tethered drone

Abstract

The present invention discloses a tethered drone, which includes a drone, a tethering line and an adapter plate. The drone is connected to multiple pairs of rotors, each pair of rotors includes two rotors arranged diagonally, and one pair of rotors includes a first rotor and a second rotor; when the drone is flying without being connected to the tethering line, the load-bearing capacity of the first rotor is greater than the load-bearing capacity of the other rotors. One end of the tethering line is electrically connected to the drone, and the other end is used to be electrically connected to a ground power supply. When the drone is flying, the tethering line has a drooping section located between the drone and the ground power supply. The adapter plate is installed on the drone and is used to position the drooping section of the tethering line close to the second rotor so that the load-bearing capacity of each rotor of the drone is consistent. The tethered drone of the present invention can solve the technical problem that some existing drones cannot fly and hover for a long time due to inconsistent load-bearing capacity of each rotor during flight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and in particular to a tethered UAV. Background Art

[0002] When designing a multi-rotor drone, to ensure long-term flight and hovering balance, it's generally necessary to ensure that each rotor bears a consistent load, preventing a prolonged overload on one rotor's motor, which could cause a forced landing. However, during actual design and production, drones may not have a symmetrical structure, or deviations may occur after the components are assembled on the drone. This can cause the center of gravity of the entire drone to deviate from the equilibrium point where each rotor bears a consistent load. This means that one of the rotors has a motor that bears the heaviest load. To ensure the drone's flight and hovering balance, the motor for this rotor must continuously output a higher power output. However, prolonged overload on this motor can trigger a forced landing, preventing the drone from flying or hovering for extended periods.

[0003] The above content is only used to assist in understanding the technical solution of the invention and does not constitute an admission that the above content is prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to propose a tethered drone, which aims to solve the technical problem that some existing drones cannot fly and hover for a long time due to inconsistent load-bearing of each rotor during flight.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the tethered drone proposed in the present invention includes a drone, a tethering line, and an adapter plate. The drone is connected to multiple pairs of rotors, each pair of rotors includes two rotors arranged diagonally, and one pair of rotors includes a first rotor and a second rotor; when the drone is flying without being connected to the tethering line, the load-bearing capacity of the first rotor is greater than that of the other rotors. One end of the tethering line is electrically connected to the drone, and the other end is used to electrically connect to a ground power supply. When the drone is flying, the tethering line has a drooping section located between the drone and the ground power supply. The adapter plate is installed on the drone and is used to position the drooping section of the tethering line close to the second rotor so that the load-bearing capacity of each rotor of the drone is consistent.

[0006] In one embodiment, a hook is provided on the adapter plate, and the hook is arranged close to the second rotor and is used to hang the mooring line so that the drooping section of the mooring line droops at a position close to the second rotor.

[0007] In one embodiment, the hook is an arc-shaped hook, which is elastically deformable and can clamp the mooring line.

[0008] In one embodiment, the drone is further connected to a first electrical interface for electrically plugging the tethering wire, and an axis of the first electrical interface extends parallel to the bottom surface of the drone.

[0009] In one embodiment, the opening of the first electrical interface faces away from the hook.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first electrical interface is installed on the adapter board, and a second electrical interface is also provided on the adapter board. The first electrical interface and the second electrical interface are electrically connected through a first wire, and the input end of the onboard power supply is electrically plugged into the second electrical interface through a second wire.

[0011] In one embodiment, the drone is also equipped with a lighting board, and the adapter board is also provided with a third electrical interface and a fourth electrical interface, the third electrical interface and the fourth electrical interface are electrically connected through a third wire; the output end of the onboard power supply is electrically plugged into the fourth electrical interface through a fourth wire; the lighting board is electrically plugged into the third electrical interface through a fifth wire.

[0012] In one embodiment, a wire groove is provided on the surface of the adapter plate facing the drone, and the first wire and the third wire are both installed in the wire groove; and / or, the lighting panels are respectively installed on opposite sides of the drone, and the third electrical interfaces are respectively provided on opposite sides of the adapter plate, and each of the lighting panels is electrically plugged into the corresponding third electrical interface.

[0013] In one embodiment, the bottom surface of the UAV is convexly provided with one or more of a sensor, a landing light, and a downward-looking radar. The adapter plate is installed on the bottom surface of the UAV and is provided with avoidance holes corresponding to the sensor, landing light or downward-looking radar.

[0014] In one embodiment, a landing bracket is protruding from the bottom surface of the drone, and the adapter plate is further provided with a bracket shell. The bracket shell is arranged outside the landing bracket and protrudes toward the side of the adapter plate facing away from the drone.

[0015] The present invention tethers a drone by positioning the drooping section of the tethering line near the second rotor using an adapter plate. This ensures that the weight of the drooping section is concentrated on the drone near the second rotor during flight. This further adjusts the drone's center of gravity, which was originally closer to the first rotor before connection to the tethering line, toward the second rotor. This allows the drone's center of gravity to be adjusted to a balanced point during flight, ensuring consistent load bearing on all rotors. This prevents the first rotor's motor, which bears the heaviest load, from being overloaded for extended periods, forcing the drone to land, ensuring the drone maintains stable and long-term flight. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. 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 structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a tethered drone of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of another embodiment of a tethered drone of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of an adapter plate and a tethering line in a tethered drone of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of another embodiment of the adapter plate for a tethered drone of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of another embodiment of the adapter plate for a tethered drone of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of a tethered drone of the present invention.

[0023] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0024] Label name Label name Label name 10 tethered drone 25 Downward-looking radar 44 The third electrical interface 20 drones 26 Floor stand 45 Fourth electrical interface 21 Rotor pair 30 mooring line 46 Wire Trough 211 First rotor 31 drooping segment 47 Avoidance hole 212 Second rotor 40 adapter board 48 Bracket shell 22 Second wire 41 hook up 50 Ground power supply 23 Fourth conductor 42 First electrical interface 60 lighting panel 24 Landing lights 43 Second electrical interface 61 Fifth wire

[0025] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0027] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing in the full text is to include three parallel solutions. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes solution A, or solution B, or a solution in which both A and B are satisfied. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0028] The present invention provides a tethered drone.

[0029] In the embodiment of the present invention, Figures 1 to 2 As shown, the tethered drone 10 includes a drone 20, a tethering line 30, and an adapter plate 40. Specifically, the drone 20 is connected to multiple pairs of rotors 21, each pair of rotors 21 including two rotors arranged diagonally. For example, the drone 20 may include two pairs of rotors (i.e., a quad-rotor drone), three pairs of rotors (i.e., a hexacopter drone), or four pairs of rotors (i.e., an octo-rotor drone), etc. To better illustrate the technical solution of the present application, the present application is described as a drone 20 including two pairs of rotors 21 (i.e., a quad-rotor drone).

[0030] In this embodiment, the drone 20 includes two pairs of rotor pairs 21, and each pair of rotor pairs 21 includes two rotors arranged diagonally. It should be noted that the "diagonally arranged" means that the two pairs of rotor pairs 21 include a total of four rotors, and the lines connecting the rotating shafts of the four rotors will form a closed quadrilateral, and the two rotors on the diagonals of the quadrilateral will constitute a pair of rotor pairs 21, that is, the two rotors in each pair of rotor pairs 21 are arranged diagonally in this way. When the drone 20 includes three pairs of rotor pairs 21, that is, six rotors, the lines connecting the rotating shafts of the six rotors will form a closed hexagon, and the two rotors on the diagonals of the hexagon will constitute a pair of rotor pairs 21. When the drone 20 includes four, five or more pairs of rotor pairs 21, the definition of the rotor pairs 21 is the same as above and will not be repeated here.

[0031] Typically, the four rotors on drone 20 can be arranged in a cross, X, or ring configuration. Furthermore, to ensure the balance of drone 20 during flight and hovering, the two rotors in each rotor pair 21 can be symmetrically distributed about the central axis of drone 20. In other words, the quadrilateral formed by the lines connecting the four rotor axes is an equilateral quadrilateral. It should be noted that the "central axis of drone 20" referred to here refers to the structural central axis of drone 20 that is parallel to the extension direction of the rotor axes.

[0032] To better illustrate the technical solution of this application, assume that one of the rotor pairs 21 on a drone 20 includes a first rotor 211 and a second rotor 212. When the drone 20 is in flight without a tether line 30, the first rotor 211 bears a greater load than the other rotors. Specifically, during the design and production of the drone 20, due to requirements for appearance or internal structure, a completely symmetrical structure may not be achieved. Alternatively, due to production dimensional errors, deviations in accessory assembly, and other factors, the center of gravity of the entire drone 20 (including accessories, if installed) may be biased toward the location of the first rotor 211. Consequently, the first rotor 211 bears a greater load than the other rotors. In this case, if the drone 20 is in flight, the motor of the first rotor 211 must continuously output a higher power to maintain flight and hovering balance. However, prolonged motor overload will trigger a forced landing of the drone 20, preventing it from flying or hovering for extended periods of time. (Note: Triggering a forced landing is a self-protection mechanism of the drone itself.)

[0033] To address the above technical issues, in this embodiment, one end of the tethering line 30 is electrically connected to the drone 20, and the other end is electrically connected to a ground power source 50. When the drone 20 is in flight, the tethering line 30 has a drooping section 31 located between the drone 20 and the ground power source 50. The adapter plate 40 is mounted on the drone 20 and is used to position the drooping section 31 of the tethering line 30 near the second rotor 212, so that each rotor of the drone 20 bears a uniform load.

[0034] As can be understood, by positioning the drooping section 31 of the tethering line 30 near the second rotor 212 via the adapter plate 40, the weight of the drooping section 31 is concentrated on the drone 20 near the second rotor 212 during flight. This shifts the center of gravity of the drone 20, which was originally closer to the first rotor 211 before connection to the tethering line 30, toward the second rotor 212. This allows the drone 20's center of gravity to be adjusted to a balanced point during flight, ensuring that each rotor bears the same weight. This prevents the motor of the first rotor 211, which bears the heaviest weight, from being overloaded for extended periods, potentially forcing the drone 20 to land, ensuring that the drone 20 can maintain stable and long-term flight.

[0035] Therefore, if the drone 20 cannot be designed with a completely symmetrical structure for some reason, the above technical solution can be used to ensure that the drone 20 can fly and hover for a long time. If the center of gravity of the drone 20 deviates from the balance point where each rotor supports the weight due to production or assembly errors, the above technical solution can also be used to remedy the situation without reworking or directly scrapping the drone 20, thus reducing production costs.

[0036] Of course, in order to more accurately control the load-bearing capacity of each rotor, a more precise drooping position of the drooping section 31 relative to the UAV 20 may be further determined through force analysis and calculation, or through experiments.

[0037] It should be noted that, taking the example of a drone 20 including two pairs of rotors 21 and the direction facing the drone's camera as the front, in this embodiment, the multiple rotors include a left front rotor, a left rear rotor, a right front rotor, and a right rear rotor. The first rotor 211 may be any of the left front rotor, the left rear rotor, the right front rotor, and the right rear rotor. For example, if the first rotor 211 may be the left front rotor and the second rotor 212 is the right rear rotor, the drooping section 31 of the mooring line 30 needs to be drooped near the right rear rotor.

[0038] In addition, in the above technical solution, the adapter plate 40 can be fixed to the drone 20 by means of screwing, clamping, bonding, or other connection methods, and the specific connection method can be set according to actual conditions. There are various ways to position the drooping section 31 on the adapter plate 40. For example, a wiring groove can be provided on the adapter plate 40, and the wiring groove gradually extends from the location where the tethering line 30 is plugged into the drone 20 to the location where the second rotor 212 is located. Then, the tethering line 30 can be installed through the wiring groove and guided to a position close to the second rotor 212. The drooping portion is the drooping section 31 near the second rotor 212.

[0039] For another example, the interface between the tethering line 30 and the drone 20 can be integrated into the adapter plate 40. When the adapter plate 40 is installed on the drone 20, the interface is arranged corresponding to or close to the second rotor 212. In this way, after the tethering line 30 is plugged in and connected, its hanging section 31 is located close to the second rotor 212.

[0040] For example, Figure 3As shown, in one embodiment, the adapter plate 40 is provided with a hook 41, which is located near the second rotor 212 and is used to hook the tethering line 30, so that the hanging section 31 of the tethering line 30 hangs down near the second rotor 212. Specifically, after the tethering line 30 is electrically connected to the drone 20, the tethering line 30 is hooked to the hook 41. This not only facilitates operation, but also makes the structure of the adapter plate 40 simple and easy to use, avoiding affecting production and assembly efficiency.

[0041] In one embodiment, if Figure 3 or Figure 4 As shown, the hook 41 is an arc-shaped hook that is elastically deformable and capable of clamping the tethering line 30. It will be appreciated that the tethering line 30 is typically a round, flexible cable. The elastically deformable arc-shaped hook not only prevents scratching the tethering line 30, but also clamps and secures the tethering line 30, preventing it from suddenly detaching from the hook 41 and affecting the flight and hovering of the drone 20. In the specific design, the arc radius of the arc-shaped hook can be slightly smaller than the radius of the tethering line 30. This ensures that the tethering line 30 is both hooked and stably secured.

[0042] In one embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown, the drone 20 is also connected to a first electrical interface 42 for electrically connecting the tethering cable 30. The axis of the first electrical interface 42 extends parallel to the bottom surface of the drone 20. It should be noted that, taking the first electrical interface 42 as a circular interface as an example, the axis of the first electrical interface 42 refers to the central axis of the circle. When the tethering cable 30 is connected to the first electrical interface 42, it is connected to the first electrical interface 42 along the axis of the first electrical interface 42. It will be understood that in order to hook the tethering cable 30, the axis of the arc-shaped hook is also parallel to the bottom surface of the drone 20. When the axis of the first electrical interface 42 is also parallel to the bottom surface of the drone 20, it is easier to hook the tethering cable 30 to the hook 41. Moreover, such a configuration also allows part of the mooring line 30 between the first electrical interface 42 and the hook 41 to extend along the bottom surface of the drone 20, thereby preventing the mooring line 30 from forming another drooping section that also droops vertically when the drone 20 is flying, thereby preventing the additional drooping sections from affecting the load-bearing balance of each rotor.

[0043] For the convenience of hooking, the first electrical interface 42 can be directly oriented toward the direction where the hook 41 is located. Of course, it can also be oriented away from the direction where the hook 41 is located. For example, in another embodiment, Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the opening of the first electrical interface 42 faces away from the hook 41, so after the mooring line 30 is plugged into the first electrical interface 42, it needs to be wound around and hooked onto the hook 41. It can be understood that this arrangement can prevent the downward force of the mooring line 30 from affecting the plugging stability of the mooring line 30 and the first electrical interface 42.

[0044] In one embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown, the first electrical interface 42 is mounted on the adapter plate 40, which is also provided with a second electrical interface 43. The first electrical interface 42 and the second electrical interface 43 are electrically connected via a first wire, and the input end of the onboard power supply is electrically plugged into the second electrical interface 43 via a second wire 22. It will be appreciated that integrating the first electrical interface 42 into the adapter plate 40 allows for more flexible setting of the position and orientation of the first electrical interface 42 based on the position of the first rotor 211 (front left, rear left, front right, or rear right), and further facilitates hooking the tether line 30 to the hook 41. During assembly, the adapter plate 40 need only be secured to the bottom surface of the drone 20, and then the onboard power supply and tether line 30 can be plugged into the corresponding electrical interfaces on the adapter plate 40. This is very convenient and quick, and eliminates the need to provide additional interfaces on the drone 20.

[0045] In one embodiment, if Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the drone 20 is also equipped with a lighting panel 60, which is used to illuminate the subject and is powered by the onboard power supply of the drone 20. Specifically, the adapter board 40 is further provided with a third electrical interface 44 and a fourth electrical interface 45, the third electrical interface and the fourth electrical interface 45 being electrically connected via a third wire; the output end of the onboard power supply is electrically connected to the fourth electrical interface 45 via a fourth wire 23; and the lighting panel 60 is electrically connected to the third electrical interface 44 via a fifth wire 61.

[0046] That is, the current on the onboard power supply can flow to the fourth electrical interface 45 through the fourth wire 23, and then flow to the fifth electrical interface through the third wire after passing through the fourth electrical interface 45, and then flow to the lighting board 60 through the fifth wire 61 after passing through the fifth electrical interface, thereby powering the lighting board 60.

[0047] It can be understood that after integrating all electrical interfaces on the drone 20 (including the first electrical interface 42 to the fourth electrical interface 45) on the adapter board 40, it is not only convenient for centralized management of the various electrical interfaces and the various wires, but also convenient for users to quickly find the various electrical interfaces and perform electrical connection operations, avoiding the situation where users cannot find the electrical interfaces.

[0048] In one embodiment, if Figure 4As shown, the surface of the adapter plate 40 facing the drone 20 is provided with a wire trough 46, and the first and third wires are both installed in the wire trough 46. This prevents the wires from becoming entangled on the drone 20, thereby preventing unstable wire connections or affecting the appearance of the drone 20. In addition, the notches of the wire trough 46 can be provided with elastic catches. After the first, third, and other wires are installed in the wire trough 46, the catches prevent the wires from falling out of the wire trough 46, ensuring that the wires are stably installed in the wire trough 46.

[0049] In one embodiment, if Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the drone 20 is equipped with lighting panels 60 on opposite sides, and the adapter plate 40 is provided with third electrical interfaces 44 on opposite sides. Each lighting panel 60 is electrically connected to a corresponding third electrical interface 44. In this embodiment, the lighting panels 60 on both sides are symmetrically installed to ensure that the weight exerted on each rotor by the two installed lighting panels 60 is consistent. It will be appreciated that the provision of third electrical interfaces 44 on both sides of the adapter plate 40, corresponding to the lighting panels 60, greatly facilitates the electrical connection between each lighting panel 60 and the onboard power supply bracket.

[0050] In one embodiment, if Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the bottom surface of the drone 20 is provided with one or more of a sensor, a landing light 24, and a downward-looking radar 25. The adapter plate 40 is mounted on the bottom surface of the drone 20 and is provided with avoidance holes corresponding to the sensor, landing light 24, or downward-looking radar 25. Specifically, the avoidance holes 47 are through-holes, allowing the sensor, landing light 24, or downward-looking radar 25 to pass through the avoidance holes from the bottom surface of the drone 20, thereby preventing the installation of the adapter plate 40 from affecting the normal operation of the sensor, landing light 24, or downward-looking radar 25.

[0051] In one embodiment, if Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the bottom surface of the drone 20 is also provided with a protruding landing bracket 26. There are generally two landing brackets 26, and they are mainly used to support the drone 20 when the drone 20 lands or is placed on the ground, preventing the camera at the front of the drone 20 from hitting the ground. In this embodiment, the adapter plate 40 is also provided with a bracket shell 48. The bracket shell 48 is mounted outside the landing bracket 26 and protrudes toward the side of the adapter plate 40 facing away from the drone 20. Specifically, the opening of the bracket shell 48 is provided on the side surface of the adapter plate 40 facing the bottom surface of the drone 20, and the landing bracket 26 is inserted into the bracket shell 48 through this opening. It can be understood that the bracket shell 48 not only facilitates rapid positioning of the adapter plate 40 when installed on the drone 20, but also can replace the landing bracket 26 to support the drone 20.

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made by using the contents of the present invention description and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tethered drone, characterized in that: include: A drone having multiple pairs of rotors connected thereto, each pair of rotors including two rotors arranged diagonally, wherein one pair of rotors includes a first rotor and a second rotor; when the drone is flown without a tether, the first rotor has a greater load-bearing capacity than the other rotors; a tether line, one end of which is electrically connected to the UAV and the other end of which is electrically connected to a ground power supply, wherein when the UAV is in flight, the tether line has a drooping section located between the UAV and the ground power supply; and an adapter plate, mounted on the UAV and used to position the drooping section of the tether line close to the second rotor, so that the rotors of the UAV bear the same weight; The adapter plate is provided with a hook, which is arranged close to the second rotor and is used to hook the mooring line so that the drooping section of the mooring line droops at a position close to the second rotor; The drone is further connected to a first electrical interface for electrically plugging the tethering wire, and the axis of the first electrical interface extends parallel to the bottom surface of the drone; The opening of the first electrical interface faces away from the hook; The various electrical interfaces on the drone are integrated on the adapter board; The hook is an arc-shaped hook, which is elastically deformable and can clamp the mooring line; The first electrical interface is installed on the adapter board, and a second electrical interface is also provided on the adapter board. The first electrical interface and the second electrical interface are electrically connected through a first wire, and the input end of the onboard power supply is electrically plugged into the second electrical interface through a second wire.

2. The tethered drone according to claim 1, wherein: The drone is also equipped with a lighting panel, and the adapter board is also provided with a third electrical interface and a fourth electrical interface, the third electrical interface and the fourth electrical interface are electrically connected via a third wire; the output end of the onboard power supply is electrically plugged into the fourth electrical interface via a fourth wire; the lighting panel is electrically plugged into the third electrical interface via a fifth wire.

3. The tethered drone according to claim 2, wherein: A wire groove is provided on the surface of the adapter plate facing the drone, and the first wire and the third wire are both installed in the wire groove; And / or, the lighting panels are installed on opposite sides of the drone, the third electrical interfaces are provided on opposite sides of the adapter board, and each lighting panel is electrically connected to the corresponding third electrical interface.

4. The tethered drone according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The bottom surface of the UAV is convexly provided with one or more of a sensor, a landing light, and a downward-looking radar. The adapter plate is installed on the bottom surface of the UAV and is provided with avoidance holes corresponding to the sensor, landing light or downward-looking radar.

5. The tethered drone according to claim 4, wherein: The bottom surface of the UAV is also provided with a landing bracket, and the adapter plate is also provided with a bracket shell. The bracket shell is sleeved outside the landing bracket and protrudes toward the side of the adapter plate facing away from the UAV.

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