Unmanned aerial vehicle pod rotating retracting and releasing mechanism

Abstract

The invention discloses a rotary retracting and releasing mechanism for a pod of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Comprising a mounting frame assembled at the bottom of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a closed rubber strip assembled on the inner edge of the mounting frame through a mounting mechanism, a rotating arm rotationally connected with the upper surface of the mounting frame, and a first rotating mechanism used for driving the rotating arm to rotate. The camera pod is assembled at one end of the rotating arm, the cover plate is fixedly connected with the rotating arm through a connecting frame and can make contact with the upper surface of the rubber strip in an attached mode, the edge of the cover plate is located between the inner side edge of the rubber strip and the inner side edge of the mounting frame, and in the storage state, the cover plate makes contact with the upper surface of the rubber strip, so that external dust and the like can be intercepted; and when shooting is needed, the first rotating mechanism drives the rotating arm to rotate, so that the camera pod moves to the position below the mounting frame.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field related to unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular to a rotating and retracting mechanism for a pod of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicle, abbreviated as "UAV", is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is controlled by radio remote control equipment and its own program control device. UAV is actually a general term for unmanned aerial vehicles.

[0003] Drones can be divided into military and civilian applications according to their application areas. In the military, drones are divided into reconnaissance drones and target drones. In the civilian application area, drones are widely used in aerial photography, agriculture, plant protection, micro selfies, express delivery, disaster relief, wildlife observation, infectious disease monitoring, surveying and mapping, news reporting, power inspections, disaster relief, film and television shooting, creating romance, etc., which greatly expands the use of drones themselves.

[0004] Camera pods are an important component carried on flying platforms such as drones, and play a key role in aerial photography, surveillance, reconnaissance and other fields. These pods are usually equipped with high-resolution cameras, and sometimes also include thermal imaging and night vision functions. However, existing camera pods are directly mounted on the bottom of the drone. The camera pods are exposed to the outside, and the amount of dust on the lens will increase, which requires increased cleaning frequency. In addition, exposure to the outside is also prone to bumps and damage. Therefore, it is necessary to design a rotating and retracting mechanism for the drone pod. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above technical problems, the purpose of the present invention is to overcome the problem in the prior art that the camera pod is exposed to the outside and is easily contaminated by dust and bumped.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a rotating and retracting mechanism for a drone pod, comprising: a mounting frame mounted on the bottom of the drone, a closed rubber strip mounted on the inner edge of the mounting frame through a mounting mechanism, a rotating arm rotatably connected to the upper surface of the mounting frame, a first rotating mechanism for driving the rotating arm to rotate, a camera pod mounted on one end of the rotating arm, and a cover plate fixedly connected to the rotating arm through a connecting frame and capable of fitting and contacting the upper surface of the rubber strip, wherein the edge of the cover plate is located between the inner edge of the rubber strip and the inner edge of the mounting frame.

[0007] Preferably, the rotating arm includes a hollow tubular member, a connecting arm perpendicular to the tubular member and parallel to the mounting frame, and a rotating shaft coaxially connected to the tubular member through a bearing and with both ends extending outward from the tubular member, the camera pod is mounted on one end of the rotating shaft, both ends of the connecting arm are mounted on the mounting frame through axle seats, one end of the connecting arm is connected to the first rotating mechanism, and a second rotating mechanism for driving the rotating shaft to rotate is mounted on the upper surface of the mounting frame.

[0008] Preferably, the second rotating mechanism includes a sliding arm, a guide sleeve mounted on the sliding arm in the same length direction, a first universal coupling for connecting the end of the rotating shaft away from the camera pod and the end of the sliding arm away from the guide sleeve, a first motor assembled on the mounting frame through a mounting frame, a connecting shaft connected to the mounting frame and whose axis is located in the same plane as the axis of the rotating shaft, a pair of meshing gears for connecting the motor output shaft and the connecting shaft, and a second universal coupling for connecting the end of the guide sleeve away from the sliding arm and the lower end of the connecting shaft.

[0009] Preferably, the first rotating mechanism comprises a worm wheel fixedly mounted on one end of the connecting arm, a worm connected to the mounting frame and meshing with the worm wheel, and a second motor mounted on the mounting frame with an output shaft connected to one end of the worm wheel.

[0010] Preferably, the guide sleeve is penetrated by a strip-shaped through slot in the same length direction, and the end of the slide arm away from the first universal joint is equipped with a limit bolt that slides through the strip-shaped through slot.

[0011] Preferably, the connecting frame includes a first connecting member fixedly connected to the cover plate and a second connecting member connected to the second connecting member through a plurality of first bolts, and the first connecting member and the second connecting member are both provided with an arc-shaped portion that fits with the outer surface of the tubular member.

[0012] Preferably, the mounting mechanism comprises a closed mounting strip capable of being pressed on the outer edge of the rubber strip, and the mounting strip is detachably mounted on the mounting frame by a plurality of second bolts.

[0013] According to the above technical solution, the present invention provides a UAV pod rotating and retracting mechanism, which has the following beneficial technical effects compared with the prior art:

[0014] First, when in the storage state, the cover plate contacts the upper surface of the rubber strip, which can intercept external dust and the like to protect the camera pod. When shooting is required, the first rotating mechanism drives the rotating arm to rotate, so that the camera pod moves to the bottom of the installation frame;

[0015] Second, if it is in a windy environment, the position of the drone can be adjusted so that the cover is set in the direction of the wind to provide shielding for the camera pod.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the subsequent specific implementation mode; and the parts not involved in the present invention are the same as the prior art or can be implemented by using the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following specific embodiments, they are used to explain the present invention but do not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a rotating retractable mechanism of a drone pod provided by the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a partial exploded schematic diagram of a rotating and retracting mechanism of a drone pod provided by the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a partial cross-sectional view of a rotating and retracting mechanism of a drone pod provided by the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 The present invention provides a partial three-dimensional structure diagram of a rotating retractable mechanism for a drone pod. Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 5 The present invention provides a partial three-dimensional structure diagram of a rotating retractable mechanism for a drone pod. Figure 2 .

[0023] Description of Reference Numerals

[0024] 1. Mounting frame; 2. Rubber strip; 3. Camera pod; 4. Cover plate; 5. Tubular member; 6. Connecting arm; 7. Rotating shaft; 8. Sliding arm; 9. Guide sleeve; 10. First universal joint; 11. Mounting frame; 12. First motor; 13. Connecting shaft; 14. Gear; 15. Second universal joint; 16. Worm gear; 17. Worm; 18. Second motor; 19. Strip groove; 20. Limit bolt; 21. First connecting member; 22. First bolt; 23. Second connecting member; 24. Arc-shaped portion; 25. Mounting strip; 26. Second bolt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The specific implementation of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific implementation described here is only used to illustrate and explain the present invention, and is not used to limit the present invention.

[0026] In the present invention, unless otherwise stated, directional words such as "upper, lower, inside, outside" contained in a term merely represent the orientation of the term in normal usage, or are common names understood by those skilled in the art, and should not be regarded as limitations on the term.

[0027] like Figure 1-5As shown, a rotating and retracting mechanism of a drone pod comprises: a mounting frame 1 mounted on the bottom of the drone, a closed rubber strip 2 mounted on the inner edge of the mounting frame 1 through a mounting mechanism, a rotating arm rotatably connected to the upper surface of the mounting frame 1, a first rotating mechanism for driving the rotating arm to rotate, a camera pod 3 mounted on one end of the rotating arm, and a cover plate 4 fixedly connected to the rotating arm through a connecting frame and capable of being in contact with the upper surface of the rubber strip 2, wherein the edge of the cover plate 4 is located between the inner edge of the rubber strip 2 and the inner edge of the mounting frame 1.

[0028] In the above technical scheme, when in the storage state, the cover plate 4 is in contact with the upper surface of the rubber strip 2, which can intercept external dust and the like to protect the camera pod 3; when shooting is required, the first rotating mechanism drives the rotating arm to rotate, so that the camera pod 3 moves to the bottom of the mounting frame 1. Because the edge of the cover plate 4 is located between the inner edge of the rubber strip 2 and the inner edge of the mounting frame 1, when the rotating arm drives the cover plate 4 to rotate through the connecting frame, the cover plate 4 will squeeze the edge of the rubber strip 2, and the part of the rubber strip 2 in contact with the cover plate 4 will be squeezed and deformed, so that one end of the cover plate 4 moves to the bottom of the mounting frame 1. If it is in a windy environment, the position of the drone can be adjusted so that the cover plate 4 is set toward the incoming wind direction to provide shielding for the camera pod 3; when storage is completed after use, the rotating arm rotates to drive the camera pod 3 to move to the top of the mounting frame 1. At this time, the cover plate 4 moves to the top of the rubber strip 2 and contacts it, and the previously squeezed part of the rubber strip 2 will return to its original state.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotating arm includes a hollow tubular member 5, a connecting arm 6 perpendicular to the tubular member 5 and parallel to the mounting frame 1, and a rotating shaft 7 coaxially connected to the tubular member 5 through a bearing and with both ends extending outward from the tubular member 5, the camera pod 3 is mounted on one end of the rotating shaft 7, both ends of the connecting arm 6 are mounted on the mounting frame 1 through axle seats, one end of the connecting arm 6 is connected to the first rotating mechanism, and a second rotating mechanism for driving the rotating shaft 7 to rotate is mounted on the upper surface of the mounting frame 1.

[0030] In the above technical solution, the second rotating mechanism can drive the rotating shaft 7 to rotate in the tubular member 5, thereby driving the camera pod 3 to rotate and adjust the shooting direction, and the first rotating mechanism can drive the connecting arm 6 to rotate.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the second rotating mechanism includes a sliding arm 8, a guide sleeve 9 sleeved on the sliding arm 8 in the same length direction, a first universal joint 10 for connecting the end of the rotating shaft 7 away from the camera pod 3 and the end of the sliding arm 8 away from the guide sleeve 9, a first motor 12 assembled on the mounting frame 1 through a mounting frame 11, a connecting shaft 13 axially connected to the mounting frame 11 and the axis of which is located in the same plane as the axis of the rotating shaft 7, a pair of meshing gears 14 for connecting the motor output shaft and the connecting shaft 13, and a second universal joint 15 for connecting the end of the guide sleeve 9 away from the sliding arm 8 and the lower end of the connecting shaft 13.

[0032] In the above technical solution, since the position of the rotating shaft 7 will change when the rotating arm rotates, it is necessary to connect through the first universal joint 10, the second universal joint 15, the guide sleeve 9 and the sliding arm 8. The sliding arm 8 can slide on the guide sleeve 9, so as to adjust the distance between the first universal joint 10 and the second universal joint 15. The first motor 12 drives the connecting shaft 13 to rotate through a pair of gears 14, drives the guide sleeve 9 and the sliding arm 8 to rotate through the second universal joint 15, and then drives the rotating shaft 7 to rotate through the first universal joint 10, thereby driving the camera pod 3 to rotate.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first rotating mechanism includes a worm wheel 16 fixedly mounted on one end of the connecting arm 6, a worm 17 axially connected to the mounting frame 1 and meshing with the worm wheel 16, and a second motor 18 assembled on the mounting frame 1 and with its output shaft connected to one end of the worm 17.

[0034] In the above technical solution, the second motor 18 drives the worm 17 to rotate, and drives the connecting arm 6 to rotate through the worm gear 16, thereby driving the tubular member 5 and the rotating shaft 7 to rotate.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a strip through slot 19 with the same length direction is provided through the guide sleeve 9, and a limit bolt 20 that slides through the strip through slot 19 is installed on the end of the slide arm 8 away from the first universal joint 10.

[0036] In the above technical solution, the limit bolt 20 can prevent the slide arm 8 from slipping out of the guide sleeve 9.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting frame includes a first connecting member 21 fixedly connected to the cover plate 4 and a second connecting member 23 connected to the second connecting member 23 through a plurality of first bolts 22, and the first connecting member 21 and the second connecting member 23 are both provided with an arc-shaped portion 24 that fits with the outer surface of the tubular member 5.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mounting mechanism comprises a closed mounting strip 25 that can be pressed on the outer edge of the rubber strip 2 , and the mounting strip 25 is detachably assembled on the mounting frame 1 via a plurality of second bolts 26 .

[0039] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the technical concept of the present invention, a variety of simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present invention, and these simple modifications all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0040] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not further describe various possible combinations.

[0041] In addition, various embodiments of the present invention may be arbitrarily combined, and as long as they do not violate the concept of the present invention, they should also be regarded as the contents disclosed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A rotating and retracting mechanism for a drone pod, characterized in that: include: A mounting frame (1) mounted on the bottom of a drone, a closed rubber strip (2) mounted on the inner edge of the mounting frame (1) via a mounting mechanism, a rotating arm rotatably connected to the upper surface of the mounting frame (1), a first rotating mechanism for driving the rotating arm to rotate, a camera pod (3) mounted on one end of the rotating arm, and a cover plate (4) fixedly connected to the rotating arm via a connecting frame and capable of being in close contact with the upper surface of the rubber strip (2), wherein the edge of the cover plate (4) is located between the inner edge of the rubber strip (2) and the inner edge of the mounting frame (1).

2. The UAV pod rotating and retracting mechanism according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The rotating arm comprises a hollow tubular member (5), a connecting arm (6) perpendicular to the tubular member (5) and parallel to the mounting frame (1), and a rotating shaft (7) coaxially connected to the tubular member (5) through a bearing and with both ends extending outward from the tubular member (5); the camera pod (3) is mounted on one end of the rotating shaft (7); both ends of the connecting arm (6) are mounted on the mounting frame (1) through an axle seat; one end of the connecting arm (6) is connected to a first rotating mechanism; and a second rotating mechanism for driving the rotating shaft (7) to rotate is mounted on the upper surface of the mounting frame (1).

3. The UAV pod rotating and retracting mechanism according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The second rotating mechanism comprises a sliding arm (8), a guide sleeve (9) sleeved on the sliding arm (8) in the same length direction, a first universal joint (10) for connecting the end of the rotating shaft (7) away from the camera pod (3) and the end of the sliding arm (8) away from the guide sleeve (9), a first motor (12) mounted on the mounting frame (1) through a mounting frame (11), a connecting shaft (13) axially connected to the mounting frame (11) and having an axis located in the same plane as the axis of the rotating shaft (7), a pair of meshing gears (14) for connecting the motor output shaft and the connecting shaft (13), and a second universal joint (15) for connecting the end of the guide sleeve (9) away from the sliding arm (8) and the lower end of the connecting shaft (13).

4. The UAV pod rotating and retracting mechanism according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The first rotating mechanism comprises a worm wheel (16) fixedly sleeved on one end of the connecting arm (6), a worm (17) axially connected to the mounting frame (1) and meshing with the worm wheel (16), and a second motor (18) mounted on the mounting frame (1) and having an output shaft connected to one end of the worm (17).

5. The UAV pod rotating and retracting mechanism according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The guide sleeve (9) is provided with a strip-shaped through slot (19) in the same length direction, and the end of the slide arm (8) away from the first universal joint (10) is equipped with a limit bolt (20) that slides through the strip-shaped through slot (19).

6. The UAV pod rotating and retracting mechanism according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The connecting frame comprises a first connecting member (21) fixedly connected to the cover plate (4) and a second connecting member (23) connected to the second connecting member (23) via a plurality of first bolts (22), and the first connecting member (21) and the second connecting member (23) are both provided with an arc-shaped portion (24) that fits with the outer surface of the tubular member (5).

7. The UAV pod rotating and retracting mechanism according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The mounting mechanism comprises a closed mounting strip (25) capable of being pressed on the outer edge of the rubber strip (2); the mounting strip (25) is detachably mounted on the mounting frame (1) via a plurality of second bolts (26).

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