UAV wing folding and unfolding mechanism and method

Abstract

The present invention provides a wing folding and unfolding mechanism and method for a drone, comprising: a drive unit, a rack, a gear transmission assembly, a torsion spring, a first locking element, a first elastic member, a second locking element, and a second elastic member. The rack can drive the gear transmission assembly to rotate in a first direction. One end of the torsion spring is connected to the gear transmission assembly, and the other end of the torsion spring is connected to the wing. The wing is rotatably mounted on the gear transmission assembly in a second direction. The gear transmission assembly can drive the wing to rotate in the first direction. The first locking element is connected to the gear transmission assembly via a first elastic member and can selectively engage with a first locking hole. The second locking element is connected to the gear transmission assembly via a second elastic member and can selectively engage with a second locking hole. The technical solution of the present invention solves the technical problem in the prior art that when the wings are folded into the interior of the fuselage structure, they occupy fuselage space, which is not conducive to the loading of the fuselage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and in particular to a folding and unfolding mechanism and method for UAV wings. Background Art

[0002] Drones feature folding wings for easy transport and launch. During takeoff, the wings are folded, but after takeoff, they need to be quickly repositioned from folded to straight. Most drone wings fold inward, and modern drones often have irregular cross-sections. Folding the wings inward would take up space within the fuselage, hindering loading. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a wing folding and unfolding mechanism and method for a UAV, which can solve the technical problem in the prior art that when the wings are folded into the interior of the fuselage structure, they occupy the fuselage space and are not conducive to the loading of the fuselage.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a wing folding and unfolding mechanism for a drone is provided, which includes: a driving unit, which is arranged on a fuselage; a rack, which is connected to the driving unit and is used to drive the rack to move in a straight line; a gear transmission assembly, which cooperates with the rack, and the rack can drive the gear transmission assembly to rotate around a first direction; a torsion spring, which is arranged between the gear transmission assembly and the wing, one end of the torsion spring is connected to the gear transmission assembly, and the other end of the torsion spring is connected to the wing, the wing has a first locking hole and a second locking hole, and the wing can be rotatably arranged on the gear transmission assembly around the second direction, and the gear transmission assembly can drive the wing to rotate around the first direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction; a first locking element and a first elastic member, and the first locking element is connected to the first elastic member through the first elastic member. The gear transmission assembly is connected, and the first locking element can selectively cooperate with the first locking hole; the second locking element and the second elastic member, the second locking element is connected to the gear transmission assembly through the second elastic member, and the second locking element can selectively cooperate with the second locking hole; wherein, when the UAV wing folding mechanism is in the first state, the first elastic member and the second elastic member are both in an extended state, the first locking element cooperates with the first locking hole, and the second locking element cooperates with the second locking hole, and the driving unit can drive the wing to rotate around the first direction through the gear transmission assembly; when the UAV wing folding mechanism is in the second state, the first elastic member and the second elastic member are both in a compressed state, the first locking element is separated from the first locking hole, and the second locking element is separated from the second locking hole, and the wing can rotate around the second direction under the action of the torsion spring.

[0005] Furthermore, the gear transmission assembly includes a toothed element, a cover plate and a first rotating shaft, the toothed element is meshed with the rack, the cover plate is fixedly set on the toothed element, the first rotating shaft is fixedly set on the toothed element, the cover plate and the torsion spring are both mounted on the first rotating shaft, the axial direction of the first rotating shaft is perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the toothed element, the first locking element is connected to the cover plate through a first elastic member, and the second locking element is connected to the cover plate through a second elastic member.

[0006] Furthermore, the UAV wing folding and unfolding mechanism also includes a second rotating shaft, which is fixedly arranged on the fuselage, and the toothed element is rotatably arranged on the second rotating shaft.

[0007] Furthermore, the UAV wing folding and unfolding mechanism further includes a first bearing, which is arranged between the second rotating shaft and the toothed element to enable the toothed element to rotate relative to the second rotating shaft.

[0008] Furthermore, the UAV wing folding and unfolding mechanism also includes a second bearing, which is arranged between the first rotation axis and the wing to enable the wing to rotate relative to the first rotation axis.

[0009] Furthermore, the driving unit includes a mounting bracket and a motor. The motor is arranged on the machine body through the mounting bracket, and the telescopic rod of the motor is connected to the rack.

[0010] Furthermore, the extension length of the telescopic rod of the motor is determined according to the angle of rotation of the wing around the first direction.

[0011] Furthermore, the first elastic member and the second elastic member both include compression springs or rubber.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for folding and unfolding the wings of a drone is provided, and the method for folding and unfolding the wings of a drone comprises: after the motor receives a wing folding command, the telescopic rod of the motor drives the rack to move in a straight line direction, the rack drives the toothed element to rotate around a first direction, the toothed element drives the wing to rotate around the first direction, and the telescopic rod is locked after moving to a set distance; the first locking element and the second locking element are compressed toward the cover plate, the first locking element is separated from the first locking hole, and the second locking element is separated from the second locking hole, thereby completing the unlocking of the wing; the wing is rotated around the second direction, and the wing is rotated to the fuselage under the action of the torsion spring and is close to the fuselage skin, and the folded drone is placed in a launch tube, and the wing is in a folded state under the constraint of the inner wall of the launch tube.

[0013] Furthermore, the method for folding and unfolding the wings of a drone includes: after the drone is launched from a launch tube, the wings rotate under the action of a torsion spring; after the wings rotate to a set angle, the first locking element cooperates with the first locking hole under the action of a first elastic member, and the second locking element cooperates with the second locking hole under the action of a second elastic member to complete the locking of the wings; after the motor receives a wing unfolding command, the telescopic rod of the motor drives the rack to move in a straight line direction, the rack drives the toothed element to rotate, the toothed element drives the wings to rotate around a first direction, the telescopic rod moves to its original position and is locked, and the wings complete horizontal unfolding.

[0014] The technical solution of the present invention is applied to provide a folding and unfolding mechanism for the wings of a drone. The folding and unfolding mechanism is provided by setting a rack, a gear transmission assembly, a torsion spring, a first locking element, a first elastic member, a second locking element and a second elastic member. When the wing folding mechanism of the drone is in a first state, the first elastic member 60 and the second elastic member 80 are both in an extended state, the first locking element 50 cooperates with the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element 70 cooperates with the second locking hole 200b. The driving unit 10 can drive the wing to rotate around the first direction through the gear transmission assembly 30; when the wing folding mechanism of the drone is in a In the second state, the first elastic member 60 and the second elastic member 80 are both in a compressed state, the first locking element 50 is separated from the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element 70 is separated from the second locking hole 200b. The wing can rotate about the second direction under the action of the torsion spring 40. Therefore, the drone wing folding and unfolding mechanism provided by the present invention has a simple structure and can achieve rapid folding and unfolding of the wing. It is suitable for special-shaped cross-section fuselage structures and adopts an "out-of-plane (about the first direction) + in-plane (about the second direction)" folding method, so that the wing folds outside the fuselage, does not occupy the internal space of the fuselage, and facilitates the loading of the fuselage. The present invention has the advantages of low cost, easy implementation, and convenient maintenance and operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, constitute a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, explain the principles of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a wing deployment according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a wing rotated 30° out of plane according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a structure in which a wing is rotated 90° inwardly according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0019] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a structure in which wings are folded under a fuselage according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0020] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a wing folding and unfolding mechanism for a UAV according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0021] Figure 6 An exploded view of a wing folding and unfolding mechanism of a UAV provided according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0022] The above drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0023] 10. Drive unit; 11. Mounting bracket; 12. Motor; 121. Telescopic rod; 20. Rack; 30. Gear transmission assembly; 31. Toothed element; 32. Cover plate; 33. First rotating shaft; 40. Torsion spring; 50. First locking element; 60. First elastic member; 70. Second locking element; 80. Second elastic member; 90. Second rotating shaft; 100. First bearing; 110. Second bearing; 200. Wing; 210. Joint; 200a. First locking hole; 200b. Second locking hole; 300. Fuselage; 310. Fuselage bulkhead. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments in this application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention and its application or use. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0026] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of the parts and steps, the numerical expressions and the numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The techniques, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the techniques, methods and equipment should be considered as part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific values should be interpreted as being merely exemplary and not as limiting. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar numbers and letters represent similar items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0027] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention, a wing folding and unfolding mechanism of a drone is provided, which includes a driving unit 10, a rack 20, a gear transmission assembly 30, a torsion spring 40, a first locking element 50, a first elastic member 60, a second locking element 70 and a second elastic member 80. The driving unit 10 is arranged on the fuselage, and the rack 20 is connected to the driving unit 10. The driving unit 10 is used to drive the rack 20 to move in a straight line. The gear transmission assembly 30 cooperates with the rack 20, and the rack 20 can drive the gear transmission assembly 30 to rotate around a first direction. The torsion spring 40 is arranged between the gear transmission assembly 30 and the wing, one end of the torsion spring 40 is connected to the gear transmission assembly 30, and the other end of the torsion spring 40 is connected to the wing. The wing has a first locking hole 200a and a second locking hole 200b. The wing can be rotatably arranged on the gear transmission assembly 30 around the second direction. The gear transmission assembly 30 can drive the wing to rotate around the first direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The locking element 50 is connected to the gear transmission assembly 30 through the first elastic member 60, and the first locking element 50 can selectively cooperate with the first locking hole 200a. The second locking element 70 is connected to the gear transmission assembly 30 through the second elastic member 80, and the second locking element 70 can selectively cooperate with the second locking hole 200b. When the wing folding mechanism of the drone is in the first state, the first elastic member 60 and the second elastic member 80 are both in an extended state, the first locking element 50 cooperates with the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element 70 cooperates with the second locking hole 200b. The driving unit 10 can drive the wing to rotate about a first direction through the gear transmission assembly 30. When the wing folding mechanism of the drone is in the second state, the first elastic member 60 and the second elastic member 80 are both in a compressed state, the first locking element 50 is separated from the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element 70 is separated from the second locking hole 200b. The wing can rotate about a second direction under the action of the torsion spring 40.

[0028] By applying this configuration, a folding and unfolding mechanism for the wing of a drone is provided. The folding and unfolding mechanism is provided by setting a rack, a gear transmission assembly, a torsion spring, a first locking element, a first elastic member, a second locking element and a second elastic member. When the wing folding mechanism of the drone is in a first state, the first elastic member 60 and the second elastic member 80 are both in an extended state, the first locking element 50 cooperates with the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element 70 cooperates with the second locking hole 200b. The driving unit 10 can drive the wing to rotate around a first direction through the gear transmission assembly 30; when the wing folding mechanism of the drone is in a second ... In the second state, the first elastic member 60 and the second elastic member 80 are both in a compressed state, the first locking element 50 is separated from the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element 70 is separated from the second locking hole 200b. The wing can rotate about the second direction under the action of the torsion spring 40. Therefore, the drone wing folding and unfolding mechanism provided by the present invention has a simple structure and can achieve rapid folding and unfolding of the wing. It is suitable for special-shaped cross-section fuselage structures and adopts an "out-of-plane (about the first direction) + in-plane (about the second direction)" folding method, so that the wing folds outside the fuselage, does not occupy the internal space of the fuselage, and facilitates the loading of the fuselage. The present invention has the advantages of low cost, easy implementation, and convenient maintenance and operation.

[0029] Specifically, in the present invention, when the wing needs to be folded, the drive unit 10 drives the rack to extend in a straight line, the rack drives the gear transmission assembly to rotate, the gear transmission assembly drives the wing to rotate around the first direction, the wing completes the out-of-plane rotation, and after the telescopic rod is extended to the maximum distance, the first locking element 50 cooperates with the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element 70 cooperates with the second locking hole 200b to complete the wing locking; the first locking element and the second locking element are compressed toward the cover plate, and the first locking element 50 is separated from the first locking hole 200a. When the wings are unfolded, the wings are rotated inwardly about the second direction. Under the action of the torsion spring, the wings rotate to the lower part of the fuselage to complete the folding of the wings. When the wings need to be unfolded, the wings rotate under the action of the torsion spring. When they rotate to the set position, under the action of the first elastic element and the second elastic element, the first locking element 50 cooperates with the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element 70 cooperates with the second locking hole 200b to complete the wing locking, and the wings cannot rotate inwardly. After the drive unit receives the wing unfolding command, the drive unit 10 drives the rack to shorten along a straight line, the rack drives the gear transmission assembly to rotate, and the gear transmission assembly drives the wings to rotate about the first direction. When the rack returns to its original position and locks, the wings complete the horizontal unfolding. As a specific embodiment of the present invention, the first locking element and the second locking element both include locking pins.

[0030] Furthermore, in the present invention, in order to drive the wing to rotate around the first direction, the gear transmission assembly 30 can be configured to include a toothed element 31, a cover plate 32 and a first rotating shaft 33, the toothed element 31 is meshed with the rack 20, the cover plate 32 is fixedly set on the toothed element 31, the first rotating shaft 33 is fixedly set on the toothed element 31, the cover plate 32 and the torsion spring 40 are both mounted on the first rotating shaft 33, the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 33 is perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the toothed element 31, the first locking element 50 is connected to the cover plate 32 through the first elastic member 60, and the second locking element 70 is connected to the cover plate 32 through the second elastic member 80.

[0031] In this configuration, when the first locking element 50 engages with the first locking hole 200a and the second locking element 70 engages with the second locking hole 200b, the drive element drives the rack to move linearly, the gear can drive the toothed element to rotate, and the toothed element can drive the cover plate to move. Because one end of the first locking element 50 is connected to the cover plate 32 via the first elastic member 60, and the other end of the first locking element 50 engages with the first locking hole 200a on the wing, and one end of the second locking element 70 is connected to the cover plate 32 via the second elastic member 80, and the other end of the second locking element 70 engages with the second locking hole 200b on the wing, rotation of the cover plate can drive the wing to rotate about the first direction. In other embodiments of the present invention, multiple locking elements and multiple locking holes can also be provided, for example, three locking elements, three locking holes, or four locking elements, four locking holes, without limitation. In the present invention, the first elastic member and the second elastic member both comprise compression springs or rubber, but other elastic members can also be used as long as they can drive the first and second locking elements to extend and retract.

[0032] In addition, in the present invention, the drone wing folding and unfolding mechanism further includes a second bearing 110 , which is disposed between the first rotation axis 33 and the wing to enable the wing 200 to rotate relative to the first rotation axis 33 .

[0033] Furthermore, in the present invention, to enable the toothed element to rotate about the first direction, the drone wing folding and unfolding mechanism can be configured to further include a second rotation axis 90, which is fixedly mounted on the fuselage, and the toothed element 31 is rotatably mounted on the second rotation axis 90. Specifically, in the present invention, the second rotation axis 90 is fixedly mounted on the fuselage bulkhead 310 of the fuselage 300.

[0034] In addition, in the present invention, the drone wing folding and unfolding mechanism further includes a first bearing 100 , which is disposed between the second rotating shaft 90 and the toothed element 31 to enable the toothed element 31 to rotate relative to the second rotating shaft 90 .

[0035] Furthermore, in the present invention, in order to drive the rack to move in a linear direction, the driving unit 10 can be configured to include a mounting bracket 11 and a motor 12, the motor 12 is set on the fuselage 300 through the mounting bracket 11, and the telescopic rod of the motor 12 is connected to the rack 20.

[0036] In the present invention, to achieve precise wing folding, the extension length of the telescopic rod of motor 12 can be configured to be determined based on the angle of wing rotation about a first direction. As a specific embodiment of the present invention, when the wing is folded 30°, i.e., fully rotated, the length of the telescopic rod of motor 12 is set to the distance required for the wing's out-of-plane folding angle (30° in this aircraft), ensuring that the wing is accurately rotated to its full position.

[0037] Furthermore, in the present invention, after the drone is launched from the launch tube, the wing rotates under the action of the torsion spring. In order to quickly realize the first locking element 50 cooperating with the first locking hole 200a and the second locking element 70 cooperating with the second locking hole 200b, a first guide groove and a second guide groove can also be provided at the joint 210 of the wing 200. The first guide groove is connected to the first locking hole 200a, and the second guide groove is connected to the second locking hole 200b. When the wing rotates a certain angle and approaches the set position, under the guiding action of the first guide groove and the second guide groove, the first locking element stretches under the action of the first elastic member and cooperates with the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element stretches under the action of the second elastic member and cooperates with the second locking hole 200b, thereby completing the wing locking.

[0038] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for folding and unfolding the wings of a drone is provided, which uses the drone wing folding and unfolding mechanism described above. Specifically, the method comprises: after the motor 12 receives a wing folding instruction, the telescopic rod of the motor 12 drives the rack 20 to extend in a straight line, the rack 20 drives the toothed element 31 to rotate, the toothed element 31 drives the wing to rotate about a first direction, and the telescopic rod is locked after being extended to a set distance; the first locking element 50 and the second locking element 70 are compressed toward the cover plate 32, the first locking element 50 is separated from the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element 70 is separated from the second locking hole 200b, thereby completing the wing unlocking; the wing is rotated about the second direction, and the wing is rotated to the fuselage under the action of the torsion spring 40 and is close to the fuselage skin, and the folded drone is placed in a launch tube, and the wing is in a folded state under the constraint of the inner wall of the launch tube.

[0039] After the drone is launched from the launch tube, the wing rotates under the action of the torsion spring 40; after the wing rotates to a set angle, the first locking element 50 cooperates with the first locking hole 200a under the action of the first elastic member 60, and the second locking element 70 cooperates with the second locking hole 200b under the action of the second elastic member 80, completing the wing locking; after the motor 12 receives the wing deployment command, the telescopic rod of the motor 12 drives the rack 20 to shorten along a straight line, the rack 20 drives the toothed element 31 to rotate, and the toothed element 31 drives the wing to rotate around the first direction. The telescopic rod is shortened to its original position and locked, and the wing completes horizontal deployment.

[0040] This configuration provides a method for folding and deploying drone wings. This method enables rapid folding and deployment of the wings, and is applicable to fuselage structures with irregular cross-sections. Using an "out-of-plane (around a first direction) + in-plane (around a second direction)" folding method, the wings fold externally to the fuselage, freeing up internal space and facilitating loading. This invention offers the advantages of low cost, ease of implementation, and ease of maintenance and operation.

[0041] In order to have a further understanding of the present invention, the following Figures 1 to 6 The UAV wing folding and unfolding mechanism and method provided by the present invention are described in detail.

[0042] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention, a drone wing folding and unfolding mechanism and method are provided, wherein the drone wing folding and unfolding mechanism includes a drive unit 10, a rack 20, a gear transmission assembly 30, a torsion spring 40, a first locking element 50, a first elastic member 60, a second locking element 70, a second elastic member 80, a second rotating shaft 90, a first bearing 100 and a second bearing 110, the gear transmission assembly 30 includes a toothed element 31, a cover plate 32 and a first rotating shaft 33, and the drive unit 10 includes a mounting bracket 11 and a motor 12.

[0043] The cover plate 32 is mounted and fixed on the toothed element 31. The first locking element 50 is connected to the cover plate 32 via a first elastic member 60, and the second locking element 70 is connected to the cover plate 32 via a second elastic member 80. In this embodiment, the first and second locking elements are both locking pins, and the first and second elastic members are both compression springs. The first and second locking elements can extend and contract under the action of the first and second elastic members, respectively, to lock the wing. The wing joint 210 is connected to the toothed element 31 via a second bearing 110 to enable the wing to rotate in a second direction (i.e., in-plane rotation). The toothed element 31 is connected to the second rotation axis 90 via a first bearing 100, allowing the wing 200 to rotate out of the plane about the second rotation axis 90. One end of the torsion spring is mounted within the cover plate 32, and the other end is mounted within the wing joint 210, enabling the wing to rotate in the plane.

[0044] Motor 12 is mounted on fuselage bulkhead 310 via mounting bracket 11. Rack 20 is screwed to motor telescopic rod 121, the length of which is the distance required for the wing's outward folding angle (30° for this aircraft). Driven by the motor, the rack moves linearly, driving toothed element 31 to rotate.

[0045] Wing folding process:

[0046] After the motor receives the wing folding command, the telescopic rod 121 drives the rack 20 to extend in a straight line, the rack 20 drives the toothed element 31 to rotate, and the toothed element 31 drives the cover plate 32 to rotate about the first direction (i.e., about the second rotation axis 90). The cover plate 32 drives the wing to rotate about the first direction via the first locking element and the second locking element. The wing completes the out-of-plane rotation, and the telescopic rod is locked after extending to the maximum distance. The first locking element and the second locking element are compressed into the cover plate, the first locking element 50 separates from the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element 70 separates from the second locking hole 200b, completing the wing unlocking. The wing rotates about the second direction (i.e., in-plane rotation, about the first rotation axis 33). The wing rotates to the lower part of the fuselage under the action of the torsion spring, close to the side skin of the fuselage, and the folded drone is placed into the launch tube, with the wing constrained by the inner wall of the launch tube.

[0047] Wing deployment process:

[0048] After the drone is launched from the launch tube, the wings rotate due to the action of the torsion spring. The first and second locking elements slide through the guide grooves on the wing joint into the pin locking holes of the wing joint. The first locking element 50 engages with the first locking hole 200a, and the second locking element 70 engages with the second locking hole 200b, locking the wings and preventing them from rotating in the plane. When the motor receives the wing deployment command, the telescopic rod shortens, driving the rack in a linear motion. The rack then rotates the toothed element 31. The telescopic rod returns to its original position and locks, completing the horizontal deployment of the wings.

[0049] In summary, the present invention provides a wing folding and deploying mechanism and method for a UAV. This mechanism features a simple structure and enables rapid wing folding and deployment. The mechanism is suitable for use with aircraft with irregular cross-section fuselages. It employs an "out-of-plane + in-plane" folding method, allowing the wings to fold externally, eliminating internal fuselage space and facilitating loading. This invention offers the advantages of low cost, ease of implementation, and ease of maintenance and operation.

[0050] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature to other devices or features as shown in the figures. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figures. For example, if the device in the drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0051] In addition, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0052] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are intended to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for folding and unfolding a drone wing using a folding and unfolding mechanism, characterized in that: The UAV wing folding and unfolding mechanism includes: A drive unit (10), wherein the drive unit (10) is arranged on the fuselage; a rack (20), the rack (20) being connected to the driving unit (10), the driving unit (10) being used to drive the rack (20) to move along a straight line; a gear transmission assembly (30), wherein the gear transmission assembly (30) cooperates with the rack (20), and the rack (20) can drive the gear transmission assembly (30) to rotate around a first direction; a torsion spring (40), the torsion spring (40) being arranged between the gear transmission assembly (30) and the wing, one end of the torsion spring (40) being connected to the gear transmission assembly (30), and the other end of the torsion spring (40) being connected to the wing, the wing having a first locking hole (200a) and a second locking hole (200b), the wing being arranged on the gear transmission assembly (30) so as to be rotatable about a second direction, the gear transmission assembly (30) being capable of driving the wing to rotate about a first direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the second direction; a first locking element (50) and a first elastic member (60), wherein the first locking element (50) is connected to the gear transmission assembly (30) via the first elastic member (60), and the first locking element (50) can selectively cooperate with the first locking hole (200a); a second locking element (70) and a second elastic member (80), wherein the second locking element (70) is connected to the gear transmission assembly (30) via the second elastic member (80), and the second locking element (70) can selectively cooperate with the second locking hole (200b); Wherein, when the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of the UAV is in a first state, the first elastic member (60) and the second elastic member (80) are both in an extended state, the first locking element (50) cooperates with the first locking hole (200a), and the second locking element (70) cooperates with the second locking hole (200b), and the driving unit (10) can drive the wing to rotate around a first direction through the gear transmission assembly (30); when the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of the UAV is in a second state, the first elastic member (60) and the second elastic member (80) are both in a compressed state, the first locking element (50) is separated from the first locking hole (200a), and the second locking element (70) is separated from the second locking hole (200b), and the wing can rotate around a second direction under the action of the torsion spring (40). The gear transmission assembly (30) includes a toothed element (31), a cover plate (32) and a first rotating shaft (33), wherein the toothed element (31) is meshed with the rack (20), the cover plate (32) is fixedly arranged on the toothed element (31), the first rotating shaft (33) is fixedly arranged on the toothed element (31), the cover plate (32) and the torsion spring (40) are both sleeved on the first rotating shaft (33), the axial direction of the first rotating shaft (33) is perpendicular to the rotational axis direction of the toothed element (31), the first locking element (50) is connected to the cover plate (32) through the first elastic member (60), and the second locking element (70) is connected to the cover plate (32) through the second elastic member (80); the method for realizing folding and unfolding by using the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises: After the motor (12) receives the wing folding instruction, the telescopic rod of the motor (12) drives the rack (20) to move in a straight line direction, the rack (20) drives the toothed element (31) to rotate around a first direction, the toothed element (31) drives the wing to rotate around the first direction, and the telescopic rod is locked after moving to a set distance; Compressing the first locking element (50) and the second locking element (70) toward the cover plate (32), separating the first locking element (50) from the first locking hole (200a), and separating the second locking element (70) from the second locking hole (200b), thereby completing wing unlocking; The wings are rotated in a second direction, and the wings are rotated to the fuselage under the action of the torsion spring (40) and are closely attached to the fuselage skin. The folded UAV is placed in a launch tube, and the wings are in a folded state under the constraint of the inner wall of the launch tube.

2. The method for folding and unfolding using the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of a drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method for realizing folding and unfolding by utilizing the folding and unfolding mechanism of the unmanned aerial vehicle wing comprises: after the unmanned aerial vehicle is launched from the launching tube, the wing rotates under the action of the torsion spring (40); After the wing rotates to a set angle, the first locking element (50) cooperates with the first locking hole (200a) under the action of the first elastic member (60), and the second locking element (70) cooperates with the second locking hole (200b) under the action of the second elastic member (80), thereby completing the locking of the wing; After the motor (12) receives the wing deployment instruction, the telescopic rod of the motor (12) drives the rack (20) to move in a straight line direction, the rack (20) drives the toothed element (31) to rotate, and the toothed element (31) drives the wing to rotate around a first direction. The telescopic rod moves to the original position and is locked, and the wing completes horizontal deployment.

3. The method for folding and unfolding using the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of a drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drone wing folding and unfolding mechanism further comprises a second rotating shaft (90), the second rotating shaft (90) being fixedly arranged on the fuselage, and the toothed element (31) being rotatably arranged on the second rotating shaft (90).

4. The method for folding and unfolding using the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of a drone according to claim 3, characterized in that: The drone wing folding and unfolding mechanism further comprises a first bearing (100), wherein the first bearing (100) is arranged between the second rotating shaft (90) and the toothed element (31) so as to enable the toothed element (31) to rotate relative to the second rotating shaft (90).

5. The method for folding and unfolding using the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of a drone according to claim 4, characterized in that: The drone wing folding and unfolding mechanism further comprises a second bearing (110), wherein the second bearing (110) is arranged between the first rotation axis (33) and the wing to enable the wing to rotate relative to the first rotation axis (33).

6. The method for folding and unfolding using a wing folding and unfolding mechanism of a drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive unit (10) comprises a mounting bracket (11) and a motor (12); the motor (12) is arranged on the machine body via the mounting bracket (11); and a telescopic rod of the motor (12) is connected to the rack (20).

7. The method for folding and unfolding using the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of a drone according to claim 6, characterized in that: The extension length of the telescopic rod of the motor (12) is determined according to the angle at which the wing rotates around the first direction.

8. The method for folding and unfolding using the wing folding and unfolding mechanism of a drone according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first elastic member (60) and the second elastic member (80) both comprise compression springs or rubber.

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