Multi-stage bistable mechanism for self-adaptive stop of unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a multistage bistable mechanism for self-adaptive stopping of an unmanned aerial vehicle, which comprises a sheet-shaped quick bistable gripper, a sliding end gripper fixing short block, a telescopic device baffle, a sliding end gripper fixing long block, a shape memory alloy spring and a fixed end gripper fixing block, the fixed end gripper fixing block is fixedly connected to one end of the transverse groove, the sliding end gripper fixing short block is located in the transverse groove, the sliding end gripper fixing long block is located between the sliding end gripper fixing short block and the fixed end gripper fixing block, and the fixing blocks are connected through the shape memory alloy springs. The sheet-shaped quick bistable gripper is a semi-spherical plate, and the root of the sheet-shaped quick bistable gripper is fixedly connected with the sliding end gripper fixing long block or the fixed end gripper fixing block. Compared with the prior art, rapid and stable inhabitation of pipelines with different diameters can be achieved under the small weight and size limitation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular to a multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, drone technology has experienced explosive growth. Drones are highly flexible and maneuverable, can be deployed quickly, can take off and land in a small space, and can adapt to complex terrain. They are also not limited by personnel and technology, and can cover large areas efficiently. They are playing an increasingly important role in many fields such as reconnaissance, surveillance, transportation, and aerial survey.

[0003] Current drones have the characteristics of low endurance due to their simple structure. Traditional drones are mainly powered by onboard batteries. During the execution of tasks, continuous flight consumes a lot of electricity, resulting in limited operation time. Frequent charging or replacement of batteries not only affects the operation efficiency, but is also difficult to achieve in some special operation environments (such as remote areas, above large areas of farmland, etc.). In the search for solutions to improve the endurance of drones, although aerial refueling technology can supplement energy to a certain extent, the technology is complex and costly, and is not applicable to small drones. The perching technology of drones has gradually become a research hotspot, that is, allowing drones to dock at specific locations between tasks to reduce unnecessary energy consumption. Therefore, it is of great research significance and application value to develop a drone perching device with high load capacity, the ability to quickly and stably perch on special structures such as the outside of pipes of different diameters, and simple structure, light weight, easy control, strong adaptability and strong concealment. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects of the above-mentioned prior art and provide a multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive parking of unmanned aerial vehicles, which can achieve rapid and stable perching on pipes of different diameters under relatively small weight and volume restrictions.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] The present invention provides a multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising a sheet-shaped rapid bistable gripper, a short fixed block of a sliding end gripper, a telescopic device baffle, a long fixed block of a sliding end gripper, a shape memory alloy spring and a fixed block of a fixed end gripper, wherein the telescopic device baffle is provided with a transverse groove with two ends through, the fixed block of the fixed end gripper is fixedly connected to one end of the transverse groove, the short fixed block of the sliding end gripper is located in the transverse groove, the number of the long fixed blocks of the sliding end gripper is one or more and is located between the short fixed block of the sliding end gripper and the fixed block of the fixed end gripper, the fixed long blocks of the sliding end gripper, the fixed long blocks of the sliding end gripper and the short fixed block of the sliding end gripper, and the fixed long blocks of the sliding end gripper and the fixed block of the fixed end gripper are all connected by shape memory alloy springs;

[0007] The lamellar fast bistable gripper is a semi-spherical plate. There are multiple lamellar fast bistable grippers, which are fixedly connected to the sliding end gripper fixed long block or the fixed end gripper fixed block at the root.

[0008] Furthermore, the number of the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks is two, the number of the shape memory alloy springs is three, and the number of the sheet-like fast bistable grippers is two, which are respectively fixedly connected to the sliding end gripper fixed long block or the fixed end gripper fixed block.

[0009] Furthermore, the sheet-shaped rapid bistable gripper can be rotated in the longitudinal direction on the sliding end gripper fixed long block or the fixed end gripper fixed block.

[0010] Furthermore, the lamellar rapid bistable grippers are arranged with concave surfaces facing each other or facing each other. When the concave surfaces of the lamellar rapid bistable grippers face each other, the lamellar rapid bistable grippers clamp the two sides of the inner end resting pipe through the concave surfaces; when the concave surfaces of the lamellar rapid bistable grippers face each other, the lamellar rapid bistable grippers are clamped on the inner sides of the two outer end resting pipes through the concave surfaces.

[0011] Furthermore, the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks, the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks and the sliding end gripper fixed short blocks, and the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks and the fixed end gripper fixed blocks are all connected by two connecting rod mechanisms composed of rods.

[0012] Further, each of the shape memory alloy springs is driven by a switch circuit.

[0013] Furthermore, when the switch circuit is powered on, the corresponding shape memory alloy spring contracts due to heat.

[0014] Furthermore, a plurality of drone connection shaft holes are provided on the baffle of the telescopic device for connecting the drone bracket.

[0015] Furthermore, the sheet-like rapid bistable gripper is made of a sheet-like epoxy glass fiber board.

[0016] Furthermore, the sliding end gripper fixing short block can slide along the transverse groove in the transverse groove, or be fixed at a certain position in the transverse groove.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0018] 1. The sheet-like rapid bistable gripper of the present invention is a hemispherical plate-like structure. The two hemispherical plates are respectively mounted on the sliding end gripper fixed short block and the fixed end gripper fixed block, and have the freedom to rotate in the vertical direction. It can not only firmly grasp a single pipe in a forward embracing manner, but also hang multiple pipes in the reverse direction, and the two states can be switched extremely quickly, thereby achieving the rapid stopping function of the UAV, greatly improving the stopping efficiency and flexibility of the UAV in different pipe body environments; in addition, the device adopts a multi-stage adjustable distance device driven by a shape memory alloy (SMA) spring, which can accurately adapt to more pipes of different diameters, significantly broadening the application range of UAVs in complex scenes.

[0019] 2. The present invention utilizes the characteristics of SMA heating when it is energized to achieve flexible and adjustable distance. Its driving device has a lightweight and compact structure while having efficient driving capabilities, making it easy to be mounted on a drone. At the same time, the bistable gripper adopts a sheet-like structure design, which further reduces the weight of the overall device. The synergistic effect of the two makes the entire device extremely light, and it perfectly achieves adaptation and mounting with the drone without adding any additional load to the drone, ensuring that the flight performance of the drone is not affected.

[0020] 3. From the perspective of the overall structure, the design of the present invention is concise and clear, the connection and coordination relationship between the components is clear and reasonable, and its good versatility enables it to match most UAV models. After being installed on the UAV, it basically will not have a significant adverse effect on the original flight performance of the UAV, such as flight speed, endurance, control stability, etc., providing a strong guarantee for the efficient and stable operation of the UAV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the device of the present invention when it is at the maximum habitat diameter;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the device of the present invention on the perch pipe when it is at the minimum perch diameter;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the bistable gripper of the device of the present invention perching on the double pipes at the outer end when the bistable gripper is in another stable state;

[0024] In the figure, 1. sheet-like rapid bistable gripper, 2. drone connecting shaft hole, 3. sliding end gripper fixing short block, 4. telescopic device baffle, 5. sliding end gripper fixing long block, 6. rod, 7. shape memory alloy spring, 8. fixed end gripper fixing block, 9. inner end perch pipe, 10. outer end perch pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, further definition and explanation thereof is not required in subsequent drawings.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the directions or positional relationships in which the inventive product is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0028] In addition, the terms "horizontal", "vertical" and the like do not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0029] The present invention is a multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles. The mechanism is mainly composed of a sheet-like fast bistable gripper 1 and a multi-stage adjustable distance device. The maximum deployment distance of the adjustable distance device is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the state of the bistable gripper perching on a single pipe is as follows Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the state of the bistable gripper resting on two pipes facing each other is as follows: Figure 3 shown.

[0030] Among them, the sheet-like rapid bistable gripper 1 is a hemispherical plate made of a sheet-like epoxy glass fiber board, and the number is preferably two. The concave surface of the hemispherical plate can produce radial constraints on the pipe walls of different diameters. When the concave surfaces of the two sheet-like rapid bistable grippers 1 are opposite to each other, a single pipe, i.e., the outer wall of the inner end perching pipe 9, can be clamped from both sides; when the concave surfaces are opposite to each other, two pipes, i.e., the inner wall of the outer end perching pipe 10, can be clamped from the inside to the outside. Therefore, both sheet-like rapid bistable grippers 1 can rotate in the longitudinal direction, and have two working states: the concave surfaces are opposite to each other, and the bistable structure is used to assist the drone to quickly perch on the pipe.

[0031] The working principle of the sheet-shaped rapid bistable gripper can be briefly described as follows: for the perching of a single pipe, the bistable gripper 1 is initially in the back-to-back state. When the drone approaches the pipe, the bistable gripper quickly responds and changes to the facing state to achieve rapid perching of the single pipe. For double pipes, the bistable gripper 1 is initially in the facing state. When the drone approaches the pipe, the bistable gripper quickly responds and changes to the back-to-back state to achieve rapid perching of the double pipes.

[0032] In this embodiment, the multi-stage adjustable distance device is composed of a mounting base and a telescopic device.

[0033] The mounting base includes components such as the drone connection shaft hole 2, the sliding end gripper fixed short block 3, the telescopic device baffle 4, the sliding end gripper fixed long block 5 and the fixed end gripper fixed block 8. The telescopic device baffle 4 is the base of the entire mechanism, and is provided with a horizontal groove running through the left and right. The fixed end gripper fixed block 8 is fixed at one end of the horizontal groove. The sliding end gripper fixed short block 3 and the sliding end gripper fixed long block 5 are located in the horizontal groove and can slide along the horizontal groove. The number of the sliding end gripper fixed long block 5 is two, and the number of the sliding end gripper fixed short block 3 and the fixed end gripper fixed block 8 are both one. The two sliding end gripper fixed long blocks 5 are both located between the sliding end gripper fixed short block 3 and the fixed end gripper fixed block 8. The drone connection shaft hole 2 is located on the telescopic device baffle 4, and its number, specifications and layout are designed according to the specifications of the adapted drone.

[0034] The working principle of the mounting base can be briefly described as follows: an axial hole of the same size as the axial hole 2 of the drone is reserved on the drone bracket, and the base is mounted on the drone through the axial hole. The sliding end gripper fixing short block 3 and the fixed end gripper fixing block 8 are respectively connected to two sheet-like bistable grippers 1. Two sliding end gripper fixing long blocks 5 are placed between the two fixing blocks for connecting the telescopic device. In addition, the telescopic device baffle 4 is used for vertical positioning and horizontal movement of the telescopic device.

[0035] The telescopic device is composed of a rod 6 and a shape memory alloy spring 7, which is used to adjust the distance between the two bistable grippers in multiple stages and enable them to rest outside pipes of different diameters. The sliding end gripper fixed long blocks 5, the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks 5 and the sliding end gripper fixed short blocks 3, and the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks 3 and the fixed end gripper fixed blocks 8 are all connected by shape memory alloy springs 7. Since the number of sliding end gripper fixed long blocks 5 is two, the number of shape memory alloy springs 7 is three. In addition, two connecting rod mechanisms composed of rods 6 are connected between the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks 5, between the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks 5 and the sliding end gripper fixed short blocks 3, and between the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks 3 and the fixed end gripper fixed blocks 8. The two connecting rod mechanisms are arranged in pairs on both sides of the shape memory alloy spring 7, with a total of twelve rods 6, which can be folded and stretched with the expansion and contraction of the shape memory alloy spring 7, and provide support for the telescopic device at the same time.

[0036] The working principle of the telescopic device can be briefly described as follows: three shape memory alloy springs 7 are driven by different switch circuits. When the switch circuit is powered on, the SMA springs will heat up and shrink, thereby driving the rod 6 to move and shorten horizontally. When different numbers of SMA springs are powered on, there will be different degrees of shortening distance, thereby achieving multi-level changes in distance, and then accommodating pipes of different diameters.

[0037] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles, characterized in that: The invention comprises a sheet-shaped rapid bistable gripper (1), a sliding end gripper fixed short block (3), a telescopic device baffle (4), a sliding end gripper fixed long block (5), a shape memory alloy spring (7) and a fixed end gripper fixed block (8); the telescopic device baffle (4) is provided with a transverse groove with two ends passing through; the fixed end gripper fixed block (8) is fixedly connected to one end of the transverse groove; the sliding end gripper fixed short block (3) is located in the transverse groove; the sliding end gripper fixed long block (5) is one or more and is located between the sliding end gripper fixed short block (3) and the fixed end gripper fixed block (8); the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks (5), the sliding end gripper fixed long block (5) and the sliding end gripper fixed short block (3), and the sliding end gripper fixed long block (5) and the fixed end gripper fixed block (8) are all connected by shape memory alloy springs (7); The sheet-like rapid bistable gripper (1) is a semi-spherical plate. The sheet-like rapid bistable gripper (1) is in multiple numbers and is fixedly connected at the root to a sliding end gripper fixed long block (5) or a fixed end gripper fixed block (8).

2. The multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The number of the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks (5) is two, the number of the shape memory alloy springs (7) is three, and the number of the sheet-like rapid bistable grippers (1) is two, which are respectively fixedly connected to the sliding end gripper fixed long block (5) or the fixed end gripper fixed block (8).

3. The multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The sheet-shaped rapid bistable gripper (1) can be rotated in the longitudinal direction on the sliding end gripper fixed long block (5) or the fixed end gripper fixed block (8).

4. The multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The sheet-like rapid bistable gripper (1) is arranged with concave surfaces facing each other or facing each other. When the concave surfaces of the sheet-like rapid bistable gripper (1) face each other, the sheet-like rapid bistable gripper (1) clamps the two sides of the inner end perch pipe (9) through the concave surfaces; when the concave surfaces of the sheet-like rapid bistable gripper (1) face each other, the sheet-like rapid bistable gripper (1) is clamped on the inner sides of the two outer end perch pipes (10) through the concave surfaces.

5. The multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The sliding end gripper fixed long blocks (5), the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks (5) and the sliding end gripper fixed short blocks (3), and the sliding end gripper fixed long blocks (5) and the fixed end gripper fixed blocks (8) are all connected via a two-link mechanism consisting of rods (6).

6. The multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shape memory alloy springs (7) are each driven by a switch circuit.

7. The multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the switch circuit is powered on, the corresponding shape memory alloy spring (7) contracts due to heat.

8. The multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic device baffle (4) is provided with a plurality of drone connection shaft holes (2) for connecting to a drone bracket.

9. The multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sheet-like rapid bistable gripper (1) is made of a sheet-like epoxy glass fiber board.

10. A multi-stage bistable mechanism for adaptive stopping of a UAV according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The sliding end gripper fixing short block (3) can slide along the transverse groove in the transverse groove, or be fixed at a certain position in the transverse groove.

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