An unmanned aerial vehicle that can be recovered in flight

Abstract

The application provides a novel unmanned aerial vehicle design which can be recovered in the air, and the scheme comprises a first docking impact rod, a rotating folding wing, a fuselage, a second docking impact rod, a first impact rod lock, a second impact rod lock, a foldable tail wing, a wing rotating mechanism and an impact rod lock hook. The wings and tail wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be conveniently folded, and the space occupied after folding is very small, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle can be conveniently hung and stored in the belly. When the unmanned aerial vehicle is recovered after completing a task, the first and second docking impact rods on the back of the unmanned aerial vehicle are extended, the docking impact rods are impacted by the recovery rope, the recovery rope is slid into the lock at the top of the docking impact rods, the docking impact rods are folded into the recesses on the back of the fuselage, the first and second impact rod locks on the back of the unmanned aerial vehicle lock the docking impact rods, a front and rear hanging point structure is formed, the wings of the unmanned aerial vehicle are actively folded under the fuselage, the foldable tail wing controls the attitude and heading of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the recovery rope for hanging the unmanned aerial vehicle is matched, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle can be reliably recovered to the lower side of the mother plane and stably recovered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology and relates to a novel design for aerial recovery of UAVs, which can achieve aerial recovery of large and medium-sized UAVs using simple technology. Background Technology

[0002] For air-dropped or cannon-launched drones without landing gear, recovery methods typically include parachute descent and net-crashing. Both require suitable recovery sites for successful recovery, with net-crashing recovery demanding higher strength from the drone. When a drone's range is limited and it cannot return to friendly territory, such as when using a fast-response air-dropped drone for enemy reconnaissance or jamming missions, and the drone cannot be recovered within enemy territory, an aerial recovery method is necessary. Regarding aerial drone recovery, the existing "Phantom" drone uses a refueling cone docking and recovery method. After multiple failures, it finally succeeded. The main reason is that this method requires sufficient docking accuracy from the slave drone, demanding precise visual recognition and slave drone control precision. Furthermore, the slave drone is located in the wake of the mother drone, and the complex flow field around it makes stable flight difficult to achieve docking. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Purpose of the invention: The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a new type of drone that can be recovered in the air, which is simple in structure and can tolerate a large docking error. It is also small in size when folded and easy to store.

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention discloses a design for an aerially recoverable drone, which has advantages such as simple structure, tolerance for larger docking errors, making docking and recovery simple and easy to implement, small size after folding, and convenient storage.

[0005] The UAV of this invention adopts a low-wing monoplane and X-tail configuration. The wings and tail are foldable, with the wings being actively deployable and foldable. After folding, the UAV can be mounted below or inside the mothership, or it can be launched in clusters via a cluster launcher, saving loading space on the mothership. The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0006] An aerial recovery drone includes a first docking bar, a rotating folding wing, a first docking bar latch, a fuselage, a second docking bar, a second docking bar latch, a foldable tail fin, a wing rotation mechanism, and a docking bar hook.

[0007] The upper part of the machine body has a groove, and the first and second impact rods are located in the groove on the upper part of the machine body.

[0008] The rotating folding wing is located below the wing rotation mechanism.

[0009] The wing rotation mechanism is used to connect the rotating and folding wing and the fuselage.

[0010] The first and second impact rod latches are located at the front and rear of the body recess, respectively.

[0011] The foldable tail fin is located at the rear of the fuselage.

[0012] The locking hooks of the impact rods are located at the respective ends of the first and second impact rods.

[0013] Furthermore, the fuselage can house the drone's power equipment, onboard electronic equipment, etc., and connect the rotating folding wings, folding tail fins, first docking rods, and second docking rods to the fuselage.

[0014] Furthermore, the first and second docking rods are controlled by a first and second docking rod drive motor, respectively, and can both be raised or lowered from the groove on the upper part of the drone fuselage. Both the first and second docking rods are controlled by independent motors and can actively rotate around their own rotation axes. In flight and / or onboard status, the first docking rod is locked in the front groove on the upper part of the drone fuselage, and the second docking rod is locked in the rear groove on the upper part of the drone fuselage. During docking, the first docking rod rotates and extends out of the groove towards the rear of the drone fuselage, and the second docking rod rotates and extends out of the groove towards the front of the drone fuselage, with the two docking rods arranged side-by-side at an angle of approximately 70°–80° to the forward direction of the fuselage. When the drone docking is complete and it enters the recovery state, the first and second docking rods, each with a recovery rope inside the docking rod locking hook, rotate towards the front and rear of the drone fuselage, respectively, and enter the groove on the upper part of the drone fuselage.

[0015] Furthermore, the impact bar locking hook has a spring-loaded locking hook. This spring-loaded locking hook ensures that the retrieval rope can slide into the impact bar locking hook and will not slide out again after sliding in. At the moment of UAV docking, the line formed between the impact bar locking hooks at the ends of the two docking impact bars is nearly or completely parallel to the retrieval rope of the mother aircraft. When the impact bar locking hook is subjected to upward pressure from the retrieval rope, the spring-loaded locking hook contracts inward, forming a movable opening. The retrieval rope slides into the spring-loaded locking hook, and the movable opening returns to a closed state, successfully engaging the retrieval rope with the impact bar locking hook. The impact bar locking hook remains closed when the UAV is in flight, onboard, or in retrieval mode.

[0016] Furthermore, both the first and second impact rod locks consist of an upper locking block, a lock shaft, a lock base, a telescopic pin, and an electric push rod. Both the first and second impact rod locks are electrically controlled, causing the upper locking block to spring up or down along the lock hook shaft, and the electric push rod to control the telescopic pin to insert into or pop out of the pin hole on the base. The telescopic pin is actively and controllably inserted into or removed from the pin hole, and the upper locking block is also controllably rotated around the lock hook shaft. Both the first and second impact rod locks are firmly connected to the fuselage and are used to actively lock / release the first and second impact rods, respectively. When the two impact rods carrying the retrieval rope are fully inserted into the groove, the first and second impact rods are locked. After the impact rods are fully locked, the impact rod locks can also be used as lifting points for the UAV mounted below the mother aircraft.

[0017] Furthermore, the aforementioned rotating folding wing is fixed to the wing rotation mechanism and can actively rotate around the fuselage.

[0018] Furthermore, the wing rotation mechanism consists of a wing motor and a rotating shaft gear, which can electrically deploy or retract the rotating folding wing, making the rotating folding wing perpendicular or parallel to the fuselage. When the UAV is in airborne and / or recovery mode, the wing rotation mechanism electrically folds the rotating folding wing under the fuselage, parallel to the fuselage; when the UAV is in flight and / or docking mode, the wing rotation mechanism electrically deploys the rotating folding wing, making the rotating folding wing perpendicular to the fuselage, thereby providing lift and roll torque for the UAV flight, and can actively fold it in the later stage of recovery.

[0019] Furthermore, the single-piece foldable tail fin consists of a tail fin stabilizer, a tail fin control surface, a tail fin torsion spring, and a tail fin pivot.

[0020] Furthermore, when the UAV is in onboard or recoverable state, the foldable tail fin folds and eventually fits against the fuselage; when the UAV is in flight, the foldable tail fin unfolds and is positioned in an X-shape at the rear of the fuselage. Preferably, the outer section of the foldable tail fin can fold approximately 135°, with the folding direction being clockwise or counterclockwise, reducing the external envelope space of the UAV after folding. The foldable tail fin also controls the pitch and heading of the UAV, ensuring stable and controllable flight, and controls the pitch attitude and heading of the UAV during flight and recovery, maintaining a relatively stable heading and attitude with the mother aircraft.

[0021] The wing rotation mechanism connects the foldable wing and the fuselage, and can actively drive the foldable wing to rotate relative to the fuselage, so that the drone can dock with the recovery rope without having to ensure precise position control.

[0022] The drone is equipped with a visual recognition device to identify the recovery rope on the recovery mother machine. Preferably, the recovery rope is part of the recovery system on the recovery mother machine and is made of high-modulus flexible circular cross-section rope, such as Kevlar, to withstand the tension of the recovery rope when it impacts the collision bar and to have the flexibility for rapid winding and release.

[0023] Beneficial effects: (1) Compared with the prior art, the solution of the present invention reduces the docking accuracy requirements of the UAV and at the same time reduces the flight resistance of the UAV by eliminating the docking rod that docks with the mother machine cone sleeve.

[0024] (2) The drone of the present invention has a smaller size when folded, making it convenient to store inside the carrier. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, and the advantages of the present invention in the above and / or other aspects will become clearer.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the drone in its fully folded state (airborne state) provided by the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the fully deployed (flight) state of the UAV provided by the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the moment before the drone docking provided by the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the moment when the UAV completes docking and is ready for recovery, as provided by the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the drone recovery status provided by the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the drone docking rod provided by the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the impact bar lock for the drone provided by the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the wing rotation mechanism of the UAV provided by the present invention.

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the foldable tail fin of the UAV provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings of this invention are as follows: first docking impact bar 1, recovery rope 2, rotating folding wing 3, first impact bar latch 4, fuselage 5, second docking impact bar 6, second impact bar latch 7, foldable tail wing 8, wing rotation mechanism 9, and impact bar latch 10; the first docking impact bar 1 is composed of a first impact bar body 1-1 and a first impact bar drive motor 1-2, and the second docking impact bar 6 is composed of a second impact bar body 6-1 and a second impact bar drive motor 6-2; the impact bar latch is composed of an upper locking block 4-1, a latch pivot 4-2, a latch base 4-3, a telescopic pin 4-4, and an electric push rod 4-5; the single tail wing of the foldable tail wing 8 is composed of a tail wing stabilizer 8-1, a tail wing control surface 8-2, a tail wing torsion spring 8-3, and a tail wing pivot 8-4; the wing rotation mechanism 9 is driven by a wing motor 9-1 and a pivot gear 9-2; the impact bar latch 10 has a spring latch 10-1.

[0036] The present invention provides an aerial recovery drone, comprising a first docking bar 1, a rotating folding wing 3, a first docking bar latch 4, a fuselage 5, a second docking bar 6, a second docking bar latch 7, a foldable tail fin 8, a wing rotation mechanism 9, and a docking bar hook 10.

[0037] The upper part of the fuselage 5 has a groove, and the first and second impact rods 1 and 6 are located within the groove on the upper part of the fuselage 5. Figure 6 As shown, the first impact rod is driven to rotate around its own rotation axis by the first impact rod drive motor 1-2, and similarly, the second impact rod is driven to rotate by the second impact rod drive motor 6-2. Both the first impact rod 1 and the second impact rod 6 can be erected or lowered from the groove on the upper part of the machine body 5.

[0038] The first impact rod latch 4 and the second impact rod latch 7 are located at the upper front and upper rear of the fuselage 5, respectively. Figure 7 As shown, the first striker latch 4 consists of an upper locking block 4-1, a latch pivot 4-2, a latch base 4-3, a telescopic pin 4-4, and an electric push rod 4-5. The second striker latch 7 has the same composition as the first striker latch 4. Both the first striker latch 4 and the second striker latch 7 are electrically controlled, causing the upper locking block to spring up or down along the latch pivot, and the telescopic pin can be inserted into the pin hole on the latch base.

[0039] The rotating folding wing 3 is located below the wing rotation mechanism 9.

[0040] The wing rotation mechanism 9 connects the rotating folding wing 3 and the fuselage 5. The wing rotation mechanism 9 can electrically deploy or retract the rotating folding wing 3, making the rotating folding wing 3 perpendicular or parallel to the fuselage 5. Figure 8 As shown, the wing rotation mechanism 9 is driven by the wing motor 9-1 inside the UAV fuselage, which drives the gear 9-2 on the rotating shaft, thereby causing the wing 3 to rotate and fold.

[0041] The foldable tail fin 8 is located at the rear of the fuselage 5. The foldable tail fin 8 has two states: folded and unfolded. The folded state involves the tail fin 8 being folded and ultimately fitting against the rear of the fuselage 5. Figure 9 As shown, the single tail fin of the tail fin 8 is composed of a tail fin stabilizer 8-1, a tail fin control surface 8-2, a tail fin torsion spring 8-3, and a tail fin pivot 8-4. The unfolded state is that the foldable tail fin (8) is distributed in an X-shape at the tail of the fuselage (5).

[0042] The impact rod locking hook 10 is located at the respective ends of the first impact rod 1 and the second impact rod 6. The impact rod locking hook 10 has a spring locking hook.

[0043] The drone is equipped with a visual recognition device to identify the recovery rope 2 on the mother machine.

[0044] Example 1

[0045] See Figures 1 to 5 This implementation method describes the working method of a novel controllable and recoverable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV):

[0046] When the drone is in airborne mode, it is mounted inside the mothership. Both wings 3 and tail fin 8 are folded. Wing 3 is folded under the fuselage 5, parallel to it. Tail fin 8 is folded and fitted against the tail of the fuselage 5. Straps are installed at the tail of the fuselage 5 to lock the folded tail fin 8 in place. Both docking strike rods are located in grooves on the upper part of the fuselage 5, and both strike rod hooks and latches are in a closed state. Figure 1 As shown.

[0047] Before the mother aircraft drops the drone, manually loosen the tail strap on fuselage 5. The foldable tail fin 8, under the action of tail fin torsion spring 8-3, unfolds along tail fin pivot 8-4, forming an X-shape at the tail of the fuselage. After the drop, the wing motor 9-1 inside the drone's fuselage drives the gear 9-2 on the pivot, causing the drone to quickly unfold and rotate the foldable wing 3, and start the engine to enter flight mode. Figure 2 As shown. Among them, the wing rotation mechanism 9 of the UAV uses an electric method to quickly unfold and rotate the folding wing 3, so that the wing 3 rotates 90° and is perpendicular to the fuselage 5.

[0048] After the drone completes its mission and enters the docking state, the telescopic pins of the first and second impact rod latches begin to retract under the control of the electric push rod. The upper locking block opens upward along the latch's rotating axis, causing both docking impact rods to rotate upward and extend out of their grooves. The two docking impact rods are arranged side by side, forming a forward angle of approximately 70° to 80° with the fuselage, for colliding and recovering rope 2. Figure 3As shown. The UAV flies below the mother aircraft. At this time, the mother aircraft deploys the recovery rope 2, and the two docking thrusters approach the recovery rope 2 in the same direction. That is, the line formed between the thruster hooks 10 at the ends of the two docking thrusters is close to or completely parallel to the recovery rope 2. When the UAV's docking thruster hits the mother aircraft's recovery rope 2, the thruster hook 10 is subjected to upward pressure from the recovery rope 2. The spring hook 10-1 retracts inward, forming a movable opening. The recovery rope 2 slides into the spring hook 10-1, and the movable opening returns to the closed state. The recovery rope 2 and the thruster hook 10-1 are successfully engaged. Due to the tension, the recovery rope 2 slides into the thruster hook 10 at the end of the docking thruster. The spring hook 10-1 completes the hook-locking of the recovery rope 2 and completes the automatic locking of the recovery rope 2.

[0049] After docking, the drone enters the recovery state. At this time, the recovery rope 2 of the mother drone is a free rope. The first and second docking rods of the drone, carrying the recovery rope 2, rotate towards the front and rear of the fuselage 5 respectively, entering the corresponding grooves (e.g., Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown), after restoring to the initial airborne state, the first impact rod latch 4 and the second impact rod latch 7 respectively lock the first docking impact rod 1 and the second docking impact rod 6. The locking process is as follows: When the first docking impact rod is completely inserted into the fuselage groove, the upper locking block 4-1 on the first impact rod latch 4 is lowered, and the electric push rod 4-5 controls the telescopic pin 4-4 to insert into the pin hole on the latch base 4-3, fixing the upper locking block 4-1 and completing the locking of the first docking impact rod 1. The locking process of the second docking impact rod 6 is the same as that of the first docking impact rod. The impact rod latch is as follows: Figure 7 As shown. After the first docking impact rod 1 and the second docking impact rod 6 are locked, the UAV forms a stable front and rear hoisting point configuration. The UAV's flight speed decreases, and the rotating folding wing 3, under the control of the wing rotation mechanism 9, gradually rotates and folds to the lower part of the fuselage 5, forming a parallel state with the fuselage 5, thus reducing the UAV's lift. At this time, the UAV's foldable tail 8 controls its heading and pitch attitude to maintain relative stability with the mother aircraft. The mother aircraft controls the recovery rope to gradually retract, eventually recovering the UAV into the mother aircraft's cabin. At this point, the tail stabilizer 8-1 and tail control surface 8-2 are manually folded from the tail pivot 8-4, and the tail wing 8 is manually restrained using the fuselage tail straps. The outer section of the tail wing can be folded approximately 135°. During the docking process, it is only necessary to ensure that the docking impact rod hits the recovery rope to ensure successful docking and smoothly complete the subsequent recovery process. Compared with the conical docking recovery scheme of the existing "Gremlins" UAV, this allows for a larger docking error.

[0050] This new, controllable drone design reduces the accuracy requirements for drone recovery, makes the structure simple and easy to implement, and allows for small size and easy storage after folding.

[0051] This invention provides a concept and method for aerial recovery of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Many methods and approaches exist for implementing this technical solution; the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of this invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this invention. All components not explicitly stated in this embodiment can be implemented using existing technologies.

Claims

1. An aerially recoverable unmanned aerial vehicle, characterized in that, It includes a first docking bar (1), a rotating folding wing (3), a first docking bar latch (4), a fuselage (5), a second docking bar (6), a second docking bar latch (7), a foldable tail fin (8), a wing rotation mechanism (9), and a docking bar hook (10). The upper part of the fuselage (5) has a groove, and the first and second docking rods (1) and the second docking rods (6) can be movably unfolded in the groove on the upper part of the fuselage (5); The rotating folding wing (3) is located below the wing rotating mechanism (9); The wing rotation mechanism (9) is used to connect the rotating and folding wing (3) and the fuselage (5); The first strike bar latch (4) and the second strike bar latch (7) are located at the upper front part and the upper rear part of the fuselage (5), respectively; The foldable tail fin (8) is located at the rear of the fuselage (5); The impact rod locking hook (10) is at the respective ends of the first impact rod (1) and the second impact rod (6); the first impact rod (1) and the second impact rod (6) are controlled by the first impact rod drive motor (1-2) and the second impact rod drive motor (6-2) respectively, and can be raised or lowered from the groove on the upper part of the body (5); When the UAV is docking, the first docking impact rod (1) and the second docking impact rod (6) extend out of the groove and are arranged side by side to collide with the recovery rope (2). At the moment of UAV docking, the line formed between the impact rod hooks (10) at the ends of the two docking impact rods is close to or completely parallel to the recovery rope (2). When the impact rod hooks (10) are subjected to the pressure from the bottom up by the recovery rope (2), the recovery rope (2) and the impact rod hooks (10) are successfully hooked together. When the UAV docking is completed and enters the recovery state, the first and second docking impact rods with the recovery rope (2) inside the impact rod hooks (10) rotate towards the front and rear of the fuselage and enter the groove on the upper part of the UAV fuselage, respectively.

2. The recoverable drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned strike bar lock hook (10) has a spring lock hook (10-1).

3. The recoverable drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first strike bar latch (4) and the second strike bar latch (7) are both composed of an upper locking block, a latch pivot, a latch base, a telescopic pin, and an electric push rod. The first strike bar latch (4) and the second strike bar latch (7) are both electrically controlled, so that the upper locking block bounces up or down along the latch pivot, and the telescopic pin inserts into or pulls out of the pin hole on the latch base.

4. The recoverable drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wing rotation mechanism (9) consists of a wing motor (9-1) and a rotating shaft gear (9-2), which uses an electric method to unfold or retract the rotating folding wing (3) so that the rotating folding wing (3) is perpendicular or parallel to the fuselage (5).

5. The recoverable drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The single tail fin of the foldable tail fin (8) consists of a tail fin stabilizer (8-1), a tail fin control surface (8-2), a tail fin torsion spring (8-3), and a tail fin pivot (8-4).

6. A recoverable unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that, The foldable tail fin (8) has two states: folded and unfolded. In the folded state, the foldable tail fin (8) is folded and finally attached to the tail of the fuselage (5). In the unfolded state, the foldable tail fin (8) is distributed in an X shape at the tail of the fuselage (5).

7. The recoverable drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drone is equipped with a visual recognition device to identify the recovery rope (2) on the mother machine.

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