A tethered unmanned aerial vehicle tether guide device

Abstract

The application discloses a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle tether guiding device, which is used for a vehicle-carrying integrated tethered unmanned aerial vehicle, can effectively avoid the risk of entanglement and pulling of the tether under the influence of wind, and is used for a moving type tethered unmanned aerial vehicle. The tether winding and unwinding device and a power converter can be placed in a shelter, so that the equipment is not exposed to the open air, and the equipment can be effectively protected from the sun and rain. The tether guiding device is portable, can be moved or laid according to different conditions, can be quickly opened and closed, does not need to be inserted into the guiding device from the cable end, and does not need to consider the size of the connector of the cable end. The tether guiding device has the characteristics of wide application range and convenient operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and in particular to a tethered UAV tether cable guidance device. Background Technology

[0002] Tethered drones offer advantages such as long-duration flight time, hovering in a fixed position, and high payload capacity, making them widely used in emergency lighting, reconnaissance and detection, communication relay, and fire rescue. A tethered drone mainly consists of four parts: the tethered drone itself, a tether cable retraction device, a ground power supply, and a control terminal. Power and communication for the tethered drone are transmitted via the tether cable. For tethered drones with a payload capacity greater than 10kg, the tether cable retraction device and power converter typically weigh over 100kg, making them inconvenient to move. Therefore, tethered drones with a payload capacity greater than 10kg are usually integrated with a vehicle, meaning the tether cable retraction device and power converter are fixedly mounted on the vehicle.

[0003] After takeoff, the tether cable is released from the tether cable retraction device and pulled to high altitude by the tethered drone. Once airborne, the tether cable is affected by wind and sways, making it prone to snagging on the carrier vehicle. For mobile tethered drones not integrated with a carrier vehicle, the tether cable retraction device must be placed in an open, unobstructed environment during operation, which inevitably exposes it to sun and rain, leading to faster equipment aging.

[0004] It is evident that when a tethered drone integrated with a vehicle takes off, the tether cable is affected by the wind. Due to the lack of a guidance device, it inevitably gets tangled with other equipment on the vehicle, causing the tether cable to become stuck and damaged. On the other hand, when a tethered drone is not integrated with a vehicle, the tether cable retraction device must be placed in an unshaded environment during operation, which cannot avoid exposure to sun and rain, leading to rapid aging of the equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tether cable guiding device for overcoming or at least partially solving the above problems.

[0006] This invention provides the following solution:

[0007] A tethered drone tether cable guidance device, comprising:

[0008] The base is used to support the various components;

[0009] A wire harness assembly, the wire harness assembly including a wire harness wheel and a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate that are hinged to the two ends of the axle of the wire harness wheel in a one-to-one correspondence;

[0010] The first mounting plate is hinged to the base via a hinge shaft, the axis of which is perpendicular to the axis of the wheel axle. The second mounting plate is connected to the base via an opening and closing mechanism. When the opening and closing mechanism is separated from the base, the cable harness assembly can rotate upward around the hinge shaft under external force, so that the tethered cable located between the UAV and the cable take-up and take-down device enters between the cable harness wheel and the base. When the opening and closing mechanism is combined with the base, the tethered cable is confined between the cable harness wheel and the base, so as to change the ascent path of the tethered cable.

[0011] Preferably, the cable harness assembly further includes two sets of longitudinal guide rollers, which are arranged one-to-one on both sides of the cable harness wheel along an axial direction perpendicular to the wheel axle; each set of longitudinal guide rollers includes two separate longitudinal guide rollers; the tethered cable passes between the two longitudinal guide rollers in each set.

[0012] Preferably, the assembly further includes two sets of transverse guide wheels, which are arranged on both sides of the cable harness assembly along an axial direction perpendicular to the wheel axle; the rotation direction of the transverse guide wheels is the same as the rotation direction of the cable harness wheel; the tethered cable is located above the two sets of transverse guide wheels and below the cable harness wheel.

[0013] Preferably, when the opening and closing mechanism is combined with the base, the lowest position of the longitudinal stop wheel is lower than the upper surface of the transverse stop wheel.

[0014] Preferably, the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are respectively provided with seated bearings, and the two ends of the axle of the wire harness wheel are connected to the seated bearings on the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate respectively.

[0015] Preferably, the opening and closing mechanism includes a limiting seat and at least one set of plunger pin mechanisms, the plunger pin mechanism including a plunger pin, a return spring, and a push rod; the limiting seat is provided with a mounting groove, and the inner end face of the mounting groove is provided with an insertion hole; the mounting groove is provided with a housing with a cavity structure in a free state, the plunger pin mechanism is disposed in the housing and the direction of the plunger pin is the same as that of entering and exiting the insertion hole; the push rod is fixedly connected to the side of the plunger pin and extends out of the housing along a slide on the housing; the return spring is sleeved on the outside of the plunger pin and located between the insertion hole and the push rod.

[0016] Preferably, the plunger pin mechanism includes two symmetrically arranged plunger pin mechanisms, and each of the two opposite end faces inside the mounting groove is provided with a socket; when the push rods included in the two plunger pin mechanisms approach each other, the plunger pins included in the two plunger pin mechanisms can be withdrawn from the corresponding sockets.

[0017] Preferably, the base is provided with at least one handle, and the handle is connected to the base through two handle mounting seats that are hinged to it.

[0018] Preferably, the handle comprises two, located on both sides of the cable assembly in the axial direction of the axle.

[0019] Preferably, the lower part of the base is provided with a plurality of foot cones, which are used for fixing on soft ground.

[0020] According to specific embodiments provided by the present invention, the present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0021] This application provides a tethered drone tether cable guidance device. When used on vehicle-mounted integrated tethered drones, this device effectively prevents the tether cable from becoming entangled or tripping over the vehicle due to wind. For portable tethered drones, this device allows the tether cable retraction device and power converter to be placed in a shelter, preventing the equipment from being exposed to the elements and effectively protecting it from sun and rain. This portable tether cable guidance device can be moved or deployed as needed. It can be quickly opened and closed without needing to insert the cable end into the device, and there is no need to consider the connector size at the cable end. It features wide applicability and convenient operation.

[0022] Of course, any product implementing this invention does not necessarily need to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tether cable guidance device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the opening and closing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the wire harness assembly in the open state provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the closed state of the wire harness assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working mode of the vehicle-integrated tethered UAV provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the working mode of the tethered drone provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The diagram shows: tethered drone tether cable guide device 100, base 1, cable assembly 2, cable wheel 21, first mounting plate 22, second mounting plate 23, longitudinal stop wheel 24, seated bearing 25, hinge shaft 3, opening and closing mechanism 4, limit seat 41, plunger pin 42, return spring 43, push rod 44, housing 45, transverse stop wheel 5, handle 6, foot cone 7, tether cable 8, tethered drone 9, carrier vehicle 10, deployment and take-up device and power converter 11. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] See Figure 1 This invention provides a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tethering cable guiding device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the device 100 may include:

[0034] Base 1, used to support all components;

[0035] The wire harness assembly 2 includes a wire harness wheel 21 and a first mounting plate 22 and a second mounting plate 23 that are hinged to the two ends of the axle of the wire harness wheel 21 respectively.

[0036] The first mounting plate 22 is hinged to the base 1 via a hinge shaft 3, the axis of which is perpendicular to the axis of the wheel axle. The second mounting plate 23 is connected to the base 1 via an opening and closing mechanism 4. When the opening and closing mechanism 4 is separated from the base 1, the cable assembly 2 can rotate upward around the hinge shaft 3 under external force, so that the tethered cable 8 located between the tethered drone 9 and the cable take-up and take-down device enters between the cable wheel 21 and the base 1. When the opening and closing mechanism 4 is combined with the base 1, the tethered cable 8 is confined between the cable wheel 21 and the base 1, so as to change the ascent path of the tethered cable 8.

[0037] The tethered drone tether cable guiding device provided in this application embodiment enables quick opening and closing of the tether cable 8's routing channel via the opening and closing mechanism 4, facilitating cable insertion and removal. A guide pulley enables cable turning and movement. When the tethered drone 9 is operating, the tether cable guiding device is added to the cable outlet side of the tether cable 8 bundle assembly 2, altering the tether cable 8's ascent path and ensuring it does not become entangled or hindered by other obstacles, thus enhancing system safety. It also reduces the impact of the environment on system deployment, allowing the tether cable 8 bundle assembly 2 and power converter to be placed indoors or under sunshades and rain shelters for operation, enhancing equipment protection capabilities and improving user experience.

[0038] Meanwhile, this tethered cable guiding device can be inserted into the middle of the tethered cable 8, allowing it to be added or removed at any time during operation, making it easy to use. It is compatible with most tethered drones 9, without needing to consider the size of the connector at the end of the tethered cable 8. It also protects the cable from additional wear while changing its ascent path.

[0039] To ensure that the tethered cable 8 remains within the groove of the cable tie wheel 21 and does not shift laterally, this embodiment of the application may provide that the cable tie assembly 2 further includes two sets of longitudinal guide wheels. The two sets of longitudinal guide wheels are respectively arranged on both sides of the cable tie wheel 21 in an axial direction perpendicular to the wheel shaft. Each set of longitudinal guide wheels includes two longitudinal guide wheels 24 that are separated from each other. The tethered cable 8 passes between the two longitudinal guide wheels 24 in each set.

[0040] To prevent wear on the tethered cable 8 at the inlet and outlet, this embodiment of the application can provide two sets of transverse guide wheels 5. The two sets of transverse guide wheels 5 are respectively arranged on both sides of the cable harness assembly 2 along an axial direction perpendicular to the wheel axle. The rotation direction of the transverse guide wheels 5 is the same as the rotation direction of the cable harness wheel 21. The tethered cable 8 is located above the two sets of transverse guide wheels 5 and below the cable harness wheel 21.

[0041] To enable the longitudinal guide roller 24 and the transverse guide roller 5 to cooperate and limit the tethered cable 8 within the required range, this embodiment of the application provides that, in the combined state of the opening and closing mechanism 4 and the base 1, the lowest position of the longitudinal guide roller 24 is lower than the upper surface of the transverse guide roller 5. This ensures that, after combination, the tethered cable 8 is always within the frame formed by the two longitudinal guide rollers 24 and the transverse guide roller 5 located on the same side, ensuring that the tethered cable 8 is limited to the left, right, and bottom, and will not move outside the groove of the cable tie wheel 21.

[0042] To facilitate the installation of the cable tie wheel 21, this embodiment of the application can provide that the first mounting plate 22 and the second mounting plate 23 are respectively provided with seated bearings 25, and the two ends of the axle of the cable tie wheel 21 are connected to the seated bearings 25 on the first mounting plate 22 and the second mounting plate 23 respectively.

[0043] It is understood that the opening and closing mechanism 4 provided in this application embodiment can connect the second mounting plate 23 to the base 1, and at the same time ensure that the second mounting plate 23 is separated from the base 1 when it needs to be opened. The opening and closing mechanism 4 can take various forms. For example, it can be hooked or locked with screws.

[0044] To further improve operational convenience, this application embodiment can provide that the opening and closing mechanism 4 includes a limiting seat 41 and at least one set of plunger pin mechanisms. The plunger pin mechanism includes a plunger pin 42, a return spring 43, and a push rod 44. The limiting seat 41 is provided with a mounting groove, and the end face of the inner side of the mounting groove is provided with an insertion hole. The mounting groove is provided with a housing 45 with a cavity structure in a free state. The plunger pin mechanism is disposed in the housing 45, and the plunger pin 42 is in the same direction as entering and exiting the insertion hole. The push rod 44 is fixedly connected to the side of the plunger pin 42 and extends out of the housing 45 along a slide rail on the housing 45. The return spring 43 is fitted on the outside of the plunger pin 42 and is located between the insertion hole and the push rod 44.

[0045] To ensure a more stable connection after connection, this embodiment of the application may also provide two symmetrically arranged plunger pin mechanisms, each with a socket on one of the two opposite end faces inside the mounting groove. When the push rods 44 included in each of the two plunger pin mechanisms approach each other, the plunger pins 42 included in each of the two plunger pin mechanisms can be withdrawn from the corresponding sockets. By squeezing the push rods 44 with the operator's thumb and forefinger, the plunger pins 42 are disengaged from the bottom limiting seat 41, thus opening the guide component. Once the guide component is open, the tethered cable 8 can be placed into the guide device. This method eliminates the need to pass the cable end through the guide device, making operation convenient. Squeezing the push rods 44 again closes the guide component, allowing the tethered cable 8 to be inserted.

[0046] To facilitate user handling when transporting the device, this embodiment of the application may also provide at least one handle 6 on the base 1, the handle 6 being connected to the base 1 via two handle 6 mounting seats hinged thereto. Further, the handle 6 may include two handles, located on either side of the cable assembly 2 in the axial direction of the axle.

[0047] To facilitate the fixing of the device, this embodiment of the application can provide a plurality of foot cones 7 on the lower part of the base 1, which are used for fixing on soft ground.

[0048] The tethered drone tether cable guiding device provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below.

[0049] The tethered cable guiding device includes: a handle 6 for moving the device; a foot cone 7 for fixing the device on soft ground to prevent displacement; a base 1, which serves as a mounting carrier for the parts and also acts as a counterweight to hold the tethered cable tension moving device; a seated bearing 25 for reducing the rotational friction of the cable-binding wheel 21; a vertical stop wheel for reducing the friction between the tethered cable 8 and the device during movement; a horizontal stop wheel 5 for reducing the friction between the tethered cable 8 and the device during movement; the cable-binding wheel 21 for restraining the lateral movement of the tethered cable 8 and changing the direction of cable movement; and a push rod 44 for actuating the plunger structure to open and close the guiding components.

[0050] Guide component opening and closing design: The opening and closing mechanism 4 mainly consists of a pair of plunger pin mechanisms, such as... Figure 2 As shown. The plunger pin mechanism mainly consists of plunger pin 42, return spring 43, and push rod 44. By squeezing the push rod 44 with the operator's thumb and forefinger, the plunger pin 42 is disengaged from the bottom connecting seat, thus opening the guide component and achieving... Figure 3 With the guide component in the open position, the tethered cable 8 can be placed into the guide device. This method eliminates the need to pass the cable end through the guide device, making operation convenient. The guide component can then be closed by pressing the push rod 44, allowing the tethered cable 8 to be inserted.

[0051] Before operation, place the tether cable guide device at a suitable tether cable lifting position. The operator simultaneously squeezes both push rods 44 to disengage the plunger pin 42 from the bottom connecting seat, and simultaneously lifts this part. The guide component rotates around the hinge axis 3, thus opening the guide component and achieving [operation]. Figure 4 With the guide component in the open position, the tethered cable 8 can be inserted into the guide device. Then, by pressing down on the push rod 44, the guide component can be closed, allowing the tethered cable 8 to be inserted, achieving... Figure 5 The operation status is shown.

[0052] like Figure 6 As shown, the tethered drone 9 integrated in the vehicle 10 can be guided by a tethered cable, and the cable's ascent path can be far away from the vehicle 10.

[0053] like Figure 7 The tethered drone 9 shown can change its takeoff path according to the actual situation through the action of the tether cable guidance device. The tether cable retraction device and the power converter 11 can be deployed in a sheltered environment.

[0054] In summary, the tethered cable guiding device for tethered drones provided in this application effectively avoids the risks of tethered cables becoming entangled or tripped by the vehicle when used on vehicle-mounted integrated tethered drones due to wind conditions. For portable tethered drones, this tethered cable guiding device allows the tethered cable retraction device and power converter to be placed in a shelter, preventing the equipment from being exposed to the elements and effectively protecting it from sun and rain. The tethered cable retraction device is a portable design, allowing for relocation or deployment as needed. The tethered cable guiding device can be quickly opened and closed without needing to insert the cable end into the guiding device or considering the connector size at the cable end. It features wide applicability and convenient operation.

[0055] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0056] As can be seen from the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that this application can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments of this application.

[0057] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for system or system embodiments, since they are basically similar to method embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments. The systems and system embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without creative effort.

[0058] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tethering cable guidance device, characterized in that, include: The base is used to support the various components; A wire harness assembly, the wire harness assembly including a wire harness wheel and a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate that are hinged to the two ends of the axle of the wire harness wheel in a one-to-one correspondence; The first mounting plate is hinged to the base via a hinge shaft, the axis of which is perpendicular to the axis of the wheel axle. The second mounting plate is connected to the base via an opening and closing mechanism. When the opening and closing mechanism is separated from the base, the cable harness assembly can rotate upward around the hinge shaft under external force, allowing the tethered cable located between the UAV and the cable take-up and take-down device to enter between the cable harness wheel and the base. When the opening and closing mechanism is combined with the base, the tethered cable is confined between the cable harness wheel and the base, thereby changing the ascent path of the tethered cable. The opening and closing mechanism includes a limiting seat and at least one set of plunger pin mechanisms. The plunger pin mechanism includes a plunger pin, a return spring, and a push rod. The limiting seat is provided with a mounting groove, and the inner end face of the mounting groove is provided with an insertion hole. The mounting groove is provided with a housing with a cavity structure in a free state. The plunger pin mechanism is disposed in the housing, and the direction of the plunger pin is the same as that of entering and exiting the insertion hole. The push rod is fixedly connected to the side of the plunger pin and extends out of the housing along a slide rail on the housing. The return spring is sleeved on the outside of the plunger pin and located between the insertion hole and the push rod.

2. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tethering cable guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable harness assembly further includes two sets of longitudinal guide rollers, which are arranged one-to-one on both sides of the cable harness wheel along an axial direction perpendicular to the wheel axle; each set of longitudinal guide rollers includes two separate longitudinal guide rollers; the tethered cable passes between the two longitudinal guide rollers in each set.

3. The tethered UAV tethering cable guiding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes two sets of transverse guide wheels, which are arranged on both sides of the cable harness assembly along an axial direction perpendicular to the wheel axle; the rotation direction of the transverse guide wheels is the same as the rotation direction of the cable harness wheel; the tethering cable is located above the two sets of transverse guide wheels and below the cable harness wheel.

4. The tethered UAV tethering cable guiding device according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the opening and closing mechanism is combined with the base, the lowest position of the longitudinal stop wheel is lower than the upper surface of the transverse stop wheel.

5. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tethering cable guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are respectively provided with seated bearings, and the two ends of the axle of the wire harness wheel are connected to the seated bearings on the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate respectively.

6. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tethering cable guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plunger pin mechanism includes two symmetrically arranged ones, and each of the two opposite end faces inside the mounting groove is provided with a socket; when the push rods contained in each of the two plunger pin mechanisms approach each other, the plunger pins contained in each of the two plunger pin mechanisms can be withdrawn from the corresponding sockets.

7. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tethering cable guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base is provided with at least one handle, which is connected to the base via two handle mounting seats that are hinged to it.

8. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tethering cable guiding device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The handle includes two parts, located on both sides of the cable assembly in the axial direction of the wheel axle.

9. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tethering cable guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base is provided with several foot cones at its lower part, which are used for fixing on soft ground.

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