A take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor drone

Abstract

The application discloses a take-off and landing device of a multi-rotor unmanned plane, which has a take-off and landing platform, and a clamping mechanism is arranged at the lower end of the unmanned plane; the take-off and landing platform comprises a rotor arm contact ring arranged at the upper portion and a guide groove arranged at the lower portion; the rotor arm contact ring is annular and used for supporting the rotor arm of the multi-rotor unmanned plane; the guide groove is located at the central position of the rotor arm contact ring and used for receiving the clamping mechanism, so that the unmanned plane cannot be tilted after landing; and the guide groove comprises a guide ring which can be in contact with the clamping mechanism and guide the clamping mechanism to enter the central position of the guide groove. The take-off and landing device of the multi-rotor unmanned plane solves the problem that the take-off and landing platform cannot provide stable support when the multi-rotor unmanned plane with the clamping mechanism lands, thereby causing the difficulty in landing of the unmanned plane.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), belonging to the field of aircraft technology. Background Technology

[0002] Multirotor drones, as one of the most commonly used drones, are increasingly being used in more and more fields, such as patrol and aerial photography, due to their advantages such as small size, flexible movement, and hovering.

[0003] However, in existing technologies, these applications of multi-rotor drones are mainly focused on environmental perception, and they cannot actively manipulate the environment, which greatly limits the application scope of multi-rotor drones.

[0004] When a clamping mechanism is attached to the bottom of a drone, the drone's ascent and descent become very difficult. Conventional lifting platforms cannot provide stable support for the drone, making it difficult to take off and recover, and easily causing damage to the drone.

[0005] In addition, due to the size and payload of drones, the current flight time of drones is limited. Autonomous charging of drones after landing has become a new demand. However, due to the limitations of drone landing accuracy, it is impossible to accurately control the direction of the drone's nose, making it difficult to achieve automatic docking of the charging port with the drone body.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to further study the take-off and landing devices of existing multi-rotor UAVs in order to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To overcome the above problems, the inventors conducted in-depth research and provided a take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which includes a take-off and landing platform and a clamping mechanism at the lower end of the UAV.

[0008] The take-off and landing platform includes an upper arm contact ring and a lower guide groove.

[0009] The arm contact ring is annular and is used to support the arm of the rotary-wing UAV. The guide groove is located in the center of the arm contact ring and is used to receive the clamping mechanism so that the UAV will not tip over after landing.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the guide groove includes a guide ring that can contact the clamping mechanism to guide the clamping mechanism into the center of the guide groove.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the clamping mechanism includes a clamping control box and a gripper. The clamping control box is provided with a drive unit that controls the opening and closing of the gripper, and the gripper is located at the center of the lower part of the clamping control box.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the clamping control box is a square box, and the guide groove further includes a gripper cavity disposed below the guide ring;

[0013] The guide ring is an inverted pyramid structure composed of four trapezoidal plates, with guide grooves provided on the trapezoidal plates.

[0014] During the drone's descent, the corner of the clamping control box contacts the guide groove, which guides the corner of the clamping control box to the diagonal position of the guide ring.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the grippers are conical when closed.

[0016] The gripper cavity is an inverted pyramid-shaped structure composed of four trapezoidal plates. After it comes into contact with the closed gripper, it plays a guiding role, guiding the gripper into the center position of the gripper cavity.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the guide ring and the upper surface of the gripper cavity on the same side are collinear in the same vertical cross section. The collinear straight line is called the envelope, and the envelope passes through the inner top surface of the arm contact ring.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, in the same vertical cross section, the included angle between the two envelopes is greater than or equal to the tip angle of the cone formed by the closed grippers.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, a support platform is provided at the upper end of the gripper cavity and the lower end of the guide ring.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the gripper includes multiple gripping plates, each gripping plate having a triangular cross-section and a pivot hole and a lifting hole provided on it.

[0021] The clamping control box is equipped with a motor, a screw, and a connector. The motor drives the screw to rotate.

[0022] A gripper rotating pin is provided at the bottom of the gripping control box, and the gripper rotating pin is inserted into the rotating shaft hole.

[0023] One end of the connector is hinged to the claw lifting hole, and the other end is threaded to the screw, so that when the screw rotates, the connector can move up and down, thereby realizing the rotation of the gripper and thus the opening and closing of the claw.

[0024] The present invention also discloses a method for the take-off and landing of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein an arm contact ring is provided on the upper part of the take-off and landing platform and a guide groove is provided on the lower part.

[0025] The rotorcraft drone's arms are supported by contact rings on the arms, and the clamping mechanism is supported by guide grooves, ensuring that the drone will not tip over after landing.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this invention include:

[0027] (1) It solves the problem that the lifting platform cannot provide stable support when the multi-rotor UAV with clamping mechanism lands, making it difficult for the UAV to land;

[0028] (2) Multi-rotor UAVs can land smoothly and are less likely to cause damage to the clamping mechanism;

[0029] (3) After landing, the nose of the multi-rotor UAV is fixed, which facilitates the UAV's take-off positioning, motion vector control, and charging port docking. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the take-off and landing device of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the take-off and landing platform structure of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the take-off and landing device clamping mechanism of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the take-off and landing device of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0034] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the guide groove structure of the take-off and landing device of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0035] Figure 6-9 A schematic diagram of the take-off and landing device of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in the landing state of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0036] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the gripper structure of a take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0037] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the take-off and landing device clamping control box structure of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0038] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0039] 1-Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs);

[0040] 2-Clamping mechanism;

[0041] 3-Landing and takeoff platform;

[0042] 21-Clamping control box;

[0043] 22-Grippers;

[0044] 31-Arm contact ring;

[0045] 32-Guide groove;

[0046] 211-Electric motor;

[0047] 212-Screw;

[0048] 213 - Connector;

[0049] 220-Screenshot;

[0050] 221 - Shaft hole;

[0051] 222 - Lifting hole;

[0052] 321 - Guide ring;

[0053] 322-Gripper cavity;

[0054] 323-Supporting platform;

[0055] 3211 - Guide slot. Detailed Implementation

[0056] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Through these descriptions, the features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer and more apparent.

[0057] The term “exemplary” as used herein means “serving as an example, embodiment, or illustration.” Any embodiment illustrated herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or better than other embodiments. Although various aspects of embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated otherwise.

[0058] According to the present invention, a take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it has a take-off and landing platform 3, and a clamping mechanism 2 is provided at the lower end of the drone 1.

[0059] The take-off and landing platform 3 includes an upper arm contact ring 31 and a lower guide groove 32.

[0060] The arm contact ring 31 is annular and is used to support the arm of the rotary-wing UAV. The guide groove 32 is located in the center of the arm contact ring 31 and is used to receive the clamping mechanism 2 so that the UAV will not tip over after landing.

[0061] Generally, clamping mechanisms are small and lightweight, while drones are large and heavy. When a drone lands, relying entirely on the clamping mechanism for support can be detrimental to the drone's stability, making it prone to tipping over and damage. Furthermore, it can subject the clamping mechanism to excessive stress, potentially causing deformation. This invention avoids these problems by incorporating an arm contact ring to support the rotorcraft drone's arm.

[0062] In a preferred embodiment, the guide groove 32 includes a guide ring 321, which is capable of contacting the clamping mechanism 2 to guide the clamping mechanism 2 into the central position of the guide groove 32. Figure 2 As shown.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the clamping mechanism 2 includes a clamping control box 21 and a gripper 22. The clamping control box 21 is provided with a drive unit for controlling the opening and closing of the gripper 22. The gripper 22 is located at the center of the lower part of the clamping control box 21.

[0064] In one embodiment, the guide groove 32 can be a spherical groove, which guides the clamping mechanism to a designated position via a spherical guide, such as... Figure 4 As shown, however, the landing process of a rotary-wing drone involves rotational motion. Under this guidance method, the nose direction of the rotary-wing drone will be uncertain when it lands at the bottom of the take-off and landing platform. Due to the uncertainty of the nose direction, on the one hand, it is not possible to quickly locate and control the motion vector during the next take-off, which can easily lead to instability. On the other hand, it is impossible to set up a charging port on the take-off and landing platform, which makes it difficult to connect the charging port with the aircraft.

[0065] In a preferred embodiment, the clamping control box 21 is a square box, and the guide groove 32 further includes a gripper cavity 322, which is disposed below the guide ring 321;

[0066] The guide ring 321 is an inverted pyramid structure composed of four trapezoidal plates. Guide grooves 3211 are provided on the trapezoidal plates, such as... Figure 5 As shown,

[0067] During the landing of the drone, the corner of the clamping control box 21 contacts the guide groove 3211, and the corner of the clamping control box 21 is guided to the diagonal position of the guide ring 321 through the guide groove 3211.

[0068] More preferably, the guide groove 3211 includes multiple vertical guide grooves, and an oblique guide groove is provided at the lower end of the vertical guide grooves. Through the cooperation of the vertical guide grooves and the oblique guide grooves, the corner of the clamping control box 21 is guided to the diagonal position of the guide ring 321.

[0069] Figure 6-8 This illustrates a landing guidance process for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), in which... Figure 6 The corner of the clamping control box 21 is located on the central axis of the guide ring 321, and is far from the diagonal position of the guide ring 321. After it contacts the guide groove 3211, it gradually rotates under the guidance of the guide groove 3211. Figure 7 The state, finally reached Figure 8 The state is such that the corner of the clamping control box 21 reaches the diagonal position of the guide ring 321. With this setup, the multi-rotor drone can be controlled to rotate to a fixed orientation, facilitating takeoff positioning and motion vector control. Simultaneously, when the multi-rotor drone requires charging, the fixed orientation of its nose after landing also facilitates docking with the charging port.

[0070] According to the present invention, preferably, a charging interface is also provided on the take-off and landing platform 3, so as to connect with the charging port of the multi-rotor drone after the multi-rotor drone lands and realize autonomous charging.

[0071] Furthermore, the specific location and structure of the charging interface are not limited in this invention, and those skilled in the art can freely set them according to actual needs.

[0072] In a preferred embodiment, the gripper 22 forms a cone shape when closed.

[0073] The gripper cavity 322 is an inverted pyramid-shaped structure composed of four trapezoidal plates. After it comes into contact with the closed gripper 22, it plays a guiding role, guiding the gripper 22 into the center position of the gripper cavity 322.

[0074] According to the present invention, by guiding the gripper 22 through the gripper cavity 322, the large horizontal tilt of the rotor drone during landing is avoided, which would lead to instability of the center of gravity and tipping of the landing platform, thus keeping the fuselage of the multi-rotor drone level during landing.

[0075] In a preferred embodiment, the arm contact ring 31 is a square ring.

[0076] In a preferred embodiment, the upper surfaces of the guide ring 321 and the gripper cavity 322 on the same side are collinear in the same vertical cross section, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the collinear straight lines are called the envelope, which passes through the inner top surface of the arm contact ring 31. This design ensures that the multi-rotor UAV will not collide with the lifting platform during landing, especially the gripper 22, thus guaranteeing the gripper's lifespan.

[0077] In a preferred embodiment, in the same vertical cross section, the included angle α of the two envelopes is greater than or equal to the tip angle of the cone formed by the closed gripper 22, so that the gripper 22 can smoothly enter the gripper cavity 322 and avoid the gripper 22 being stuck by the inner wall of the gripper cavity 322.

[0078] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 5 , 9 As shown, a support platform 323 is provided at the upper end of the gripper cavity 322 and the lower end of the guide ring 321.

[0079] As a tightly packed component, the gripper is prone to deformation and damage under excessive pressure or load. By installing a support platform 323 to hold and control the gripper on the lifting platform, the gripper is prevented from being subjected to force after the drone lands, thus avoiding the gripper being squeezed and deformed.

[0080] Furthermore, the 323 support platform reduces the load on the multi-rotor UAV arms after landing, thus increasing the service life of the arms.

[0081] In a preferred embodiment, the gripper 22 includes a plurality of gripping pieces 220, such as Figure 10 As shown, the gripper 220 has a triangular cross-section, and a pivot hole 221 and a lifting hole 222 are provided on the gripper 220.

[0082] The clamping control box 21 is equipped with a motor 211, a screw 212, and a connector 213, such as Figure 11 As shown, the screw 212 is rotated by the motor 211.

[0083] A gripper rotating pin is provided at the bottom of the clamping control box 21, and the gripper rotating pin is inserted into the rotating shaft hole 221.

[0084] One end of the connector 213 is hinged to the gripper lifting hole 222, and the other end is threaded to the screw 212, so that when the screw 212 rotates, the connector 213 can move up and down, thereby realizing the rotation of the gripper 220, and thus realizing the opening and closing of the gripper 22.

[0085] The present invention also provides a method for the take-off and landing of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein an arm contact ring is provided on the upper part of the take-off and landing platform and a guide groove is provided on the lower part.

[0086] The rotorcraft drone's arms are supported by contact rings on the arms, and the clamping mechanism is supported by guide grooves, ensuring that the drone will not tip over after landing.

[0087] In a preferred embodiment, a guide ring is provided in the guide groove, and the guide ring contacts the clamping mechanism to guide the clamping mechanism into the center position of the guide groove.

[0088] In a preferred embodiment, a clamping control box and a gripper are provided in the clamping mechanism. The gripper is located at the center below the clamping control box, and the opening and closing of the gripper is controlled by a drive unit provided in the clamping control box.

[0089] In a preferred embodiment, the guide ring is configured as an inverted pyramid structure composed of four trapezoidal plates. Guide grooves are provided on the trapezoidal plates to guide the corners of the clamping control box to the diagonal position of the guide ring, thereby controlling the orientation of the aircraft during landing.

[0090] In a preferred embodiment, the closed gripper is set in a conical shape, and the gripper cavity is an inverted pyramid structure composed of four trapezoidal plates. The gripper is guided into the center position of the gripper cavity by contacting the four walls of the gripper cavity with the closed gripper.

[0091] In a preferred embodiment, by setting the guide ring and the upper surface of the gripper cavity on the same side to be collinear in the same vertical cross section, the collinear straight line is called the envelope line, and the envelope line passes through the inner top surface of the arm contact ring, so that the UAV will not collide with the take-off and landing platform when landing.

[0092] In a preferred embodiment, by setting the included angle of the two envelopes in the same vertical cross section to be greater than or equal to the tip angle of the cone formed by the closed gripper, the gripping mechanism can be smoothly lowered into the landing platform.

[0093] In a preferred embodiment, a support platform is provided at the upper end of the gripper cavity and the lower end of the guide ring to support the gripper control box and prevent the gripper from being squeezed and deformed.

[0094] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front," "rear," "horizontal," and "vertical," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship under the working state of this invention. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0095] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0096] The present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments; however, these embodiments are merely exemplary and illustrative. Various substitutions and modifications can be made to the present invention based on these embodiments, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, characterized in that, It has a take-off and landing platform (3) and a clamping mechanism (2) is provided at the lower end of the UAV (1). The take-off and landing platform (3) includes an upper arm contact ring (31) and a lower guide groove (32). The arm contact ring (31) is annular and is used to support the arm of the rotor drone. The guide groove (32) is located in the center of the arm contact ring (31) and is used to receive the clamping mechanism (2) so that the drone will not tip over after landing. The clamping mechanism (2) includes a clamping control box (21) and a gripper (22). The clamping control box (21) is provided with a drive unit for controlling the opening and closing of the gripper (22). The gripper (22) is located at the center of the lower part of the clamping control box (21). The clamping control box (21) is a square box, and the guide groove (32) also includes a gripper cavity (322) which is located below the guide ring (321); The guide ring (321) is an inverted pyramid structure made up of four trapezoidal plates, and a guide groove (3211) is provided on the trapezoidal plates. During the landing of the drone, the corner of the clamping control box (21) contacts the guide groove (3211), and the corner of the clamping control box (21) is guided to the diagonal position of the guide ring (321) through the guide groove (3211); The guide groove (3211) includes multiple vertical guide grooves and an oblique guide groove is provided at the lower end of the vertical guide groove. Through the cooperation of the vertical guide groove and the oblique guide groove, the corner of the clamping control box (21) is guided to the diagonal position of the guide ring (321).

2. The take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide groove (32) includes a guide ring (321), which can contact the clamping mechanism (2) to guide the clamping mechanism (2) into the center of the guide groove (32).

3. The take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripper (22) forms a cone shape when closed. The gripper cavity (322) is an inverted pyramid structure composed of four trapezoidal plates. After it comes into contact with the closed gripper (22), it plays a guiding role, guiding the gripper (22) into the center position of the gripper cavity (322).

4. The take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper surfaces of the guide ring (321) and the gripper cavity (322) on the same side are collinear in the same vertical section. The collinear straight line is called the envelope line, which passes through the inner top surface of the arm contact ring (31).

5. The take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the same vertical section, the angle between the two envelopes is greater than or equal to the angle at the tip of the cone formed by the closed gripper (22).

6. The take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, At the upper end of the gripper cavity (322), a support platform (323) is provided at the lower end of the guide ring (321).

7. The take-off and landing device for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripper (22) includes multiple gripping plates (220), each gripping plate (220) having a triangular cross-section, and a pivot hole (221) and a lifting hole (222) provided on the gripping plate (220). The clamping control box (21) is equipped with a motor (211), a screw (212), and a connector (213). The motor (211) drives the screw (212) to rotate. A gripper rotating pin is provided at the bottom of the gripping control box (21), and the gripper rotating pin is inserted into the rotating shaft hole (221). One end of the connector (213) is hinged to the claw lifting hole (222), and the other end is threaded to the screw (212), so that when the screw (212) rotates, the connector (213) can move up and down, thereby realizing the rotation of the gripper (220) and thus realizing the opening and closing of the claw (22).

8. A method for taking off and landing of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, using the apparatus described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, A boom contact ring is installed on the upper part of the take-off and landing platform, and a guide groove is installed on the lower part. The rotorcraft drone's arms are supported by contact rings on the arms, and the clamping mechanism is supported by guide grooves, ensuring that the drone will not tip over after landing.

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