camera 44 is located at the center of the front of the drone 4's fuselage. Two arms 41 are located on each side of the drone 4's fuselage, positioned to the left and right of the camera 44. The arms 41 on the left side of the drone 4's fuselage are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and the arms 41 on the right side of the drone 4's fuselage are also spaced apart in the front-to-back direction. Each arm 41 has a connecting end and a free end. The connecting end of the arm 41 is connected to the drone 4's fuselage, and the free end of the arm 41 has a wing 42. To more clearly demonstrate the connection between the collision avoidance mechanism and the drone 4, therefore... Figure 1 and Figure 2 Neither of them showed the propeller blades of wing 42.

[0043] In this embodiment, the anti-collision mechanism is made of carbon fiber.

[0044] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the anti-collision mechanism includes four protective covers 1 and two connecting frames 2. The protective covers 1 are adapted to be detachably mounted on the free ends of the corresponding arms 41 and are distributed around the outer periphery of the corresponding wings 42. The two connecting frames 2 are distributed on the left and right sides of the drone 4 fuselage. The connecting frames 2 extend in the front-to-back direction. The connecting frame 2 located on the left side of the drone 4 fuselage is positioned between the two protective covers 1 on the left side of the drone 4 fuselage, and its front and rear ends are respectively hinged to the adjacent protective cover 1. The connecting frame 2 located on the right side of the drone 4 fuselage is positioned between the two protective covers 1 on the right side of the drone 4 fuselage, and its front and rear ends are respectively hinged to the adjacent protective cover 1.

[0045] When the anti-collision mechanism deploys, such as Figure 2 As shown, the protective cover 1 can be connected to the free end of the corresponding arm 41 to obtain a drone 4 equipped with a collision avoidance mechanism (e.g., Figure 1 (As shown); at this time, the anti-collision mechanism can effectively protect the protective cover 1. When the anti-collision mechanism is folded, as... Figure 3 As mentioned above, the folded anti-collision mechanism effectively saves space and is easy to carry and store.

[0046] Please see Figure 1As shown, the protective cover 1 includes a fan-shaped anti-collision ring 11 and support rods 12. The fan-shaped anti-collision rings 11 are distributed on the side of the corresponding wing 42 away from the fuselage of the UAV 4. The end of the connecting frame 2 is hinged to the end of the adjacent fan-shaped anti-collision ring 11. One end of the support rod 12 is connected to the fan-shaped anti-collision ring 11, and the other end is adapted to be detachably inserted into the free end of the corresponding arm 41. In this embodiment, two support rods 12 are provided on the same fan-shaped anti-collision ring 11, and the two support rods 12 are respectively located at both ends of the fan-shaped anti-collision ring 11, and the included angle between the two support rods 12 is 90° to 110°. The fan-shaped anti-collision ring 11 and the support rods 12 at both ends form a fan-shaped structure. Preferably, the included angle between the two support rods 12 is 100°.

[0047] In this embodiment, the drive motor of the wing 42 is mounted on the free end of the arm 41 via a corresponding motor mount 43. The motor mount 43 is provided with a slot. The support rod 12 is adapted to be detachably inserted into the corresponding slot. In this embodiment, the motor mount 43 is designed with two "clamp-like" slots at a 100° angle. These slots are not simple connection holes, but are themselves a passive safety design.

[0048] Specifically, the support rod 12 is fixed in the slot by a plug-in connection, without the need for additional screws. This "pincer-like" geometry ensures that in the event of a collision, the impact force causes the contact surface between the support rod 12 and the slot to tighten, creating a self-locking effect that tightens with each impact, thus improving the reliability of the connection. In existing technologies, large drones use traditional anti-collision ring designs, which are often bulky, aesthetically unappealing, and, in the event of a collision, the impact force is mainly borne independently by a single arm 41, easily leading to damage to that arm 41 or the connection point. This invention, through a specific layout of the support rod 12, can effectively distribute the impact force from a single point to adjacent arms 41, thereby significantly reducing the risk of localized damage to the drone 4.

[0049] In this embodiment, the wing 42 located at the front of the UAV 4 body is positioned above the corresponding arm 41, and the support rod 12 located at the front of the connecting frame 2 is positioned at the bottom of the corresponding fan-shaped anti-collision ring 11. The wing 42 located at the rear of the UAV 4 body is positioned below the corresponding arm 41, and the support rod 12 located at the rear of the connecting frame 2 is positioned at the top of the corresponding fan-shaped anti-collision ring 11. The layout of the support rod 12 can effectively avoid the propeller blades of the wing 42.

[0050] Furthermore, the sector-shaped anti-collision ring 11 has a double-layer structure. The sector-shaped anti-collision ring 11 includes an upper sector-shaped frame, a lower sector-shaped frame, and a connecting frame vertically positioned between the two. The upper sector-shaped frame is positioned at a horizontal plane higher than the corresponding wing 42, while the lower sector-shaped frame is positioned at a horizontal plane lower than the corresponding wing 42. This double-layer structure effectively protects the wing 42 and prevents it from colliding with other aircraft.

[0051] Furthermore, the connecting frame 2 also has a double-layer structure to better accommodate the fan-shaped anti-collision ring 11. The connecting frame 2 includes an upper connecting frame, a lower connecting frame, and a vertically detachable support frame disposed between the two.

[0052] Please see Figure 4 As shown, the anti-collision mechanism also includes a reinforcing frame 3. The reinforcing frame 3 is distributed on the front or rear side of the fuselage of the UAV 4. The reinforcing frame 3 extends in the left-right direction, and its left and right ends are detachably hinged to the adjacent protective cover 1.

[0053] In this embodiment, there are two reinforcing frames 3, distributed on the front and rear sides of the drone 4 fuselage, which can effectively protect the front and rear sides of the drone 4. The protective cover 1, the connecting frame 2, and the reinforcing frame 3 are adapted to form a collision protection ring. The drone 4 is adapted to be placed in the inner ring of the collision protection ring, thereby obtaining effective protection.

[0054] Furthermore, to effectively avoid the camera 44, the reinforcement frame 3 has a double-layer structure. The reinforcement frame 3 includes an upper reinforcement connecting frame, a lower reinforcement connecting frame, and a vertically detachable support frame disposed between the two. The upper and lower reinforcement connecting frames are spaced apart so that the camera 44 can capture images through the gap between the two connecting frames.

[0055] The working principle of this anti-collision mechanism is as follows:

[0056] When the collision avoidance mechanism deploys, such as Figure 2 As shown, the protective cover 1 can be connected to the free end of the corresponding arm 41 to obtain a drone 4 equipped with a collision avoidance mechanism (e.g., Figure 1 (as shown); thereafter, it can be decided whether to install the reinforcement frame 3 as needed.

[0057] When the anti-collision mechanism collides with the outside world, the impact force will cause the support rod 12 to fit more tightly with the contact surface of the slot, forming a self-locking effect of "the more it is hit, the tighter it becomes", which improves the reliability of the connection.

[0058] When the anti-collision mechanism is folded, such as Figure 3 In this configuration, the folded anti-collision mechanism effectively saves space, making it easy to carry and store. In some embodiments, the anti-collision mechanism is also equipped with Velcro straps to secure the folded mechanism, further facilitating its transport.

[0059] In summary, this invention effectively protects the drone through the combination of the protective cover and the connecting frame, minimizing collision damage, and its compact size after folding makes it easy to carry. The specific support rod layout effectively disperses the impact force from a single point onto adjacent arms, significantly reducing the risk of localized damage to the drone. The double-layered structure effectively protects the drone while achieving a lightweight anti-collision mechanism.

[0060] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this utility model should still be covered by the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A collision avoidance mechanism for a drone, suitable for installation on a drone (4), characterized in that, The UAV (4) has two arms (41) on both the left and right sides of its fuselage. The free end of the arms (41) is provided with wings (42). The anti-collision mechanism includes four protective covers (1) and two connecting frames (2). The protective cover (1) is adapted to be detachably installed at the free end of the corresponding arm (41) and distributed on the outer periphery of the corresponding wing (42); Two connecting frames (2) are distributed on the left and right sides of the fuselage of the UAV (4); the connecting frames (2) extend in the front-back direction and are placed between the two protective covers (1) set on the same side, and their front and rear ends are respectively hinged to the adjacent protective covers (1).

2. The anti-collision mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective cover (1) includes a fan-shaped anti-collision ring (11) and a support rod (12). The fan-shaped anti-collision rings (11) are distributed on the side of the wing (42) away from the fuselage of the UAV (4); the end of the connecting frame (2) is hinged to the end of the adjacent fan-shaped anti-collision rings (11); One end of the support rod (12) is connected to the fan-shaped anti-collision ring (11), and the other end is adapted to be disassembled and plugged into the free end of the corresponding arm (41).

3. The anti-collision mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, Two support rods (12) are provided on the same sector-shaped anti-collision ring (11). The two support rods (12) are respectively located at both ends of the sector-shaped anti-collision ring (11), and the included angle between the two support rods (12) is 90° to 110°. The fan-shaped anti-collision ring (11) and the support rods (12) at both ends form a fan-shaped structure.

4. The anti-collision mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The wing (42) located in front of the body of the UAV (4) is positioned above the corresponding arm (41), and the support rod (12) located in front of the connecting frame (2) is positioned at the bottom of the corresponding fan-shaped anti-collision ring (11); The wing (42) located behind the body of the UAV (4) is positioned below the corresponding arm (41), and the support rod (12) located behind the connecting frame (2) is positioned on top of the corresponding fan-shaped anti-collision ring (11).

5. The anti-collision mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive motor of the wing (42) is mounted on the free end of the arm (41) via a corresponding motor mount (43); the motor mount (43) is provided with a slot; The support rod (12) is adapted to be detachably inserted into the corresponding slot.

6. The anti-collision mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fan-shaped anti-collision ring (11) has a double-layer structure, including an upper fan-shaped frame, a lower fan-shaped frame and a connecting frame between the two. The upper fan-shaped frame is located on a horizontal plane that is higher than the corresponding wing (42), while the lower fan-shaped frame is located on a horizontal plane that is lower than the corresponding wing (42).

7. The anti-collision mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting frame (2) is a double-layer structure, including an upper connecting frame, a lower connecting frame and a vertically detachable support frame between the two.

8. The anti-collision mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a reinforcement frame (3), which is distributed on the front or rear side of the fuselage of the UAV (4); the reinforcement frame (3) extends in the left and right direction, and its left and right ends are respectively detachably hinged to the adjacent protective cover (1).

9. The anti-collision mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, There are two reinforcement frames (3), which are distributed on the front and rear sides of the fuselage of the UAV (4); The protective cover (1), the connecting frame (2) and the reinforcing frame (3) are adapted to form an anti-collision ring; the drone (4) is adapted to be disposed in the inner ring of the anti-collision ring.

10. The anti-collision mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, The reinforcement frame (3) is a double-layer structure, including an upper reinforcement connecting frame, a lower reinforcement connecting frame, and a vertically detachable support frame between the two.

Images