Cover-shooting parachute assembly and UAV

Abstract

The present invention discloses a cover-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly and a UAV, which relate to the field of aircraft technology. The cover-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly includes a housing mechanism and a trigger mechanism. The housing mechanism includes a housing and a canopy. The housing is provided with a parachute compartment, and the canopy is provided on the parachute compartment. The trigger mechanism includes a rotating member, an elastic member, and a control switch. The rotating member is rotatably connected to the housing through the elastic member, and the rotating member is slidably connected to the canopy. The control switch is provided on the housing and is detachably connected to the canopy. When the control switch is connected to the canopy, the canopy covers the parachute compartment and the elastic member accumulates elastic force; when the control switch is detached from the canopy, the elastic member can release the elastic force to drive the rotating member to rotate, so that the canopy slides away from the rotating member by inertia and drives the parachute to detach from the parachute compartment. The cover-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly of the present invention only includes light-weight components such as the canopy, the rotating member, the elastic member, and the control switch, which account for a small proportion of the weight of the entire UAV and will not excessively squeeze the installation space of the UAV's payload, such as fuel equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aircraft, and in particular to a cap-shooting parachute-guiding assembly and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Background Art

[0002] Drone technology has developed rapidly in recent years, and drones have been widely used in various industries and fields, such as drone patrol, detection, and image acquisition. After completing their mission, medium and large drones without landing conditions typically use a parachute to release a rocket and then land the drone using a parachute for recovery.

[0003] However, existing parachute rockets and their associated supporting equipment are heavy, often exceeding 10% of the total weight of the drone, resulting in a heavy payload. Furthermore, parachute rockets significantly squeeze the space available for payloads such as fuel, hindering the optimal design of the drone. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned technical deficiencies by providing a parachute launcher assembly and a drone. This solves the technical problem that the parachute launcher and related supporting equipment of existing drones have a significant weight, often exceeding 10% of the total weight of the drone, resulting in a heavy load on the drone. Furthermore, the parachute launcher significantly squeezes the installation space for the drone's fuel equipment and other payloads, hindering the optimal design of the drone.

[0005] In order to achieve the above technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly, comprising:

[0007] The housing structure includes a housing and a hatch, wherein the housing is provided with a parachute compartment and the hatch is provided on the parachute compartment; and

[0008] The trigger mechanism includes a rotating member, an elastic member and a control switch. The rotating member is rotatably connected to the housing through the elastic member, the hatch cover is slidably connected to the rotating member, and the control switch is used to lock or unlock the hatch cover; when the control switch locks the hatch cover, the hatch cover can cover the parachute compartment and drive the elastic member to accumulate elastic force; when the control switch unlocks the hatch cover, the elastic member can release the elastic force to drive the rotating member to rotate, so that the hatch cover can slide away from the rotating member through inertia and drive the parachute to separate from the parachute compartment.

[0009] In some embodiments, the control switch is provided on the housing and is detachably plugged into the hatch cover. When the control switch is plugged into the hatch cover, the control switch can lock the hatch cover; when the control switch is detached from the hatch cover, the control switch can unlock the hatch cover.

[0010] In some embodiments, the rotating member includes a positioning shaft and two sliding rods, the positioning shaft is rotatably connected to the housing, the two sliding rods are both connected to the positioning shaft and are arranged in parallel and spaced apart, and the two sliding rods are slidably connected to the hatch.

[0011] In some embodiments, the housing mechanism further includes limiting flanges provided on both sides of the hatch cover, the hatch cover is arc-shaped, an open plug-in slot is formed between the limiting flange and the hatch cover, and the plug-in slot is slidably connected to the sliding rod.

[0012] In some embodiments, the elastic member is a double-arm torsion spring, which is sleeved on the positioning shaft. When the cabin cover covers the parachute cabin, the double-arm torsion spring accumulates elastic force; when the control switch is disengaged from the cabin cover, the double-arm torsion spring releases the elastic force, driving the two sliding rods to rotate with the positioning shaft as the rotation axis, and the cabin cover slides away along the two sliding rods.

[0013] In some embodiments, the hatch is provided with a positioning seat, the positioning seat is provided with a positioning hole, and the positioning hole is detachably connected to the control switch.

[0014] In some embodiments, the control switch includes a solenoid valve and a telescopic rod, wherein the solenoid valve is connected to the telescopic rod and can drive the telescopic rod to reciprocate and extend, so that the telescopic rod is inserted into or removed from the positioning hole.

[0015] In some embodiments, the housing mechanism also includes a fixing seat and a traction rope. The fixing seat is provided on the cabin cover. The fixing seat is provided with a wire hole therethrough. The wire hole is used for passing the traction rope so that one end of the traction rope is connected to the fixing seat, and the other end of the traction rope is used to connect to the parachute of the parachute compartment.

[0016] In some embodiments, the housing mechanism further includes a positioning ball, one end of the traction rope passing through the wire hole is connected to the positioning ball, and the diameter of the positioning ball is larger than the diameter of the wire hole so that the positioning ball is clamped to the fixing seat.

[0017] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides a drone comprising a body, a parachute and the above-mentioned canopy-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly, wherein the body is connected to the housing, and the parachute is located in the parachute cabin and is connected to the cabin canopy via a traction rope.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly provided by the present invention can be used for drones. Before the drone lands, the control switch can be connected to the hatch so that the hatch covers the parachute compartment to prevent the parachute from prematurely detaching from the compartment. At this time, the rotating member drives the elastic member to accumulate elastic force. When the drone needs to be recovered, the control switch can be remotely controlled to detach from the hatch. At this time, the hatch is freed from its restraints, and the elastic member releases its elastic force to drive the rotating member to rotate rapidly. After the rotating member drives the hatch to rotate to the extreme position, the hatch slides away from the rotating member by inertia, and the hatch drives the parachute from the compartment. The parachute is fully opened by the wind under the action of the airflow, thereby assisting the drone in landing and recovery. Compared with existing drone parachute-shooting assemblies, the cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly of the present invention only includes very light components such as the hatch, the rotating member, the elastic member, and the control switch. It accounts for a very small proportion of the weight of the entire drone and will not occupy too much installation space for payloads such as the drone's fuel equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the canopy of the canopy-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention when covering the parachute cabin;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the hatch cover of the parachute launching and guiding assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention when the parachute cabin is opened;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the canopy of the canopy-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention when the UAV is flying out;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of another embodiment of the cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a parachute provided by an embodiment of the present invention in a semi-open state;

[0024] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the recovery of a UAV when the parachute is fully opened, provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0026] To address the technical issues of existing drone parachute rockets and related supporting equipment, which typically exceed 10% of the drone's total weight, resulting in a heavy payload. Furthermore, these rockets significantly squeeze the installation space for the drone's fuel and other payloads, hindering the overall optimization of the drone's design, the present invention provides a cap-and-parachute assembly that optimizes the existing parachute rocket structure, is lightweight, and occupies minimal space for the drone's payload.

[0027] It should be noted that the cover-shooting parachute guiding assembly described in the present invention is used for but not limited to drones, etc. For the sake of convenience of explanation, in the present invention, only the application of the cover-shooting parachute guiding assembly to drones is used as an example for explanation, and the principles of the cover-shooting parachute guiding assembly used in other types of equipment are essentially the same as those used in drones, and will not be described in detail here.

[0028] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a parachute-shooting cover and parachute-guiding assembly 100 in one embodiment of the present invention. The parachute-shooting cover and parachute-guiding assembly 100 includes a housing mechanism 1 and a trigger mechanism 2. The housing mechanism 1 includes a housing 11 and a canopy 12. The housing 11 is provided with a parachute compartment 111. The parachute compartment 111 is used to accommodate a parachute 4. The parachute 4 is connected to the canopy 12. When the canopy 12 detaches from the housing 11 and flies out, the canopy 12 can pull the parachute 4 out of the compartment 111, allowing the drone to land and recover. When the drone does not need to land and recover, the canopy 12 can be controlled to cover the compartment 111 to prevent the parachute 4 from detaching from the compartment 111 prematurely. The canopy 12 is connected to the housing 11 by the trigger mechanism 2. When the trigger mechanism 2 is triggered, the canopy 12 is unlocked. At this time, the canopy 12 can detach from the housing 11, pulling the parachute 4 out of the compartment 111.

[0029] See Figure 3 The trigger mechanism 2 includes a rotating member 21, an elastic member 22, and a control switch 23. The rotating member 21 is rotatably connected to the housing 11 through the elastic member 22, and the rotating member 21 is slidably connected to the hatch cover 12. The control switch 23 is used to lock or unlock the hatch cover 12. When the control switch 23 locks the hatch cover 12, the hatch cover 12 can cover the parachute compartment 111 and the elastic member 22 accumulates elastic force. When the control switch 23 unlocks the hatch cover 12, the hatch cover 12 is freed from the restraint of the control switch 23, and the elastic member 22 can release the elastic force to drive the rotating member 21 to rotate. The rotating member 21 drives the hatch cover 12 to rotate synchronously, so that the hatch cover 12 obtains sufficient kinetic energy and centrifugal force. When the hatch cover 12 rotates to the extreme position, the hatch cover 12 slides away from the rotating member 21 through inertia and is thrown out. The hatch cover 12 drives the parachute 4 to separate from the parachute compartment 111. Under the action of the airflow, the parachute 4 can quickly open, assisting the landing and recovery of the drone.

[0030] In one embodiment, see Figure 1 or Figure 3 The control switch 23 is provided on the housing 11 and is detachably connected to the hatch cover 12. When the control switch 23 is plugged into the hatch cover 12, the control switch 23 can lock the hatch cover 12 so that the hatch cover 12 remains covered with the parachute compartment 111. When the control switch 23 is detached from the hatch cover 12, the control switch 23 can unlock the hatch cover 12. The hatch cover 12 can rotate and be thrown out by inertia under the elastic force released by the elastic member 22. The control switch 23 can be a normally open solenoid valve. When the hatch cover 12 is not thrown out, the lock cylinder of the normally open solenoid valve is in an extended normally open state, at which point the lock cylinder is plugged into the hatch cover 12. When the lock cylinder of the normally open solenoid valve retracts, the normally open solenoid valve switches to a closed state. At this point, the lock cylinder is detached from the hatch cover 12, and the hatch cover 12 is freed from the restraint of the normally open solenoid valve and thrown out.

[0031] In one embodiment, see Figure 3 The rotating member 21 includes a positioning shaft 211 and two sliding rods 212. The positioning shaft 211 is rotatably connected to the housing 11. The two sliding rods 212 are each connected to the positioning shaft 211 at one end and are spaced parallel to each other. The two sliding rods 212 are slidably connected to the hatch cover 12, acting as slide rails for the hatch cover 12, allowing the hatch cover 12 to be swung out along the length of the sliding rods 212 due to inertia. In this embodiment, the elastic member 22 is a two-arm torsion spring, which is sleeved around the positioning shaft 211. When the hatch cover 12 rotates to cover the parachute compartment 111, it drives the other two sliding rods 212 to rotate. The two sliding rods 212 rotate about the positioning shaft 211, driving the two symmetrical coils of the two-arm torsion spring to reduce in diameter, increasing the torsional force and accumulating elastic potential energy. At this point, the hatch cover 12 can be locked by controlling the switch 23, maintaining the hatch cover 12 in a position covering the parachute compartment 111, ready for deployment and preventing the compartment 111 from prematurely opening.

[0032] In other embodiments, see Figure 4 The elastic member 22 can also be replaced by a spring 24. For example, the spring 24 can be located near the control switch 23. When the hatch 12 covers the parachute compartment 111, the hatch 12 presses down on the spring 24, causing the spring 24 to accumulate elastic force. At this time, the control switch 23 locks the hatch 12 so that the hatch 12 remains in the current position covering the parachute compartment 111. When the control switch 23 is unlocked, the spring 24 releases its elastic force, causing the hatch 12 to rotate and open the parachute compartment 111. At the same time, the hatch 12 drives the parachute 4 to separate from the parachute compartment 111, and the parachute 4 opens under the action of the airflow.

[0033] In one embodiment, see Figure 3The housing mechanism 1 further includes limiting flanges 121 disposed on both sides of the hatch 12. The hatch 12 is arc-shaped, and the arc extends perpendicularly to the direction of its sliding movement, causing both sides of the hatch 12 to tilt. An open insertion slot 122 is formed between the limiting flanges 121 and the hatch 12. The open insertion slot 122 herein can be understood as meaning that, in addition to being open at both ends, the sides of the insertion slot 122 are also open and connectable to the outside, allowing the slide bar 212 to enter from the side of the insertion slot 122 for sliding connection therewith. In this embodiment, the slide bar 212 and the insertion slot 122 can be quickly connected, facilitating installation. In other embodiments, the insertion slot 122 can also be hollow with both ends open. In this embodiment, the insertion slot 122 is a non-open structure. During installation of the hatch 12, the insertion slot 122 is simply plugged into the slide bar 212.

[0034] In one embodiment, see Figure 3 The hatch cover 12 is provided with a positioning seat 123, which defines a positioning hole (not shown). The positioning hole is removably connected to the control switch 23. When the control switch 23 is inserted into the positioning hole, it locks the hatch cover 12, preventing it from prematurely opening the parachute compartment 111. When the control switch 23 is released from the positioning hole, the hatch cover 12 is released, and the hatch cover 12 can rotate under the action of the elastic member 22 to open the parachute compartment 111.

[0035] In one embodiment, see Figure 3 The control switch 23 includes a solenoid valve 231 and a telescopic rod 232. The solenoid valve 231 is connected to the telescopic rod 232 and can drive the telescopic rod 232 to reciprocate and extend, thereby inserting and removing the telescopic rod 232 from the positioning hole. In this embodiment, the solenoid valve 231 can be wirelessly connected to a ground terminal. When the drone needs to be recovered, the operator can send a control command to the solenoid valve 231 through the ground terminal, controlling the solenoid valve 231 to retract the telescopic rod 232, thereby disengaging the telescopic rod 232 from the hatch 12 and releasing the restraint on the hatch 12. The hatch 12, driven by the elastic member 22, rotates to open the parachute compartment 111, and drives the parachute 4 to disengage from the parachute compartment 111 and open.

[0036] In one embodiment, see Figure 3The housing mechanism 1 further includes a fixing base 124 and a traction rope 13. The fixing base 124 is mounted on the hatch 12 and has a threaded hole (not shown) extending therethrough. The threaded hole is used to thread the traction rope 13, allowing one end of the traction rope 13 to connect to the fixing base 124, while the other end of the traction rope 13 is connected to the parachute in the parachute compartment 111. In this embodiment, the hatch 12 is connected to the traction rope 13 via the fixing base 124. When the hatch 12 is launched along the slide bar 212, the hatch 12 pulls the traction rope 13 via the fixing base 124, thereby pulling the parachute 4 in the parachute compartment 111 outward. The parachute 4 is rapidly deployed under the influence of the airflow, assisting the drone in landing.

[0037] Furthermore, the housing mechanism 1 further includes a positioning ball 125. One end of the traction rope 13 passing through the thread hole is connected to the positioning ball 125. The diameter of the positioning ball 125 is larger than the diameter of the thread hole so that the positioning ball 125 is engaged with the fixing seat 124. In other embodiments, after the traction rope 13 passes through the thread hole, the end of the traction rope 13 passing through the thread hole can be directly tied to a knot, so that the fixing seat 124 can limit the traction rope 13.

[0038] Second, see Figure 5 and Figure 6 The present invention also provides a drone 101 comprising a body 3, a parachute 4, and the aforementioned canopy launch and parachute assembly 100. The body 3 is connected to the aforementioned housing 11, which serves as the outer shell of the drone 101 and provides protection for the drone 101. The parachute 4 is located in a parachute compartment 111 and is connected to the canopy 12 via a tow rope 13. The other end of the parachute 4 is connected to the body 3. Before release, the parachute 4 is stored in the parachute compartment 111 along with the tow rope 13. During release, the tow rope 13 first leaves the parachute compartment 111, and then pulls the parachute 4 out of the parachute compartment 111.

[0039] In one embodiment, see Figure 2 The parachute compartment 111 is located at the top of the housing 11. When the canopy 12 slides away, it can pull the parachute 4 out of the top of the housing 1, so that when the parachute is opened, it can be located above the fuselage 3, thereby assisting the drone in landing. In other embodiments, the parachute compartment 111 can also be located at the side or bottom of the housing 11. After release, the parachute 4 can be fully opened to assist the drone in landing.

[0040] In one embodiment, see Figure 6The parachute 4 comprises a main parachute 41, a pilot parachute 42, parachute cords 43, and a connecting cord 44. The pilot parachute 42 is connected to the canopy 12 at one end and to the main parachute 41 at the other. Multiple parachute cords 43 are provided, one end of each of which wraps around the perimeter of the main parachute 41. The other ends of the multiple parachute cords 43 converge and connect to one end of the connecting cord 44, which is connected to the fuselage 3 at the other end. During the release process of the parachute 4, the canopy 12 first ejects the pilot parachute 42 from the canopy. After the pilot parachute 42 opens in mid-air due to the wind, the wind force it generates forces the main parachute 41 outward, straightening the connecting cord 44 and other systems. This in turn causes the main parachute 41 to gradually open due to the wind, ultimately assisting the drone in landing. Since the guide parachute 42 is smaller in size and lighter in weight, it is easier for the canopy 12 to pull the guide parachute 42 out of the parachute cabin 111 when it is thrown out. The guide parachute 42 generates sufficient pulling force under the action of the airflow, and then the entire parachute 4 is brought out in sequence and in stages, so that the success rate of the parachute 4 opening is greatly improved.

[0041] In order to better understand the present invention, the following Figures 1 to 6 The technical solution of the present invention is described in detail:

[0042] To recover the drone, the present invention uses a ground terminal to send a control command to the control switch 23, causing it to unlock the hatch 12. Once the hatch 12 is untied, the elastic member 22 releases its elastic force, causing the hatch 12 to rotate and open the parachute compartment 111. Simultaneously, the centrifugal force generated by the rapid rotation of the hatch 12 generates sufficient inertial kinetic energy, allowing it to fly out in a fixed direction (the length of the slider 212), driving the parachute 4 in the parachute compartment 111 away from the compartment. The parachute 4 is also flung out in a fixed direction, making it less likely to strike the aircraft chassis, resulting in a high deployment success rate. The guide parachute 42, under the influence of airflow, gradually fully opens the parachute 4, assisting in the landing and recovery of the drone. Furthermore, the hatch launch and parachute guide assembly 100, including the hatch, rotating member, elastic member, and control switch, is lightweight, contributing only a small portion to the overall weight of the drone and minimizing the space required for payloads such as fuel.

[0043] The specific embodiments of the present invention described above do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any other corresponding changes and modifications made based on the technical concept of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly, characterized in that: include: The housing structure comprises a housing and a hatch, wherein the housing is provided with a parachute cabin, and the hatch is provided on the parachute cabin; and The trigger mechanism includes a rotating member, an elastic member and a control switch. The rotating member is rotatably connected to the housing through the elastic member, the rotating member is slidably connected to the hatch cover, and the control switch is used to lock or unlock the hatch cover; when the control switch locks the hatch cover, the hatch cover can cover the parachute compartment and drive the elastic member to accumulate elastic force; when the control switch unlocks the hatch cover, the elastic member can release the elastic force to drive the rotating member to rotate, so that the hatch cover can slide away from the rotating member through inertia and drive the parachute to separate from the parachute compartment.

2. The cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control switch is provided on the housing and is detachably plugged into the hatch cover. When the control switch is plugged into the hatch cover, the control switch can lock the hatch cover; when the control switch is detached from the hatch cover, the control switch can unlock the hatch cover.

3. The cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating member includes a positioning shaft and two sliding rods. The positioning shaft is rotatably connected to the housing. The two sliding rods are both connected to the positioning shaft and are arranged in parallel and spaced apart. The two sliding rods are slidably connected to the hatch cover.

4. The cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The housing mechanism further includes limiting flanges provided on both sides of the hatch cover. The hatch cover is arc-shaped. An open plug-in slot is formed between the limiting flange and the hatch cover. The plug-in slot is slidably connected to the slide rod.

5. The cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic part is a double-arm torsion spring, which is sleeved on the positioning shaft. When the cabin cover covers the parachute cabin, the double-arm torsion spring accumulates elastic force; when the control switch is detached from the cabin cover, the double-arm torsion spring releases the elastic force, driving the two sliding rods to rotate with the positioning shaft as the rotation axis, and the cabin cover slides away along the two sliding rods.

6. The cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hatch cover is provided with a positioning seat, the positioning seat is provided with a positioning hole, and the positioning hole is detachably plugged into the control switch.

7. The cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The control switch includes a solenoid valve and a telescopic rod. The solenoid valve is connected to the telescopic rod and can drive the telescopic rod to reciprocate and extend so that the telescopic rod is inserted into or separated from the positioning hole.

8. The cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing mechanism also includes a fixing seat and a traction rope. The fixing seat is arranged on the cabin cover. The fixing seat is provided with a wire hole passing through. The wire hole is used for passing the traction rope so that one end of the traction rope is connected to the fixing seat, and the other end of the traction rope is used to connect to the parachute of the parachute compartment.

9. The cap-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The housing mechanism further includes a positioning ball. One end of the traction rope passing through the wire hole is connected to the positioning ball. The diameter of the positioning ball is larger than the diameter of the wire hole so that the positioning ball is clamped on the fixing seat.

10. A drone, characterized in that: It includes a body, a parachute and a cover-shooting and parachute-guiding assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, the body is connected to the casing, the parachute is located in the parachute compartment, and when the control switch unlocks the hatch, the hatch can be thrown out by inertia and the parachute can be driven out of the parachute compartment by a traction rope.

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