A variable tail fin attitude control device and an underwater vehicle

CN117002708BActive Publication Date: 2026-08-14TIANJIN UNIV
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-08-10
Publication Date
2026-08-14

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

[0008]针对现有技术存在的问题,本发明提供了一种解决传统水下航行器在复杂环境条件下适应性不佳的问题的可变尾翼姿态调节装置以及水下航行器

Benefits of technology

1、优化转弯性能:本发明的可变尾翼姿态调节装置通过在水下航行器尾部安装,能实现尾翼的折展及旋转。由于该装置安装位置远离水下航行器重心且可以增大自身湿表面积,在转弯过程中产生较大的力矩,能够补偿向心力,从而显著减小转弯半径,提升了水下航行器的转弯性能。

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Abstract

This invention discloses a variable tail fin attitude adjustment device, belonging to the field of marine exploration technology. It includes a tail base, dynamic fin mounts, a flip actuator, and a tail fin assembly. Two dynamic fin mounts are symmetrically mounted at the rear of the tail base, forming a rotating pair with the tail base. The flip actuator is driven by the dynamic fin mounts and drives them to rotate around an axis. The tail fin assembly includes a folding tail fin mounted on the dynamic fin mount and a folding actuator that drives the folding tail fin to deploy or retract. The two dynamic fin mounts change the angle between the surfaces of the two folding tail fins by rotating around an axis. This variable tail fin attitude adjustment device brings significant benefits in terms of optimized turning performance, reduced drag, improved overall design, adaptability to current conditions, and increased flexibility.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of marine exploration technology, and particularly relates to a variable tail fin attitude adjustment device and an underwater vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] The diverse missions and complex operating environments of underwater vehicles necessitate enhanced adaptability. To address the performance limitations of traditional underwater vehicles under varying operating conditions, biomimetic underwater vehicles have emerged. These vehicles combine the shape and movement mechanisms of marine organisms, aiming to create attitude control mechanisms with stronger environmental adaptability, higher economic efficiency, and greater practicality through the analysis of marine organism movement mechanisms and the application of rational mechanical design.

[0003] Traditional underwater vehicles typically employ a fixed-wing design to provide the necessary lift for maintaining a constant depth. While this design achieves a degree of motion and stability, it has several limitations. The main issue is that underwater vehicles have varying hydrodynamic requirements depending on their operational mission. The fixed-wing shape cannot simultaneously optimize the vehicle's economy, stability, and maneuverability under different conditions, thus limiting its navigation performance.

[0004] First, the design of fixed-wing aircraft limits the economics of underwater vehicles. Because the shape of a fixed wing is fixed, it cannot be flexibly adjusted according to specific mission or environmental conditions. In some missions, the vehicle may need to move quickly to complete the task, while in others, it needs to reduce speed to conserve energy and extend endurance. However, since fixed wings cannot be adjusted, this leads to unnecessary energy consumption or reduced mission efficiency.

[0005] Secondly, fixed-wing design also limits the stability of underwater vehicles. In the complex and ever-changing underwater environment, vehicles need to possess good stability to cope with ocean currents, turbulence, and other external disturbances. However, when performing steady-state horizontal propulsion, as speed increases, the ability of fixed-wing design to maintain the same depth weakens, resulting in depth fluctuations during navigation and a certain pitch angle, which reduces navigation stability.

[0006] Third, fixed-wing aircraft also limit the maneuverability of underwater vehicles. In some missions, vehicles need to change direction quickly and flexibly to avoid obstacles, track targets, or perform emergency maneuvers. However, fixed-wing aircraft cannot generate the roll angle required for turning, limiting the vehicle's steering and maneuverability.

[0007] The tail fin, due to its position, can provide greater torque during vehicle attitude adjustment. The sweep angle, wetted surface area, and aspect ratio of the tail fin have a significant impact on the lift generated by the tail fin and on the vehicle's drag. Therefore, developing a novel foldable tail fin that can adaptively adjust for different missions is of paramount importance for improving the navigation performance of underwater vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a variable tail fin attitude adjustment device and an underwater vehicle that solves the problem of poor adaptability of traditional underwater vehicles under complex environmental conditions.

[0009] This invention is implemented as follows: a variable tail fin attitude adjustment device, characterized in that it includes a tail base, dynamic fin mounts, a flip actuator, and a tail fin assembly; two dynamic fin mounts are symmetrically mounted on the rear of the tail base, and the dynamic fin mounts and the tail base form a rotating pair; the flip actuator is driven by the dynamic fin mounts and drives the dynamic fin mounts to rotate around an axis; the tail fin assembly includes a folding tail fin mounted on the dynamic fin mounts and a folding actuator that drives the folding tail fin to unfold or retract; wherein, the two dynamic fin mounts change the included angle of the two folding tail fin surfaces by rotating around an axis.

[0010] In the above technical solution, preferably, two rotating shafts are symmetrically installed on the rear of the tail seat, the axes of the two rotating shafts are parallel to the central axis of the tail seat, and the two dynamic wing seats are respectively installed on the two rotating shafts.

[0011] In the above technical solution, preferably, the two rotating shafts are sleeve shafts with central through holes. The flipping driver is installed on the tailstock, and the output shaft of the flipping driver is drivenly connected to the sleeve shaft. A mandrel coaxial with the sleeve shaft is provided in the central through hole of the sleeve shaft. The mandrel is installed in the sleeve shaft in a manner that allows it to rotate around its own axis. The folding and unfolding driver is installed on the tailstock, and the output shaft of the folding and unfolding driver is drivenly connected to the mandrel. The folding and unfolding driver drives the mandrel to rotate around its own axis. The rear end of the mandrel is drivenly connected to the folding and unfolding tail fin, and the mandrel drives the folding and unfolding tail fin to unfold or retract by rotating.

[0012] In the above technical solution, preferably, the folding tail fin includes a folding frame and a flexible skin covering the outside of the folding frame, and the spindle is drivenly connected to the folding frame.

[0013] In the above technical solution, preferably, the folding frame includes an inner frame body, a front frame body, an outer frame body, and a rear frame body. The inner frame body is disposed on the dynamic wing seat. The front frame body is parallel to the rear frame body, and the outer frame body is parallel to the inner frame body. The inner frame body, the front frame body, the outer frame body, and the rear frame body are connected by pins to form a parallel four-bar linkage folding frame. The spindle is connected to the folding frame via a crank-connecting rod assembly.

[0014] In the above technical solution, preferably, the folding frame includes a drive rod, one end of which is hinged to the outer frame body via a pin, and the other end of which is hinged to the inner frame body via a pin. The drive rod is parallel to the front and rear frame bodies. A folding drive shaft is installed in the dynamic wing seat, and the axis of the folding drive shaft is parallel to the pin of the folding frame. The spindle is connected to the folding drive shaft via a bevel gear set. The crank of the crank-connecting rod assembly is mounted on the folding drive shaft. A slide rod is provided at the front end of the connecting rod of the crank-connecting rod assembly. The slide rod is fitted into a groove at the inner end of the drive rod. The spindle drives the drive rod to swing around the pin near the spindle as a support axis.

[0015] In the above technical solution, preferably, the folding frame includes N wing-shaped beams spaced apart along the front and rear frame bodies. The wing-shaped beams form a parallel linkage structure with the inner and outer frame bodies. The upper and lower sides of the wing-shaped beams form an arc-shaped beam structure extending from the front to the rear of the folding frame. The flexible skin is installed on the wing-shaped beams and supported by the wing-shaped beams to form an underwater airfoil surface.

[0016] In the above technical solution, preferably, the folding frame includes two intermediate support rods, one of which is a rear frame body, and the other intermediate support rod has its two ends connected to the outer frame body and the inner frame body respectively by pins. The intermediate support rod, the outer frame body, and the inner frame body form a parallel four-bar linkage structure. The wing-shaped beam frame is connected to the two intermediate support rods by pins. The intermediate support rod is provided with a sliding groove located on the side of the wing-shaped beam frame. A sliding shaft is installed in the sliding groove, and the sliding shaft is connected to a movable beam frame. The movable beam frame is mounted on the side of the wing-shaped beam frame and has the same contour shape as the wing-shaped beam frame. An elastic component is installed in the sliding groove to apply a top-pressure elastic force to the sliding shaft. The top-pressure elastic force causes the movable beam frame to move closer to the corresponding wing-shaped beam frame. The flexible skin is connected to the movable beam frame.

[0017] In the above technical solution, preferably, the flip drive is a flip drive servo mounted at the front of the tailstock, the tailstock is equipped with a flip output shaft driven by the flip drive servo, and the flip output shaft is connected to the two sleeve shafts respectively through a transmission belt and a gear; the folding drive is a folding drive servo mounted at the front of the tailstock, the tailstock is equipped with a folding output shaft driven by the folding drive servo, and the folding output shaft is connected to the two spindles respectively through a transmission belt and a gear.

[0018] The advantages of this variable tail fin attitude adjustment device are mainly reflected in the following aspects: 1. Optimized Turning Performance: The variable tail fin attitude adjustment device of this invention, installed at the tail of the underwater vehicle, enables the tail fin to fold, unfold, and rotate. Because the device is installed far from the underwater vehicle's center of gravity and increases its wetted surface area, it generates a larger torque during turning, which can compensate for centripetal force, thereby significantly reducing the turning radius and improving the underwater vehicle's turning performance.

[0019] 2. Reduced drag: During straight-line travel, the device of this invention can reduce the aspect ratio of the tail fin, thereby reducing drag and improving the speed and energy efficiency of the underwater vehicle. This feature enables the underwater vehicle to complete tasks more efficiently, extend its endurance, and reduce energy consumption.

[0020] 3. Integrated Design: The transmission mechanism used to drive the dynamic wing mount and folding tail fin in this invention application is highly integrated. It not only has a holistic structure but is also compact, enabling miniaturization. Centrally mounted at the apex of the underwater vehicle and designed for submersion, it does not interfere with other functions of the underwater vehicle. This integrated design ensures the stability and reliability of the device, enabling the underwater vehicle to operate stably in complex underwater environments.

[0021] 4. Adaptability to Different Water Flow Conditions: The device of this invention features flexible interwing dihedral angle and tail fin folding control, enabling it to adapt to different water flow conditions and environmental changes. The side tail fins can achieve symmetrical rotation, with a rotation range of 90° vertically, thus ensuring the underwater vehicle remains stable under different water flow conditions and possesses better adaptability and operability.

[0022] 5. High Flexibility: The independent control of the interwing dihedral angle and tail fin folding in this invention gives the device high flexibility. The operator can freely adjust the tail fin attitude and interwing dihedral angle according to specific mission and environmental requirements to achieve optimal performance. This high flexibility enables the underwater vehicle to adapt to different mission needs, improving the success rate and efficiency of mission execution.

[0023] In summary, this variable tail fin attitude control device offers significant benefits in terms of optimized turning performance, reduced drag, improved overall design, adaptability to current conditions, and increased flexibility. These advantages enable underwater vehicles to exhibit better performance and adaptability in various complex underwater missions, expanding their application areas and opening up new prospects for fields such as ocean exploration, resource development, and environmental monitoring.

[0024] Another objective of this invention application is to provide an underwater vehicle equipped with the aforementioned variable tail fin attitude adjustment device. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the variable tail fin attitude adjustment device; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the variable tail fin attitude adjustment device; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission structure of the sleeve shaft in the variable tail fin attitude adjustment device; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission structure of the spindle in the variable tail fin attitude adjustment device; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the folding frame of the folding tail fin in the variable tail fin attitude adjustment device; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the orientation of the folding frame of the folding tail fin in the variable tail fin attitude adjustment device. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0027] To address the problem of poor adaptability of traditional underwater vehicles in complex environmental conditions, this invention provides a variable tail fin attitude adjustment device and an underwater vehicle. This variable tail fin attitude adjustment device exhibits significant effects in terms of optimized turning performance, reduced drag, improved overall design, adaptability to water flow conditions, and increased flexibility. To further illustrate the structure of this invention, a detailed description is provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 A variable tail fin attitude adjustment device includes a tail mount 1, a dynamic fin mount 2, a flip actuator 3, and a tail fin assembly 4.

[0028] The dynamic wing mount is located at the rear of the tail mount. The tail mount is the base component of this device, used to mount and install other components of the device, and as the main component of the device, it connects with the underwater vehicle, typically serving as the tail structure of the underwater vehicle. In this embodiment, the tail mount includes a circular front mounting plate 1-1, a middle mounting plate 1-2, and a rear mounting plate 1-3 arranged sequentially from front to rear. The front mounting plate, middle mounting plate, and rear mounting plate serve as supporting components for the tail mount, and an outer shell is mounted on its exterior. The outer shell forms a tail cone shape, and the rear mounting plate has a boss that connects to and can be fixed to the outer shell. Inside the outer shell, the front mounting plate, middle mounting plate, and rear mounting plate divide it into a front chamber and a rear chamber.

[0029] The dynamic wing mount is a movable, deployable tail fin mounting component. Its movement controls the change in the wing surface angle of the deployable tail fin. Two dynamic wing mounts are symmetrically mounted at the rear of the tailstock, forming a rotating pair with it. Specifically, two rotating shafts are symmetrically mounted on the left and right sides of the rear of the tailstock, with their axes parallel to the tailstock's central axis. The two dynamic wing mounts are mounted on the two rotating shafts respectively. A tilt actuator is mounted on the tailstock, and is drively connected to the dynamic wing mounts, driving them to rotate around their axes.

[0030] The tail assembly includes a folding tail fin mounted on dynamic wing mounts and a folding actuator 5 that drives the folding tail fin to deploy or retract. The two dynamic wing mounts change the angle between the surfaces of the two folding tail fins by rotating around their axes. The two folding tail fins are designed symmetrically from left to right, and their movements are symmetrical and synchronized.

[0031] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the two rotating shafts are sleeve shafts 6 with central through holes, and the output shaft of the flip drive is driven by the sleeve shaft. The flip drive is a flip drive servo mounted at the front of the tailstock, and the tailstock is equipped with a flip output shaft 7 driven by the flip drive servo. The flip output shaft is connected to the two sleeve shafts via a drive belt and gears. A spindle 8, coaxial with the sleeve shaft, is provided in the central through hole of the sleeve shaft. The spindle is mounted in the sleeve shaft in a manner that allows it to rotate around its own axis. The folding drive is mounted on the tailstock, and the output shaft of the folding drive is driven by the spindle. The folding drive drives the spindle to rotate around its own axis. The rear end of the spindle is driven by the folding tail fin, and the spindle drives the folding tail fin to unfold or retract through rotation. The folding drive is a folding drive servo mounted at the front of the tailstock, and the tailstock is equipped with a folding output shaft driven by the folding drive servo. The folding output shaft is connected to the two spindles via a drive belt and gears.

[0032] Specifically, the tilt drive servo and the folding drive servo are mounted on the front mounting plate of the tailstock. The tilt drive servo and the folding drive servo are located at the top and bottom of the front mounting plate, with their output shafts axially parallel to the tailstock axis. The front end of the tilt output shaft is connected to the tilt drive servo via a coupling, and the middle and rear ends of the tilt output shaft are mounted on the center mounting plate and the rear mounting plate respectively via bearings. The front end of the folding output shaft is connected to the folding drive servo via a coupling, and the rear end of the folding output shaft is mounted on the rear mounting plate via a bearing.

[0033] The sleeve shaft is a through-shaft component. Its front end is mounted to the center mounting plate via a bearing seat, and its rear end is mounted to the rear mounting plate via the bearing seat. The flip output shaft, located within the rear cavity formed between the center mounting plate and the rear mounting plate, is connected to one of the sleeve shafts via a rear pulley assembly 9, and to the other sleeve shaft via a rear gear assembly 10, enabling the flip output shaft to drive the two sleeve shafts to rotate synchronously in opposite directions. In this embodiment, the dynamic wing seat is a cylindrical housing component mounted to the rear end of the sleeve shaft using screws, and it is coaxial with the sleeve shaft.

[0034] The mandrel is a solid shaft component, coaxial with the sleeve shaft and with a gap between them to ensure coaxiality and prevent interference during movement. The front end of the mandrel is mounted to the front mounting plate via a bearing seat, and the rear end is fitted inside the sleeve shaft via a bearing. The folding output shaft is connected to one of the mandrels via a front pulley assembly 11 within the front cavity formed between the front mounting plate and the middle mounting plate, and to the other mandrel via a front gear assembly 12, enabling the folding output shaft to drive the two mandrels to rotate synchronously in opposite directions.

[0035] The folding tail fin consists of a folding frame and a flexible skin covering the outside of the folding frame, with a spindle drivingly connected to the folding frame. The folding frame is a frame structure capable of shape transformation. The flexible skin is the outer surface layer of the folding tail fin and is made of PDMS elastic film material.

[0036] The folding frame includes an inner frame body 3-1, a front frame body 3-2, an outer frame body 3-3, a rear frame body 3-4, a drive rod 3-5, a wing-shaped beam frame 3-6, a middle support rod 3-7, and a movable beam frame 3-8.

[0037] The inner frame body is located on the dynamic wing seat. The front and rear frame bodies are parallel, and the outer frame body is parallel to the inner frame body. In this embodiment, the inner frame body is a side structure of the dynamic wing seat. An annular block is set inside the dynamic wing seat, and the front and rear frame bodies are hinged to it by pins to enhance the support strength of the dynamic wing seat. The front frame body serves as the front edge contour support component of the folding tail wing, and it is a rod with a curved front side extending in a straight line. The outer frame body serves as the outer contour support component of the folding tail wing, and it is a lateral plate with guide curves on the top and bottom edges. The inner frame body, front frame body, outer frame body, and rear frame body are connected by pins to form a parallel four-bar structure folding frame. By rotating the inner frame body, front frame body, outer frame body, and rear frame body around the pins, the surface shape of the folding frame can be changed.

[0038] The drive rod is a component in the folding frame that is connected to the spindle drive. One end of the drive rod is hinged to the outer frame body via a pin, and the other end is hinged to the inner frame body via a pin, with this end extending a certain length into the dynamic wing seat. The drive rod is parallel to the front and rear frame bodies, meaning it forms a parallel linkage in the parallel four-bar structure of the folding frame. By moving the end of the drive rod extending inward, the folding frame can be driven to move.

[0039] The spindle and the folding frame are connected by a crank-connecting rod assembly 13. Specifically, a folding drive shaft is installed in the dynamic wing seat. The folding drive shaft can rotate around its own axis, and the axis of the folding drive shaft is parallel to the pin of the folding frame. The rear end of the spindle is connected to the folding drive shaft by a bevel gear set 14. The crank of the crank-connecting rod assembly is mounted on the folding drive shaft. The front end of the connecting rod of the crank-connecting rod assembly is provided with a slide rod, which is fitted into a groove at the inner end of the drive rod. The spindle drives the folding frame to move by moving the drive rod through the crank-connecting rod assembly.

[0040] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 6 The airfoil-shaped beams serve as supporting components for the flexible skin. The folding frame comprises multiple airfoil-shaped beams spaced apart along the front and rear side frames. These airfoil-shaped beams form a parallel linkage structure with the inner and outer side frames, ensuring they remain parallel to these frames throughout the folding frame's movement. The upper and lower parts of the airfoil-shaped beams form arc-shaped beam structures extending rearward from the front of the folding frame. This structure matches the outer side frame. The flexible skin is mounted on and supported by the airfoil-shaped beams, forming an underwater airfoil surface. Furthermore, the airfoil-shaped beams are beam components spanning between and hinged to the front and rear side frames via pins. Besides serving as supporting components for the flexible skin, they also act as frame members that enhance the structural density and strength of the folding frame.

[0041] The folding frame includes two intermediate support rods, which are used to improve the overall strength and surface structure density of the folding frame. In this embodiment, one of the intermediate support rods is the rear frame body, and the two ends of the other intermediate support rod are connected to the outer frame body and the inner frame body respectively by pins. The intermediate support rod, the outer frame body, and the inner frame body form a parallel four-bar linkage structure.

[0042] The airfoil beams are connected to two intermediate support rods via pins. A portion of each of the two intermediate support rods, along with two adjacent airfoil beams, forms a parallelogram-linked grid within the unfolded frame, creating a planar parallelogram-shaped grid frame structure. For ease of component fabrication, the intermediate support rods can be modular, consisting of multiple support sections connected end-to-end by pins; these pins also serve to connect the airfoil beams. All the aforementioned pins are parallel, ensuring the unfolded frame can achieve the flexibility of its parallelogram-linked structure, allowing for changes in frame area. The unfolded frame structure is composed of a series of parallelograms interconnected by shared edges, forming a grid frame. Because the side lengths and angles of these parallelograms can be varied, the area of ​​the entire grid structure can change with variations in side lengths and angles.

[0043] The intermediate support rod has a groove located on the side of the airfoil beam. Specifically, in this embodiment, the groove is located on the support section rod. A sliding shaft is installed in the groove. The sliding shaft is a cylindrical rod with its axis parallel to the axis of the pin. The sliding shaft can slide in the groove. The sliding shaft connects to the movable beam, which is located on the side of the airfoil beam and has the same profile shape as the airfoil beam. The above structure allows the movable beam to be installed on the intermediate support rod in a parallel sliding manner, allowing the distance between it and the airfoil beam to be changed. An elastic component that applies a pressing force to the sliding shaft is installed in the groove. In this embodiment, the elastic component is a spring. The two ends of the spring press against the sliding shaft on both sides of the groove. The pressing force causes the movable beam to move closer to the corresponding airfoil beam. The flexible skin is connected to the movable beam. That is, the movable beam is used to jointly attach and fix the flexible skin made of a flexible film with the airfoil beam. The elastic force of the elastic component will act on the flexible skin. The setting of the elastic component is to ensure the rapid contraction of the airfoil.

[0044] In this embodiment, the sweep angle deformation range of the folded tail fin is 60° to 30°, the dihedral angle deformation range of the tail fin is 90° to -90°, and the wing surface area change ratio is 1.73.

[0045] In this embodiment, the specific action of deploying the tail fin is performed as follows: The folding and unfolding action of the tail fin: The folding and unfolding drive servo drives the folding and unfolding output shaft to rotate via a coupling. The folding and unfolding output shaft is equipped with a driving front pulley and a driving front gear. A matching driven front pulley is mounted on one side of the spindle, and a matching driven front gear is mounted on the other side. During rotation, the folding and unfolding output shaft drives the bevel gear at the end of one side of the spindle via the front pulley assembly. The folding and unfolding output shaft, in turn, drives the bevel gear at the end of the other side of the spindle via the front gear assembly. The bevel gear at the end of the spindle drives the matching bevel gear on the folding and unfolding drive shaft, causing the folding and unfolding drive shaft to rotate. The folding and unfolding drive shaft drives the crank of the crank-connecting rod mechanism, which in turn drives the connecting rod to actuate the inner end of the drive rod of the folding and unfolding frame, thereby driving the folding and unfolding tail fin.

[0046] During the deployment of the tail fin, the spacing between the airfoil beams increases, causing deformation of the tail fin's surface formed by the flexible skin, and simultaneously pulling the movable beams apart to the left and right. During the retraction of the tail fin, the spacing between the airfoil beams decreases, the tail fin's surface gradually returns to its original shape, and the movable beams decrease in distance under the action of springs. The left and right tail fins move synchronously through component transmission ratio design.

[0047] The tail fin rotation mechanism of the folding tail fin: The tilting drive servo drives the tilting output shaft via a coupling. The tilting output shaft is equipped with a driving rear pulley and a driving rear gear. A corresponding driven rear pulley is mounted on one side of the sleeve shaft, and a corresponding driven rear gear is mounted on the other side of the spindle. During rotation, the tilting output shaft drives the sleeve shaft on one side via the rear pulley assembly, and the tilting output shaft drives the sleeve shaft on the other side via the rear gear assembly. This rotation of the sleeve shafts drives the dynamic wing mounts to rotate around their axes, thus adjusting the tilting tail fin angle. The dynamic wing mounts on both sides are synchronized through component transmission ratio adjustments.

[0048] Through the above structural design, the folding and rotation of the tail fin can be independently operated and controlled without affecting each other, achieving a high degree of integration between the two transmission systems. This is beneficial for the miniaturization and navigation control of underwater vehicles and improves maneuverability.

[0049] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A variable tail fin attitude adjustment device, characterized in that... include: Tailstock; Dynamic wing mounts, two of which are symmetrically mounted on the rear of the tail mount, the dynamic wing mounts and the tail mount forming a rotating pair; A flip drive, which is connected to the dynamic wing seat and drives the dynamic wing seat to rotate about an axis; Tail assembly, the tail assembly including a folding tail fin mounted on the dynamic wing mount and a folding actuator for driving the folding tail fin to unfold or retract. Among them, the two dynamic wing seats change the included angle of the two folding tail fins by rotating around the axis; Two rotating shafts are symmetrically installed on the rear of the tailstock, and the axes of the two rotating shafts are parallel to the central axis of the tailstock. The two dynamic wing seats are respectively installed on the two rotating shafts. The two rotating shafts are sleeve shafts with a central through hole. The flipping driver is installed on the tailstock, and the output shaft of the flipping driver is connected to the sleeve shaft in a driving connection. A mandrel coaxial with the sleeve shaft is provided in the central through hole of the sleeve shaft. The mandrel is installed in the sleeve shaft in a manner that allows it to rotate around its own axis. The folding and unfolding driver is installed on the tailstock, and the output shaft of the folding and unfolding driver is connected to the mandrel in a driving connection. The folding and unfolding driver drives the mandrel to rotate around its own axis. The rear end of the mandrel is connected to the folding and unfolding tail fin in a driving connection. The mandrel drives the folding and unfolding tail fin to unfold or retract by rotating.

2. The variable tail fin attitude adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The folding tail fin includes a folding frame and a flexible skin covering the outside of the folding frame, and the spindle is drivenly connected to the folding frame.

3. The variable tail fin attitude adjustment device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The folding frame includes an inner frame, a front frame, an outer frame, and a rear frame. The inner frame is located on the dynamic wing seat. The front frame is parallel to the rear frame, and the outer frame is parallel to the inner frame. The inner frame, front frame, outer frame, and rear frame are connected by pins to form a parallel four-bar linkage folding frame. The spindle is connected to the folding frame via a crank-connecting rod assembly.

4. The variable tail fin attitude adjustment device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The folding frame includes a drive rod, one end of which is hinged to the outer frame body via a pin, and the other end of which is hinged to the inner frame body via a pin. The drive rod is parallel to the front and rear frame bodies. A folding drive shaft is installed in the dynamic wing seat, and the axis of the folding drive shaft is parallel to the pin of the folding frame. The spindle is connected to the folding drive shaft via a bevel gear set. The crank of the crank-connecting rod assembly is mounted on the folding drive shaft. A slide rod is provided at the front end of the connecting rod of the crank-connecting rod assembly. The slide rod is fitted into a groove at the inner end of the drive rod. The spindle drives the drive rod to swing around the pin near the spindle as a support axis.

5. The variable tail fin attitude adjustment device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The folding frame includes N wing-shaped beams spaced apart along the front and rear frame bodies. The wing-shaped beams form a parallel linkage structure with the inner and outer frame bodies. The upper and lower sides of the wing-shaped beams form an arc-shaped beam structure extending from the front to the rear of the folding frame. The flexible skin is installed on the wing-shaped beams and supported by the wing-shaped beams to form an underwater airfoil surface.

6. The variable tail fin attitude adjustment device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The folding frame includes two intermediate support rods. One of the intermediate support rods is a rear frame body. The two ends of the other intermediate support rod are respectively connected to an outer frame body and an inner frame body via pins. The intermediate support rod, the outer frame body, and the inner frame body form a parallel four-bar linkage. The wing-shaped beam frame is connected to the two intermediate support rods via pins. The intermediate support rod has a groove located on the side of the wing-shaped beam frame. A sliding shaft is installed in the groove. The sliding shaft is connected to a movable beam frame. The movable beam frame is mounted on the side of the wing-shaped beam frame and has the same outline shape as the wing-shaped beam frame. An elastic component is installed in the groove to apply a top-pressure elastic force to the sliding shaft. The top-pressure elastic force causes the movable beam frame to move closer to the corresponding wing-shaped beam frame. The flexible skin is connected to the movable beam frame.

7. The variable tail fin attitude adjustment device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The flip drive is a flip drive servo mounted at the front of the tailstock. The tailstock is equipped with a flip output shaft driven by the flip drive servo. The flip output shaft is connected to the two sleeve shafts via a transmission belt and a gear. The folding drive is a folding drive servo mounted at the front of the tailstock. The tailstock is equipped with a folding output shaft driven by the folding drive servo. The folding output shaft is connected to the two spindles via a transmission belt and a gear.

8. An underwater vehicle equipped with the variable tail fin attitude adjustment device according to any one of claims 1-7.

Citation Information

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