A pneumatic deceleration tube unmanned aerial vehicle adapter

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of unmanned plane launching, and discloses a pneumatic deceleration tube launching unmanned plane adapter which comprises an unmanned plane push rod, a cable adapter pipe, a pneumatic deceleration assembly, an adapter piston and a cable hole spring cover assembly; the unmanned plane push rod is arranged on one side end face of the adapter piston, a cable hole which is in communication with an inner cavity is further arranged and is matched with the cable adapter pipe, and the other side end face is opened and forms an inner cavity; the pneumatic deceleration assembly is movably arranged on the surface of the adapter piston and is used for separating the adapter from the unmanned plane after the unmanned plane is launched; the cable hole spring cover assembly is further arranged on the end face of the adapter piston and at one side of the cable hole and is used for sealing the cable hole when the cable adapter pipe is separated. The adapter can be rapidly and reliably separated from the unmanned plane after the unmanned plane is launched out of the launching tube, the rear propeller of the unmanned plane can be rapidly and safely started, and the function of successfully releasing the unmanned plane after the unmanned plane is launched is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launch technology, and more specifically, to a pneumatic deceleration tube-launched UAV adapter. Background Technology

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have a wide range of applications, especially in the field of military tube-launched UAVs, which are experiencing rapid growth. After a tube-launched UAV is loaded into the launch tube, an adapter is needed to achieve radial constraint within the tube to maintain its initial orientation at launch. Simultaneously, to ensure a stable attitude after launch, the UAV needs to quickly transition from unpowered to powered flight, requiring the UAV adapter to detach rapidly from the UAV. Considering the electrical connections, such as communication cables, within the launch tube, the adapter must also ensure reliable cable detachment and maintain its airtightness. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to address the technical problems existing in the prior art by providing a pneumatic deceleration tube-launched UAV adapter, which enables the tube-launched UAV to quickly and reliably separate from the adapter after launch, ensuring that the UAV's rear propeller can start quickly and safely, and fulfilling the function of successful launch and takeoff of the UAV.

[0004] To address the problems mentioned above, the technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows:

[0005] This invention provides a pneumatic deceleration tube-launched drone adapter, including a drone push rod, a cable adapter tube, a pneumatic deceleration assembly, an adapter piston, and a cable hole spring cover assembly;

[0006] The adapter piston has a drone push rod on one end face and a cable hole communicating with the inner cavity, and a matching cable adapter tube. The other end face is open and forms an internal cavity. A pneumatic deceleration assembly is movably disposed on the surface of the adapter piston for separating from the drone adapter after the drone is launched. A cable hole spring cover assembly is also disposed on the end face of the adapter piston and on the side of the cable hole for sealing the cable hole when the cable adapter tube is disengaged.

[0007] Furthermore, the surface of the adapter piston is provided with a mounting recess and an annular groove, and mounting grooves are provided on both sides of the mounting recess; the pneumatic deceleration assembly includes a pneumatic mounting part and a pneumatic deceleration plate disposed on the pneumatic mounting part, the pneumatic mounting part is disposed in the mounting recess, and the pneumatic deceleration plate cooperates with the annular groove.

[0008] Furthermore, the drone adapter also includes a speed reduction pin and a speed reduction spring disposed on the speed reduction pin. The speed reduction pin is located in the mounting recess and connects the pneumatic mounting part and the adapter piston. Both ends pass through the side wall of the mounting recess and are placed in the mounting groove.

[0009] Furthermore, the cable hole spring cover assembly includes a base, a pressure cover, a connecting shaft, and a spring. The base is disposed on the adapter piston and located on one side of the cable hole. The pressure cover is movably engaged with the base via the connecting shaft, and a spring acting on the pressure cover is disposed on the connecting shaft.

[0010] Furthermore, the end of the drone push rod is provided with a positioning post that cooperates with the tail of the drone; the drone push rod consists of four parallel rods that enclose an installation space for accommodating drone accessories.

[0011] Furthermore, the surface of the adapter piston is provided with an circumferential groove, and the cross-section of the circumferential groove is a V-shaped structure.

[0012] Furthermore, positioning pins are provided on the end face of the piston opening of the adapter, and they are evenly distributed.

[0013] Furthermore, the adapter piston adopts a cylindrical structure, with mounting recesses and mounting grooves evenly arranged circumferentially on its surface.

[0014] Furthermore, the cable adapter tube is made of hollow plastic tubing, which is fixed together with the UAV communication cable and detaches from the cable hole after the UAV is launched.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0016] (1) The UAV adapter of the present invention has an adapter piston as the main structure. Under the action of the UAV launch power source such as gas or compressed gas, the UAV is pushed to move quickly together by the UAV push rod. The UAV communication cable is reliably installed and disconnected through the cable adapter tube. After disconnection, the cable hole is sealed by the cable hole spring cover assembly to ensure the airtightness of the overall structure and to meet the full utilization of the energy of the UAV launch power source. Through the pneumatic deceleration component, the UAV can be quickly and reliably separated from the UAV adapter after the launch tube is exited, ensuring that the UAV can quickly start the propeller and thus change from the unpowered parting state to the powered flight state. The overall structure is simple and the function is reliable.

[0017] (2) The adapter piston of the present invention has a mounting recess and annular groove, and cooperates with the pneumatic mounting part and pneumatic deceleration plate of the pneumatic deceleration assembly to achieve the same size as the adapter piston in the folded state, and can be filled into the UAV launch tube; after unfolding, it can increase the flight resistance of the UAV adapter and achieve reliable separation from the UAV.

[0018] (3) The present invention connects the adapter piston and the pneumatic deceleration assembly through the deceleration pin and the deceleration spring. The deceleration spring is compressed by the UAV launch tube to make the pneumatic deceleration assembly folded. After being separated from the UAV launch tube, the pneumatic deceleration plate can be quickly opened around the deceleration pin under the action of the deceleration spring, realizing the pneumatic deceleration of the adapter, quickly and reliably separating from the UAV, and completing the safe and reliable launch of the UAV.

[0019] (4) The cable hole spring cover assembly of the present invention is made by fitting the cover with the cable hole and acting on the cover by the elastic force of the spring. When the cable adapter tube passes through the cable hole, the cover opens the cable hole and the UAV communication cable can be installed in the cable adapter tube and fixed. When the UAV adapter moves forward, the cable detaches from the UAV and the cable adapter tube is pulled out from the cable hole. The cover closes the cable hole under the action of the spring force. The structure is simple and can meet the airtightness requirement during the forward movement of the adapter.

[0020] (5) The piston of the adapter of the present invention has an circumferential groove and a V-shaped structure. When the gas for launching power enters the circumferential groove, it generates a vortex, which prevents the gas from moving forward and achieves airtightness between the UAV adapter and the launch tube, thereby ensuring the reliability of UAV launch. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the solutions in this invention, a brief introduction to the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be provided below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without any creative effort. Wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the pneumatic deceleration tube-launched drone adapter of the present invention in its folded state.

[0023] Figure 2 This is another structural diagram of the pneumatic deceleration tube-launched drone adapter of the present invention in a folded state.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the pneumatic deceleration tube-launched UAV adapter of the present invention in its deployed state.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the adapter piston in this invention.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the pneumatic deceleration tube-launched drone adapter in this invention.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the deceleration spring in this invention.

[0028] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic deceleration assembly in this invention.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the cable hole spring cover assembly in this invention.

[0030] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the cable hole spring cover assembly opening the cable hole in this invention.

[0031] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the cable hole spring cover assembly sealing the cable hole in this invention.

[0032] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing the folded state of the drone adapter of the present invention located inside the launch tube.

[0033] Figure 12 This is a diagram showing the unfolded state of the drone adapter of the present invention after it is detached from the drone upon launch.

[0034] The reference numerals in the attached drawings are explained as follows: 1-UAV push rod, 2-Cable adapter tube, 3-Pneumatic deceleration assembly, 31-Pneumatic mounting part, 32-Pneumatic decelerator, 4-Decelerator pin, 5-Adapter piston, 51-Mounting recess, 52-Mounting groove, 53-Annular groove, 54-Cable hole, 55-Annular notch, 6-Positioning pin, 7-Cable hole spring cover assembly, 71-Base, 72-Pressure cover, 73-Connecting shaft, 74-Spring, 8-Decelerator spring. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. For example, terms such as “length,” “width,” “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “rear,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer” indicate orientations or positions based on the orientations or positions shown in the accompanying drawings and are for ease of description only, and should not be construed as limiting the technical solution.

[0036] The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a particular order. In the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention, when an element is referred to as "fixed to," "mounted to," "disposed of," or "connected to" another element, it may be directly or indirectly located on that other element. For example, when an element is referred to as "connected to" another element, it may be directly or indirectly connected to that other element.

[0037] Furthermore, the reference to "embodiment" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0038] See Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the present invention provides a pneumatic deceleration tube-launched drone adapter, including a drone push rod 1, a cable adapter tube 2, a pneumatic deceleration assembly 3, a deceleration pin 4, an adapter piston 5, a cable hole spring cover assembly 7, and a deceleration spring 8.

[0039] The adapter piston 5 has a drone push rod 1 on one end face, and a cable hole 54 communicating with the inner cavity, with a matching cable adapter tube 2. The other end face is open, forming an internal cavity. A pneumatic deceleration assembly 3 is movably disposed on the surface of the adapter piston 5, and is connected and cooperates with a deceleration pin 4 and a deceleration spring 8. The pneumatic deceleration assembly 3 is used to separate from the drone adapter after the drone is launched. A cable hole spring cover assembly 7 is also provided on the end face of the adapter piston 5, located on the side of the cable hole 54, to seal the cable hole 54 when the cable adapter tube 2 is disengaged.

[0040] In this embodiment, the drone adapter is used to realize the internal switching function between the drone and the launch tube, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the tail of the drone adapter is connected to the tail positioning hole of the launch tube, and the head of the drone adapter is inserted into the tail positioning hole of the drone through the drone push rod 1 to realize its structural and electrical connection channel. When the adapter moves forward, it can drive the drone to move synchronously.

[0041] In this embodiment, a reduction gear pin 4 provides a rotating shaft for the pneumatic reduction assembly 3, and a reduction gear spring 8 is installed in the middle of the reduction gear pin 4. Figure 6As shown in the figure, the deceleration spring 8 satisfies the requirement that the pneumatic deceleration assembly 3 can be reliably folded and unfolded without the constraint of the launch tube.

[0042] For further information, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4 As shown, the adapter piston 5 has a mounting recess 51 on its surface, and mounting grooves 52 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the mounting recess 51. The reduction pin 4 connects the pneumatic reduction assembly 3 and the adapter piston 5 and is located within the mounting recess 51. Both ends of the reduction pin 4 pass through the sidewalls of the mounting recess 51 and are placed within the mounting grooves 52. The surface of the adapter piston 5 also has an annular groove 53 that mates with the pneumatic reduction assembly 3.

[0043] Furthermore, such as Figure 7 As shown, the pneumatic reduction assembly 3 includes a pneumatic mounting part 31 and a pneumatic reduction plate 32 disposed on the pneumatic mounting part 31. The pneumatic mounting part 31 is disposed within the mounting recess 51 and is movably engaged with the reduction plate pin 4. The pneumatic reduction plate 32 has an arc-shaped structure and engages with the annular groove 53 of the adapter piston 5.

[0044] Specifically, the pneumatic deceleration assembly 3 is movably coupled with the adapter piston 5, allowing for both folded and unfolded states. Since the pneumatic deceleration plate 32 has an arc-shaped structure and engages with the arc-shaped groove 53, in the folded state, the pneumatic deceleration assembly 3 maintains the same dimensions as the adapter piston 5, allowing it to be inserted into the UAV launch tube. When the UAV adapter launches from the tube, the pneumatic deceleration plate 32 rapidly unfolds around the deceleration plate pin 4 under the elastic force of the deceleration plate spring 8, increasing the flight drag of the UAV adapter and achieving reliable separation from the UAV.

[0045] Furthermore, the end of the drone push rod 1 is provided with a positioning post 11 for installation in conjunction with the positioning hole at the tail of the drone; the drone push rod 1 consists of four parallel rods arranged to form an installation space for accommodating drone propellers, communication cable plugs and other accessories, and can drive the drone to move synchronously when the drone adapter moves forward.

[0046] Furthermore, the adapter piston 5 is the main structure of the drone adapter, which adopts a cylindrical structure, and the surface is uniformly provided with mounting recesses 51 and mounting grooves 52 along the circumference.

[0047] Specifically, the adapter piston 5 adopts a cylindrical structure, which reduces weight while increasing the initial volume of the low-pressure chamber. Its outer diameter allows for a tight fit with the UAV launch tube, enabling precise sliding within the launch tube. Four sets of pneumatic deceleration components 3 are evenly arranged along the circumference of the adapter piston 5, which can quickly reduce the speed of the UAV adapter, achieving rapid and reliable separation between the UAV and the UAV adapter. The number of these components can be increased or decreased according to actual needs.

[0048] Furthermore, the surface of the adapter piston 5 is provided with an circumferential groove 55. Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the cross-section of the circumferential groove 55 is a V-shaped structure.

[0049] Specifically, the adapter piston 5, under the action of a UAV launch power source such as gas or compressed gas, accelerates within the launch tube, and achieves airtightness through its tail-end circumferential groove 55 acting as a sealing ring. When the launch power gas enters the circumferential groove 55, it generates vortices, preventing the gas from moving forward, thereby achieving structural airtightness and ensuring the reliability of UAV launch.

[0050] Furthermore, a positioning pin 6 is provided on the end face of the open end of the adapter piston 5, and the pins are evenly distributed. They can cooperate with the corresponding mounting holes of the launch tube to fix the initial attitude of the UAV and ensure the correct attitude of the UAV when it leaves the tube.

[0051] Furthermore, the cable adapter tube 2 is made of hollow plastic tubing, and the UAV communication cable can pass through the cable adapter tube 2 to achieve electrical connection with the UAV.

[0052] Specifically, after the drone communication cable passes through the cable adapter tube 2, the drone communication cable is fixed to it as a whole. When the drone adapter moves forward, the drone communication cable detaches from the drone tail socket, which can drive the cable adapter tube 2 to be pulled out from the cable hole 54 of the adapter piston 5.

[0053] For further details, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 8 As shown, the cable hole spring cover assembly 7 includes a base 71, a pressure cover 72, a connecting shaft 73, and a spring 74. The base 71 is disposed on the adapter piston 5 and located on one side of the cable hole 54. The pressure cover 72 is movably engaged with the base 71 through the connecting shaft 73. The spring 74 acting on the pressure cover 72 is disposed on the connecting shaft 73, which facilitates the flipping of the pressure cover 72.

[0054] Specifically, the cable hole spring cover assembly 7 uses a spring 74 and a pressure cap 72 to open and close the cable hole 54 on the adapter piston 5. Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, when the cable adapter tube 2 is inserted into the cable hole 54, it forces the pressure cap 74 of the cable hole spring cover assembly 7 to flip and open the cable hole 54. At this time, the airtightness of the cable hole is achieved by the cable adapter tube 2. When the UAV adapter moves forward, and the cable adapter tube 2 disengages, the pressure cap 74 of the cable hole spring cover assembly 7 quickly closes the cable hole 54 under the combined action of spring force and launch power back pressure, thus achieving the airtightness of the UAV adapter.

[0055] In this embodiment, when the UAV adapter is in a folded state inside the launch tube, the pneumatic deceleration plate 32 folds onto the outer wall of the adapter piston 5, forming a piston structure with the same size as the inner diameter of the launch tube. The loading structure is as follows: Figure 11 As shown. The front end of the drone push rod 1 is inserted into the positioning hole at the tail of the drone. When the adapter moves forward, it can drive the drone to move synchronously. The positioning pin 6 can be inserted into the positioning hole at the tail of the launch tube, together to fix the initial orientation of the drone when it is launched.

[0056] When the drone is launched, driven by a drone launch power source such as gas or compressed gas, the drone adapter propels the drone rapidly within the launch tube via the drone push rod 1. At the initial stage of the drone adapter's movement, the cable adapter tube 2 reliably separates the drone communication cable within it. After the cable adapter tube 2 is pulled out, the pressure cap 74 of the cable hole spring cover assembly 7 quickly closes the cable hole 54 under the spring force of the spring 74 and the back pressure of the launch power, achieving an airtight connection and ensuring the drone adapter can move forward normally.

[0057] After the drone adapter detaches from the drone launch tube, the pneumatic deceleration plate 32 can quickly open around the deceleration plate pin 4 under the elastic force of the deceleration plate spring 8, increasing the adapter's frontal area and achieving pneumatic deceleration of the adapter, enabling rapid and reliable separation from the drone. Its state is as follows: Figure 12 As shown, this design ensures a safe start-up space for the drone's propellers, allowing the drone to quickly transition from unpowered to powered flight and complete its safe take-off.

[0058] The UAV adapter provided by this invention can achieve reliable airtightness between itself and the launch tube, and can quickly separate from the UAV. It also meets the requirements for UAV constraint and movement inside the launch tube and separation after exiting the tube, thereby enabling safe and reliable launch of tube-launched UAVs.

[0059] The above embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments. Any changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, or simplifications made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be considered equivalent substitutions and shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pneumatic deceleration tube-launched UAV adapter, characterized in that: This includes drone push rods, cable adapter tubes, pneumatic deceleration components, adapter pistons, and cable hole spring cover assemblies; The adapter piston has a drone push rod on one end face and a cable hole communicating with the inner cavity, and a matching cable adapter tube. The other end face is open and forms an internal cavity. A pneumatic deceleration assembly is movably disposed on the surface of the adapter piston for separating from the drone adapter after the drone is launched. A cable hole spring cover assembly is also disposed on the end face of the adapter piston and on the side of the cable hole for sealing the cable hole when the cable adapter tube is disengaged. The adapter piston has a mounting recess and an annular groove on its surface, and mounting grooves are provided on both sides of the mounting recess; the pneumatic deceleration assembly includes a pneumatic mounting part and a pneumatic deceleration plate disposed on the pneumatic mounting part, the pneumatic mounting part is disposed in the mounting recess, and the pneumatic deceleration plate cooperates with the annular groove; The drone adapter also includes a speed reduction pin and a speed reduction spring disposed on the speed reduction pin. The speed reduction pin is located in the mounting recess and connects the pneumatic mounting part and the adapter piston. Both ends pass through the side wall of the mounting recess and are placed in the mounting groove.

2. The pneumatic deceleration tube-launched UAV adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cable hole spring cover assembly includes a base, a pressure cover, a connecting shaft, and a spring. The base is disposed on the adapter piston and located on one side of the cable hole. The pressure cover is movably engaged with the base via the connecting shaft. A spring acting on the pressure cover is disposed on the connecting shaft.

3. The pneumatic deceleration tube-launched UAV adapter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The end of the drone push rod is provided with a positioning post that cooperates with the tail of the drone; the drone push rod consists of four parallel rods that form an installation space to accommodate drone accessories.

4. The pneumatic deceleration tube-launched UAV adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the adapter piston is provided with an circumferential groove, and the cross-section of the circumferential groove is a V-shaped structure.

5. The pneumatic deceleration tube-launched UAV adapter according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The adapter piston opening end face is provided with positioning pins, which are evenly distributed.

6. The pneumatic deceleration tube-launched UAV adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adapter piston has a cylindrical structure with mounting recesses and mounting grooves evenly distributed circumferentially on its surface.

7. The pneumatic deceleration tube-launched UAV adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cable adapter tube is made of hollow plastic tubing, which is fixed together with the UAV communication cable and detaches from the cable hole after the UAV is launched.

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