Underwater unmanned vehicle load capturing and correcting device and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a load capturing and correcting device and method for an unmanned underwater vehicle. The load capturing and correcting device comprises a guiding device, a capturing rod, a capturing lifting mechanism, a correcting mechanism and a lifting bearing platform. The capturing lifting mechanism is arranged at the end of the aircraft bearing frame, the capturing rod is vertically fixed to the capturing lifting mechanism, and the guiding device is arranged at the top end of the capturing rod and used for guiding a task load to travel to the position above the aircraft. The task load is fixedly connected with the capturing rod after running in place; the correcting mechanism is used for correcting the attitude of the mission load. The lifting bearing platform is used for bearing the mission load and driving the mission load to descend to the limit position to complete recovery. The method is capable of automatically laying and returning, safe, efficient and high in success rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of underwater unmanned vehicles, and in particular to a device and method for capturing and correcting the load of an underwater unmanned vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology and the needs of marine development, hydrographic survey and military applications, unmanned aerial vehicles are increasingly used due to their good stealth performance, wide sea area, low risk of use and strong adaptability. The increasingly complex underwater operation requirements have put forward higher requirements for the technical integration, mission diversity and environmental adaptability of unmanned aerial vehicles. Unmanned aerial vehicles perform a variety of underwater tasks by carrying sensors and different mission modules (collectively referred to as mission payloads). Large underwater vehicles often carry several mission payloads with the same functions as a mother body, which are deployed and recovered in a timely manner during the voyage mission. The deployment of the payload is usually completed by opening the release mechanism and then relying on the negative buoyancy (or positive buoyancy) of the payload, which has the disadvantages of poor reliability and low efficiency; however, there is little research on the autonomous recovery technology of the payload.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a safe, efficient and high success rate underwater unmanned vehicle payload capture and correction device based on autonomous deployment and recovery technology. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides an underwater unmanned vehicle load capture and correction device and method, which can be deployed and returned autonomously, and is safe, efficient and has a high success rate.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] An underwater unmanned vehicle load capture and correction device, comprising a guide device, a capture rod, a capture lifting mechanism, a correction mechanism and a lifting load-bearing platform;

[0007] The capture and lifting mechanism is arranged at the end of the aircraft carrying frame, the capture rod is vertically fixed on the capture and lifting mechanism, and the guide device is arranged at the top of the capture rod, which is used to guide the mission load to travel above the aircraft; after the mission load travels to the position, it is fixedly connected with the capture rod; the correction mechanism is used to correct the posture of the mission load, and the lifting and carrying platform is used to carry the mission load and drive the mission load to descend to the extreme position to complete the recovery.

[0008] Furthermore, the correction mechanism includes an arched door, a slide rail, a slider, a vertical hydraulic cylinder and a horizontal driving device;

[0009] The slide rails are symmetrically arranged and horizontally fixed on both sides of the aircraft carrying frame. The two sliders are driven by the lateral driving device to move laterally along the slide rails. At the same time, the sliders are fixedly connected to the cylinder barrel of the vertical hydraulic cylinder, and the two sides of the opening end of the arch door are fixedly connected to the top of the piston rod of the vertical hydraulic cylinder; the inner wall surface of the arch door is conformal to the upper surface of the mission load.

[0010] Furthermore, the vertical hydraulic cylinder includes an upper correction hydraulic cylinder, a lower correction hydraulic cylinder, a connecting frame I and a connecting frame II;

[0011] The cylinder barrel of the upper correction hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected to the piston rod of the lower correction hydraulic cylinder through a connecting frame I, and the lower correction hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected to a connecting frame II. A slide groove is provided on the connecting frame II, and the cylinder barrel of the upper correction hydraulic cylinder can slide up and down along the slide groove.

[0012] Furthermore, the slide groove is a dovetail groove, and the cylinder barrel of the upper correction hydraulic cylinder matches the dovetail groove profile.

[0013] Further, the transverse movement driving device includes a transverse movement hydraulic cylinder I and a transverse movement hydraulic cylinder II;

[0014] The cylinder barrel of the transverse hydraulic cylinder I is installed on the aircraft carrying frame, the piston rod of the transverse hydraulic cylinder I is fixedly connected to the cylinder barrel of the transverse hydraulic cylinder II, and the piston rod of the transverse hydraulic cylinder II is fixedly connected to the slider.

[0015] Furthermore, the lifting load-bearing platform comprises a front lifting guide rail, a lifting hydraulic cylinder, a lifting frame, a rear lifting guide rail and a clamping device; the lifting frame is used to carry the task load;

[0016] The front lifting guide rail and the rear lifting guide rail are respectively installed at the front and rear ends of the aircraft carrying frame. Driven by the lifting hydraulic cylinder, the lifting frame can be lifted and lowered along the front lifting guide rail and the rear lifting guide rail; the clamping device is used to fix the mission load.

[0017] The present invention also provides a method for capturing and correcting the load of an underwater unmanned vehicle, using the above-mentioned load capturing and correcting device for an underwater unmanned vehicle, and the steps of the capturing and correcting method are as follows:

[0018] Step 1: The capture lifting mechanism drives the capture rod to rise until the guide device extends out of the spacecraft; the guide device sends a signal to guide the mission payload to travel above the spacecraft; the mission payload extends a manipulator to grab the capture rod, completing the capture of the mission payload;

[0019] Step 2: The capture lifting mechanism descends, and the mission load descends synchronously. At the same time, the arch door rises under the drive of the vertical hydraulic cylinder. When the arch door rises to the maximum height, the capture lifting mechanism stops descending. The arch door moves rightward to the extreme position over the guide device under the drive of the transverse drive device, completing the mission load posture correction.

[0020] Step 3: The lifting load-bearing platform rises to the limit position, and the task load is lowered under the external force of the capture rod and the arch door. When the task load falls into the lifting load-bearing platform, it is fixed by the lifting load-bearing platform;

[0021] Step 4: The lifting load-bearing platform drives the mission load down to the extreme position, and the arch door moves left to the extreme position under the drive of the transverse drive device, completing the mission load recovery.

[0022] Beneficial effects:

[0023] 1. The present invention guides the mission payload to the vicinity of the mechanism through a guide device and connects it with the aircraft through the "grabbing rod" action of the payload, and adopts a capture rod that extends out of the aircraft cabin alone to guide and capture the payload, thereby increasing the success rate of capture and greatly reducing the risk of collision, thereby improving safety; the correction mechanism corrects the load posture, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the posture when the load is recovered and improving the accessibility of the load when transported inside the aircraft; the capture mechanism composed of the guide device, the capture rod and the capture lifting mechanism works in coordination with the correction mechanism, and has the advantages of safety, high efficiency and high success rate.

[0024] 2. The correction mechanism of the present invention adopts a lateral correction method, which ensures the safety of the load and the accuracy of the load posture when it is recovered.

[0025] 3. In order to further reserve sufficient navigation space for the load, the present invention increases the vertical stroke of the arch door, adopts two combined hydraulic cylinders for vertical drive, and improves the safety of the device.

[0026] 4. The present invention sets the slide groove as a dovetail groove, which has good guiding properties and can achieve precise guiding and motion control, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the equipment during operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the correction state of the present invention.

[0029] Among them, 1-task load, 2-capture mechanism, 3-correction mechanism, 4-slider, 5-lifting load-bearing platform, 6-connecting frame I, 7-arch door, 8-manipulator, 9-guiding device, 10-capture rod, 11-capture lifting mechanism, 12-slide rail, 13-front lifting guide rail, 14-lifting hydraulic cylinder, 15-lifting frame, 16-connecting frame II, 17-upper correction hydraulic cylinder, 18-lower correction hydraulic cylinder, 19-transverse hydraulic cylinder II, 20-transverse hydraulic cylinder I, 21-rear lifting guide rail. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] The present invention provides an underwater unmanned vehicle load capture and correction device, comprising a guide device 9, a capture rod 10, a capture lifting mechanism 11, a correction mechanism 3 and a lifting load-bearing platform 5; the guide device 9, the capture rod 10, and the capture lifting mechanism 11 constitute a capture mechanism 2.

[0032] The capture and lifting mechanism 11 is arranged at the end of the aircraft carrying frame, the capture rod 10 is vertically fixed on the capture and lifting mechanism 11, and the guide device 9 is arranged at the top of the capture rod 10 to guide the mission load 1 to travel above the aircraft; the capture and lifting mechanism 11 drives the capture rod 10 and the guide device 9 at the top through the built-in hydraulic cylinder (not marked in the figure); after the mission load 1 travels to the right position, the manipulator 8 extends out to grab the capture rod 10 and is fixedly connected to the capture rod 10; the correction mechanism 3 is used to correct the posture of the mission load 1, and the lifting and carrying platform 5 is used to carry the mission load 1 and drive the mission load 1 to descend to the extreme position to complete the recovery. Figure 1 As shown, at this time, the task load 1 is in the storage state in the load capture and correction device. The task load 1 is placed on the lifting frame 15 and fixed by the clamping device (not shown in the figure). The manipulator 8 is recovered in the body of the task load 1.

[0033] Specifically, the correction mechanism 3 is located outside the capture mechanism 2, and the correction mechanism 3 includes an arched door 7, a slide rail 12, a slider 4, a vertical hydraulic cylinder and a transverse driving device; the slide rail 12 is symmetrically arranged and horizontally fixed on both sides of the aircraft carrier frame, and the two sliders 4 move laterally along the slide rail 12 respectively under the drive of the transverse driving device. At the same time, the slider 4 is fixedly connected to the cylinder barrel of the vertical hydraulic cylinder, and the two sides of the opening end of the arched door 7 are fixedly connected to the top of the piston rod of the vertical hydraulic cylinder respectively; the inner wall surface of the arched door 7 is conformal to the upper surface of the mission load 1. Driven by the vertical hydraulic cylinder and the transverse driving device, the arched door 7 can realize vertical and transverse movement, and the posture correction of the mission load 1 is realized during the transverse movement of the arched door 7.

[0034] In this embodiment, the vertical hydraulic cylinder includes an upper correction hydraulic cylinder 17, a lower correction hydraulic cylinder 18, a connecting frame I6 and a connecting frame II16; the cylinder barrel of the upper correction hydraulic cylinder 17 is fixedly connected to the piston rod of the lower correction hydraulic cylinder 18 through the connecting frame I6, and the lower correction hydraulic cylinder 18 is fixedly connected to the connecting frame II16. The connecting frame II16 is provided with a vertical slide groove, and the cylinder barrel of the upper correction hydraulic cylinder 17 can slide up and down along the slide groove. Preferably, the slide groove is a dovetail groove, and the cylinder barrel of the upper correction hydraulic cylinder 17 matches the dovetail groove profile.

[0035] The transverse driving device includes a transverse hydraulic cylinder I20 and a transverse hydraulic cylinder II19; the cylinder barrel of the transverse hydraulic cylinder I20 is installed on the aircraft carrying frame, the piston rod of the transverse hydraulic cylinder I20 is fixedly connected to the cylinder barrel of the transverse hydraulic cylinder II19, and the piston rod of the transverse hydraulic cylinder II19 is fixedly connected to the slider 4, and can move laterally along the slide rail 12.

[0036] The lifting and carrying platform 5 includes a front lifting guide rail 13, a lifting hydraulic cylinder 14, a lifting frame 15, a rear lifting guide rail 21 and a clamping device; the lifting frame 15 is used to carry the mission load 1; the front lifting guide rail 13 and the rear lifting guide rail 21 are respectively installed at the front and rear ends of the aircraft carrying frame, and under the drive of the lifting hydraulic cylinder 14, the lifting frame 15 can be lifted and lowered along the front lifting guide rail 13 and the rear lifting guide rail 21; the clamping device is used to fix the mission load 1.

[0037] The present invention also provides a method for capturing and correcting the load of an underwater unmanned vehicle. The above-mentioned device for capturing and correcting the load of an underwater unmanned vehicle is used. The steps of the capturing and correcting method are as follows:

[0038] Step 1: When the mission payload 1 needs to be recovered, the capture lifting mechanism 11 drives the capture rod 10 to rise until the guide device 9 extends out of the aircraft; the guide device 9 sends a signal to guide the mission payload 1 to travel above the aircraft; the mission payload 1 extends the manipulator 8 to grab the capture rod 10, completing the capture of the mission payload 1;

[0039] In particular, at this time, only the capture rod 10 is extended far out of the aircraft, which reserves enough navigation space for the mission payload 1, and even if the capture fails, the risk of collision is greatly reduced. At the same time, the length of the capture rod 10 is much larger than the vertical dimension of the manipulator 8 at the "grab the rod" joint, which improves the success rate of the "grab the rod".

[0040] Step 2: After the capture is completed, the capture lifting mechanism 11 is lowered, and the task load 1 is lowered synchronously. At the same time, the arch door 7 is raised under the drive of the upper correction hydraulic cylinder 17 and the lower correction hydraulic cylinder 18; when the arch door 7 rises to the maximum height, the capture lifting mechanism 11 stops descending; Figure 2As shown, the arch door 7 is driven by the transverse hydraulic cylinder Ⅰ20 and the transverse hydraulic cylinder Ⅱ19 to move over the guide device 9 to the right to the extreme position, completing the posture correction of the task load 1, avoiding scratches and collisions when the task load 1 falls into the lifting frame 15, and ensuring the safety of the task load 1.

[0041] Step three, after the calibration is completed, the lifting frame 15 rises to the extreme position driven by the lifting hydraulic cylinder 14, and the task load 1 descends under the external force of the capture rod 10 and the arch door 7. When the task load 1 falls into the lifting frame 15, the task load 1 is fixed by the clamping device (not shown in the figure) on the lifting load platform 5.

[0042] Step 4: the lifting frame 15 drives the task load 1 to descend to the limit position, and the arch door 7 is driven by the transverse hydraulic cylinder I 20 and the transverse hydraulic cylinder II 19 to move left to the limit position, completing the recovery of the task load 1.

[0043] When the task load 1 is released, the lifting frame 15 can drive the task load 1 to rise under the drive of the lifting hydraulic cylinder 14.

[0044] In summary, the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for capturing and correcting underwater unmanned vehicle loads, characterized in that: It includes a guiding device, a catching rod, a catching lifting mechanism, a correction mechanism and a lifting bearing platform; The capture and lifting mechanism is arranged at the end of the aircraft carrying frame, the capture rod is vertically fixed on the capture and lifting mechanism, and the guide device is arranged at the top of the capture rod, which is used to guide the mission load to travel above the aircraft; after the mission load travels to the position, it is fixedly connected with the capture rod; the correction mechanism is used to correct the posture of the mission load, and the lifting and carrying platform is used to carry the mission load and drive the mission load to descend to the extreme position to complete the recovery.

2. The underwater unmanned vehicle load capture and correction device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The correction mechanism includes an arch door, a slide rail, a slider, a vertical hydraulic cylinder and a horizontal driving device; The slide rails are symmetrically arranged and horizontally fixed on both sides of the aircraft carrying frame. The two sliders are driven by the lateral driving device to move laterally along the slide rails. At the same time, the sliders are fixedly connected to the cylinder barrel of the vertical hydraulic cylinder, and the two sides of the opening end of the arch door are fixedly connected to the top of the piston rod of the vertical hydraulic cylinder; the inner wall surface of the arch door is conformal to the upper surface of the mission load.

3. The underwater unmanned vehicle load capture and correction device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The vertical hydraulic cylinder includes an upper correction hydraulic cylinder, a lower correction hydraulic cylinder, a connecting frame I and a connecting frame II; The cylinder barrel of the upper correction hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected to the piston rod of the lower correction hydraulic cylinder through a connecting frame I, and the lower correction hydraulic cylinder is fixedly connected to a connecting frame II. A slide groove is provided on the connecting frame II, and the cylinder barrel of the upper correction hydraulic cylinder can slide up and down along the slide groove.

4. The underwater unmanned vehicle load capture and correction device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The slide groove is a dovetail groove, and the cylinder barrel of the upper correction hydraulic cylinder matches the dovetail groove profile.

5. The underwater unmanned vehicle load capture and correction device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The transverse movement driving device comprises a transverse movement hydraulic cylinder I and a transverse movement hydraulic cylinder II; The cylinder barrel of the transverse hydraulic cylinder I is installed on the aircraft carrying frame, the piston rod of the transverse hydraulic cylinder I is fixedly connected to the cylinder barrel of the transverse hydraulic cylinder II, and the piston rod of the transverse hydraulic cylinder II is fixedly connected to the slider.

6. The underwater unmanned vehicle load capture and correction device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The lifting load-bearing platform comprises a front lifting guide rail, a lifting hydraulic cylinder, a lifting frame, a rear lifting guide rail and a clamping device; the lifting frame is used to carry the task load; The front lifting guide rail and the rear lifting guide rail are respectively installed at the front and rear ends of the aircraft carrying frame. Driven by the lifting hydraulic cylinder, the lifting frame can be lifted and lowered along the front lifting guide rail and the rear lifting guide rail; the clamping device is used to fix the mission load.

7. A method for capturing and correcting the load of an underwater unmanned vehicle, characterized in that: Using the underwater unmanned vehicle load capture and correction device as claimed in claim 2, the capture and correction method steps are as follows: Step 1: The capture lifting mechanism drives the capture rod to rise until the guide device extends out of the spacecraft; the guide device sends a signal to guide the mission payload to travel above the spacecraft; the mission payload extends a manipulator to grab the capture rod, completing the capture of the mission payload; Step 2: The capture lifting mechanism descends, and the mission load descends synchronously. At the same time, the arch door rises under the drive of the vertical hydraulic cylinder. When the arch door rises to the maximum height, the capture lifting mechanism stops descending. The arch door moves rightward to the extreme position over the guide device under the drive of the transverse drive device, completing the mission load posture correction. Step 3: The lifting load-bearing platform rises to the limit position, and the task load is lowered under the external force of the capture rod and the arch door. When the task load falls into the lifting load-bearing platform, it is fixed by the lifting load-bearing platform; Step 4: The lifting load-bearing platform drives the mission load down to the extreme position, and the arch door moves left to the extreme position under the drive of the transverse drive device, completing the mission load recovery.

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