A UAV automatic propeller folding device and propeller folding method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and discloses an automatic propeller folding device and a propeller folding method for unmanned aerial vehicles. The automatic propeller folding device for unmanned aerial vehicles includes a centering component, which can drive the unmanned aerial vehicle to move horizontally from a parking position to a designated position; a paddle shifting inclined block, a paddle shifting wedge surface is provided on the top of the paddle shifting inclined block, and the paddle shifting inclined block can be raised and lowered so that the paddle shifting wedge surface contacts the blades to push the blades to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor so that each blade is folded into the area surrounded by the fuselage and two adjacent motors. The present invention uses the centering component to drive the unmanned aerial vehicle to move horizontally from a parking position to a designated position, and then uses the paddle shifting inclined block to be raised and lowered so that the paddle shifting wedge surface contacts the blades to push the blades to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor so that each blade is folded into the area surrounded by the fuselage and two adjacent motors, thereby realizing automatic folding of the unmanned aerial vehicle blades and greatly reducing the space occupied by the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular to an automatic propeller folding device and a propeller folding method for unmanned aerial vehicles. Background Art

[0002] Drones require a lot of space when they are stored, and the area occupied by the propellers of drones is much larger than the area occupied by the drone body. In particular, when using drone automatic hangars to automatically store and charge drones, the volume of the drone automatic hangar must be very large.

[0003] In the prior art, manual methods are mostly used to fold the propeller blades of drones. However, when this propeller folding method is applied to the automatic hangar of drones, manual intervention limits the automated use of drones. Some drones directly make the propeller blades with automatic folding function, but this will inevitably increase the weight and production cost of the drone, and make the structure of the drone more complicated. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic propeller folding device and a propeller folding method for a drone, which can automatically fold the propeller blades of the drone without changing the structure of the drone.

[0005] To achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] An automatic propeller-retracting device for a drone, the drone comprising a fuselage and a plurality of motors distributed along the circumference of the fuselage and connected to the fuselage through propeller arms, the output shaft of each of the motors being connected to a propeller blade that can selectively rotate or be fixed relative to the propeller blade, the automatic propeller-retracting device for a drone comprising:

[0007] A centering component, which can drive the drone to move horizontally from a parking position to a specified position;

[0008] A paddle shifter block, wherein a paddle shifter wedge surface is provided on the top of the paddle shifter block, and the paddle shifter block can be raised and lowered so that the paddle shifter wedge surface contacts the paddle blades to push the paddle blades to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor, so that each of the paddle blades can be retracted into the area enclosed by the fuselage and the two adjacent motors.

[0009] As a preferred technical solution of the automatic propeller retracting device of the above-mentioned drone, the centering component includes two first centering arms arranged opposite to each other and two second centering arms arranged opposite to each other, the first centering arms and the second centering arms are arranged alternately in the circumference to form a placement area, and the drone is placed in the placement area;

[0010] Each of the first centering arms can be horizontally moved toward another of the first centering arms, and each of the second centering arms can be horizontally moved toward another of the second centering arms, so as to push the fuselage to the designated position.

[0011] As a preferred technical solution of the automatic propeller retracting device for the above-mentioned drone, the output shaft of each of the motors is connected to at least two of the propeller blades;

[0012] It also includes a pre-paddle assembly, which is used to drive the paddle to rotate relative to the corresponding output shaft of the motor, so that the paddle rotates to a preset paddle position;

[0013] The paddle blade is in a preset paddle shifting position, and the paddle blade is located directly above the corresponding paddle shifting wedge surface.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution of the automatic propeller retracting device of the above-mentioned drone, the pre-propeller assembly includes:

[0015] A plurality of pre-paddle arms correspond to the motors one by one, and each of the first centering arms is provided with two pre-paddle arms fixed relative to the first centering arm.

[0016] As a preferred technical solution of the automatic propeller retracting device for the above-mentioned drone, it also includes a horizontally arranged roller, which is rotatably connected to the top of the propeller ramp.

[0017] As a preferred technical solution of the automatic propeller retracting device of the above-mentioned UAV, it also includes:

[0018] A platform, used for placing the drone;

[0019] The second lifting drive unit is used to drive the machine to lift and lower so that it is at a paddle shifting height or a center return height. When the machine is at the center return height, the pre-paddle shifting assembly and the paddle shifting inclined block are both located below the paddle blades.

[0020] As a preferred technical solution of the automatic propeller retracting device of the above-mentioned drone, an elastic adjustment component is also included, which includes:

[0021] A rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is horizontally mounted on the top of the paddle shifter and is fixed relative to the paddle shifter;

[0022] A swing rod, the swing rod is vertically arranged, and the lower end of the swing rod is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft;

[0023] A torsion spring is connected to the rotating shaft and the swing rod, and the torsion spring is used to provide an external force to keep the swing rod in a vertical state.

[0024] As a preferred technical solution of the automatic propeller retracting device of the above-mentioned drone, it also includes a horizontally arranged roller; the roller is rotatably connected to the upper end of the swing rod and is at least partially higher than the swing rod.

[0025] The present invention also provides a method for automatically retracting propellers of a drone, using the above-mentioned automatic propeller retracting device for a drone, and the method for automatically retracting propellers of a drone comprises:

[0026] The centering component drives the drone to move horizontally from a parking position to a designated position;

[0027] The paddle shifter block is raised and lowered so that the paddle shifter wedge surface contacts the paddle blades to push the paddle blades to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor, so that each paddle blade is retracted into the area surrounded by the fuselage and two adjacent motors.

[0028] As a preferred technical solution for the above-mentioned automatic propeller retraction method of the drone, before the propeller wedge is raised or lowered, the pre-propeller assembly drives the propeller blades to rotate relative to the corresponding output shaft of the motor so that the propeller blades rotate to a preset propeller position.

[0029] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the automatic propeller-retracting device for a UAV provided by the present invention first utilizes a centering component to drive the UAV to move horizontally from a parking position to a designated position, and then utilizes a propeller-shifting inclined block to be raised and lowered, so that the propeller-shifting wedge surface contacts the propeller blade to push the propeller blade to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor, so that each propeller blade is retracted into the area surrounded by the fuselage and two adjacent motors, thereby realizing automatic folding of the propeller blades of the UAV; after the propeller blades of the UAV are retracted, the propeller blades are all retracted into the area surrounded by all circumferentially arranged motors, thereby greatly reducing the space occupied by the UAV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the contents of the embodiments of the present invention and these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a partial structural diagram of the automatic propeller retracting device for a drone provided in the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of the automatic propeller retracting device for a drone provided in the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0033] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A local enlarged schematic diagram of the middle A;

[0034] Figure 4 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of the automatic propeller retracting device for a drone provided in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the elastic adjustment component provided in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] In the figure:

[0037] 11. first centering arm; 111. groove; 12. second centering arm; 13. centering drive;

[0038] 21. paddle shifter; 22. paddle shifter wedge-shaped surface; 23. second lifting drive unit; 231. lifting bracket; 232. connecting frame; 233. driving motor; 234. first pulley; 235. second pulley; 236. belt;

[0039] 31. Pre-shift paddle arm;

[0040] 41. fuselage; 42. motor; 43. propeller blades;

[0041] 51. swing rod; 52. roller;

[0042] 6. Fix the bracket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In order to make the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical solutions adopted and the technical effects achieved clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention are further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and through specific implementation methods. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for the convenience of description, only the parts related to the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, not all.

[0044] Embodiment 1

[0045] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the UAV includes a fuselage 41 and a plurality of motors 42 distributed along the circumference of the fuselage 41 and connected to the fuselage 41 through paddle arms, and the output shaft of each motor 42 is connected to a blade 43 that can be selectively rotated or fixed relative to it. As for the structure that enables the blade 43 to be selectively rotated or fixed relative to the output shaft of the motor 42, it is a prior art and will not be described in detail here. In order to avoid the storage of the UAV taking up a large amount of space, the blades 43 are usually folded up. The current automatic paddle retracting device has a complex structure, and the manual paddle retracting method interferes with and limits the automated use of the UAV. Therefore, this embodiment provides an automatic paddle retracting device for a UAV to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0046] The automatic propeller retracting device for a drone provided in this embodiment includes a centering component and a propeller-shifting wedge block 21, wherein the centering component can drive the drone to move horizontally from a parking position to a specified position; a propeller-shifting wedge surface 22 is provided on the top of the propeller-shifting wedge block 21, and the propeller-shifting wedge block 21 can be raised and lowered so that the propeller-shifting wedge surface 22 contacts the propeller blade 43 to push the propeller blade 43 to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor 42, so that each propeller blade 43 is retracted into the area enclosed by the fuselage 41 and the two adjacent motors 42.

[0047] The automatic propeller-retracting device for a drone provided in this embodiment first utilizes a centering component to drive the drone to move horizontally from a parking position to a specified position, and then utilizes the paddle wedge block 21 to be raised and lowered so that the paddle wedge surface 22 contacts the blade 43 to push the blade 43 to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor 42, so that each blade 43 is retracted into the area surrounded by the fuselage 41 and two adjacent motors 42, thereby realizing automatic folding of the drone blades 43; after the drone blades 43 are retracted, the blades 43 are all retracted into the area surrounded by all circumferentially arranged motors 42, thereby greatly reducing the space occupied by the drone.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, illustratively, the drone includes four motors 42 arranged circumferentially around the fuselage 41, and each motor 42 is equipped with two blades 43. It should be noted that, of the two blades 43 equipped with each motor 42, the two blades 43 can rotate relative to each other or can be relatively fixed. Specifically, when one blade 43 rotates relative to the output shaft of the motor 42 due to an external force and the other blade 43 is not subjected to the external force, the blade 43 not subjected to the external force can rotate synchronously with the blade 43 subjected to the external force; when the external force acts on the two blades 43 at the same time, the two blades 43 rotate relative to the output shaft of the motor 42, and there is relative rotation between the two blades 43.

[0049] Furthermore, the centering component includes two parallel and spaced-apart first centering arms 11 and two parallel and spaced-apart second centering arms 12. The first centering arms 11 and the second centering arms 12 are alternately arranged circumferentially to form a placement area, and the UAV is placed in the placement area; each first centering arm 11 can move horizontally toward another first centering arm 11, and each second centering arm 12 can move horizontally toward another second centering arm 12 to push the fuselage 41 to a designated position.

[0050] Specifically, the centering component also includes a centering drive 13. The first centering arm 11 and the second centering arm 12 are both equipped with a centering drive 13. The centering drive 13 can adopt a motor screw slider structure, or a motor gear rack structure or other structures in the prior art that can achieve linear motion, which will not be described in detail here.

[0051] When centering the UAV, the two first centering arms 11 are first moved horizontally toward each other by a first preset distance, and then the two second centering arms 12 are moved horizontally toward each other by a second preset distance. After the UAV is centered, the two first centering arms 11 and the two second centering arms 12 are restored to their initial positions.

[0052] It should be noted that the fuselage 41 includes a main body and a landing gear. When the UAV is centered, the first centering arm 11 and the second centering arm 12 mainly act on the landing gear. In other embodiments, the first centering arm 11 and the second centering arm 12 can also act on the main body.

[0053] In this embodiment, the first centering arm 11 and the second centering arm 12 are vertically arranged. It should be noted that in other embodiments, only two first centering arms 11 arranged opposite to each other, or only two second centering arms 12 arranged opposite to each other can be arranged. In this case, one direction is firstly centered, and the drone is rotated to a certain angle before being centered in another direction, or a rotatable frame is added, and the first centering arm 11 or the second centering arm 12 arranged opposite to each other is arranged on the frame, and the frame is rotated to a certain angle before being centered in another direction. A first centering arm 11 and a second centering arm 12 arranged at an angle thereto can also be arranged, and a corresponding positioning platform is added. The first centering arm 11 is used to drive the fuselage 41 to move horizontally to abut against one positioning platform to achieve centering in one direction, and then the second centering arm 12 is used to drive the fuselage 41 to move horizontally to abut against another positioning platform to achieve centering in another direction.

[0054] Furthermore, four paddle shifters 21 are provided, each of which is equipped with a first lifting drive unit. Preferably, the paddle shifters 21 are vertically arranged L-shaped structures, which include two vertically arranged L-shaped paddle retracting plates, and the top surface of each paddle retracting plate is provided with a paddle shifting wedge surface 22.

[0055] The first lifting drive unit is used to drive the paddle shifter 21 to lift and lower so that the paddle shifter wedge surface 22 contacts the paddle blade 43 and drives the paddle blade 43 to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor 42. Specifically, the first lifting drive unit includes a fixed bracket 6, a lifting bracket 231, a driving motor 233, a first pulley 234, a second pulley 235 and a belt 236, wherein the four paddle shifter 21 are all connected to the lifting bracket 231, the driving motor 233 is fixedly arranged on the fixed bracket 6, the output shaft of the driving motor 233 is connected to the first pulley 234, the second pulley 235 is rotatably connected to the fixed bracket 6, the first pulley 234 and the second pulley 235 are connected by a belt 236, the lifting bracket 231 and the fixed bracket 6 are connected by a slide rail and a slide groove to realize an up and down sliding connection, the lifting bracket 231 is connected to a connecting frame 232, the connecting frame 232 is arranged between the first pulley 234 and the second pulley 235, and the connecting frame 232 is connected to the belt 236. It should be noted that the first lifting drive unit is not limited to the above structure, and may also adopt a gear rack structure, etc., which will not be listed one by one here.

[0056] The driving motor 233 works to drive the first pulley 234 to rotate, and the first pulley 234 drives the second pulley 235 to rotate through the belt 236. During the movement of the belt 236, the connecting frame 232 will rise and fall, and then drive each paddle bevel block 21 to rise and fall through the lifting bracket 231 adjacent to the connecting frame 232, so that the two paddle wedge surfaces 22 of each paddle bevel block 21 act on the two paddle blades 43 of the same motor 42 respectively, so that the two paddle blades 43 rotate relative to the output shaft of the motor 42 and the rotation directions are opposite, so that each paddle blade 43 is folded into the corresponding folding area.

[0057] Furthermore, when the automatic propeller retracting device of the drone is used to automatically retract the propeller blades 43, the propeller blades 43 may stop just above the sharp angle formed by the two propeller wedge surfaces 22 of the propeller wedge block 21, resulting in failure to retract the propeller blades. To this end, the automatic propeller retracting device of the drone also includes a pre-propeller assembly, which can drive the propeller blades 43 to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor 42, so that the propeller blades 43 rotate to a preset propeller position, the propeller blades 43 are in the preset propeller position, and the propeller blades 43 are located just above the propeller wedge surface 22.

[0058] Specifically, the pre-paddle assembly includes a pre-paddle arm 31, which is arranged on the second centering arm 12 and fixed relative to the second centering arm 12. Preferably, two pre-paddle arms 31 are arranged on each second centering arm 12, and the pre-paddle arms 31 correspond to the motors 42 one by one.

[0059] The second centering arm 12 is utilized to drive the two pre-paddle arms 31 thereon to move, so that each pre-paddle arm 31 pushes a paddle blade 43 on the corresponding motor 42 to rotate, and the other paddle blade 43 on each motor 42 will rotate synchronously, thereby rotating the paddle blade 43 to a preset paddle position, so as to avoid the paddle blade 43 stopping at the sharp angle formed by the two paddle wedge surfaces 22 of the paddle ramp 21, causing a failure in paddle retraction.

[0060] It should be noted that, in other embodiments, a pre-shifting arm 31 may be provided on only one second centering arm 12, and the blades 43 on two of the motors 42 are pre-shifted first to rotate the drone to a certain angle or the second centering arm 12 to a certain angle, and then the blades 43 on the other two motors 42 are pre-shifted.

[0061] In other embodiments, the pre-paddle assembly can be separated from the second centering arm 12, and in this case, the pre-paddle assembly needs to have its own power structure.

[0062] Furthermore, the above-mentioned automatic propeller retracting device for the drone also includes a platform and a second lifting drive unit 23, wherein the platform is used to place the drone; the second lifting drive unit 23 is used to drive the platform to rise and fall so that it is at a propeller shifting height or a centering height. When the platform is at the centering height, the top surface of the pre-propeller arm 31 and the propeller bevel block 21 are both located below the blade 43 to avoid the pre-propeller assembly and the propeller bevel block 21 contacting the blade 43 during the centering process; when the platform is at the propeller shifting height, the top surface of the pre-propeller arm 31 is higher than the lower surface of the blade 43 to ensure that the pre-propeller arm 31 can push the blade 43 to rotate.

[0063] The top of the paddle shifter 21 passes through the machine platform so that when the paddle shifter 21 rises, it can act on the paddle 43 to push the paddle 43 to rotate relative to the motor 42.

[0064] Preferably, when the machine is at the paddle shifting height, the top surface of the pre-paddle shifting arm 31 is higher than the upper surface of the paddle blade 43 to improve the stability of the pre-paddle shifting arm 31 when pushing the paddle blade 43 to rotate.

[0065] The second lifting drive unit 23 is used to drive the machine to rise and fall, so that the machine is at a shifting height or a centering height, so as to avoid interference between the shifting process and the centering process.

[0066] Specifically, the second lifting drive unit 23 may adopt a linear motor, a motor screw structure, a gear rack structure, an electric push rod or a cylinder or other structures capable of realizing linear drive, which will not be elaborated here.

[0067] Furthermore, in order to increase the space for placing the drone as much as possible while reducing the space occupied by the entire device, in this embodiment, a vertically penetrating groove 111 is provided on one side of each first centering arm 11 facing the other first centering arm 11 .

[0068] Furthermore, the automatic propeller retracting device of the drone further comprises a horizontally arranged roller 52, which is rotatably connected to the top of the propeller shifting ramp 21. During the operation of the pre-propeller shifting assembly, the roller 52 rolls in contact with the propeller blade 43 to prevent the sharp angle where the two propeller shifting wedge surfaces 22 of each propeller shifting ramp 21 meet from damaging the propeller blade 43, while reducing the friction on the propeller blade 43.

[0069] This embodiment also provides a method for automatically retracting propellers of a drone, using the above-mentioned automatic propeller retracting device for a drone, and comprising the following steps:

[0070] S1. The drone is parked on the platform.

[0071] S2. Drive the machine platform to rise and fall by the second lifting drive unit 23 so that the machine platform is at a center height.

[0072] S3. The centering component moves horizontally to move the drone horizontally from the parking position to the designated position.

[0073] S4, driving the machine to rise and fall through the second lifting drive unit 23, so that the machine is at a paddling height.

[0074] S5. The pre-paddle assembly moves horizontally to drive the paddle 43 to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor 42, so that the paddle 43 rotates to a preset paddle position.

[0075] S6. The paddle shifter 21 is raised and lowered so that the paddle shifter wedge surface 22 contacts the paddle blade 43 to push the paddle blade 43 to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor 42, so that each paddle blade 43 is retracted into the area surrounded by the fuselage 41 and the two adjacent motors 42.

[0076] Furthermore, in order to use the machine lifting to send the drone with its propellers folded into the hangar for storing the drones, it is required that the second lifting drive unit 23 will not interfere with the lifting and horizontal movement of the machine. Therefore, before sending the drone into the hangar for the drone, the second lifting drive unit 23 is used to lower the lifting bracket 231 and the propeller ramp 21 to a first preset height, and then the second lifting drive unit 23 is used to drive the machine to descend to a second preset height. The second preset height is higher than the first preset height. At this time, the machine is located above the propeller ramp 21, and the drone can be transported to the hangar by the translation of the machine.

[0077] It should be noted that the automatic propeller folding device and propeller folding method for the drone provided in this embodiment are also applicable to a drone in which one fuselage 41 is equipped with more motors 42, or one motor 42 is equipped with more propeller blades 43.

[0078] Embodiment 2

[0079] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that an elastic alignment component is added to replace the elastic alignment component of the first embodiment to avoid the problem of the blade 43 stopping above the sharp angle position formed by the two paddle wedge surfaces 22 of the paddle wedge block 21, resulting in failure to retract the paddle.

[0080] Specifically, the elastic straightening assembly includes a rotating shaft, a swing rod 51 and a torsion spring, wherein the rotating shaft is horizontally mounted on the top of the paddle shifter 21 and is fixed relative to the paddle shifter 21; the swing rod 51 is vertically arranged, and the lower end of the swing rod 51 is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft; the torsion spring connects the rotating shaft and the swing rod 51, and the torsion spring is used to provide an external force to keep the swing rod 51 in a vertical state. Preferably, the top surface of the swing rod 51 is provided with an inclined surface, so that the blade 43 gradually contacts the swing rod 51, which is conducive to the swing rod 51 applying an external force to the blade 43 to rotate the blade 43 horizontally.

[0081] During the process of retracting the paddle, blade 43 stops right above the paddle wedge 21, and blade 43 will act on rocker arm 51 to rotate rocker arm 51 relative to paddle wedge 21 to prevent blade 43 from blocking the paddle wedge 21 from rising. At the same time, rocker arm 51 rotates, and rocker arm 51 applies an external force to blade 43 to push blade 43 to rotate horizontally, so that blade 43 rotates and paddle wedge 21 rises. As blade 43 rotates, rocker arm 51 will gradually separate from blade 43, and then blade 43 will continue to rotate horizontally under the action of paddle wedge surface 22.

[0082] Preferably, the automatic propeller retracting device of the drone further includes a horizontally arranged roller 52, which is rotatably connected to the upper end of the rocker 51 and at least partially higher than the rocker 51. Specifically, the roller 52 is arranged on one side of the paddle shifter 21, and the uppermost generatrix of the roller 52 is higher than the rocker 51. In the initial state, the roller 52 in the elastic alignment assembly first contacts the blade 43, and as the paddle shifter 21 rises, the blade 43 applies a force to the rocker 51 through the roller 52, causing the rocker 51 to rotate, and then the inclined surface of the rocker 51 will contact the blade 43 to drive the blade 43 to rotate.

[0083] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0084] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions 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 device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Among them, the terms "first position" and "second position" are two different positions.

[0085] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

Claims

1. An automatic propeller retracting device for a drone, the drone comprising a fuselage (41) and a plurality of motors (42) distributed along the circumference of the fuselage (41) and connected to the fuselage (41) through propeller arms, the output shaft of each motor (42) being connected to a propeller blade (43) that can selectively rotate or fix relative to the propeller blade, characterized in that: The automatic propeller retracting device of the UAV comprises: A centering component, which can drive the drone to move horizontally from a parking position to a specified position; A paddle shifting inclined block (21), wherein a paddle shifting wedge-shaped surface (22) is provided on the top of the paddle shifting inclined block (21), and the paddle shifting inclined block (21) can be raised so that the paddle shifting wedge-shaped surface (22) contacts the paddle blade (43) to push the paddle blade (43) to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor (42), so that each of the paddle blades (43) is retracted into an area enclosed by the fuselage (41) and two adjacent motors (42); The output shaft of each motor (42) is connected to at least two blades (43); It also includes a pre-paddle assembly, which is used to drive the paddle (43) to rotate relative to the corresponding output shaft of the motor (42), so that the paddle (43) rotates to a preset paddle position; The paddle blade (43) is in a preset paddle shifting position, and the paddle blade (43) is located directly above the corresponding paddle shifting wedge surface (22); It also includes a horizontally arranged roller (52), wherein the roller (52) is rotatably connected to the top of the paddle shifter (21); A platform for placing the drone; The second lifting drive unit (23) is used to drive the machine to be lifted and lowered so that it is at a paddle shifting height or a center return height. When the machine is at the center return height, the pre-paddle shifting assembly and the paddle shifting inclined block (21) are both located below the paddle (43).

2. The automatic propeller retracting device for a drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The centering assembly comprises two first centering arms (11) arranged opposite to each other and two second centering arms (12) arranged opposite to each other, wherein the first centering arms (11) and the second centering arms (12) are alternately arranged in a circumferential direction to form a placement area, and the UAV is placed in the placement area; Each of the first centering arms (11) can be horizontally moved toward another of the first centering arms (11), and each of the second centering arms (12) can be horizontally moved toward another of the second centering arms (12), so as to push the fuselage (41) to the designated position.

3. The automatic propeller retracting device for a drone according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pre-paddle assembly comprises: A plurality of pre-paddle arms (31) correspond one to one with the motor (42), and each of the first centering arms (11) is provided with two pre-paddle arms (31) fixed relative thereto.

4. The automatic propeller retracting device for a drone according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Also included is an elastic correction assembly, which includes: A rotating shaft, the rotating shaft being horizontally mounted on the top of the paddle shifting inclined block (21) and being fixed relative to the paddle shifting inclined block (21); A swing rod (51), wherein the swing rod (51) is vertically arranged, and the lower end of the swing rod (51) is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft; A torsion spring connects the rotating shaft and the swing rod (51), and the torsion spring is used to provide an external force to keep the swing rod (51) in a vertical state.

5. The automatic propeller retracting device for a drone according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a horizontally arranged roller (52); the roller (52) is rotatably connected to the upper end of the swing rod (51) and is at least partially higher than the swing rod (51).

6. A method for automatically retracting propellers of a drone, characterized in that: The automatic propeller folding device for a drone according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is used, and the automatic propeller folding method for a drone comprises: The centering component drives the drone to move horizontally from a parking position to a designated position; The paddle shifting wedge (21) is raised and lowered so that the paddle shifting wedge surface (22) contacts the paddle blade (43) to push the paddle blade (43) to rotate relative to the output shaft of the corresponding motor (42), so that each paddle blade (43) is retracted into the area surrounded by the fuselage (41) and two adjacent motors (42).

7. The method for automatically retracting propellers of a drone according to claim 6, characterized in that: Before the paddle shifter (21) is raised or lowered, the pre-paddle shifter assembly drives the paddle (43) to rotate relative to the corresponding output shaft of the motor (42), so that the paddle (43) rotates to a preset paddle shifter position.

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