A trans-medium vehicle with self-constrained and unpowered diving and floating functions

Abstract

The application discloses a cross-medium vehicle with self-constraint and unpowered diving and floating functions, and belongs to the field of vehicles. In order to solve the problem of high energy consumption of the existing cross-medium vehicle, the propeller turning driving mechanism is connected with the foldable propeller mechanism, the throw load driving mechanism is connected with the throw load counterweight, one constraint arm is arranged on each side of the throw load counterweight, and the constraint arms constrain the propeller blades in the folded state in the foldable propeller mechanism; the central control system is used for controlling the diving, floating and taking-off of the cross-medium vehicle; the energy supply system supplies power for the propeller turning driving mechanism, the throw load driving mechanism, the central control system, the water outlet sensor, the cabin water leakage detection sensor and the depth sensor; the water outlet sensor is used for judging the water outlet state of the cross-medium vehicle, the cabin water leakage detection sensor is used for detecting whether water leaks in the cabin, and the depth sensor is used for judging the diving depth of the cross-medium vehicle. The application is mainly used for underwater and aerial operation tasks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention pertains to aircraft, and more particularly to a cross-medium aircraft with propeller self-restraint and unpowered submersion and buoyancy. Background Technology

[0002] Transmedium vehicles, as a novel type of vehicle capable of simultaneously performing underwater and aerial operations, have become a current research hotspot. Serving as both buoys and moorings, transmedium vehicles are a new type of platform capable of both underwater information collection and rapid relocation, holding significant importance for large-scale marine hydrological environmental monitoring and rapid response to marine pollution. Existing transmedium vehicles suffer from several problems, including: first, the fixed propeller arrangement results in a large overall deployment area, leading to greater water resistance during descent and requiring more power to overcome this resistance for rapid descent; second, transmedium vehicles typically rely on propeller propulsion for descent or ascent, resulting in high energy consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a cross-medium vehicle with propeller self-constraint and unpowered buoyancy, which is a low-energy cross-medium vehicle that integrates buoy, underwater mooring and aerial vehicle.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows:

[0005] A cross-medium vehicle with self-constraining propeller blades and unpowered buoyancy, comprising a deployable propeller mechanism, a propeller steering drive mechanism, a ballast jettison drive mechanism, a vehicle hull, a sealed cabin, a central control system, a power supply system, a ballast jettison counterweight, two constraint arms, an external mission payload, an internal mission payload, an out-of-cabin sensor, an internal water leakage detection sensor, and a depth sensor.

[0006] The deployable propeller mechanism is located above the vehicle's outer shell. The propeller steering drive mechanism, external mission payload, sealed cabin, jettison drive mechanism, and jettison counterweight are arranged sequentially from top to bottom inside the vehicle's outer shell. The upper end of the propeller steering drive mechanism extends from the upper opening of the vehicle's outer shell and is fixedly connected to the deployable propeller mechanism. The lower end of the propeller steering drive mechanism is fixedly installed on the top of the external mission payload. The bottom of the external mission payload is fixedly connected to the top of the sealed cabin. The sealed cabin is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the vehicle's outer shell. The upper end of the jettison drive mechanism is fixedly installed on the bottom of the sealed cabin. The lower end of the jettison drive mechanism is connected to the jettison counterweight. A constraint arm is provided on each side of the jettison counterweight. One end of the constraint arm is connected to the jettison counterweight, and the other end of the constraint arm extends from the lower opening of the vehicle's outer shell and constrains the blades in the bent state in the deployable propeller mechanism.

[0007] The central control system, in-cabin mission payload, and power supply system are installed sequentially from top to bottom within the sealed cabin. The central control system is electrically connected to the propeller steering drive mechanism, jettisoning drive mechanism, water escaping sensor, in-cabin leakage detection sensor, and depth sensor, and is used for controlling the diving, surfacing, and takeoff of the cross-medium vehicle. The power supply system is electrically connected to and supplies power to the propeller steering drive mechanism, jettisoning drive mechanism, central control system, water escaping sensor, in-cabin leakage detection sensor, and depth sensor.

[0008] The water escaping sensor is installed on the deployable propeller mechanism to determine the water escaping status of the transmedium vehicle. The cabin leakage detection sensor is installed inside the sealed cabin to detect whether there is a water leak inside the cabin. The depth sensor is installed at the bottom of the sealed cabin to determine the diving depth of the transmedium vehicle.

[0009] Preferably, the aircraft hull includes a fairing and an annular outer shell connected sequentially from top to bottom; the fairing has a hemispherical structure.

[0010] Preferably, the sealed compartment includes an upper cover, a cylindrical bulkhead, and a lower cover. The upper cover is installed at the upper opening of the cylindrical bulkhead and is sealed, and the lower cover is installed at the lower opening of the cylindrical bulkhead and is sealed.

[0011] Preferably, the deployable propeller mechanism includes a coaxial twin-blade air thruster, two upper blades, two lower blades, and four hinges; the two upper blades and the two lower blades are respectively arranged opposite each other on both sides of the coaxial twin-blade air thruster, and are respectively hinged to the side wall of the coaxial twin-blade air thruster through a hinge.

[0012] Preferably, the propeller steering drive mechanism includes, from top to bottom, a propeller column, an upper steering disk, a lower steering disk, a support rod, and two sets of crank-rocker drive assemblies. The top end of the propeller column is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the coaxial twin-propeller air propeller, and the bottom end of the propeller column is fixedly connected to the top end of the upper steering disk. The upper steering disk is fixedly connected to the lower steering disk and hinged to the top of the support rod. The bottom end of the support rod is fixed to a support for fixing the two sets of crank-rocker drive assemblies. The driving ends of the two sets of crank-rocker drive assemblies are vertically arranged at a 90° angle and are rotatably connected to the outer circumferential wall of the lower steering disk.

[0013] Preferably, each crank-rocker drive assembly includes a servo motor, a servo arm, and a universal joint. One end of the servo arm is fixedly connected to the output end of the servo motor, and the other end of the servo arm is hinged to one end of the universal joint. The other end of the universal joint is rotatably connected to the outer circumferential wall of the lower steering disk.

[0014] Preferably, the load-bearing drive mechanism includes a crank-rocker drive assembly two, a fixed base, a lock sleeve, a lock cylinder, and two unlocking balls; the crank-rocker drive assembly two is installed at the bottom of the sealed chamber via the fixed base; the lock sleeve is a barrel-shaped structure with an open top, and two through holes are opened on the opposite side walls of the lock sleeve; the lock cylinder is inserted into the lock sleeve through the opening at the top and presses the unlocking balls on both sides into the two through holes respectively; the drive end of the crank-rocker drive assembly two is hinged to the top of the lock cylinder extending out of the lock sleeve;

[0015] The top of the counterweight block has a circular groove that mates with the locking sleeve. The inner wall of the circular groove has two opposing recesses, and the side of the unlocking ball facing outward is located within the recesses. The top of the counterweight block also has two vertically arranged abutment rods, the tops of which abut against the bottom of the sealed chamber.

[0016] Preferably, the through holes on the lock sleeve have a small opening and a large opening from the outside to the inside, wherein the radius of the small opening is equal to the radius of the unlocking ball, and the radius of the large opening is greater than the radius of the unlocking ball.

[0017] Preferably, the crank-rocker drive assembly two includes a jettison servo, a jettison servo arm, and a jettison connecting rod. The jettison servo is mounted on a fixed base. One end of the jettison servo arm is fixedly connected to the output end of the jettison servo. The other end of the jettison servo arm is rotatably connected to one end of the jettison connecting rod. The other end of the jettison connecting rod is hinged to the top end of the lock cylinder.

[0018] Preferably, the constraint arm is L-shaped, and a constraint opening is provided at one end of the constraint arm that connects to the upper and lower blades, with the tips of the upper and lower blades inserted into the constraint opening.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention compared to the prior art are:

[0020] 1. The cross-medium vehicle of this application can achieve autonomous unpowered diving and autonomous unpowered surfacing through a jettison drive mechanism and jettison counterweight, and can achieve aerial flight through a deployable propeller mechanism and propeller steering drive mechanism. It can complete designated tasks during autonomous unpowered surfacing, autonomous unpowered diving, and autonomous recovery. Therefore, the vehicle of this application is a cross-medium vehicle that integrates buoy, underwater mooring, and aerial vehicle. It not only has the advantages of being submerged and airborne, but also has the characteristics of low energy consumption for submersion and surfacing, and no mutual interference between individual deployments. It can realize the simultaneous deployment of multiple vehicles to conduct joint observation of designated sea areas. Moreover, it avoids the resource waste and environmental pollution problems of disposable hydrological observation equipment, which is of great significance for marine resource exploration.

[0021] 2. This application uses a deployable propeller mechanism and two restraint arms to keep the propeller blades in a converged state during the diving and surfacing phases, ensuring that the water resistance experienced by the cross-medium vehicle during the diving and surfacing phases is minimized, thereby reducing diving and surfacing energy consumption.

[0022] 3. The cross-medium vehicle of this application can take off from the ship and fly autonomously to a designated location to enter the water. After entering the water, it can autonomously complete the depth profile observation task. The observation is low in noise, the task is highly autonomous, and it causes little disturbance to marine life such as fish. After completing the task, it can autonomously emerge from the water and fly back to the mother ship for recovery, which greatly reduces the workload of deployment and recovery.

[0023] 4. This application adopts an advanced coaxial twin-propeller propeller, which has greater thrust and lower power consumption; the invention uses retractable propeller blades, which have less drag when submerged without power, while maintaining good flight performance. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are provided to further illustrate the invention.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention with the outer shell of the aircraft removed.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the propeller steering drive mechanism.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the sealed chamber.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram showing the layout of the central control system, in-cabin mission payloads, and power supply system.

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the load-bearing drive mechanism and the constraint arm.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the load-throwing drive mechanism and the load-throwing counterweight.

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the lock sleeve, lock cylinder, and unlocking ball.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: A - Descending propeller mechanism; B - Propeller steering drive mechanism; C - Jet jettison drive mechanism; 1 - Vehicle hull; 1-1 - Flood fairing; 1-2 - Annular hull; 2 - Sealed compartment; 2-1 - Upper hatch cover; 2-2 - Cylindrical bulkhead; 2-3 - Lower hatch cover; 3 - Central control system; 4 - Power supply system; 5 - Jet jettison counterweight; 5-1 - Abutment rod; 6 - Restraint arm; 6-1 - Slider; 7 - External mission load; 8 - Internal mission load; 9 - Water outlet sensor; 10 - Internal water leakage detection sensor; 11 - Depth sensor; 12 - Coaxial twin propellers Air thruster; 13-Upper blade; 14-Lower blade; 15-Hinge; 16-Thruster column; 17-Upper steering disc; 18-Lower steering disc; 19-Support rod; 20-Crank-rocker drive assembly one; 20-1-Servo; 20-2-Rudder arm; 20-3-Universal linkage; 21-Accommodation compartment; 22-Pressure compensation oil reservoir; 23-Crank-rocker drive assembly two; 23-1-Jailout servo; 23-2-Jailout rudder arm; 23-3-Jailout linkage; 24-Fixed base; 25-Lock sleeve; 25-1-Through hole; 26-Lock cylinder; 27-Unlock ball. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0035] See Figure 1 This application provides a cross-medium vehicle with self-constraining propellers and unpowered buoyancy, which includes a deployable propeller mechanism A, a propeller steering drive mechanism B, a ballast jettison drive mechanism C, a vehicle shell 1, a sealed cabin 2, a central control system 3, a power supply system 4, a ballast jettison counterweight 5, two constraint arms 6, an external mission payload 7, an internal mission payload 8, a water discharge sensor 9, an internal water leakage detection sensor 10, and a depth sensor 11.

[0036] The deployable propeller mechanism A is located above the vehicle's outer shell 1. The propeller steering drive mechanism B, the external mission payload 7, the sealed cabin 2, the jettison drive mechanism C, and the jettison counterweight 5 are arranged sequentially from top to bottom inside the vehicle's outer shell 1. The upper end of the propeller steering drive mechanism B extends from the upper opening of the vehicle's outer shell 1 and is fixedly connected to the deployable propeller mechanism A. The lower end of the propeller steering drive mechanism B is fixedly installed on the top of the external mission payload 7. The bottom of the external mission payload 7 is fixedly connected to the top of the sealed cabin 2. The sealed cabin 2 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the vehicle's outer shell 1. The upper end of the jettison drive mechanism C is fixedly installed on the bottom of the sealed cabin 2. The lower end of the jettison drive mechanism C is connected to the jettison counterweight 5. A constraint arm 6 is provided on each side of the jettison counterweight 5. One end of the constraint arm 6 is connected to the jettison counterweight 5, and the other end of the constraint arm 6 extends from the lower opening of the vehicle's outer shell 1 and constrains the blades in the bent state in the deployable propeller mechanism A.

[0037] The central control system 3, the in-cabin mission payload 8, and the power supply system 4 are installed sequentially from top to bottom inside the sealed cabin 2. The central control system 3 is electrically connected to the propeller steering drive mechanism B, the jettison drive mechanism C, the water venting sensor 9, the in-cabin water leakage detection sensor 10, and the depth sensor 11, and is used for the control of the transmedium vehicle's diving, surfacing, and takeoff. The power supply system 4 is electrically connected to the propeller steering drive mechanism B, the jettison drive mechanism C, the central control system 3, the water venting sensor 9, the in-cabin water leakage detection sensor 10, and the depth sensor 11, and supplies them with power.

[0038] The water venting sensor 9 is installed on the deployable propeller mechanism A and is used to determine the water venting status of the transmedium vehicle. The cabin leakage detection sensor 10 is installed inside the sealed cabin 2 and is used to detect whether there is water leakage inside the cabin. The depth sensor 11 is installed at the bottom of the sealed cabin 2 and is used to determine the diving depth of the transmedium vehicle.

[0039] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the external mission payload 7 or the internal mission payload 8 can be set according to mission requirements, including but not limited to payloads such as CTD or munitions.

[0040] In this embodiment, the constraint arm 6 constrains the shape of the blades in the deployable propeller mechanism A, keeping them in a bent and converged state at all times. This ensures that the overall deployment area of ​​the transmedium vehicle is minimized during descent, resulting in minimal descent resistance and reduced power output of the transmedium vehicle.

[0041] In this embodiment, the operation of the cross-medium vehicle is divided into three phases: unpowered descent, unpowered ascent, and aerial flight. The specific operation process is as follows:

[0042] When the cross-medium vehicle is transported to the designated work location and deployed into the water, it begins to descend without power under its own gravity, entering the unpowered descent phase. During this phase, the cross-medium vehicle can be used as a buoy. Since the blades in the deployable propeller mechanism A are constrained by the restraint arm 6, the blades are in a bent and converged state, which does not increase the drag of the cross-medium vehicle's descent. During the descent, the central control system 3 reads the data measured by the depth sensor 11 and makes a depth judgment. When the cross-medium vehicle descends to the designated depth, the jettison drive mechanism C jettisons the jettison counterweight 5, causing it to detach from the cross-medium vehicle. At the same time, the jettison counterweight 5 exerts a pulling force on the two restraint arms 6 connected to it, causing it to detach from the blades in the deployable propeller mechanism A. The blades in the deployable propeller mechanism A are released. As the weight of the cross-medium vehicle itself decreases, the buoyancy of the cross-medium vehicle is greater than its weight, and the cross-medium vehicle enters the unpowered ascent phase. During this phase, the cross-medium vehicle can be used as a buoy.

[0043] Although the blades in the deployable propeller mechanism A are no longer constrained by the constraint arm 6, the blades are still constrained and in a converged state due to the influence of the rising water flow, as the transmedium vehicle is in the surfacing phase, until the transmedium vehicle surfaces. During the surfacing process, the central control system 3 reads the data measured by the water exit sensor 9 and makes a water exit judgment. After the transmedium vehicle surfaces, the central control system 3 can determine its own attitude based on the attitude sensors (such as gyroscopes or accelerometers) in the sealed compartment 2. Since the power supply system 4 is located at a lower position of the vehicle in this embodiment, the center of gravity of the transmedium vehicle is low, and the floating attitude after surface exit is good. After the central control system 3 makes a judgment, the propeller steering drive mechanism B drives the deployable propeller mechanism A to start, and the transmedium vehicle enters the air flight phase. During the flight, the central control system 3 connects to the propeller steering drive mechanism B to control the flight and complete the recovery.

[0044] See Figure 1 The vehicle's outer shell 1 has a protective function, preventing the transmedium vehicle from colliding with aquatic organisms or phytoplankton during diving or surfacing and thus avoiding damage. The vehicle's outer shell 1 includes a flow deflector 1-1 and an annular shell 1-2 connected sequentially from top to bottom. The flow deflector 1-1 has a hemispherical structure to reduce the drag of the transmedium vehicle during surfacing. The annular shell 1-2 is a pressure-bearing buoyancy material, which can increase the buoyancy of the transmedium vehicle during surfacing.

[0045] See Figure 1The sealed compartment 2 includes an upper cover 2-1, a cylindrical compartment wall 2-2, and a lower cover 2-3. The upper cover 2-1 is installed at the upper opening of the cylindrical compartment wall 2-2 and is sealed. The lower cover 2-3 is installed at the lower opening of the cylindrical compartment wall 2-2 and is sealed.

[0046] See Figure 1 The blades in the deployable propeller mechanism A have bending and self-unfolding functions; it includes a coaxial twin-propeller air thruster 12, two upper blades 13, two lower blades 14, and four hinges 15; the two upper blades 13 and the two lower blades 14 are respectively arranged vertically opposite each other on both sides of the coaxial twin-propeller air thruster 12, and are respectively hinged to the side wall of the coaxial twin-propeller air thruster 12 through a hinge 15; the upper blades 13 or the lower blades 14 can be bent downwards through the hinges 15, and can be automatically unfolded through the hinges 15, ensuring that the blades in the deployable propeller mechanism A can automatically unfold after leaving the water to achieve takeoff.

[0047] In this embodiment, the coaxial twin-propeller air thruster 12 can drive the two upper blades 13 and the two lower blades 14 to rotate.

[0048] In this embodiment, the deployable propeller mechanism A ensures that the overall deployment area of ​​the transmedium vehicle is minimized during diving and surfacing, and that the water resistance encountered during diving and surfacing is minimized, thereby reducing the power output of the transmedium vehicle.

[0049] See Figure 1 The propeller steering drive mechanism B is used to drive the rotation of the upper blade 13 and the lower blade 14, and simultaneously change the direction of the upper blade 13 and the lower blade 14. Specifically, the propeller steering drive mechanism B includes a thruster column 16, an upper steering disk 17, a lower steering disk 18, a support rod 19, and two sets of crank-rocker drive assemblies 20 arranged sequentially from top to bottom. The top end of the thruster column 16 is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the coaxial twin-blade air thruster 12, and the bottom end of the thruster column 16 is fixedly connected to the top end of the upper steering disk 17. The upper steering disk 17 is fixedly connected to the lower steering disk 18 and hinged to the top end of the support rod 19. The bottom end of the support rod 19 is fixed on a support for fixing the two sets of crank-rocker drive assemblies 20. The driving ends of the two sets of crank-rocker drive assemblies 20 are arranged vertically at a 90° angle and are rotatably connected to the outer circumferential wall of the lower steering disk 18, respectively.

[0050] Furthermore, the support rod 19 is a ball support rod, and a receiving chamber 21 is formed between the upper steering disk 17 and the lower steering disk 18. The ball set at the top of the support rod 19 passes through the lower steering disk 18 and is inserted into the receiving chamber 21.

[0051] Furthermore, two wiring slots 16-1 are opened on the outer wall of the thruster column 16 along the axial direction, and the wires connecting the water outlet sensor 9 and the central control system 3 are routed through the wiring slots 16-1.

[0052] Furthermore, each crank-rocker drive assembly 20 includes a servo motor 20-1, a servo arm 20-2, and a universal joint 20-3. One end of the servo arm 20-2 is fixedly connected to the output end of the servo motor 20-1, and the other end of the servo arm 20-2 is hinged to one end of the universal joint 20-3. The other end of the universal joint 20-3 is rotatably connected to the outer circumferential wall of the lower steering disk 18. The servo arm 20-2 and the universal joint 20-3 form a crank-rocker.

[0053] Furthermore, the propeller steering drive mechanism B also includes a pressure compensation oil pump 22, which is connected to the servo motor 20-1 in each of the two sets of crank-rocker drive assemblies 20.

[0054] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the rudder arm 20-2 of one set of crank-rocker drive assembly 20 rotates with the X-axis as the central axis, and the rudder arm 20-2 of the other set of crank-rocker drive assembly 20 rotates with the Y-axis as the central axis, thereby driving the movement of the universal joint 20-3 connected to it. The universal joint 20-3 generates a driving force on the lower steering disk 18. The thruster column 16, the upper steering disk 17 and the lower steering disk 18 achieve the final attitude determination under the joint drive of the ends of the universal joint 20-3 in the two sets of crank-rocker drive assembly 20.

[0055] See Figure 1 The ejection drive mechanism C includes a crank-rocker drive assembly 23, a fixed base 24, a lock sleeve 25, a lock cylinder 26, and two unlocking balls 27. The crank-rocker drive assembly 23 is installed at the bottom of the sealed chamber 2 via the fixed base 24. The lock sleeve 25 is a barrel-shaped structure with an open top. Two through holes 25-1 are opened on the opposite side walls of the lock sleeve 25. The lock cylinder 26 is inserted into the lock sleeve 25 through the opening at the top and presses the unlocking balls 27 on both sides into the two through holes 25-1 respectively. The drive end of the crank-rocker drive assembly 23 is hinged to the top of the lock cylinder 26 extending out of the lock sleeve 25.

[0056] The top of the counterweight block 5 has a circular groove that matches the locking sleeve 25. The inner wall of the circular groove has two opposite recesses along the circumferential direction. The outer side of the unlocking ball 27 is located in the recesses. The top of the counterweight block 5 is also provided with two vertically arranged abutment rods 5-1, and the top of the abutment rods 5-1 abuts against the bottom of the sealed chamber 2.

[0057] Furthermore, a sliding groove is provided on the inner wall of the lock sleeve 25 along the axial direction, and the lock cylinder 26 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the lock sleeve 25 through the sliding groove to ensure that the lock cylinder 26 can move along the axial direction of the lock sleeve 25.

[0058] Furthermore, the through hole 25-1 on the lock sleeve 25 has a small opening and a large opening from the outside to the inside. The radius of the small opening is equal to the radius of the unlocking ball 27, and the radius of the large opening is greater than the radius of the unlocking ball 27, so as to ensure that only a small part of the unlocking ball 27 is exposed out of the lock sleeve 25.

[0059] Furthermore, the crank rocker drive assembly 23 includes a jettison servo motor 23-1, a jettison servo arm 23-2, and a jettison connecting rod 23-3. The jettison servo motor 23-1 is mounted on the fixed base 24. One end of the jettison servo arm 23-2 is fixedly connected to the output end of the jettison servo motor 23-1. The other end of the jettison servo arm 23-2 is rotatably connected to one end of the jettison connecting rod 23-3. The other end of the jettison connecting rod 23-3 is hinged to the top end of the lock cylinder 26.

[0060] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the jettison servo 23-1 drives the jettison servo arm 23-2 to rotate, and the jettison servo arm 23-2 drives the jettison connecting rod 23-3 to move, thereby pulling the lock cylinder 26 out of the lock sleeve 25. The lock cylinder 26 no longer exerts pressure on the two unlocking balls 27. The two unlocking balls 27 fall into the lock sleeve 25 under their own gravity. The unlocking balls 27 disengage from the recessed point in the jettison counterweight block 5. There is no longer any constraint between the lock sleeve 25 and the jettison counterweight block 5. The jettison counterweight block 5 separates from the lock sleeve 25 under its own gravity, realizing the weight reduction and buoyancy of the cross-medium vehicle.

[0061] See Figure 1 The constraint arm 6 is L-shaped. One end of the constraint arm 6 that connects to the upper blade 13 and the lower blade 14 is provided with a constraint port 6-1. The tips of the upper blade 13 and the lower blade 14 are inserted into the constraint port 6-1. When the counterweight block 5 moves the constraint arm 6, the constraint arm 6 can naturally detach from the upper blade 13 and the lower blade 14, and the upper blade 13 and the lower blade 14 are no longer constrained.

[0062] Furthermore, the constraint arm 6 is a telescopic arm, and the length of the constraint arm can be adjusted according to the size of the folded blades.

[0063] The following further explains the working process of the present invention to further demonstrate its working principle and advantages:

[0064] Unpowered Descent Phase: When the cross-medium vehicle is transported to the designated work location and deployed into the water, it begins unpowered descent under its own weight (gravity is greater than buoyancy), entering the unpowered descent phase. During this phase, the cross-medium vehicle can be used as a buoy. Because the blade tips of the deployable propeller mechanism A are constrained by the slider 6-1 of the constraint arm 6, the upper blade 13 and lower blade 14 bend downwards and converge near the vehicle's outer shell 1, thus not increasing the drag of the cross-medium vehicle's descent. During descent, the water-exit sensor 9 short-circuits, and the central control system 3 can detect the water entry status through the water-exit sensor 9. Subsequently, the central control system 3 activates the depth sensor 11 via an electrical signal, and the depth information is transmitted to the central control system 3 in real time. The central control system 3 reads the depth measured by the depth sensor 11. Data is collected and depth is determined. When the transmedium vehicle dives to the designated depth, the jettison servo 23-1 drives the jettison servo arm 23-2 to rotate. The jettison servo arm 23-2 drives the jettison linkage 23-3 to move, thereby pulling the lock cylinder 26 out of the lock sleeve 25. The lock cylinder 26 no longer exerts pressure on the two unlocking balls 27. The two unlocking balls 27 fall into the lock sleeve 25 under their own gravity. The unlocking balls 27 disengage from the annular groove in the jettison counterweight block 5. There is no longer a constraint between the lock sleeve 25 and the jettison counterweight block 5. The jettison counterweight block 5 separates from the lock sleeve 25 under its own gravity. At the same time, the jettison counterweight block 5 exerts a pulling force on the two constraint arms 6 connected to it. The constraint arms 6 naturally disengage from the upper blade 13 and the lower blade 14. The upper blade 13 and the lower blade 14 are no longer constrained and are released.

[0065] Unpowered Ascent Phase: As the weight of the transmedium vehicle decreases, its buoyancy exceeds its weight, and the transmedium vehicle enters the unpowered ascent phase. During this phase, the transmedium vehicle can be used as a buoy. Although the upper blade 13 and the lower blade 14 are no longer constrained by the slider 6-1 of the constraint arm 6, they are still constrained and in a convergent state due to the influence of the rising water flow, as the transmedium vehicle is in the ascent phase, until the transmedium vehicle surfaces. During the ascent of the transmedium vehicle, the central control system 3 reads the data measured by the water venting sensor 9 and makes a water venting judgment.

[0066] During the flight phase: After the transmedium vehicle emerges from the water, the central control system 3 determines its attitude. Since the power supply system 4 is located at a lower position, the transmedium vehicle has a low center of gravity and a good floating attitude after emerging from the water. After the central control system 3 determines the attitude, the coaxial twin-propeller air thruster 12 drives the two upper propeller blades 13 and the two lower propeller blades 14 to rotate, realizing the take-off of the transmedium vehicle. At the same time, the rudder arm 20-2 of one set of crank-rocker drive assembly 20 rotates with the X-axis as the central axis, and the rudder arm 20-2 of another set of crank-rocker drive assembly 20 rotates with the Y-axis as the central axis, thereby driving the movement of the universal joint 20-3 connected to it. The universal joint 20-3 generates driving force on the lower steering disk 18. The coaxial twin-propeller air thruster 12 deflects under the combined drive of the ends of the universal joint 20-3 in the two sets of crank-rocker drive assembly 20, and finally realizes the change of the flight direction of the two upper propeller blades 13 and the two lower propeller blades 14.

[0067] The central control system 3, in conjunction with the propeller steering drive mechanism B, controls the cross-medium vehicle to autonomously fly to a designated area and ensures its recovery to the designated area. Specifically, during flight, under the designated flight direction, the force on the invention can be divided into three components: X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The Z-axis component is achieved by the thrust change of the coaxial twin propeller thruster 12, the X-axis component is controlled by a servo motor rotating around the X-axis, and the Y-axis component is controlled by a servo motor rotating around the Y-axis. After receiving instructions from the central control system 3, the servo motor rotating around the X-axis drives the X-axis rudder arm to complete the corresponding change. The X-axis servo arm, in conjunction with the X-axis universal joint, converts the corresponding change in planar angular motion from the X-axis servo motor into spatial vector motion, which is then transmitted to the X-axis universal joint. This spatial vector motion is then converted back into a corresponding change in planar angular motion in another direction, and transmitted to the upper and lower steering disks. The lower steering disk rotates around the ball joint, driving the upper steering disk, which in turn drives the thruster column, thus controlling the X-axis component of the force. The Y-axis follows the same principle, thereby achieving autonomous flight control. After the transmedium vehicle reaches the designated area, it is manually recovered, ending all workflow processes.

[0068] The cross-medium vehicle of this application can take off from a ship and fly autonomously to a designated location to enter the water. After entering the water, it can autonomously complete the depth profile observation task. The observation is low in noise, the task is highly autonomous, and it causes little disturbance to marine life such as fish. After completing the task, it can autonomously emerge from the water and fly back to the mother ship for recovery, which greatly reduces the workload of deployment and recovery.

[0069] The cross-medium vehicle of this application is capable of autonomous, unpowered diving, autonomous, unpowered surfacing, and autonomous recovery. It can complete designated tasks during these processes. It is a cross-medium vehicle that integrates buoy, submersible, and aerial vehicle functions. It not only has the advantages of being submersible, airborne, and cross-medium, but also features low energy consumption for both submersion and surfacing, and the ability for individual deployments to operate independently without interference. It can also enable the simultaneous deployment of multiple vehicles for joint observation of designated sea areas. Furthermore, it avoids the resource waste and environmental pollution problems associated with disposable hydrological observation equipment, which is of great significance for marine resource exploration.

[0070] This application employs an advanced coaxial twin-propeller thruster, which has greater thrust and lower power consumption; the invention uses retractable propeller blades, which have less drag when submerged without power, while maintaining good flight performance.

[0071] While the invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely examples of the principles and applications of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that many modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments, and other arrangements can be designed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that different dependent claims and features described herein can be combined in ways different from those described in the original claims. It is also understood that features described in conjunction with individual embodiments can be used in other described embodiments.

Claims

1. A cross-medium vehicle with propeller self-constraint and unpowered submersion / surfacing capabilities, characterized in that: It includes a deployable propeller mechanism (A), a propeller steering drive mechanism (B), a jettison drive mechanism (C), a vehicle hull (1), a sealed compartment (2), a central control system (3), a power supply system (4), a jettison counterweight (5), two restraint arms (6), an external mission payload (7), an internal mission payload (8), a water discharge sensor (9), an internal water leakage detection sensor (10), and a depth sensor (11). The deployable propeller mechanism (A) is located above the vehicle hull (1). The propeller steering drive mechanism (B), the external mission payload (7), the sealed compartment (2), the jettison drive mechanism (C), and the jettison counterweight (5) are arranged sequentially from top to bottom inside the vehicle hull (1). The upper end of the propeller steering drive mechanism (B) extends from the upper opening of the vehicle hull (1) and is fixedly connected to the deployable propeller mechanism (A). The lower end of the propeller steering drive mechanism (B) is fixedly installed on the top of the external mission payload (7). The bottom of the external mission payload (7) is... The top of the sealed compartment (2) is fixedly connected to the sealed compartment (2), and the inner wall of the aircraft shell (1) is fixedly connected to the sealed compartment (2). The upper end of the jettison drive mechanism (C) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the sealed compartment (2), and the lower end of the jettison drive mechanism (C) is connected to the jettison counterweight (5). A constraint arm (6) is provided on each side of the jettison counterweight (5). One end of the constraint arm (6) is connected to the jettison counterweight (5), and the other end of the constraint arm (6) extends out from the lower opening of the aircraft shell (1) and constrains the blade in the bent state in the foldable propeller mechanism (A). The central control system (3), the in-cabin mission payload (8), and the power supply system (4) are installed in the sealed cabin (2) from top to bottom. The central control system (3) is electrically connected to the propeller steering drive mechanism (B), the jettison drive mechanism (C), the water outlet sensor (9), the in-cabin water leakage detection sensor (10), and the depth sensor (11), and is used for the control of the submersible, surfacing, and takeoff of the cross-medium vehicle. The power supply system (4) is electrically connected to and supplies power to the propeller steering drive mechanism (B), the jettison drive mechanism (C), the central control system (3), the water outlet sensor (9), the in-cabin water leakage detection sensor (10), and the depth sensor (11). The water escaping sensor (9) is installed on the foldable propeller mechanism (A) to determine the water escaping status of the cross-medium vehicle. The cabin leakage detection sensor (10) is installed inside the sealed cabin (2) to detect whether there is leakage inside the cabin. The depth sensor (11) is installed at the bottom of the sealed cabin (2) to determine the diving depth of the cross-medium vehicle. The deployable propeller mechanism (A) includes a coaxial twin-propeller air thruster (12), two upper blades (13), two lower blades (14), and four hinges (15); the two upper blades (13) and the two lower blades (14) are respectively arranged opposite each other on both sides of the coaxial twin-propeller air thruster (12), and are respectively hinged to the side wall of the coaxial twin-propeller air thruster (12) through a hinge (15); The propeller steering drive mechanism (B) includes, from top to bottom, a thruster column (16), an upper steering disk (17), a lower steering disk (18), a support rod (19), and two sets of crank-rocker drive assemblies (20). The top end of the thruster column (16) is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the coaxial twin-propeller air thruster (12), and the bottom end of the thruster column (16) is fixedly connected to the top end of the upper steering disk (17). The upper steering disk (17) is fixedly connected to the lower steering disk (18) and hinged to the top of the support rod (19). The bottom end of the support rod (19) is fixed on a support for fixing the two sets of crank-rocker drive assemblies (20). The driving ends of the two sets of crank-rocker drive assemblies (20) are arranged vertically at a 90° angle and are rotatably connected to the outer circumferential wall of the lower steering disk (18).

2. A transmedium-based vehicle with propeller self-constraint and unpowered submersion / surfacing functions as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The aircraft shell (1) includes a fairing (1-1) and an annular shell (1-2) connected from top to bottom; the fairing (1-1) is a hemispherical structure.

3. A transmedium-based vehicle with propeller self-constraint and unpowered submersion / surfacing functions as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The sealed compartment (2) includes an upper cover (2-1), a cylindrical compartment wall (2-2), and a lower cover (2-3). The upper cover (2-1) is installed at the upper opening of the cylindrical compartment wall (2-2) and is sealed. The lower cover (2-3) is installed at the lower opening of the cylindrical compartment wall (2-2) and is sealed.

4. A transmedium-based vehicle with propeller self-constraint and unpowered submersion / surfacing functions as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Each crank-rocker drive assembly (20) includes a servo motor (20-1), a rudder arm (20-2), and a universal joint (20-3). One end of the rudder arm (20-2) is fixedly connected to the output end of the servo motor (20-1), and the other end of the rudder arm (20-2) is hinged to one end of the universal joint (20-3). The other end of the universal joint (20-3) is rotatably connected to the outer circumferential wall of the lower steering disk (18).

5. A transmedium-based vehicle with propeller self-constraint and unpowered submersion / surfacing functions as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The ejection drive mechanism (C) includes a crank-rocker drive assembly two (23), a fixed seat (24), a lock sleeve (25), a lock cylinder (26), and two unlocking balls (27). The crank-rocker drive assembly two (23) is installed at the bottom of the sealed chamber (2) through the fixed seat (24). The lock sleeve (25) is a barrel-shaped structure with an open top. Two through holes (25-1) are opened on the opposite side walls of the lock sleeve (25). The lock cylinder (26) is inserted into the lock sleeve (25) through the opening at the top of the lock sleeve (25) and squeezes the unlocking balls (27) on both sides into the two through holes (25-1) respectively. The drive end of the crank-rocker drive assembly two (23) is hinged to the top of the lock cylinder (26) extending out of the lock sleeve (25). The top of the throwing counterweight (5) has a circular groove that matches the locking sleeve (25). There are two opposite recessed points on the inner wall of the circular groove. The side of the unlocking ball (27) facing outward is located in the recessed point. The top of the throwing counterweight (5) is also provided with two vertically arranged abutment rods (5-1). The top of the abutment rods (5-1) abuts against the bottom of the sealed chamber (2).

6. A transmedium-based vehicle with propeller self-constraint and unpowered submersion / surfacing functions as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The through hole (25-1) on the lock sleeve (25) consists of a small opening and a large opening from the outside to the inside. The radius of the small opening is equal to the radius of the unlocking ball (27), and the radius of the large opening is greater than the radius of the unlocking ball (27).

7. A transmedium-based vehicle with propeller self-constraint and unpowered submersion / surfacing functions as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The crank rocker drive assembly 2 (23) includes a jettison servo (23-1), a jettison servo arm (23-2), and a jettison connecting rod (23-3). The jettison servo (23-1) is mounted on a fixed base (24). One end of the jettison servo arm (23-2) is fixedly connected to the output end of the jettison servo (23-1). The other end of the jettison servo arm (23-2) is rotatably connected to one end of the jettison connecting rod (23-3). The other end of the jettison connecting rod (23-3) is hinged to the top of the lock cylinder (26).

8. A transmedium-based vehicle with propeller self-constraint and unpowered submersion / surfacing functions as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The constraint arm (6) is L-shaped. One end of the constraint arm (6) that connects to the upper blade (13) and the lower blade (14) is provided with a constraint port (6-1). The tips of the upper blade (13) and the lower blade (14) are inserted into the constraint port (6-1).

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