Folding arms and drones

Abstract

A folding arm and a drone, relating to the technical field of drones. The folding arm (10) is used to carry a motor that provides flight power for a drone (100), and comprises: an arm body (1), the arm body (1) comprising a first body (11) and a second body (12) that can be folded relative to the first body (11), so that the arm body (1) can be switched between an unfolded position and a folded position; wherein the first body (11) is connected to the fuselage of the drone (100), and the second body (12) is used to carry the motor; a locking mechanism (3) is used to put the first body (11) and the second body (12) in an unfolded state or a locked state; the locking mechanism (3) is also provided with a sensor (31) to sense whether the first body (11) and the second body (12) are in a locked state.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on November 9, 2020, with application number 202022577797.5 and invention name “Folding Arm and UAV”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular to a folding machine arm and a unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0003] The folding arm drone is an important design to reduce the packaging volume of the drone. When the drone needs to be stored or transported, the arms can be folded. At this time, the drone is smaller and easier to store and transport. When the drone needs to be used, the arms can be unfolded and locked to facilitate the propeller rotation and takeoff.

[0004] In the existing technology, before using the drone, the user usually only unfolds the drone's arms, and it is difficult to notice whether the arms are fully unfolded and whether they are locked after unfolding. However, when the propeller is started when the arms are not fully unfolded or not locked after unfolding, it is easy to cause the arms to vibrate, causing the arms to loosen, or even causing the drone to fall abnormally, damaging the drone, greatly reducing the safety of drone use.

[0005] Overview

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present disclosure is proposed to provide a folding arm and a drone that overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, in a first aspect, the present disclosure discloses a folding arm for a drone, wherein the folding arm is used to carry a motor that provides flight power for the drone, and comprises:

[0008] An arm body, the arm body comprising a first body and a second body foldable relative to the first body, so that the arm body can be switched between an unfolded position and a folded position; wherein the first body is connected to the fuselage of the drone, and the second body is used to carry the motor;

[0009] A locking mechanism, used to place the first body and the second body in an extended state or a locked state;

[0010] The locking mechanism is further provided with a sensing element to sense whether the first body and the second body are in a locked state.

[0011] Optionally, the locking mechanism comprises a first locking member and a second locking member, the first locking member is provided on the first body, the second locking member is provided on the second body, and when the arm body is in the deployed position, the first locking member and the second locking member can be locked to keep the arm body in the deployed position;

[0012] The first locking member is provided with a trigger member, and the second locking member is provided with a sensing member. The trigger member cooperates with the sensing member so that the sensing member generates a sensing signal indicating whether the first locking member and the second locking member are locked.

[0013] Optionally, when the first locking member is locked with the second locking member, the sensing member can sense the trigger member and generate an in-position sensing signal, and the in-position sensing signal can trigger the drone to start a working mode;

[0014] When the first locking member and the second locking member are not locked, the sensing member fails to sense the trigger member and generates an out-of-position sensing signal, and the out-of-position sensing signal can trigger the drone to shut down the working mode.

[0015] Optionally, the triggering member is a contact triggering member, and the sensing member is a contact sensing member;

[0016] Alternatively, the triggering member is a non-contact triggering member, and the sensing member is a non-contact sensing member.

[0017] Optionally, the contact triggering element is a conductive element, and the contact sensing element is a current detection circuit;

[0018] Alternatively, the contact triggering member is a force transmitting member, and the contact sensing member is a pressure sensor;

[0019] Optionally, the non-contact triggering element is a magnetic element, and the non-contact sensing element is a Hall sensor or a reed switch;

[0020] Alternatively, the non-contact triggering element is an infrared transmitter, and the non-contact sensing element is an infrared receiver;

[0021] Alternatively, the non-contact sensing element is a capacitive sensor, and the non-contact triggering element is a first electrode plate of the capacitive sensor.

[0022] Optionally, the folding arm further comprises: a posture detector, which is arranged on the arm body and generates a posture signal indicating whether the arm body is unfolded into place.

[0023] Optionally, when the arm body is unfolded into place, the attitude detector can generate a horizontal attitude signal, and the horizontal attitude signal can trigger the drone to start the working mode; when the arm body is not unfolded into place, the attitude detector can generate a non-horizontal attitude signal, and the non-horizontal attitude signal can trigger the drone to turn off the working mode.

[0024] Optionally, the attitude detector includes at least one of an angle detector, an inertial measurement unit, and a level.

[0025] Optionally, the folding arm further comprises: an electric adjustment plate installed on the arm body, and when the arm body is in the unfolded position, the electric adjustment plate is horizontal with the arm body;

[0026] The attitude detector is installed on the electric adjustment board.

[0027] Optionally, the folding arm also includes: a communication interface, which is electrically connected to the sensing element and / or the attitude detector, and the communication interface is used to communicate with the processor of the drone to send the sensing signal and / or the attitude signal to the processor.

[0028] Optionally, the first locking member is a first buckle, the second locking member is a second buckle, and the first buckle and the second buckle are hinged;

[0029] When the arm body is in the unfolded position, the first buckle is engaged with the second buckle, and when the arm body is in the folded position, the engagement between the first buckle and the second buckle is released.

[0030] Optionally, the triggering member is a magnetic member, the sensing member is a Hall sensor or a reed switch, and the sensing signal is generated by the Hall sensor or the reed switch according to whether the magnetic field of the magnetic member is sensed.

[0031] Optionally, the first locking member is a sleeve rod, and the second locking member is a sleeve, the sleeve is sleeved outside the sleeve rod, and the inner ring of the sleeve can be locked with the outer ring of the sleeve rod;

[0032] The triggering member is arranged on the outer ring of the sleeve rod, and the sensing member is arranged on the inner ring of the sleeve.

[0033] In a second aspect, the present disclosure further discloses a drone, comprising: a fuselage and the above-mentioned folding arms; wherein:

[0034] The folding arm is connected to the fuselage.

[0035] Optionally, the drone further comprises: a processor, the processor being disposed on the fuselage;

[0036] The folding machine arm is provided with a communication interface, and the communication interface is electrically connected to the induction element;

[0037] The processor is communicatively connected to the communication interface, and is used to receive a sensing signal sent by the communication interface to indicate whether the first locking member and the second locking member are locked, and to start or shut down the working mode according to the sensing signal; wherein the sensing signal is generated by the induction member under the triggering of the trigger member.

[0038] The present disclosure includes the following advantages:

[0039] In the disclosed embodiment, since the locking mechanism is provided with a sensing element, the sensing element can sense whether the first body and the second body are in a locked state, so as to avoid starting the motor when the first body and the second body are not in a locked state, thereby improving the safety of use of the folding arm, and further, the safety of use of the drone using the folding arm can also be improved.

[0040] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present disclosure. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present disclosure, it can be implemented according to the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present disclosure are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0043] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a folding machine arm in an unfolded position according to the present invention;

[0044] Figure 2 This disclosure Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a folding machine arm;

[0045] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a folding machine arm in a folded position according to the present invention;

[0046] Figure 4 This disclosure Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a folding machine arm;

[0047] Figure 5 It is one of the structural schematic diagrams of a drone disclosed in the present invention;

[0048] Figure 6 This is the second structural schematic diagram of a drone disclosed in the present invention;

[0049] Figure 7 This is the third structural schematic diagram of a drone disclosed in the present invention;

[0050] Figure 8 This is the fourth structural schematic diagram of a drone disclosed in the present invention;

[0051] Description of reference numerals:

[0052] 100-UAV, 10-folding arm, 1-arm body, 11-first body, 12-second body, 20-fuselage, 3-locking mechanism, 31-sensing element, 32-first locking element, 33-trigger element, 34-second locking element.

[0053] Detailed Description

[0054] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, the present disclosure is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0055] Reference Figure 1 , showing a schematic diagram of the structure of a folding machine arm in the unfolded position of the present invention, referring to Figure 2 , showing the present disclosure Figure 1 The cross-sectional diagram of the folding machine arm in FIG. Figure 3 , showing a schematic diagram of the structure of a folding machine arm in a folded position according to the present invention, referring to Figure 4 , showing the present disclosure Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the folding machine arm in FIG. Figure 1-4As shown, the embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a folding arm 10, which can be used for a drone 100. The folding arm 10 can be used to carry a motor that provides flight power for the drone 100. The folding arm 10 can specifically include: an arm body 1, the arm body 1 can include a first body 11 and a second body 12 that can be folded relative to the first body 11, so that the arm body 1 can switch between an unfolded position and a folded position; wherein the first body 11 can be connected to the fuselage 20 of the drone 100, and the second body 12 can be used to carry the motor; a locking mechanism 3, which can be used to put the first body 11 and the second body 12 in an unfolded state or a locked state; the locking mechanism 3 can also be provided with a sensor 31 to sense whether the first body 11 and the second body 12 are in a locked state.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the locking mechanism 3 is provided with a sensor 31, the sensor 31 can sense whether the first body 11 and the second body 12 are in a locked state, so as to avoid starting the motor when the first body 11 and the second body 12 are not in a locked state, thereby improving the safety of using the folding arm 10, and further, the safety of using the drone 100 using the folding arm 10 can also be improved.

[0057] Specifically, when the arm body 1 of the folding arm 10 is in the folded position, the volume of the drone 100 can be reduced, making it easier to store and transport the drone 100.

[0058] Specifically, the folding arm 10 is also provided with a locking mechanism 3, and the locking mechanism 3 can make the first body 11 and the second body 12 in a locked state when the arm body 1 is fully unfolded, so that the drone 100 can fly normally. Specifically, the locking mechanism 3 is also provided with a sensor 31, which can sense whether the first body 11 and the second body 12 are in a locked state. In this way, before the drone 100 takes off, the folding arm 10 can be detected to prevent the unfolded arm body 1 from being incompletely unfolded or loosened, thereby preventing the drone 100 from being damaged due to abnormal falling during flight.

[0059] In practical applications, before the drone 100 takes off, the sensor 31 can sense whether the first body 11 and the second body 12 are in a locked state, so as to avoid a safety accident of the drone 100 exploding after the drone 100 takes off when the first body 11 and the second body 12 are not in a locked state.

[0060] Optionally, the locking mechanism 3 may include a first locking member 32 and a second locking member 34. The first locking member 32 may be provided on the first body 11, and the second locking member 34 may be provided on the second body 12. When the arm body 1 is in the deployed position, the first locking member 32 and the second locking member 34 may be locked to keep the arm body 1 in the deployed position. The first locking member 32 may be provided with a trigger member 33, and the second locking member 34 may be provided with a sensing member 31. The trigger member 33 may cooperate with the sensing member 31 to enable the sensing member 31 to generate a sensing signal indicating whether the first locking member 32 and the second locking member 34 are locked.

[0061] In the disclosed embodiment, the first locking member 32 of the locking mechanism 3 is provided on the first body 11, and the second locking member 34 is provided on the second body 12. By locking the first locking member 32 and the second locking member 34, the first body 11 and the second body 12 are in a locked state, so as to keep the arm body 1 in the deployed position. The first locking member 32 is provided with a trigger member 33, and the second locking member 34 is provided with a sensing member 31. In this way, the locking status of the first locking member 32 and the second locking member 34 can be known by detecting the sensing signal, which is more convenient and quick.

[0062] Optionally, when the first locking member 32 and the second locking member 34 are locked, the sensing member 31 can sense the trigger member 33 and generate an in-place sensing signal, and the in-place sensing signal can trigger the drone 100 to turn on the working mode; when the first locking member 32 and the second locking member 34 are not locked, the sensing member 31 does not sense the trigger member 33 and generates an out-of-place sensing signal, and the out-of-place sensing signal can trigger the drone 100 to turn off the working mode.

[0063] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first locking member 32 is locked with the second locking member 34, the sensing member 31 can sense the trigger member 33 and generate an in-position sensing signal, and the in-position sensing signal can be used to trigger the drone 100 to start the working mode. When the first locking member 32 and the second locking member 34 are not locked, the sensing member 31 cannot sense the trigger member 33 and can generate an out-of-position sensing signal, and the out-of-position sensing signal can be used to trigger the drone 100 to turn off the working mode. The sensing signal generated by the sensing member 31 can trigger the drone 100 to turn on or off the working mode, which is convenient for controlling the drone 100.

[0064] Specifically, when the first locking member 32 is locked with the second locking member 34, the trigger member 33 is close to the sensing member 31, so that the sensing member 31 can sense the trigger member 33 and generate an in-position sensing signal. In this case, the first body 11 and the second body 12 are in a locked state, and the arm body 1 is in an unfolded position, which can trigger the drone 100 to start the working mode. In practical applications, the arm body 1 is in an unfolded position, so that the drone 100 can have the conditions for safe take-off, thereby improving the safety of the drone 100. The working mode includes: starting the motor of the drone 100, rotating the propeller, etc.

[0065] Specifically, when the first locking member 32 and the second locking member 34 are not locked, the trigger member 33 and the sensing member 31 are far away, so that the sensing member 31 cannot sense the trigger member 33. At this time, the sensing member 31 can generate a non-position sensing signal. In this case, the first body 11 and the second body 12 are in the unfolded state, and the arm body 1 is in the folded position, which can trigger the drone 100 to turn off the working mode. In actual applications, the arm body 1 is in the folded position. In order to avoid abnormalities after the drone 100 takes off, the drone 100 can be triggered to turn off the working mode.

[0066] Optionally, the first locking member 32 may be a first buckle, the second locking member 34 may be a second buckle, and the first buckle and the second buckle may be hinged; when the arm body 1 is in the unfolded position, the first buckle is engaged with the second buckle, and when the arm body 1 is in the folded position, the engagement between the first buckle and the second buckle is released.

[0067] In the disclosed embodiment, when the arm body 1 is in the unfolded position, the first buckle and the second buckle can be engaged to ensure that the arm body 1 remains in the unfolded position. When the arm body 1 is in the folded position, the engagement between the first buckle and the second buckle can be released, so that the arm body 1 can be folded for storage.

[0068] Optionally, the triggering member 33 may be a magnetic member, the sensing member 31 may be a Hall sensor or a reed switch, and the sensing signal is generated by the Hall sensor or the reed switch according to whether the magnetic field of the magnetic member is sensed.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the Hall sensor or the reed switch can generate a sensing signal according to whether the magnetic field of the magnetic component is sensed, so as to control the drone 100 to turn on or off the working mode, thereby improving the safety of the drone 100.

[0070] Optionally, the first locking member 32 can be a sleeve rod, and the second locking member 34 can be a sleeve. The sleeve can be sleeved outside the sleeve rod, and the inner ring of the sleeve can be locked with the outer ring of the sleeve rod; the trigger member 33 can be set on the outer ring of the sleeve rod, and the sensor 31 can be set on the inner ring of the sleeve.

[0071] In the disclosed embodiment, the stability of the arm body 1 in the deployed position can be improved by providing the sleeve rod and the sleeve.

[0072] In some optional embodiments, the trigger member 33 may be a contact trigger member, and the sensing member 31 may be a contact sensing member. Specifically, when the trigger member 33 is a contact trigger member, the sensing member 31 is a contact sensing member, so that the sensing member 31 can quickly sense the trigger member 33 and generate a sensing signal through the mutual contact between the trigger member 33 and the sensing member 31, thereby improving the sensitivity of the sensing member 31 in generating the sensing signal.

[0073] Optionally, the contact triggering member may be a conductive member, and the contact sensing member may be a current detection circuit. Since the current detection circuit can be used to detect the current change of the conductive member, the sensing member 31 can sense the triggering member 33 and generate a sensing signal by sensing the current change. Specifically, the conductive member can be used as a conductor to conduct the connection between the sensing member 31 and the power supply, or conduct the connection between the sensing member 31 and the controller, etc.

[0074] Optionally, the contact triggering member may be a force transmitting member, and the contact sensing member may be a pressure sensor. Since the pressure sensor can be used to detect the pressure change of the force transmitting member, the sensing member 31 can sense the triggering member 33 and generate a sensing signal by sensing the pressure change. Specifically, the force transmitting member is used as an intermediate member for transmitting force to transmit the external force applied to the triggering member 33 to the sensing member 31.

[0075] Alternatively, the trigger member 33 may be a non-contact trigger member, and the sensing member 31 may be a non-contact sensing member. In this way, when the trigger member 33 and the sensing member 31 are not in contact, the sensing member 31 can also quickly sense the trigger member 33 and generate a sensing signal. The sensing member 31 can generate a sensing signal without contacting the trigger member 33, thereby avoiding exposure of the sensing member 31 to the second body 12, and facilitating the dustproof and waterproof design of the second body 12.

[0076] Optionally, the non-contact triggering member may be a magnetic member, and the non-contact sensing member may be a Hall sensor or a reed switch. Specifically, since the Hall sensor or the reed switch can sense the magnetic field change caused by the magnetic member, the sensing member 31 can sense the triggering member 33 and generate a sensing signal by sensing the magnetic field change. Specifically, the magnetic member is a magnet with magnetic induction.

[0077] Specifically, the reed switch and the Hall sensor can be sensitive to the magnetic field and perform certain electrical actions based on whether there is a magnetic field. The reed switch can be turned on or off when subjected to a magnetic field of a certain magnitude, which is equivalent to a magnetic switch to indicate the presence or absence of a magnetic field. The Hall sensor can output high and low levels to indicate the presence or absence of a magnetic field when subjected to a magnetic field of a certain magnitude. In practical applications, the magnetic component can be a permanent magnet, which can generate a magnetic field of a certain magnitude. When the magnetic field is away from and close to the reed switch and the Hall sensor, the sensor can output different high and low level signals. The processor can determine whether the permanent magnet is away from or close to the reed switch and the Hall sensor by collecting different high and low level signals.

[0078] Alternatively, the non-contact triggering element may be an infrared transmitter, and the non-contact sensing element may be an infrared receiver. Specifically, since the infrared receiver can receive the signal of the infrared transmitter, the sensing element 31 can sense the triggering element 33 and generate a sensing signal by sensing the signal change. Specifically, the infrared transmitter is used to emit an infrared light signal or an infrared heat signal.

[0079] Alternatively, the non-contact sensing element may be a capacitive sensor, and the non-contact triggering element may be a first electrode plate of the capacitive sensor. Specifically, since the capacitive sensor can sense the change of the electrical signal caused by the first electrode plate, the sensing element 31 can sense the triggering element 33 and generate a sensing signal by sensing the change of the electrical signal.

[0080] Specifically, the capacitive sensor can generally be composed of two parallel electrodes, with air as the medium between the two electrodes. Without considering the edge effect, its capacitance can be expressed as C=εS / d, where ε represents the dielectric constant of the medium (i.e., air) between the two electrodes, S represents the area covered by the two electrodes, and d represents the distance between the two electrodes. The capacitance is affected by these three parameters, and the change of any one parameter will change the capacitance. By changing these three parameters, the microphone 10 can recognize different windshields, thereby adopting the corresponding noise reduction mode.

[0081] The capacitive sensor may be any one of three types: a dielectric variation type (ε varies, so C varies), an area variation type (S varies, so C varies), and a pole distance variation type (d varies, so C varies).

[0082] In practical applications, the non-contact sensing element may also be an optical signal transmitter, and the optical signal transmitter may be used to transmit an optical signal. In this way, the sensing element 31 can sense the trigger element 33 and generate a sensing signal by sensing the change of the optical signal.

[0083] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the folding arm 10 may include: a posture detector, which may be arranged on the arm body 1 to generate a posture signal indicating whether the arm body 1 is fully unfolded.

[0084] In the disclosed embodiment, a posture detector may also be provided on the arm body 1, and the posture detector may generate a posture signal indicating whether the arm body 1 is fully deployed. By setting the posture detector to detect whether the arm body 1 is fully deployed, the reliability of the detection is improved.

[0085] Specifically, it is detected that the first body 11 and the second body 12 are in a locked state, the arm body 1 is in the unfolded position, and the attitude detector detects that the arm body 1 is fully unfolded, which can further ensure that the drone 100 meets the conditions for safe flight and further improve the safety of the use of the drone 100.

[0086] Optionally, when the arm body 1 is fully deployed, the attitude detector can generate a horizontal attitude signal, and the horizontal attitude signal can trigger the drone 100 to start the working mode; when the arm body 1 is not fully deployed, the attitude detector can generate a non-horizontal attitude signal, and the non-horizontal attitude signal can trigger the drone 100 to turn off the working mode.

[0087] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the arm body 1 is fully deployed, the attitude detector can generate a horizontal attitude signal. When the arm body 1 is not fully deployed, the attitude detector can generate a non-horizontal attitude signal. The drone 100 is triggered to turn on or off the working mode according to the horizontal attitude signal and the non-horizontal attitude signal, which facilitates the control of the drone 100.

[0088] Specifically, when the arm body 1 is fully deployed, the drone 100 can have the conditions for safe flight, and then the drone is triggered to start the working mode according to the horizontal attitude signal generated by the attitude detector, which can improve the safety of the use of the drone 100.

[0089] Specifically, when the arm body 1 is not fully deployed, the non-horizontal attitude signal generated by the attitude detector can trigger the drone 100 to shut down the working mode, thereby preventing the drone 100 from falling abnormally after taking off.

[0090] Optionally, the attitude detector may include at least one of an angle detector, an inertial measurement unit, and a level. In practical applications, since the angle sensor, the inertial measurement unit, and the level have high measurement accuracy, the accuracy of the attitude detector in generating a horizontal attitude signal or a non-horizontal attitude signal can be improved.

[0091] Specifically, the attitude detector may include only an angle detector or an inertial measurement unit or a level, or may include an angle detector, an inertial measurement unit and a level at the same time. The specific setting can be made according to the actual situation, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not make any specific limitation.

[0092] In an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the folding arm 10 may further include: an electric adjustment plate installed on the arm body 1, and when the arm body 1 is in the unfolded position, the electric adjustment plate can be horizontal with the arm body 1; the attitude detector can be installed on the electric adjustment plate.

[0093] In the disclosed embodiment, the electric adjustment board is mounted on the arm body 1, and the attitude detector is mounted on the electric adjustment board. In this way, the electric adjustment board can provide a reference object, making the detection result of the attitude detector more accurate.

[0094] Optionally, the folding arm 10 may also include: a communication interface, which can be electrically connected to the sensing element 31 and / or the attitude detector, and the communication interface can be used to communicate with the processor of the drone 100 to send the sensing signal and / or the attitude signal to the processor.

[0095] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication interface is electrically connected to the sensing element 31 and / or the attitude detector, and is communicatively connected to the processor of the drone 100, so that the sensing signal and / or the attitude signal can be sent to the processor, so as to control the drone 100 to turn on or off the working mode through the sensing signal and / or the attitude signal.

[0096] Specifically, the number of the communication interface can be one, and by electrically connecting the sensing element 31 and the posture detector respectively through one communication interface, the sensing signal and the posture signal can be sent to the processor by one communication interface, which can reduce the setting of internal components of the folding arm 10 and save costs.

[0097] Alternatively, the number of the communication interfaces may be two, one of which may be connected to the sensing element 31 and the processor of the drone 100, respectively, to send the sensing signal to the processor; the other of which may be connected to the attitude detector and the processor of the drone 100, respectively, to send the attitude signal to the processor. The sensing signal and the attitude signal are sent using different communication interfaces, which can improve the sensitivity and security of signal transmission.

[0098] The folding machine arm provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure has at least the following advantages:

[0099] In the disclosed embodiment, since the locking mechanism is provided with a sensing element, the sensing element can sense whether the first body and the second body are in a locked state, so as to avoid starting the motor when the first body and the second body are not in a locked state, thereby improving the safety of use of the folding arm, and further, the safety of use of the drone using the folding arm can also be improved.

[0100] Reference Figure 5 , showing one of the structural schematic diagrams of a drone disclosed in the present invention, referring to Figure 6 , showing a second schematic diagram of the structure of a drone disclosed in the present invention, referring to Figure 7 , showing a third structural schematic diagram of a drone disclosed in the present invention, referring to Figure 8 , shows a fourth structural schematic diagram of a drone disclosed in the present invention, such as Figure 5-8 As shown, the present disclosure provides a drone, which may specifically include a fuselage 20 and the above-mentioned folding arm 10 , wherein the folding arm 10 is connected to the fuselage 20 of the drone 100 .

[0101] In the disclosed embodiment, the foldable arms 10 of the drone 100 are connected to the fuselage 20 , which can improve the safety of the drone 100 .

[0102] Optionally, the drone 100 may also include: a processor, which may be disposed on the fuselage 20; a communication interface may be disposed on the folding arm 10, which may be electrically connected to the sensing element 31; the processor may be communicatively connected to the communication interface, and the processor may be used to receive a sensing signal sent by the communication interface to indicate whether the first locking element 32 and the second locking element 34 are locked, and start or shut down the working mode of the drone 100 according to the sensing signal; wherein the sensing signal is generated by the sensing element 31 under the triggering of the trigger element 33.

[0103] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication interface is respectively connected to the sensing element 31 and the processor, so that the processor can receive the sensing signal sent by the communication interface and control the drone 100 to turn on or off the working mode according to the sensing signal.

[0104] The drone provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure has at least the following advantages:

[0105] In the disclosed embodiment, since the locking mechanism is provided with a sensing element, the sensing element can sense whether the first body and the second body are in a locked state, so as to avoid starting the motor when the first body and the second body are not in a locked state, thereby improving the safety of use of the folding arm, and further, the safety of use of the drone using the folding arm can also be improved.

[0106] Finally, it should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or terminal device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or terminal device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or terminal device including the elements.

[0107] The above is a detailed introduction to a folding arm and a drone provided by the present disclosure. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present disclosure. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and its core idea of ​​the present disclosure. At the same time, for ordinary technicians in this field, according to the idea of ​​the present disclosure, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scopes. Ordinary technicians in this field should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A folding arm for a drone, the folding arm being used to carry a motor for providing flight power for the drone, characterized in that: include: An arm body, the arm body comprising a first body and a second body foldable relative to the first body, so that the arm body can be switched between an unfolded position and a folded position; wherein the first body is connected to the fuselage of the drone, and the second body is used to carry the motor; A locking mechanism, used to place the first body and the second body in an extended state or a locked state; The locking mechanism includes a sensing member and a trigger member, and the locking mechanism includes a first locking member and a second locking member, the first locking member is arranged on the first body, and the second locking member is arranged on the second body; the trigger member cooperates with the sensing member to enable the sensing member to generate a sensing signal indicating whether the first locking member and the second locking member are locked, thereby sensing whether the first body and the second body are in a locked state; Among them, when the first locking member and the second locking member are locked, the first locking member and the second locking member are close to each other, and the trigger member and the sensing member are close to each other; when the first locking member and the second locking member are unlocked, the first locking member and the second locking member are far away from each other, and the trigger member and the sensing member are far away from each other.

2. The folding machine arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the arm body is in the unfolded position, the first locking member and the second locking member can be locked to keep the arm body in the unfolded position; The first locking member is provided with the trigger member, and the second locking member is provided with the sensing member. The trigger member cooperates with the sensing member so that the sensing member generates a sensing signal indicating whether the first locking member and the second locking member are locked.

3. The folding arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the first locking member is locked with the second locking member, the sensing member can sense the trigger member and generate an in-position sensing signal, and the in-position sensing signal can trigger the drone to start the working mode; When the first locking member and the second locking member are not locked, the sensing member fails to sense the trigger member and generates an out-of-position sensing signal, and the out-of-position sensing signal can trigger the drone to shut down the working mode.

4. The folding arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The triggering member is a contact triggering member, and the sensing member is a contact sensing member; Alternatively, the triggering member is a non-contact triggering member, and the sensing member is a non-contact sensing member.

5. The folding machine arm according to claim 4, characterized in that: The contact triggering element is a conductive element, and the contact sensing element is a current detection circuit; Alternatively, the contact triggering member is a force transmitting member, and the contact sensing member is a pressure sensor.

6. The folding arm according to claim 4, characterized in that: The non-contact triggering element is a magnetic element, and the non-contact sensing element is a Hall sensor or a reed switch; Alternatively, the non-contact triggering element is an infrared transmitter, and the non-contact sensing element is an infrared receiver; Alternatively, the non-contact sensing element is a capacitive sensor, and the non-contact triggering element is a first electrode plate of the capacitive sensor.

7. The folding machine arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folding arm further comprises: a posture detector, which is arranged on the arm body and generates a posture signal indicating whether the arm body is unfolded to the right position.

8. The folding machine arm according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the arm body is fully deployed, the attitude detector can generate a horizontal attitude signal, and the horizontal attitude signal can trigger the drone to start the working mode; when the arm body is not fully deployed, the attitude detector can generate a non-horizontal attitude signal, and the non-horizontal attitude signal can trigger the drone to turn off the working mode.

9. The folding machine arm according to claim 7, characterized in that: The attitude detector includes at least one of an angle detector, an inertial measurement unit, and a level.

10. The folding machine arm according to claim 7, characterized in that: The folding arm further comprises: an electric adjustment plate installed on the arm body, wherein when the arm body is in the unfolded position, the electric adjustment plate is level with the arm body; The attitude detector is installed on the electric adjustment board.

11. The folding machine arm according to claim 7, characterized in that: The folding arm also includes: a communication interface, which is electrically connected to the sensing element and / or the attitude detector, and the communication interface is used to communicate with the processor of the drone to send the sensing signal and / or the attitude signal to the processor.

12. The folding machine arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first locking member is a first buckle, the second locking member is a second buckle, and the first buckle and the second buckle are hinged; When the arm body is in the unfolded position, the first buckle is engaged with the second buckle, and when the arm body is in the folded position, the engagement between the first buckle and the second buckle is released.

13. The folding machine arm according to claim 12, characterized in that: The triggering member is a magnetic member, the sensing member is a Hall sensor or a reed switch, and the sensing signal is generated by the Hall sensor or the reed switch according to whether the magnetic field of the magnetic member is sensed.

14. The folding machine arm according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first locking member is a sleeve rod, and the second locking member is a sleeve. The sleeve is sleeved outside the sleeve rod, and the inner ring of the sleeve can be locked with the outer ring of the sleeve rod. The triggering member is arranged on the outer ring of the sleeve rod, and the sensing member is arranged on the inner ring of the sleeve.

15. A drone, characterized in that: include: A fuselage and a folding arm as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14; wherein: The folding arm is connected to the fuselage of the UAV.

16. The drone according to claim 15, characterized in that: The drone further comprises: a processor, the processor being disposed on the fuselage; The processor is used to receive a sensing signal sent by the communication interface to indicate whether the first locking member and the second locking member are locked, and to start or shut down the working mode according to the sensing signal; wherein the sensing signal is generated when triggered by a trigger member.

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