Wingtip connection unmanned aerial vehicle air docking mechanism based on electric push rod and unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a wingtip connection unmanned aerial vehicle air docking mechanism based on an electric push rod, and the mechanism comprises a left docking mechanism which is provided with a docking groove and a locking assembly, and the locking assembly is arranged at the end part of the docking groove; the right butt-joint mechanism is provided with a right driving assembly and a butt-joint cone, the right driving assembly can drive the butt-joint cone to stretch out or retract, and in the stretching-out state, the butt-joint cone is arranged in the butt-joint groove and abuts against the locking assembly; and in the retraction state, the butt joint cone is completely arranged in the right butt joint mechanism. According to the invention, a mode that a plurality of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles are relatively static and wing tip rib parts are in local motion butt joint is adopted, so that simultaneous butt joint of the plurality of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles can be realized; according to the scheme, a butt joint / separation mechanism does not need to provide lateral force to realize mutual approaching of the unmanned aerial vehicles, so that the structural strength and the manufacturing process of the mechanism can be reduced to a certain extent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aviation unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular to a wingtip-connected UAV aerial docking mechanism based on an electric push rod and a UAV. Background Art

[0002] In order to meet the needs of long-duration flight, traditional single-flight UAVs are gradually moving towards large aspect ratio wing designs. However, due to the limitations of take-off and landing environment, transportation conditions, structural strength, and aeroelastic stability, there is a design upper limit to the wingspan length.

[0003] In order to solve the problem of the upper limit of wingspan design, it is proposed to combine multiple fixed-wing UAVs through various connection methods to form a new concept aircraft configuration, namely, the unmanned multi-body aircraft (MBA). It adopts the method of combining multiple monomers in the air after independent take-off and landing, which can effectively solve the problems of poor wind resistance of large aspect ratio aircraft, high difficulty in low-altitude flight, poor mission maneuverability, low battlefield survivability and high requirements for system health. At the same time, it breaks the aspect ratio limitation of traditional design and can obtain a larger lift-to-drag ratio of the whole aircraft. In addition, the design of the combined UAV greatly reduces the requirements for structure and processing technology. When a fault or damage problem occurs, the single UAV can be repaired and maintained, which greatly reduces the maintenance cost without affecting the normal mission.

[0004] The aerial docking / separation mechanism is the key structure for the design of modular UAVs. The current main design schemes are mechanical structure and magnet / electromagnet schemes.

[0005] Chinese patent CN 116902247 A proposes a solution for the joint action of a docking cone and a permanent magnet for a wingtip docking multi-body combined aircraft. However, this solution only considers the wingtip docking problem and does not explain the wingtip separation operation. At the same time, a drone equipped with this permanent magnet solution device cannot complete mid-air separation, so once the drone completes docking in the air, it cannot separate and complete its mission separately.

[0006] Chinese patent CN 108583877 A proposes a gripping wingtip docking / separation mechanism, which basically realizes the whole process of wingtip docking / separation in the air. However, this method requires the use of a docking / separation mechanism to drag two single drones together during the docking process, which places great demands on the structural rigidity of the wingtip docking / separation mechanism and is difficult to implement.

[0007] With regard to the above-mentioned problems of improving cruise efficiency and increasing range through wingtip docking, and achieving flexible and independent completion of respective subtasks through separation, there is currently no solution that is simple in structure, reliable, and can fully meet the design requirements. Summary of the invention

[0008] In view of this, the embodiments of the present specification provide a wingtip-connected UAV aerial docking mechanism and a UAV based on an electric push rod, so as to achieve the purpose of improving the cruising efficiency and being able to effectively separate in the air to complete each sub-task.

[0009] The embodiments of this specification provide the following technical solutions: a wingtip-connected drone aerial docking mechanism based on an electric push rod, comprising: a left docking mechanism, provided with a docking groove and a locking assembly, the locking assembly being arranged at the end of the docking groove; a right docking mechanism, provided with a right driving assembly and a docking cone, the right driving assembly being able to drive the docking cone to extend or retract, and in the extended state, the docking cone is placed in the docking groove and abuts against the locking assembly; in the retracted state, the docking cone is completely placed in the right docking mechanism.

[0010] Furthermore, a side wall at one end of the docking cone is provided with a snap-fitting groove, and the locking assembly can be snap-fitted with the snap-fitting groove accordingly.

[0011] Furthermore, the locking assembly includes: a left drive assembly; a rotating T-axis and a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is fixed on the left docking mechanism, the rotating T-axis is hinged to the rotating shaft and can rotate around the rotating shaft, one end of the rotating T-axis is connected to the left drive assembly; a locking pin, which is arranged at the other end of the rotating T-axis, and the locking pin can be engaged with the engaging groove.

[0012] Furthermore, the left docking mechanism also includes a return spring seat and a return spring. The return spring seat is fixedly arranged at the end of the docking groove. One end of the return spring is connected to the return spring seat, and the other end of the return spring is connected to the other end of the rotating T-axis.

[0013] Furthermore, there are two return spring seats, two return springs and two locking assemblies, which are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the docking groove.

[0014] Furthermore, one end of the docking cone is conical, and the clamping groove is adjacent to the large diameter end of the conical structure.

[0015] Further, the right driving assembly and the docking cone are connected via a telescopic rod.

[0016] Furthermore, there are two right drive assemblies, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the docking cone.

[0017] Furthermore, a support assembly is provided between the two right drive assemblies, and in the extended state, the other end of the docking cone cooperates with the support assembly for support.

[0018] The present invention also provides a UAV, comprising the above-mentioned wing tip connection UAV aerial docking mechanism based on the electric push rod.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects that can be achieved by at least one of the above-mentioned technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of this specification include at least the following: the present invention adopts a method in which multiple fixed-wing UAVs are relatively stationary and the wing tip ribs partially move for docking, thereby realizing simultaneous docking of multiple fixed-wing UAVs; and since this solution does not require the docking / separation mechanism to provide lateral force to achieve the mutual approach between the UAVs, the structural strength and manufacturing process of the mechanism can be reduced to a certain extent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a right docking mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 is an overall schematic diagram of the right docking mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a left docking mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 is an overall schematic diagram of the left docking mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Reference numerals in the figure: 1, left docking mechanism; 3, docking groove; 4, left drive assembly; 5, rotating T-axis; 6, rotating axis; 7, return spring seat; 8, return spring; 9, locking pin;

[0026] 2. Right docking mechanism; 10. Right drive assembly; 11. Support assembly; 12. Limiting plate; 13. Docking cone. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a wingtip-connected drone aerial docking mechanism based on an electric push rod, comprising a left docking mechanism 1 and a right docking mechanism 2. The left docking mechanism 1 is provided with a docking slot 3 and a locking assembly, and the locking assembly is arranged at the end of the docking slot 3; the right docking mechanism 2 is provided with a right driving assembly 10 and a docking cone 13, and the right driving assembly 10 can drive the docking cone 13 to extend or retract, and in the extended state, the docking cone 13 is placed in the docking slot 3 and abuts against the locking assembly; in the retracted state, the docking cone 13 is completely placed in the right docking mechanism 2.

[0030] The embodiment of the present invention adopts a method in which multiple fixed-wing UAVs are relatively stationary and the wing tip ribs partially move for docking, so that multiple fixed-wing UAVs can be docked simultaneously; and since this solution does not require a docking / separation mechanism to provide lateral force to enable the UAVs to approach each other, the structural strength and manufacturing process of the mechanism can be reduced to a certain extent.

[0031] Preferably, a snap-in groove is provided on the side wall of one end of the docking cone 13, and the locking assembly can be snap-fitted with the snap-in groove. This design improves the stability and reliability of the docking mechanism, ensures the tight fit and structural stability during the docking process, and also facilitates the docking and separation operations, thereby enhancing the practicality and safety of the entire drone aerial docking / separation mechanism.

[0032] Specifically, the locking assembly includes a left driving assembly 4, a rotating T-axis 5, a rotating shaft 6 and a locking pin 9. The rotating shaft 6 is fixed to the left docking mechanism 1, the rotating T-axis 5 is hinged to the rotating shaft 6 and can rotate around the rotating shaft 6, one end of the rotating T-axis 5 is connected to the left driving assembly 4; the locking pin 9 is arranged at the other end of the rotating T-axis 5, and the locking pin 9 can be engaged with the engaging groove.

[0033] During the docking process, the left drive assembly 4 drives the rotating T-axis 5 to rotate around the rotating axis 6 fixed on the left docking mechanism 1 through the electric push rod, so that one end of the rotating T-axis 5 pushes the locking pin 9 to move, thereby realizing the matching engagement with the engaging groove of the side wall of the docking cone 13, thereby locking the docking mechanism and ensuring the stability of the docking; during the separation process, the left drive assembly 4 operates in reverse to make the locking pin 9 withdraw from the engaging groove, thereby unlocking the docking mechanism and completing the separation.

[0034] The design of this locking assembly realizes the automation and precision of the docking and separation process by accurately controlling the movement of the left drive assembly 4 and the rotating T-axis 5, thereby improving the operational efficiency and safety of the docking mechanism. At the same time, through the cooperation between the locking pin 9 and the card slot, the stability and reliability of the docking are enhanced, the errors and failures that may occur during the docking process are reduced, and the performance and practicality of the entire drone aerial docking / separation mechanism are improved.

[0035] Furthermore, the left docking mechanism 1 also includes a return spring seat 7 and a return spring 8. The return spring seat 7 is fixedly arranged at the end of the docking groove 3. One end of the return spring 8 is connected to the return spring seat 7, and the other end of the return spring 8 is connected to the other end of the rotating T-axis 5.

[0036] During the docking process, the left driving component 4 in the left docking mechanism 1 drives the rotating T-axis 5 to rotate around the rotating axis 6 through the electric push rod. One end of the rotating T-axis 5 is connected to the left driving component 4, and the other end is connected to the locking pin 9. One end of the return spring 8 is connected to the return spring seat 7, and the other end is connected to the rotating T-axis 5. When the docking is completed and needs to be unlocked, the left driving component 4 drives the electric push rod to rotate the rotating T-axis 5, compresses the return spring 8, and pushes the locking pin 9 to withdraw from the clamping groove of the docking cone 13 to achieve unlocking. Then the docking cone 13 can withdraw from the docking groove 3 to complete the separation.

[0037] The elastic effect of the return spring 8 provides a reliable return locking operation for the docking mechanism, ensuring the smooth docking and separation process. Through the precise control of the left drive assembly 4, the rapid docking and unlocking between the docking cone 13 and the docking groove 3 is achieved, improving the docking efficiency and reliability. At the same time, the design of the return spring seat 7 and the return spring 8 simplifies the structure, facilitates maintenance and replacement, and enhances the practicality and stability of the entire docking mechanism.

[0038] Preferably, there are two return spring seats 7 , two return springs 8 and two locking assemblies, which are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the docking groove 3 .

[0039] The symmetrically arranged return spring seat 7, return spring 8 and locking assembly provide uniform force distribution and enhance the stability and reliability of the docking mechanism. During the docking and separation process, the symmetrical spring assembly can act on the docking mechanism in a balanced manner, reduce the eccentric load and wear caused by the unbalanced torque, and extend the service life of the mechanism. At the same time, this design simplifies the structure, facilitates maintenance and replacement, and improves the working efficiency and safety of the docking mechanism.

[0040] One end of the docking cone 13 is conical, and the clamping groove is adjacent to the large diameter end of the conical structure. The conical design of one end of the docking cone 13 and the adjacent layout of the clamping groove and the large diameter end of the conical structure improve the guidance and positioning accuracy of docking, making the docking process smoother and more accurate. This design allows the docking cone to naturally guide the docking when entering the docking groove 3, reducing docking errors. At the same time, the position design of the clamping groove facilitates the locking pin 9 to be quickly and accurately clamped, enhancing the stability and reliability of docking.

[0041] The right drive assembly 10 and the docking cone 13 are connected by a telescopic rod. The design of connecting the right drive assembly 10 and the docking cone 13 by the telescopic rod realizes the precise control and flexible movement of the docking cone. This connection mode allows the docking cone to perform smooth telescopic movements during the docking process to adapt to different docking conditions and distances, thereby improving the flexibility and adaptability of docking. At the same time, the design of the telescopic rod helps to absorb the impact force during docking, reduce damage to the structure, enhance the stability and reliability of the system, and ensure the efficiency and safety of the docking operation.

[0042] Preferably, there are two right drive assemblies 10, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the docking cone 13. A support assembly 11 is arranged between the two right drive assemblies 10, and in the extended state, the other end of the docking cone 13 cooperates with the support assembly 11 for support.

[0043] The two right drive assemblies 10 are symmetrically arranged to provide balanced power output, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the docking cone 13 during the docking process. The support assembly 11 provides additional support when the docking cone 13 is extended, enhancing the rigidity and reliability of the docking structure. This design reduces the possible deviation or shaking during the docking process, and improves the success rate of docking and the durability of the docking mechanism.

[0044] At the same time, the design of the docking cone 13 of the present invention can play a guiding role, and the size difference between the docking cone 13 and the docking groove 3 retains a certain fault tolerance, thereby increasing the safety of the docking process.

[0045] The right docking mechanism 2 in the embodiment of the present invention further includes a limiting plate 12 , the right driving assembly 10 is disposed on the limiting plate 12 , and the docking cone 13 can be extended or retracted relative to the limiting plate 12 .

[0046] Furthermore, the middle part of the docking cone 13 adopts a hollow slot structure, which can effectively reduce the weight of the docking mechanism and at the same time ensure the balance of the quality of the docking mechanism on the left and right sides of the wing to a certain extent.

[0047] The present invention also provides a drone, including the above-mentioned wingtip-connected drone aerial docking mechanism based on an electric push rod. In the embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned wingtip-connected drone aerial docking mechanism based on an electric push rod is connected to the wing tip rib by bolts, and if the wingtip-connected drone aerial docking mechanism based on an electric push rod is damaged during the docking process, it can be quickly replaced.

[0048] The specific docking process is as follows:

[0049] When docking, two or more fixed-wing drones maintain a side-by-side and relatively static flight state. After issuing a docking command, the right drive assembly 10 pulls the docking cone 13 to move toward the opening along the direction of the limit plate 12; at the same time, the left drive assembly 4 drives the electric push rod to extend, driving the rotating T-axis 5 to rotate around the rotating axis 6, and the other end of the rotating T-axis 5 pushes the compressed reset spring 8, so that the locking pin 9 opens; the docking cone 13 in the right docking mechanism 2 enters the docking groove 3 of the left docking mechanism 1 and moves to the two docking surfaces to fit, and the electric push rod is retracted until the locking pin 9 completely slides into the groove on the docking cone 13, the device is locked, and the docking process is completed.

[0050] The specific separation process is as follows:

[0051] When performing wingtip separation, it is generally the reverse process of the docking process: after issuing the separation command, the left drive assembly 4 extends the electric push rod and repeats the above process to unlock the device, so that the locking pin 9 withdraws from the groove part of the docking groove 3, and then the right drive assembly 10 drives the docking cone 13 to withdraw from the docking groove 3 of the left docking mechanism 1 and completely retract it into the right docking mechanism 2, and then the electric push rod is retracted to complete the entire separation process.

[0052] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present invention, and cannot be used to limit the scope of the invention. Therefore, the replacement of equivalent components, or equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of protection of the patent of the present invention, should still fall within the scope of this patent. In addition, the technical features of the present invention can be freely combined with each other, with each other, and with each other.

Claims

1. A wingtip-connected drone aerial docking mechanism based on an electric push rod, characterized in that: include: The left docking mechanism (1) is provided with a docking groove (3) and a locking assembly, wherein the locking assembly is arranged at the end of the docking groove (3); The right docking mechanism (2) is provided with a right driving assembly (10) and a docking cone (13); the right driving assembly (10) can drive the docking cone (13) to extend or retract, and in the extended state, the docking cone (13) is placed in the docking groove (3) and abuts against the locking assembly; in the retracted state, the docking cone (13) is completely placed in the right docking mechanism (2).

2. The wing tip connection drone aerial docking mechanism based on electric push rod according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A clamping groove is provided on one end side wall of the docking cone (13), and the locking assembly can be correspondingly clamped and matched with the clamping groove.

3. The wing tip connection drone aerial docking mechanism based on electric push rod according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The locking assembly comprises: Left drive assembly (4); A rotating T-axis (5) and a rotating shaft (6), wherein the rotating shaft (6) is fixed on the left docking mechanism (1), the rotating T-axis (5) is hingedly connected to the rotating shaft (6) and can rotate around the rotating shaft (6), and one end of the rotating T-axis (5) is connected to the left driving assembly (4); A locking pin (9) is arranged at the other end of the rotating T-axis (5), and the locking pin (9) can be engaged with the engaging groove.

4. The wing tip connection drone aerial docking mechanism based on electric push rod according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The left docking mechanism (1) further comprises a return spring seat (7) and a return spring (8); the return spring seat (7) is fixedly arranged at the end of the docking groove (3); one end of the return spring (8) is connected to the return spring seat (7); and the other end of the return spring (8) is connected to the other end of the rotating T-axis (5).

5. The wing tip connection drone aerial docking mechanism based on electric push rod according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The return spring seat (7), the return spring (8) and the locking assembly are all in two pieces, and are symmetrically arranged at the two ends of the docking groove (3).

6. The wing tip connection drone aerial docking mechanism based on electric push rod according to claim 5 is characterized in that: One end of the docking cone (13) is in a cone shape, and the clamping groove is adjacent to the large diameter end of the cone structure.

7. The wing tip connection drone aerial docking mechanism based on electric push rod according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The right driving assembly (10) and the docking cone (13) are connected via a telescopic rod.

8. The wing tip connection drone aerial docking mechanism based on electric push rod according to claim 1 is characterized in that: There are two right drive assemblies (10), which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the docking cone (13).

9. The wing tip connection drone aerial docking mechanism based on electric push rod according to claim 8 is characterized in that: A support assembly (11) is arranged between the two right drive assemblies (10); in the extended state, the other end of the docking cone (13) cooperates with the support assembly (11) for support.

10. A drone, comprising a wingtip-connected drone aerial docking mechanism based on an electric push rod, characterized in that: The electric push rod-based wingtip-connected UAV aerial docking mechanism is the electric push rod-based wingtip-connected UAV aerial docking mechanism described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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