Perching device for a drone, drone

Abstract

The application discloses a habitat device for a UAV, which comprises a mounting base plate, a supporting arm, a claw arm base, two claw arms and a control member, the supporting arm comprises a horizontal part, a connecting part at one end of the horizontal part and a clamping part at the other end of the horizontal part, the clamping part is provided with a clamping groove; the claw arm base comprises a sliding part sleeved on the horizontal part and two fixing parts connected to the sliding part, the clamping part is located between the two fixing parts and can limit the sliding part from sliding out of the horizontal part; the claw arm comprises a claw part, the rear end of the claw part is provided with a clamping pin, the rear end of the claw part is arranged between the two fixing parts, the claw part is connected to the fixing part near the rear end of the claw part, the front end of the claw part extends out of the two fixing parts, and the clamping pin can be clamped on the clamping groove; a push-pull spring is arranged between the sliding part and the clamping part, a contraction spring is arranged between the claw parts of the two claw arms, and the control member is connected to the rear end of the claw part between the two claw arms. The application further discloses a UAV comprising the habitat device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and particularly relates to a habitat device for UAVs and the UAV itself. Background Technology

[0002] Drones are widely used in aerial photography, agriculture, plant protection, express delivery, disaster relief, surveying, power line inspection, forest patrol, and many other fields. They are increasingly integrated into daily life and production, with their applications expanding significantly, becoming an important piece of equipment in both industry and daily life. However, limited by battery power technology and takeoff weight, the endurance of drones is insufficient to meet demand. Against this backdrop, if drones could be made to hover in the air, like birds, using certain objects for resting, it would solve the problem of short flight time commonly found in existing drones, greatly extending their operational time. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention provides a habitat device and a drone for drones, so as to solve the problem of how drones should be habitatd.

[0004] To address the above problems, the present invention first provides a perching device for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the perching device comprising a mounting base, a support arm, a claw arm base, two claw arms, and a control unit.

[0005] The support arm includes a horizontal part, a connecting part located at one end of the horizontal part, and a locking part located at the other end of the horizontal part. The horizontal part and the connecting part are set at a certain angle. The connecting part is connected to the mounting base plate, and a locking groove is formed on the locking part.

[0006] The claw arm base includes a sliding part and two fixed parts symmetrically connected to the sliding part. The sliding part is sleeved on the horizontal part, and the locking part is located between the two fixed parts. The locking part can restrict the sliding part from sliding out of the horizontal part when it slides on the horizontal part.

[0007] The claw arm includes a claw portion, a locking pin is provided on the rear end of the claw portion, a protrusion is formed on the portion of the claw portion near the rear end of the claw portion, the rear end of the claw portion is disposed between the two fixed portions and the portion of the claw portion near the rear end of the claw portion is connected to the fixed portion, the front end of the claw portion opposite to the rear end of the claw portion and the protrusion extend out from between the two fixed portions, and the locking pin can be engaged with the locking groove.

[0008] A push-pull spring is connected between the sliding part and the locking part, and a retraction spring is connected to the claw part between the two claw arms. The retraction spring is away from the fixing part and located between the protrusions. The control element is connected to the rear end of the claw part between the two claw arms.

[0009] Furthermore, the connecting part is rotatably connected to one end of the mounting base plate, and a buffer spring is connected to the other end of the mounting base plate. The buffer spring is connected to the connecting part, so that the mounting base plate, the connecting part, and the buffer spring are connected in a triangle.

[0010] Furthermore, a hole is formed on the connecting part, and a first fixing post is provided in the hole, and the buffer spring can be connected to the first fixing post.

[0011] Furthermore, a connecting through hole is formed on the lower part of the slot on the locking part, and a mounting hole is formed on the sliding part at the same horizontal line as the connecting through hole. A second fixing post is provided in the mounting hole. One end of the push-pull spring is connected to the connecting through hole, and the other end of the push-pull spring is connected to the second fixing post.

[0012] Furthermore, the sliding part is in the form of a square block, and the square block is provided with a through hole. The connecting part passes through the through hole between the two fixed parts so that the square block is fitted onto the horizontal part.

[0013] Furthermore, the fixing part consists of two connecting rods, one end of which is connected to the sliding part, and the other end of which is connected by an arc-shaped rod, which is used to connect to the claw arm.

[0014] Furthermore, the claw arm is formed by two claw portions, the front ends of the two claw portions are connected by a first connecting post, and the rear ends of the two claw portions opposite to the front ends of the two claw portions are connected by a second connecting post.

[0015] Furthermore, a third connecting post is connected between the rear ends of the two claws in the claw arm, one end of the control member is connected to the third connecting post of one of the claw arms, and the other end of the control member is connected to the third connecting post of the other claw arm.

[0016] Furthermore, two of the claws in the claw arm are connected to a fourth connecting post near the rear end of the claw. One end of the contraction spring is connected to the fourth connecting post of one of the claw arms, and the other end of the contraction spring is connected to the fourth connecting post of the other claw arm.

[0017] The present invention also provides an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that includes the above-described territorial device.

[0018] This invention provides a perching device for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising a mounting base and a support arm connected to the mounting base. A claw arm base is sleeved on the support arm, and two claw arms are connected to the claw arm base. A locking pin is provided at the rear end of each claw arm to secure it to the support arm. A push-pull spring is provided between the support arm and the claw arm base, and a contraction spring is provided between the two claw arms. When the UAV is perched, the two claw arms approach a rod-shaped object with a certain initial velocity. The claw arms experience some impact, and the push-pull spring, being in a stretched state, provides cushioning. The approach of the rod-shaped object causes the claw arms to lift up. Using the inertia of the UAV, the claw arms slide in the opposite direction of the UAV's flight, allowing the claw arms and their bases to slide on the support arm. When the claw arms slide until the locking pin on the claw arm disengages from the support arm, the claw arms, under the contraction of the contraction spring, change from an open state to a gripping state, firmly grasping the rod-shaped object, thus achieving perching for the UAV. When the drone changes from a resting state to a takeoff state, the control components at the rear end of the claw arms can control the rear end of the claw arms, pulling the two rear ends of the claw arms closer together and the front ends of the two claw arms gradually moving away from each other, so that the two claw arms can open again, and the drone can take off again. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the habitat device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is an assembly diagram of the habitat device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is an assembly diagram of the habitat device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the habitat device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the support arm of the perching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the claw arm base of the perching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the claw arm of the perching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the open state of the perching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the grasping state of the perching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Examples of these preferred embodiments are illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments of the present invention shown in and described with reference to the drawings are merely exemplary, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0029] It should also be noted that, in order to avoid obscuring the invention with unnecessary details, only the structures and / or processing steps closely related to the solution according to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, while other details that are not closely related to the invention are omitted.

[0030] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the habitat device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 and Figure 3 This is an assembly diagram of the habitat device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. (See attached diagram.) Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The perching device includes a mounting base plate 1, a support arm 2, a claw arm base 4, two claw arms 5, a retraction spring 6, a control component 7, and a push-pull spring 8.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the support arm of the perching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. (See attached diagram.) Figure 5 The support arm 2 includes a horizontal part 21, a connecting part 22 located at one end of the horizontal part 21, and a locking part 23 located at the other end of the horizontal part 21. The horizontal part 21 and the connecting part 22 are set at a certain angle. A locking groove 230 is formed on the locking part 23. The connecting part 22 is used to connect to the mounting base plate 1.

[0032] Specifically, see Figure 5 The horizontal portion 21, the connecting portion 22, and the locking portion 23 are integrally formed to create the entire support arm 2. The horizontal portion 21 is straight, while the connecting portion 22 is curved. For details, please refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The perching device also includes a buffer spring 3. When the connecting part 22 is rotatably connected to one end of the mounting base plate 1, the other end of the mounting base plate 1 is connected to the buffer spring 3, and the buffer spring 3 is then connected to the connecting part 22, so that the mounting base plate 1, the connecting part 22, and the buffer spring 3 are connected in a triangle.

[0033] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the habitat device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. (See attached diagram.) Figure 4 Specifically, a hole 220 is formed on the connecting part 22 of the support arm 2, and a first fixing post 91 is provided in the hole 22. The buffer spring 3 can be connected to the first fixing post 91.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the claw arm base of the perching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. (See attached diagram.) Figure 6 The claw arm base 4 includes a sliding part 41 and two fixing parts 42 symmetrically connected to the sliding part 41.

[0035] Specifically, see Figure 6 The sliding part 41 is in the form of a square block with a through hole. The connecting part 22 passes through the through hole between the two fixing parts 42, allowing the square block to be fitted onto the horizontal part 21. The two fixing parts 42 are symmetrical about the through hole on the sliding part of the square block.

[0036] Specifically, see Figure 6 The fixing part 42 consists of two connecting rods 421. One end of each connecting rod 421 is connected to the sliding part 41, and the other ends of each connecting rod 421 are connected by an arc-shaped rod 422. (See reference...) Figure 2 and Figure 6 The arc-shaped rod 422 is used to connect to the claw arm 5, thereby fixing the claw arm 5 to the claw arm base 4.

[0037] See Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The sliding part 41 is sleeved on the horizontal part 21, so that the locking part 23 is located between the two fixed parts 42, allowing the sliding part 41 to slide on the horizontal part 21 of the support arm 2. Furthermore, the locking part 23 prevents the sliding part 41 from sliding out of the horizontal part 21 when it slides on the horizontal part 21.

[0038] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the claw arm of the perching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. (See attached diagram.) Figure 7 The claw arm 5 includes a claw portion 51, a locking pin 52 is provided on the rear end of the claw portion 51, and a protrusion 510 is formed on the portion of the claw portion 51 near the rear end of the claw portion 51.

[0039] Specifically, see Figure 7 The claw arm 5 is formed by two claw parts 51. The front ends of the two claw parts 51 are connected by a first connecting post 511, and the rear ends of the two claw parts 51 opposite to the front ends of the two claw parts 51 are connected by a second connecting post 512.

[0040] Specifically, see Figure 3 and Figure 4 A third connecting post 513 is connected between the rear ends of the two claw parts 51 in the claw arm 5. One end of the control member 7 is connected to the third connecting post 513 of one of the claw arms 5, and the other end of the control member 7 is connected to the third connecting post 513 of the other claw arm 5.

[0041] See Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The rear end of the claw 51 is disposed between the two fixing parts 42, and the portion of the claw 51 near the rear end of the claw 51 is connected to the fixing part 42. The front end of the claw 51 opposite to the rear end of the claw 51 and the protrusion 510 extend out from between the two fixing parts 42. The locking pin 52 can be locked onto the locking groove 230.

[0042] See Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The push-pull spring 8 is disposed between the sliding part 41 and the locking part 23, the retraction spring 6 is disposed on the claw part 51 between the two claw arms 5, and the retraction spring 6 is away from the fixing part 42 and located between the protrusions 510; the control member 7 is connected to the rear end of the claw part 51 between the two claw arms 5.

[0043] Specifically, in this embodiment, the control component 7 is made of shape memory alloy. Under the action of electric current heating, the shape memory alloy wire will shrink, thereby pulling the claw arm 5. Using shape memory alloy smart material as the driving method for the secondary opening of the claw arm is simpler and more convenient.

[0044] In some alternative embodiments, the control element 7 can use conventional driving methods such as hydraulic, pneumatic, servo motor, or cable to pull the claw arm 5. Alternatively, it can use smart materials such as dielectric elastomers, conductive polymers, or magnetorheological elastomers that can deform under the drive of an external physical field to generate motion, thereby realizing the pulling of the claw arm 5.

[0045] Specifically, see Figure 4 The locking part 23 has a connecting through hole 231 formed on the lower part of the locking groove 230. The sliding part 41 has a mounting hole 410 on the same horizontal line as the connecting through hole 231. A second fixing post 92 is provided in the mounting hole 410. One end of the push-pull spring 8 is connected to the connecting through hole 231, and the other end of the push-pull spring 8 is connected to the second fixing post 92.

[0046] Specifically, see Figure 2 and Figure 4 Two of the claw arms 5 have a fourth connecting post 514 connected to the rear end of the claw portion 51. One end of the contraction spring 6 is connected to the fourth connecting post 514 of one of the claw arms 5, and the other end of the contraction spring 6 is connected to the fourth connecting post 514 of the other claw arm 5.

[0047] This invention also provides a drone, which includes the aforementioned habitat device.

[0048] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the open state of the perching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the grasping state of the perching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. (See attached diagram.) Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 The working process of the habitat device is described in detail below:

[0049] The mounting base plate 1 is used to connect to the drone, to mount the entire roosting device onto the drone, and to support the weight of the drone when roosting. The mounting base plate 1 can be some component that is built into the drone and can be used to mount the support arm 2, or it can be an additional structural component.

[0050] Before the perching device is used, i.e., before the drone perches, the retraction spring 6 is in a stretched state, causing the two claw arms 5 to be in an open state. At this time, the locking pins 52 at the rear ends of the two claw arms 5 are engaged in the slots 230 on the support arm 2, and the tension spring 8 is in a stretched state. Under the action of the tension spring 8, the locking pins 52 at the rear ends of the claw arms 5 will be firmly engaged in the slots 230 on the support arm 2 and will not come out of the slots 230 on the support arm 2, thus keeping the claw arms 5 in a stable open state. At this time, the control component 7 is made of shape memory alloy wire, which is connected to the rear ends of the two claw arms 5 and is in a relaxed state.

[0051] When the perching device is in use, i.e., when the drone is perched, the entire perching device is mounted on the drone via the mounting base 1. The claw arm 5 is in an open state and approaches the rod-shaped object with a certain initial velocity. Because the claw arm 5 approaches the rod-shaped object with a certain initial velocity, the claw arm 5 will be subjected to a certain force. To improve the stability of the device, the claw arm base 4 and the claw arm 5 are configured to slide backward on the horizontal part 21 of the support arm 2. At the same time, the buffer spring 3 and the push-pull spring 8 are configured to provide cushioning. When the claw arm 5 is in an open state and approaches the rod-shaped object with a certain initial velocity, when the rod-shaped object touches the claw arm 5 and causes the claw arm 5 to tilt up, under the action of inertia, the claw arm base 4 and the claw arm 5 move in the opposite direction to the flight direction of the drone on the horizontal part 21 of the support arm 2. Figure 9 The claw arm base 4 and the claw arm 5 slide backward on the support arm 2, and the connecting part 22 of the support arm 2 also rotates clockwise around the mounting base plate 1 at the same time. At this time, the buffer spring 3 and the push-pull spring 8 are both in a stretched state, which can reduce the impact of the claw arm 5 on the entire device. Since the claw arm 5 approaches the rod-shaped object with a certain initial velocity, under the action of inertia, the claw arm 5 slides backward until the locking pin 52 on the claw arm 5 disengages from the locking groove 230 on the support arm 2. Then, the two claw arms 5 will retract inward under the action of the contraction spring 6, thereby realizing the grasping of the rod-shaped object and completing the perching.

[0052] After use, when the drone transitions from a resting state to a takeoff state, the shape memory alloy wire is energized. Heated by the current, the wire contracts, pulling the two claw arms 5 at their rear ends. This causes the front ends of the claw arms 5 to reopen, releasing the rod-shaped object and allowing the drone to take off again. 。

[0053] When the aforementioned perching device functions, it needs to approach the rod-shaped object with a certain initial velocity. The grasping mechanism is triggered by inertial impact. The initial contact point between the perching device and the rod-shaped object is the outward-curving part of the claw arm root, which does not directly contact the retraction spring, thus protecting the spring. After the rod-shaped object touches the claw arm root, the drone continues to move forward due to inertia. At this time, the rod-shaped object pushes the claw arm and claw arm base at the front of the perching device to slide backward along the middle support arm. The two push-pull springs connecting the claw arm base and the support arm also act as a buffer at this moment. When the root stop pin disengages from the groove, the two claw arms retract inward under the action of the retraction spring, thus clamping the rod-shaped object. The overall device structure is relatively simple and lightweight, with low manufacturing cost. It can be mounted on drones and is easy to install. It can perch on tree branches, railings, and even eaves, walls, tree stumps, and any other graspable surface. This perching method mimics the action of a bird's claws grasping a branch, exhibiting biomimicry.

[0054] Provided that the device triggers the gripping mechanism upon impact, the shape or material of the two claw arms can be appropriately changed to adapt to different gripping scenarios, such as adding barbs to the claw arms to increase friction.

[0055] The upper part of the support arm of the device can be changed into different shapes to increase structural strength, facilitate installation on drones, enable drones to maintain different perching postures, or facilitate drones to perch in different directions.

[0056] The front end of the device can have more than one contraction spring to increase the clamping force, and it can also be installed on the side of the claw arm instead of in the middle; the number of the two push-pull springs at the rear end of the device can also be increased as needed; the buffer spring, contraction spring, and push-pull spring can all be replaced with other elastic objects such as rubber ropes; the shape memory alloy wires used can also have their quantity and thickness changed to increase the contraction force.

[0057] In summary, the roosting device for drones provided in this embodiment of the invention enables drones to roost, increases their flight time, and thus extends their working time.

[0058] The above description is only a specific embodiment of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A roosting device for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), characterized in that, The perching device includes a mounting base (1), a support arm (2), a claw arm base (4), two claw arms (5), and a control unit (7), wherein, The support arm (2) includes a horizontal part (21), a connecting part (22) located at one end of the horizontal part (21), and a locking part (23) located at the other end of the horizontal part (21). The horizontal part (21) and the connecting part (22) are set at a certain angle. The connecting part (22) is connected to the mounting base plate (1). A locking groove (230) is formed on the locking part (23). The claw arm base (4) includes a sliding part (41) and two fixing parts (42) symmetrically connected to the sliding part (41). The sliding part (41) is sleeved on the horizontal part (21). The locking part (23) is located between the two fixing parts (42), and the locking part (23) can restrict the sliding part (41) from sliding out of the horizontal part (21) when it slides on the horizontal part (21). The claw arm (5) includes a claw portion (51), a locking pin (52) is provided on the rear end of the claw portion (51), a protrusion (510) is formed on the portion of the claw portion (51) near the rear end of the claw portion (51), the rear end of the claw portion (51) is disposed between the two fixing portions (42), and the portion of the claw portion (51) near the rear end of the claw portion (51) is connected to the fixing portion (42), the front end of the claw portion (51) opposite to the rear end of the claw portion (51) and the protrusion (510) extend from between the two fixing portions (42), and the locking pin (52) can be engaged in the slot (230); A push-pull spring (8) is connected between the sliding part (41) and the locking part (23). A retraction spring (6) is connected to the claw part (51) between the two claw arms (5). The retraction spring (6) is away from the fixing part (42) and located between the protrusions (510). The control member (7) is connected to the rear end of the claw part (51) between the two claw arms (5).

2. The habitat device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting part (22) is rotatably connected to one end of the mounting base plate (1), and the other end of the mounting base plate (1) is connected to a buffer spring (3). The buffer spring (3) is connected to the connecting part (22), so that the mounting base plate (1), the connecting part (22) and the buffer spring (3) are connected in a triangle.

3. The habitat device according to claim 2, characterized in that, A hole (220) is formed on the connecting part (22), and a first fixing post (91) is provided in the hole (220). The buffer spring (3) can be connected to the first fixing post (91).

4. The habitat device according to claim 3, characterized in that, A connecting through hole (231) is formed on the lower part of the slot (230) of the locking part (23), and a mounting hole (410) is formed on the sliding part (41) at the same horizontal line as the connecting through hole (231). A second fixing post (92) is provided in the mounting hole (410). One end of the push-pull spring (8) is connected to the connecting through hole (231), and the other end of the push-pull spring (8) is connected to the second fixing post (92).

5. The habitat device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sliding part (41) is a square block with a through hole. The connecting part (22) passes through the through hole between the two fixing parts (42) so that the square block is fitted onto the horizontal part (21).

6. The habitat device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The fixing part (42) consists of two connecting rods (421), one end of the two connecting rods (421) is connected to the sliding part (41), and the other end of the two connecting rods (421) is connected by an arc rod (422), which is used to connect to the claw arm (5).

7. The habitat device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The claw arm (5) is formed by two claw parts (51), the front ends of the two claw parts (51) are connected by a first connecting post (511), and the rear ends of the two claw parts (51) opposite to the front ends of the two claw parts (51) are connected by a second connecting post (512).

8. The perching device according to claim 7, characterized in that, A third connecting post (513) is connected between the rear ends of the two claw parts (51) in the claw arm (5). One end of the control member (7) is connected to the third connecting post (513) of one of the claw arms (5), and the other end of the control member (7) is connected to the third connecting post (513) of the other claw arm (5).

9. The perching device according to claim 8, characterized in that, Two of the claw arms (5) have a fourth connecting post (514) connected to the rear end portion of the claw portion (51) near the claw portion (51). One end of the contraction spring (6) is connected to the fourth connecting post (514) of one of the claw arms (5), and the other end of the contraction spring (6) is connected to the fourth connecting post (514) of the other claw arm (5).

10. A drone, characterized in that, Includes the habitat device as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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