A hand-throwing unmanned aerial vehicle and application thereof

Abstract

The application belongs to the field of military unmanned aerial vehicle, and particularly relates to a hand-throwing unmanned aerial vehicle and application thereof, which comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle main body and a combat device, the combat device is detachably arranged at the head end of the unmanned aerial vehicle main body, the combat device comprises a seeker and a combat unit which are electrically connected with each other, the seeker is arranged towards the front of the unmanned aerial vehicle main body, and the seeker is in communication connection with the flight control unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle main body, the unmanned aerial vehicle main body and the combat device are detachably connected with each other, different types of combat units can be replaced to adapt to different combat requirements, the head of the unmanned aerial vehicle main body serves as both a mounting part and a firewall to isolate the combat device, the normal work of the combat device can be ensured, and interference with the unmanned aerial vehicle main body can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), specifically relating to a hand-launched UAV and its applications. Background Technology

[0002] Military drones can deliver explosives and patrol target areas; they can perform functions such as strike, surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat damage assessment, representing an important trend in future munitions development. Current military drones have the following drawbacks: 1. They are large and heavy, making them difficult to carry; 2. Their combat functions are limited, making it difficult to change combat functions on the spot; 3. They have demanding takeoff conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a hand-launched drone with easily replaceable combat functions and its application.

[0004] The present invention provides a hand-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising a UAV body and a combat device. The combat device is detachably mounted at the nose end of the UAV body. The combat device includes a seeker head and a combat unit electrically connected to each other. The seeker head is positioned facing forward of the UAV body and is communicatively connected to the flight control unit of the UAV body.

[0005] Furthermore, the combat device also includes a housing, inside which the seeker head and combat unit are mounted, and the seeker head and combat unit are mounted on the nose end through the housing.

[0006] Furthermore, the nose section is provided with a locking part, and the outer shell is provided with a locking engagement part at one end near the main body of the UAV. The combat device is detachably mounted on the locking part through the locking engagement part.

[0007] Furthermore, the engaging part includes two or more rotating slots circumferentially arranged on the machine head and a limiting block that is elastically telescopically arranged on the machine head. The engaging mating part includes a locking block that is disposed on the inner wall of the outer shell and engages with the rotating slots, and a limiting hole that engages with the limiting block after the rotating slots and locking block are engaged.

[0008] Furthermore, the nose section is provided with a step, and the rotating slot and limiting block are provided on the step. After the outer shell is engaged with the step, the main body of the UAV and the outer wall of the combat device are smoothly transitioned.

[0009] Furthermore, the combat device also includes a circuit board and a connector that are electrically connected to each other. The guidance head and the combat unit are both electrically connected to the circuit board, and the end face of the nose is provided with a connection interface that connects to the connector.

[0010] Furthermore, the combat unit is a bomb, grenade, illumination flare, incendiary bomb, smoke bomb, signal flare, tear gas, or poison gas.

[0011] Furthermore, the main body of the drone includes a fuselage, wings, a tail assembly, and a power assembly, with the nose and power assembly respectively located at both ends of the fuselage.

[0012] Furthermore, the fuselage is equipped with a battery and a flight control unit, both of which are electrically connected to the combat equipment, power components, and tail assembly.

[0013] The present invention also provides an application of a hand-launched drone in a combat system, including a hand-launched drone and a ground control unit, wherein the ground control unit is wirelessly connected to the flight control unit in the hand-launched drone.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are that it allows for the detachable connection of the UAV body and the combat device, facilitating the replacement of different types of combat units to adapt to different combat needs. Furthermore, the nose of the UAV body serves as both a mounting section and a firewall to isolate it from the combat device, ensuring the normal operation of the combat device while avoiding interference with the UAV body. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Appendix Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0016] Appendix Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the separation structure of the UAV body and combat device in this invention;

[0017] Appendix Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0018] Appendix Figure 4 for Figure 2 A magnified view of point A from another angle;

[0019] Appendix Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the fuselage shell of the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram, 1-UAV body; 11-nose; 111-rotating slot; 112-limiting block; 113-step; 114-connection interface; 115-battery mounting port; 12-fuselage; 13-wing; 14-tail assembly; 15-power assembly; 16-battery; 17-flight control unit; 2-combat equipment; 21-seeker; 22-combat unit; 23-shell; 231-block; 232-limiting hole; 24-circuit board; 25-connection connector. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0023] Furthermore, in this invention, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0024] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a physical connection, or a wireless communication connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two elements or the interaction between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, but only if they are feasible for those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0026] As attached Figure 1-5As shown, the present invention provides a hand-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), including a UAV body 1 and a combat device 2. The combat device 2 is detachably mounted at the end of the nose 11 of the UAV body 1, which allows the combat device 2 to approach the target area faster and closer, and facilitates a good field of view for the seeker head 21. The combat device 2 includes a seeker head 21 and a combat unit 22 that are electrically connected to each other. The seeker head 21 can be a conventional seeker head, such as an infrared seeker head, a visible light seeker head, or a laser seeker head, used to measure the motion parameters of the target relative to the hand-launched UAV and generate guidance information, and finally control the combat unit 22 to perform combat actions. The seeker head 21 is positioned facing forward of the UAV body 1, and the seeker head 21 is communicatively connected to the flight control unit 17 of the UAV body 1, so that the flight control unit 17 receives the guidance information from the seeker head 21 and controls the UAV body 1 to fly.

[0027] The hand-launched UAV provided by this invention has a main body 1 carrying a combat device 2 that flies towards a target area to conduct combat strikes. A guidance head 21 is located at the end of the UAV, enabling clear and accurate target reconnaissance and transmission of target information to a flight control unit 17. The flight control unit 17 adjusts the flight trajectory based on the guidance information to achieve precise strikes. The UAV main body 1 is hand-launched, requiring no track for takeoff, making it suitable for use in special environments. Furthermore, this invention allows for the detachable connection of the UAV main body 1 and the combat device 2, facilitating the replacement of different types of combat units 22 to adapt to various combat requirements. The nose 11 of the UAV main body 1 serves as both a mounting section and a firewall, isolating it from the combat device 2, ensuring the normal operation of the combat device 2 while preventing interference with the UAV main body 1.

[0028] In one embodiment, the combat device 2 further includes a housing 23, inside which the seeker head 21 and the combat unit 22 are installed. This facilitates the installation and fixation of the seeker head 21 and the combat unit 22, and allows for concealment, camouflage, and protection of the combat unit 22. The seeker head 21 and the combat unit 22 are mounted on the end of the nose 11 via the housing 23. In this embodiment, a pointed structure is preferably provided at the end of the housing 23, i.e., the housing 23 is divided into a cylindrical part and a pointed part, which is more aerodynamic and increases the overall flight distance of the hand-launched UAV. An opening is provided at the end of the pointed part, through which the seeker head 21 can detect the target area. At the same time, the cylindrical part can be a two-part structure, with the two semi-circular parts connected by bolts or clips, which facilitates the disassembly, assembly, and maintenance of the seeker head 21 and the combat unit 22.

[0029] In one embodiment, the head 11 is provided with a locking part at its end, and the outer shell 23 is provided with a locking engagement part at one end near the UAV body 1. The combat device 2 is detachably mounted on the locking part through the locking engagement part. In this embodiment, the combat device 2 and the UAV body 1 are detachably locked together, which facilitates the disassembly and assembly of the combat device 2 and the UAV body 1 and their respective maintenance; at the same time, it facilitates the separate transportation of the combat device 2 and the UAV body 1, improving safety performance; in addition, it also facilitates the replacement of the combat unit 22 to adapt to different combat requirements.

[0030] In one embodiment, the engaging portion includes two or more rotating slots 111 circumferentially arranged on the head 11 and a resiliently telescopic limiting block 112 arranged on the head 11. The engaging mating portion includes a locking block 231 disposed on the inner wall of the outer shell 23 and engaging with the rotating slots 111, and a limiting hole 232 that engages with the limiting block 112 after the rotating slots 111 and locking block 231 are engaged. With the above configuration, when installing the combat device 2 onto the UAV body 1, it is only necessary to align the engaging mating portion of the outer shell 23 with the engaging portion of the UAV body 1, and then rotate the combat device 2 until the locking block 231 is engaged in the rotating slots 111 and the resiliently telescopic limiting block 112 extends into the limiting hole 232, thus completing the engaging and fixing of the combat device 2 and the UAV body 1. When it is necessary to disassemble the combat device 2 and the UAV body 1, it is only necessary to use a tool to retract the resiliently telescopic limiting block 112 and disengage it from the limiting hole 232, and then rotate the combat device 2 in the opposite direction. The entire disassembly and assembly process is convenient and quick, which can effectively improve usage efficiency.

[0031] In this embodiment, a step 113 is provided at the end of the nose 11, and the rotating slot 111 and the limiting block 112 are disposed on the step 113. After the outer shell 23 is engaged with the step 113, the outer walls of the UAV body 1 and the combat device 2 are smoothly transitioned. In this embodiment, the combat device 2 can serve as an extension of the fuselage 12 of the UAV body 1, avoiding protrusions or grooves in the connection part that would affect aerodynamic performance.

[0032] In one embodiment, the combat device 2 further includes a circuit board 24 and a connector 25 electrically connected to each other. The connector 25 can be a 9-pin spring pin connector or other types of conventional plug connectors. The seeker head 21 and the combat unit 22 are both electrically connected to the circuit board 24. The circuit board 24 is used to receive signals from the seeker head 21. The circuit board 24 sends the angle information of the target relative to the seeker head 21 to the flight control unit 17 inside the fuselage 12. The flight control unit 17 corrects the flight attitude. The end face of the nose 11 is provided with a connection interface 114 that connects to the connector 25. In an embodiment where the outer shell 23 is fixed by screwing the locking block 231 into the rotating slot 111, the circuit board 24 or the connector 25 can have a certain degree of rotational freedom. When the combat device 2 is installed with the UAV body 1, the combat device 2 is first inserted into the end of the UAV body 1. At this time, the connector 25 and the connection interface 114 are connected. Then the combat device 2 is rotated as a whole, so that the locking block 231 and the rotating slot 111 are engaged, thus completing the installation of the combat device 2 with the UAV body 1. In this embodiment, the combat unit 22 and the flight control unit 17 are connected by a wire, which ensures a stable and reliable connection and faster information transmission. Furthermore, in this embodiment, with a battery 16 installed inside the UAV body 1, the power supply for the seeker head 21 and the combat unit 22 can be connected to the battery 16 via the connector 25 and the interface 114. When the combat device 2 is separated from the UAV body 1, it cannot function properly without power. It only connects to power and functions normally when the combat device 2 is assembled with the UAV body 1, thereby improving safety performance and completely preventing accidental triggering of the combat device 2 when separated from the UAV body 1.

[0033] In one embodiment, the combat unit 22 is a bomb, grenade, illumination flare, incendiary bomb, smoke bomb, signal flare, tear gas, or poison gas bomb.

[0034] In one embodiment, the drone body 1 includes a fuselage 12, wings 13, a tail assembly 14, and a power assembly 15. The nose 11 and the power assembly 15 are respectively disposed at both ends of the fuselage 12. The tail assembly 14 includes a servo and an adjustable tail fin to control the flight direction of the drone body 1. The power assembly 15 consists of electrodes and a propeller disposed at the tail of the fuselage 12 to provide flight power for the drone body 1.

[0035] In one specific embodiment, the body 12 is composed of a body shell and an internal grid frame. The body shell is made of EPO foam material, with embedded carbon tubes and layers to increase strength. An installation platform is reserved inside the body, and the equipment is arranged on the installation platform in a certain order. A power distribution board is provided inside the body 12, and an XT60 plug is provided on the battery 16. After the XT60 plug is electrically connected to the power distribution board, the battery 16 supplies power to each device through the power distribution board.

[0036] In one specific embodiment, the flight control unit 17 includes a flight control board and a communication module. Slots are provided on both sides of the fuselage 12. The flight control board is installed inside the fuselage 12 through the slots. The communication module is installed inside the fuselage 12. The flight control board is connected to the communication module. An XT30 plug is provided at the front end of the flight control board. The XT30 plug is electrically connected to the power distribution board.

[0037] In one specific embodiment, a wing platform is provided in the middle of the fuselage 12, and a through hole is provided on the wing platform. A wing spars are provided inside the wing 13. The wing 13 is made of EPO foam material, and the wing spars are carbon fiber beams. The wing 13 includes a left wing and a right wing. The wing spars include a main spars and a secondary spars. A spring pin is installed on the extended part of the right wing main spars, and a spring contact is installed on the extended part of the left wing main spars. A secondary pin is installed on the extended parts of both the left and right wing secondary spars. A secondary pin connecting sleeve matching the secondary pin is installed in the through hole. The main spars and secondary spars of the left and right wings are inserted into the wing platform through the through hole and locked in place.

[0038] In one embodiment, a battery 16 and a flight control unit 17 are housed within the fuselage 12. Both the battery 16 and the flight control unit 17 are electrically connected to the combat device 2, the power assembly 15, and the tail assembly 14. Specifically, the battery 16 supplies power to the combat device 2, the power assembly 15, and the tail assembly 14, while the flight control unit 17 controls the rotation speed of the propeller in the power assembly 15 and the rotation of the tail fin, thereby controlling the flight trajectory, guiding the aircraft towards the target area, and controlling the combat unit 22 within the combat device 2 to strike the target area. Furthermore, the flight control unit 17 is preferably equipped with autonomous cruise control, area search, and target engagement functions, facilitating rapid response and real-time reconnaissance and strike capabilities. In this embodiment, a battery mounting port 115 is provided at the end of the fuselage 12 near the nose 11, through which the battery 16 is inserted into the fuselage 12 for easy replacement.

[0039] The present invention also provides an application of a hand-launched drone in a combat system, including a hand-launched drone and a ground control unit, wherein the ground control unit is wirelessly connected to the flight control unit 17 in the hand-launched drone.

[0040] The present invention also provides a hand-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) combat system, including: a hand-launched UAV, a ground control unit, and a carrying bag. The ground control unit is connected to the flight control unit 17 via wireless communication. The various components of the hand-launched UAV are placed in the carrying bag in the form of components. It can carry combat devices 2 of multiple combat units 22, carry multiple missiles, and is convenient for transportation.

[0041] Taking the bomb as an example, the hand-launched UAV combat system can also include a reconnaissance UAV. The ground control unit includes a ground terminal, a data transmission module, an antenna, and a feeder. The ground terminal is connected to the data transmission module. The data transmission module is connected to the flight control unit 17 via the feeder and antenna. The ground control unit can communicate wirelessly with the flight control unit 17 within a 3km range and can perform operations such as adjusting the flight path, replanning the mission, canceling the attack, and switching the strike target for the hand-launched UAV.

[0042] When cooperating with reconnaissance drones in strikes, the reconnaissance drone flies to the target area to obtain target information, while the hand-launched drone takes off and flies towards the target while climbing to an altitude of 300m above the ground (determined according to the combat environment; the default cruising altitude below is 300m). When the reconnaissance drone obtains the final strike coordinates, the operator uploads the final strike coordinates to the hand-launched drone through the ground control unit. The hand-launched drone flies towards the target according to the set attack route. At this time, the hand-launched drone is separated from the control of the ground control unit and the combat unit 22 is activated. The hand-launched drone approaches the target point to conduct area search. The infrared seeker 21 on board identifies personnel or vehicles through thermal imaging to determine the strike target and carry out a precision strike. The reconnaissance drone cruises in the air, collecting and transmitting the strike results to the ground control unit for evaluation.

[0043] Hand-launched UAVs can also be equipped with visible light seekers for combat. After the hand-launched UAV is programmed with coordinate information, it takes off and climbs to an altitude of 500 meters as it flies toward the target area. During the cruise, it searches for and identifies targets on the ground. Considering the impact of distortion at the edge of the field of view, the visible light seeker is installed with a slightly downward-looking orientation (the default angle between the seeker's optical axis and the aircraft's longitudinal axis is 10°, tilted downwards; this angle can be adjusted according to actual conditions). After detecting the preset target features, the hand-launched UAV aims at the target point and dives to strike at a 45° trajectory angle.

[0044] In summary, the hand-launched UAV and unmanned aerial vehicle combat system provided by this invention flies towards the target area with a warhead mounted on its fuselage. The seeker head 21 reconnoiters and strikes the target and sends position information to the flight control unit 17. The flight control unit 17 controls the flight trajectory and flies towards the strike target for precision strike. It is suitable for hand-launch and can fly several kilometers away, realizing long-range reconnaissance and target strike. The flight control unit 17 can have functions such as autonomous control cruise, area search and target strike, which is conducive to rapid response and real-time reconnaissance and strike. The ground control unit can adjust the flight path, replan the mission, cancel the attack, switch the strike target, etc., realizing the function of manual real-time control.

[0045] The contents not described in detail in this specification are existing technologies known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An application of a hand-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in a combat system, characterized in that: It includes a hand-launched drone and a ground control unit, wherein the ground control unit is wirelessly connected to the flight control unit (17) in the hand-launched drone; The hand-launched drone includes a drone body (1) and a combat device (2). The combat device (2) is detachably mounted at the end of the nose (11) of the drone body (1). The combat device (2) includes a guide head (21) and a combat unit (22) that are electrically connected to each other. The guide head (21) is positioned facing the front of the drone body (1). The guide head (21) is communicatively connected to the flight control unit (17) of the drone body (1). The optical axis of the seeker (21) is at an angle of 10° with the longitudinal axis of the UAV body (1) and tilts downward. After detecting the preset target features, the hand-launched UAV aims at the target point and dives to strike at a trajectory angle of 45°.

2. The application of the hand-launched UAV in a combat system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The combat device (2) also includes a housing (23), the seeker (21) and the combat unit (22) are installed inside the housing (23), and the seeker (21) and the combat unit (22) are installed at the end of the nose (11) through the housing (23).

3. The application of the hand-launched UAV in a combat system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The head (11) end is provided with a locking part, and the outer shell (23) is provided with a locking engagement part at one end near the main body (1) of the UAV. The combat device (2) is detachably mounted on the locking part through the locking engagement part.

4. The application of the hand-launched UAV in a combat system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The engaging part includes two or more rotating slots (111) circumferentially arranged on the head (11) and a limiting block (112) elastically telescopically arranged on the head (11). The engaging mating part includes a locking block (231) arranged on the inner wall of the outer shell (23) and mating with the rotating slots (111), and a limiting hole (232) mating with the limiting block (112) after the rotating slots (111) and the locking block (231) are mated.

5. The application of the hand-launched UAV in a combat system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The end of the nose (11) is provided with a step (113), the rotating slot (111) and the limiting block (112) are provided on the step (113), and after the outer shell (23) is engaged with the step (113), the outer wall of the UAV body (1) and the combat device (2) are smoothly transitioned.

6. The application of the hand-launched UAV in a combat system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The combat device (2) also includes a circuit board (24) and a connector (25) that are electrically connected to each other. The guide head (21) and the combat unit (22) are both electrically connected to the circuit board (24). The end face of the head (11) is provided with a connection interface (114) that is connected to the connector (25).

7. The application of the hand-launched UAV in a combat system as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The combat unit (22) is a bomb, grenade, illumination flare, incendiary bomb, smoke bomb, signal flare, tear gas or poison gas bomb.

8. The application of the hand-launched UAV as described in any one of claims 1-6 in a combat system, characterized in that, The main body (1) of the UAV includes a fuselage (12), wings (13), tail assembly (14) and power assembly (15), with the nose (11) and power assembly (15) respectively located at both ends of the fuselage (12).

9. The application of the hand-launched UAV in a combat system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The fuselage (12) is equipped with a battery (16) and a flight control unit (17), both of which are electrically connected to the combat device (2), the power unit (15) and the tail assembly (14).

Images