Magnetic type skin following of horizontal folding wing system of unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The application provides a magnetic type skin following system of horizontal folding wing system of unmanned aerial vehicle, which comprises an upper skin following system of wing, a lower skin following system of wing and a fixing assembly; the rear side of the upper skin following system of wing and the rear side of the lower skin following system of wing are magnetically attracted and matched; and the fixing assembly is used for fixing the upper skin following system of wing and the lower skin following system of wing on the inner wing and the outer wing of the horizontal folding wing system. Compared with the prior art, the magnetic type skin following system of horizontal folding wing system of unmanned aerial vehicle can fill and block the gap between the inner wing and the outer wing, is beneficial to the stability of the overall structure of the wing and can effectively avoid the reduction of the climbing rate of the wing caused by the gap. When the outer wing is unfolded and folded, the upper skin following system of wing and the lower skin following system of wing can open and close following the movement of the outer wing, effectively block the gap and keep the shape of the wing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) wing technology, and more specifically to a magnetic conformal skin for a UAV horizontal folding wing system. Background Technology

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are unmanned aircraft controlled by radio remote control equipment and their own program control devices, or operated autonomously by an onboard computer, either completely or intermittently.

[0003] Compared to manned aircraft, drones are often better suited for tasks that are too "dull, dirty, or dangerous." Drones can be categorized into military and civilian applications. In the military field, drones are divided into reconnaissance drones and target drones. In the civilian field, drones combined with industry applications represent the true necessity of drones; their applications in aerial photography, agriculture, plant protection, miniature selfies, express delivery, disaster relief, wildlife observation, infectious disease monitoring, surveying, news reporting, power line inspection, disaster relief, film and television production, and creating romantic moments, among others, have greatly expanded the uses of drones. Developed countries are also actively expanding industry applications and developing drone technology.

[0004] The wing folding methods of drones are mainly divided into: horizontal folding, vertical folding, tilt-axis folding, tilt-rotation folding, and telescopic folding wings. Horizontal folding wings are currently widely used in the drone field. Horizontal folding wings have a simple structure, high reliability, and effectively maintain the original wing shape.

[0005] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the current horizontal folding wing system of drones, the inner wing a is connected to the fuselage, and the outer wing b is rotatably connected to the inner wing a. When the outer wing b is unfolded, there will be a gap c between the outer wing b and the inner wing a. This gap c is necessary to prevent the outer wing b from rotating towards the inner wing a. This gap is located on the rear side of the overall wing. However, because this gap c can cause the connection between the inner and outer wings to be unstable, it affects the structural strength and can also easily affect the overall performance of the wing. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings and deficiencies of the prior art and provide a magnetic conformal skin for a horizontally folding wing system for unmanned aerial vehicles.

[0007] One embodiment of the present invention provides a magnetic conformal skin for a horizontally folding wing system of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising: an upper conformal skin, a lower conformal skin, and a fixing component;

[0008] The rear side of the upper conformal skin of the wing and the rear side of the lower conformal skin of the wing are magnetically engaged;

[0009] The fixing assembly is used to fix the upper conformal skin and the lower conformal skin of the wing to the inner and outer wings of the horizontally folding wing system.

[0010] Compared to existing technologies, in the magnetic conformal skin of the UAV horizontal folding wing system of this invention, the upper conformal skin is positioned above the gap between the inner and outer wings, following the shape of the top of the inner and outer wings. The lower conformal skin is positioned below the gap between the inner and outer wings, following the shape of the bottom of the inner and outer wings. The rear sides of the upper and lower conformal skins magnetically engage to seal the gap, thus improving the stability of the overall wing structure, stabilizing the airflow around the wing, and effectively preventing a decrease in wing climb rate due to the gap. Furthermore, when the inner and outer wings are folded, the upper and lower conformal skins can separate from each other under the separation of the outer wing, thus preventing the outer wing from moving. After the outer wing is unfolded, the upper and lower conformal skins automatically magnetically engage due to the absence of the outer wing obstruction, automatically sealing the gap and maintaining the wing shape.

[0011] In some optional embodiments, the fixing assembly includes an upper inner wing fixing pin, an upper outer wing fixing pin, a lower inner wing fixing pin, and a lower outer wing fixing pin. The upper inner wing fixing pin and the upper outer wing fixing pin are disposed on the conformal skin of the wing, and the lower inner wing fixing pin and the lower outer wing fixing pin are disposed on the lower conformal skin of the wing; wherein,

[0012] The upper conformal skin of the wing is fixed to the inner wing of the horizontally folding wing system by the upper inner wing fixing pin, the upper conformal skin of the wing is fixed to the outer wing of the horizontally folding wing system by the upper outer wing fixing pin, the lower conformal skin of the wing is fixed to the inner wing of the horizontally folding wing system by the lower inner wing fixing pin, and the lower conformal skin of the wing is fixed to the outer wing of the horizontally folding wing system by the lower outer wing fixing pin.

[0013] In some alternative embodiments, the conformal skin on the upper wing and / or the conformal skin on the lower wing is made of shape memory material.

[0014] In some alternative embodiments, the upper conformal skin of the wing and / or the lower conformal skin of the wing are made of a composite of carbon fiber cloth and glass fiber cloth.

[0015] In some alternative embodiments, an upper trailing edge magnetic element is provided on the rear side of the conformal skin on the wing, and a lower trailing edge magnetic element is provided on the rear side of the lower conformal skin on the wing, wherein the upper trailing edge magnetic element and the lower trailing edge magnetic element are magnetically attracted to each other.

[0016] In some optional embodiments, a plurality of upper trailing edge magnetic elements are provided on the rear side of the conformal skin on the wing, and the plurality of upper trailing edge magnetic elements are evenly arranged along the rear edge of the conformal skin on the wing.

[0017] The lower trailing edge magnetic elements are provided on the rear side of the conformal skin of the wing, and the lower trailing edge magnetic elements are evenly arranged along the rear edge of the lower trailing edge magnetic skin of the wing.

[0018] The upper trailing edge magnetic component and the lower trailing edge magnetic component are magnetically attracted to each other in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0019] In some alternative implementations, the magnetic conformal skin of the UAV horizontal folding wing system also includes an inner wing magnetic component for mounting inside the inner wing of the horizontal folding wing system.

[0020] The conformal skin of the wing is provided with a first upper magnetic component, which magnetically engages with the inner wing magnetic component.

[0021] In some alternative implementations, the magnetic conformal skin of the UAV horizontal folding wing system further includes an outer wing magnetic component, the inner wing magnetic component being used for mounting inside the outer wing of the horizontal folding wing system:

[0022] A second upper magnetic component is provided on the conformal skin of the wing, and the second upper magnetic component is magnetically attracted to the outer wing magnetic component.

[0023] In some alternative implementations, the magnetic conformal skin of the UAV horizontal folding wing system also includes an inner wing magnetic component for mounting inside the inner wing of the horizontal folding wing system.

[0024] A first lower magnetic component is provided on the conformal skin under the wing, and the first lower magnetic component is magnetically attracted to the magnetic component of the inner wing.

[0025] In some alternative implementations, the magnetic conformal skin of the UAV horizontal folding wing system further includes an outer wing magnetic component, the inner wing magnetic component being used for mounting inside the outer wing of the horizontal folding wing system:

[0026] A second lower magnetic component is provided on the conformal skin under the wing, and the second lower magnetic component is magnetically attracted to the outer wing magnetic component.

[0027] To provide a clearer understanding of the present invention, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a partial structural diagram of the inner and outer wings of a horizontally folding wing when deployed;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of the inner and outer wings of a horizontally folding wing when folded.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the magnetic conformal skin structure of a UAV horizontal folding wing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of one side of the magnetic conformal skin of a UAV horizontal folding wing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the magnetic conformal skin and inner wing of a UAV horizontal folding wing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inner wing magnetic component and the outer wing magnetic component after they are installed on the horizontally folded wings of a UAV, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conformal skin under the wing of an unmanned aerial vehicle after it is installed on the horizontally folded wing of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a UAV horizontal folding wing system after the magnetic conformal skin is installed onto the UAV horizontal folding wing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0037] 10. Upper conformal skin of the wing; 11. Upper trailing edge magnetic component; 12. First upper magnetic component; 13. Second upper magnetic component; 20. Lower conformal skin of the wing; 21. Lower trailing edge magnetic component; 22. First lower magnetic component; 23. Second lower magnetic component; 31. Upper inner wing fixing pin; 32. Upper outer wing fixing pin; 33. Lower inner wing fixing pin; 34. Lower outer wing fixing pin; 40. Inner wing magnetic component; 50. Outer wing magnetic component; a. Inner wing; b. Outer wing; c. Notch. Detailed Implementation

[0038] 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 some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] Please see Figure 3The magnetic conformal skin of the UAV's horizontally folding wing system includes: upper conformal skin 10, lower conformal skin 20, and fixing components.

[0040] Please see Figures 4 to 8 The rear side of the upper conformal skin 10 and the rear side of the lower conformal skin 20 are magnetically engaged; the fixing assembly is used to fix the upper conformal skin 10 and the lower conformal skin 20 to the inner wing and outer wing b of the horizontal folding wing system. After the outer wing b of the UAV's horizontally folding wing system unfolds outward, a gap c is formed between the inner wing and the outer wing b. This gap c is located on the rear side of the wing composed of the inner wing and the outer wing b. The upper conformal skin 10 is located at the top of the gap c, and the lower conformal skin 20 is located at the bottom of the gap c. The rear sides of the upper conformal skin 10 and the lower conformal skin 20 are magnetically engaged to achieve positioning. The gap c is sealed by the upper conformal skin 10 and the lower conformal skin 20. Furthermore, the upper conformal skin 10 and the lower conformal skin 20 are adapted to the shape of the wing, which is beneficial to the smoothness of airflow around the wing and also helps to avoid a decrease in the wing's climb rate. When the outer wing b folds inward, it enters between the upper conformal skin 10 and the lower conformal skin 20, thus separating them. When the outer wing b unfolds again, it leaves the space between the upper conformal skin 10 and the lower conformal skin 20. The upper conformal skin 10 and the lower conformal skin 20 will then come closer together again due to magnetic attraction, thus sealing the gap c that appears when the outer wing b unfolds.

[0041] In some optional embodiments, the fixing components include an upper inner wing fixing pin 31, an upper outer wing fixing pin 32, a lower inner wing fixing pin 33, and a lower outer wing fixing pin 34. The upper inner wing fixing pin 31 and the upper outer wing fixing pin 32 are disposed on the upper conformal skin 10 of the wing, and the lower inner wing fixing pin 33 and the lower outer wing fixing pin 34 are disposed on the lower conformal skin 20 of the wing. The upper conformal skin 10 of the wing is fixed to the inner wing of the horizontally folding wing system by the upper inner wing fixing pin 31, the upper conformal skin 10 of the wing is fixed to the outer wing b of the horizontally folding wing system by the upper outer wing fixing pin 32, the lower conformal skin 20 of the wing is fixed to the inner wing of the horizontally folding wing system by the lower inner wing fixing pin 33, and the lower conformal skin 20 of the wing is fixed to the outer wing b of the horizontally folding wing system by the lower outer wing fixing pin 34. The upper inner wing fixing pin 31 and the lower inner wing fixing pin 33 can be engaged with the through hole of the inner wing, threaded to the inner wing, or interference-fitted with the hole on the inner wing. The upper outer wing fixing pin 32 and the lower outer wing fixing pin 34 can be engaged with the through hole of the outer wing b, threaded to the outer wing b, or interference-fitted with the hole on the outer wing b. Of course, the structure of the fixing assembly is not limited to this. Those skilled in the art can also choose other suitable structures according to the teachings of this invention, such as threaded fasteners, etc. The diagram only simplifies the structure of the fixing pins. The actual structure can be designed and fixed according to the structure of the wing. In addition, since the outer wing b is rotatably connected to the inner wing a, in this embodiment, the outer wing b extends into the inner wing a. The upper outer wing fixing pin 32 and the lower outer wing fixing pin 34 pass through the inner wing a and extend into the interior of the inner wing a, and then connect with the outer wing b. The upper outer wing fixing pin 32 and the lower outer wing fixing pin 34 are located on the rotation axis of the outer wing b.

[0042] In some alternative implementations, the upper wing conformal skin 10 and / or the lower wing conformal skin 20 are made of shape memory material, so that the upper wing conformal skin 10 or the lower wing conformal skin 20 can be designed into a suitable shape according to the shape of the UAV's wing, thereby achieving reusability. When the upper wing conformal skin 10 and / or the lower wing conformal skin 20 need to be replaced with a suitable wing, the upper wing conformal skin 10 and / or the lower wing conformal skin 20 are restored to their original state, and then the shape of the upper wing conformal skin 10 and / or the lower wing conformal skin 20 is processed according to the actual wing shape.

[0043] In some alternative embodiments, the conformal skin 10 on the upper wing and / or the conformal skin 20 on the lower wing are made of a composite of carbon fiber cloth and glass fiber cloth. The composite skin of carbon fiber cloth and glass fiber cloth has excellent performance and is lightweight, making it suitable for use on UAV wings. This allows the conformal skin 10 on the upper wing and the conformal skin 20 to be cured to form a shape suitable for the wing. Depending on the wing shape, the skin can be restored to its original state and then cured again, thus enabling the conformal skin 10 on the upper wing and the conformal skin 20 to be reusable and flexible in application.

[0044] The magnetic attraction method of the rear side of the upper conformal skin 10 and the rear side of the lower conformal skin 20 can be selected according to actual needs. For example, in some optional embodiments, an upper trailing edge magnetic element 11 is provided on the rear side of the upper conformal skin 10, and a lower trailing edge magnetic element 21 is provided on the rear side of the lower conformal skin 20. The upper trailing edge magnetic element 11 and the lower trailing edge magnetic element 21 are magnetically attracted to each other. Preferably, in order to improve the stability of the magnetic fit and to avoid bulges between the upper conformal skin 10 and the lower conformal skin 20, a plurality of upper trailing edge magnetic elements 11 are provided on the rear side of the upper conformal skin 10, and the plurality of upper trailing edge magnetic elements 11 are evenly arranged along the rear edge of the upper conformal skin 10; a plurality of lower trailing edge magnetic elements 21 are provided on the rear side of the lower conformal skin 20, and the plurality of lower trailing edge magnetic elements 21 are evenly arranged along the rear edge of the lower conformal skin 20; the upper trailing edge magnetic elements 11 and the lower trailing edge magnetic elements 21 are magnetically attracted to each other in a one-to-one manner.

[0045] In some alternative implementations, the magnetic conformal skin of the UAV horizontal folding wing system also includes an inner wing magnetic component 40, which is used to be assembled inside the inner wing of the horizontal folding wing system. A first upper magnetic component 12 is provided on the conformal skin 10 of the wing. The first upper magnetic component 12 and the inner wing magnetic component 40 are magnetically attracted to each other, so that the conformal skin 10 of the wing can be more stably positioned on the inner wing. As the outer wing b moves, the part of the conformal skin 10 of the wing around the first upper magnetic component 12 can also detach from the inner wing, thereby avoiding the movement of the outer wing b. After the avoidance action is completed, the first upper magnetic component 12 and the inner wing magnetic component 40 can also magnetically attract to each other to restore the position of the conformal skin 10 of the wing.

[0046] In some alternative implementations, the magnetic conformal skin of the UAV horizontal folding wing system also includes an inner wing magnetic component 40, which is used to mount inside the inner wing of the horizontal folding wing system. A first lower magnetic component 22 is provided on the conformal skin 20 under the wing. The first lower magnetic component 22 and the inner wing magnetic component 40 are magnetically attracted to each other, so that the conformal skin 20 under the wing can be more stably positioned on the inner wing. As the outer wing b moves, the part of the conformal skin 20 under the wing around the first lower magnetic component 22 can also detach from the inner wing, thereby avoiding the movement of the outer wing b. After the avoidance action is completed, the first lower magnetic component 22 and the inner wing magnetic component 40 can also magnetically attract to each other, so that the position of the conformal skin 20 under the wing is restored. The inner wing of the horizontally folding wing system may be provided with only one inner wing magnetic element 40, with the first upper magnetic element 12 and the first lower magnetic element 22 magnetically attracted to the inner wing magnetic element 40 simultaneously. Alternatively, when the inner wing is thick, in this embodiment, the inner wing of the horizontally folding wing system is provided with two inner wing magnetic elements 40, with the two inner wing magnetic elements 40 magnetically attracted to the first upper magnetic element 12 and the first lower magnetic element 22 respectively.

[0047] In some alternative implementations, the magnetic conformal skin of the UAV horizontal folding wing system also includes an outer wing magnetic component 50 and an inner wing magnetic component 40 for mounting inside the outer wing b of the horizontal folding wing system. A second upper magnetic component 13 is provided on the conformal skin 10 of the wing. The second upper magnetic component 13 and the outer wing magnetic component 50 are magnetically attracted to each other, so that the conformal skin 10 of the wing can be more stably positioned on the outer wing b. As the outer wing b moves, the part of the conformal skin 10 of the wing around the second upper magnetic component 13 can also detach from the outer wing b, thereby avoiding the inner wing from colliding with the conformal skin 10 of the wing due to the relative movement of the outer wing b and the inner wing. After the avoidance action is completed, the second upper magnetic component 13 and the outer wing magnetic component 50 can also magnetically attract each other to restore the position of the conformal skin 10 of the wing.

[0048] In some alternative implementations, the magnetic conformal skin of the UAV horizontal folding wing system also includes an outer wing magnetic component 50 and an inner wing magnetic component 40 for mounting inside the outer wing b of the horizontal folding wing system. A second lower magnetic component 23 is provided on the conformal skin 20 under the wing. The second lower magnetic component 23 magnetically engages with the outer wing magnetic component 50, thereby enabling the conformal skin 10 on the wing to be more stably positioned on the outer wing b. As the outer wing b moves, the portion of the conformal skin 20 under the wing around the second lower magnetic component 23 can also detach from the outer wing b, thereby avoiding the inner wing colliding with the conformal skin 10 on the wing due to the relative movement of the outer wing b and the inner wing. After the avoidance action is completed, the second lower magnetic component 23 and the outer wing magnetic component 50 can also magnetically engage with each other to restore the position of the conformal skin 20 under the wing. The outer wing b of the horizontally folding wing system may be provided with only one outer wing magnetic element 50, and the second upper magnetic element 13 and the second lower magnetic element 23 may be magnetically attracted to the outer wing magnetic element 50 at the same time. Alternatively, when the outer wing b is thick, in this embodiment, two outer wing magnetic elements 50 are provided inside the outer wing b of the horizontally folding wing system, and the two outer wing magnetic elements 50 are magnetically attracted to the second upper magnetic element 13 and the second lower magnetic element 23 respectively.

[0049] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A magnetic conformal skin for a horizontally folding wing system of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), characterized in that, include: Conformable skin on the upper wing, conformal skin under the wing, and fixing components; The rear side of the upper conformal skin of the wing and the rear side of the lower conformal skin of the wing are magnetically engaged; The fixing component is used to fix the upper conformal skin and the lower conformal skin of the wing to the inner and outer wings of the horizontally folding wing system; The upper trailing edge magnetic element is provided on the rear side of the conformal skin of the wing, and the multiple upper trailing edge magnetic elements are evenly arranged along the rear edge of the upper conformal skin of the wing; the lower trailing edge magnetic element is provided on the rear side of the lower conformal skin of the wing, and the multiple lower trailing edge magnetic elements are evenly arranged along the rear edge of the lower conformal skin of the wing; the upper trailing edge magnetic elements and the lower trailing edge magnetic elements are magnetically attracted to each other in a one-to-one correspondence; It also includes an inner wing magnetic component, which is used to be assembled inside the inner wing of the horizontal folding wing system. A first upper magnetic component is provided on the conformal skin of the wing, and the first upper magnetic component is magnetically attracted to the inner wing magnetic component. A first lower magnetic component is provided on the lower conformal skin of the wing, and the first lower magnetic component is magnetically attracted to the inner wing magnetic component. It also includes an outer wing magnetic component, the inner wing magnetic component is used to be assembled inside the outer wing of the horizontally folding wing system, a second upper magnetic component is provided on the conformal skin of the wing, the second upper magnetic component is magnetically attracted to the outer wing magnetic component, and a second lower magnetic component is provided on the lower conformal skin of the wing, the second lower magnetic component is magnetically attracted to the outer wing magnetic component.

2. The magnetic conformal skin of a UAV horizontal folding wing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing components include an upper inner wing fixing pin, an upper outer wing fixing pin, a lower inner wing fixing pin, and a lower outer wing fixing pin. The upper inner wing fixing pin and the upper outer wing fixing pin are disposed on the upper conformal skin of the wing, and the lower inner wing fixing pin and the lower outer wing fixing pin are disposed on the lower conformal skin of the wing. The upper conformal skin of the wing is fixed to the inner wing of the horizontally folding wing system by the upper inner wing fixing pin, the upper conformal skin of the wing is fixed to the outer wing of the horizontally folding wing system by the upper outer wing fixing pin, the lower conformal skin of the wing is fixed to the inner wing of the horizontally folding wing system by the lower inner wing fixing pin, and the lower conformal skin of the wing is fixed to the outer wing of the horizontally folding wing system by the lower outer wing fixing pin.

3. The magnetic conformal skin of a UAV horizontal folding wing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conformal skin on the upper wing and / or the conformal skin on the lower wing are made of shape memory material.

4. The magnetic conformal skin of a UAV horizontal folding wing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper conformal skin of the wing and / or the lower conformal skin of the wing are made of carbon fiber cloth and glass fiber cloth composite.

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