A method and system for using an automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

The present application discloses a method and system for using an automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles, wherein the method includes: after receiving a return signal from a drone, opening a hatch located on the side of the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles and pushing the drone out of the apron through a slide rail transmission mechanism; controlling the drone to land on the apron, and then pushing the drone toward the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles through a slide rail transmission mechanism; when the drone passes through the hatch, folding the drone's blades through the baffles on both sides of the hatch to allow the drone to enter the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles; after the drone enters the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles, connecting the drone's charging port to the charging pile of the slide rail transmission mechanism and starting charging. The present application folds the drone's blades when recovering the drone from the side of the hangar to reduce the drone's volume, improve the sealing of the charging hangar, and achieve lightweight hangars.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of UAV technology, and specifically relates to a method and system for using an automatic charging hangar for UAVs. Background Art

[0002] As drones are used in more and more scenarios and perform more and more tasks, the requirements for drone working time are getting higher and higher, which requires drones to be able to charge or replace batteries in time after the battery runs out. As labor costs are getting higher and higher, and in some remote places that are difficult to reach, manual battery replacement obviously cannot meet the requirements. At this time, the hangar application that allows drones to return and automatically charge is born.

[0003] The drone charging hangars on the market generally open doors on both sides of the hangar top, allowing drones to land from the top of the hangar and enter the hangar. The disadvantage of this door opening method is that when the hangar door is opened in the wild, leaves or other flying garbage in the air can easily fall into the hangar, affecting the operation of the internal mechanism of the hangar, and even causing internal mechanism failure. In addition, when it rains, rainwater will fall into the hangar, bringing leakage risks to charging. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application proposes a method and system for using an automatic charging hangar for drones. When recovering a drone from the side of the hangar, the drone blades are folded to reduce the size of the drone, thereby improving the sealing of the charging hangar and achieving lightweight hangar.

[0005] The first aspect of the present application provides a method for using an automatic charging hangar for a drone, the method comprising:

[0006] After receiving the return signal from the drone, the hatch on the side of the drone automatic charging hangar is opened and the helipad is pushed out through the slide rail transmission mechanism; wherein the helipad is arranged on the slide rail transmission mechanism;

[0007] Control the drone to land on the apron, and then push the drone to move to the drone automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism;

[0008] When the drone passes through the hatch, the blades of the drone are folded by the baffles on both sides of the hatch so that the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar;

[0009] After the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar, connect the drone's charging port to the charging pile of the slide rail transmission mechanism and start charging.

[0010] The above scheme pushes the helipad from the slide rail transmission mechanism on the side of the automatic charging hangar of the drone, so that the drone can land on the helipad and recover the drone from the side of the hangar. In this way, it is difficult for debris to enter the hangar from the side in extreme weather, which improves the sealing of the hangar and avoids damage to the internal electronic devices. In addition, in the process of recovering the drone, the blades of the drone are folded through the baffles on both sides of the door to reduce the volume of the drone recovered into the hangar. In this way, the size of the hangar door can be designed according to the drone after the blades are folded, so as to make the overall size of the hangar smaller, realize the lightweight hangar, and facilitate the transportation and installation of the hangar.

[0011] In a possible implementation method of the first aspect, the drone is controlled to land on the apron, and then the drone is pushed to move to the drone automatic charging hangar by a slide rail transmission mechanism, specifically:

[0012] Pushing the UAV to the center of the apron and fixing it by means of the lateral push rod and the longitudinal push rod on the apron;

[0013] After the UAV is fixed in the center of the apron, the UAV is pushed back to the man-machine automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism.

[0014] The above scheme is provided with a transverse push rod and a longitudinal push rod on the apron. When the drone lands on the apron, the two push rods are used to fix the drone in the center of the apron, so that the drone will not move during the process of being recovered into the cabin door, thereby improving the recovery efficiency and making it easier for the baffles on both sides of the cabin door to fold the blades of the drone.

[0015] In a possible implementation method of the first aspect, the blades of the drone are folded by baffles on both sides of the door, specifically:

[0016] A baffle is respectively arranged on both sides of the hatch at a position having the same height as the propeller blade;

[0017] When the blades touch the baffle, the blades are folded by the baffle to reduce the size of the drone.

[0018] In the above solution, when the drone enters the hangar, the blades of the drone are folded by the baffles on both sides, so that the drone can be reduced in size before entering the hangar. Based on this, the overall size of the hangar can be designed to be smaller, and the hangar can be made lighter. It also means that a hangar of the same size as a drone with its blades unfolded can accommodate a larger drone.

[0019] In a possible implementation method of the first aspect, connecting the charging port of the drone to the charging pile of the slide rail transmission mechanism and starting charging also includes:

[0020] When the drone starts to charge, the air conditioner in the drone automatic charging hangar is started, and cold air is blown to the drone battery through the air duct between the air outlet of the air conditioner and the drone to dissipate the heat of the drone battery.

[0021] The above solution also installs an air conditioner in the hangar. When the drone battery is charging, the air conditioner can blow cold air to the battery to dissipate heat, avoiding battery problems caused by overheating. It also reduces the temperature in the hangar to avoid the hangar temperature being too high and affecting other components in the hangar. In addition, a dedicated air duct is designed between the air conditioner and the battery to allow as much cold air as possible to blow to the battery, accelerating the battery cooling speed.

[0022] In a possible implementation method of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0023] When the drone take-off signal is received, the drone is pushed from the cabin door to the outside of the drone automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism, and then the transverse push rod and the longitudinal push rod are moved to the preset initial positions to make the drone take off.

[0024] A second aspect of the present application provides a system for using an automatic charging hangar for drones, the system comprising: a return work preparation module, a drone landing module, a drone recovery module and a drone charging module;

[0025] Among them, the return work preparation module is used to open the hatch on the side of the drone automatic charging hangar and push it out to the apron through the slide rail transmission mechanism after receiving the drone return signal;

[0026] The drone landing module is used to control the drone to land on the apron, and then push the drone to move to the drone automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism;

[0027] The drone recovery module is used to fold the propellers of the drone through the baffles on both sides of the door when the drone passes through the door, so that the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar;

[0028] The drone charging module is used to connect the drone's charging port to the charging pile of the slide rail transmission mechanism and start charging after the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar.

[0029] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the invention further includes: a drone automatic charging hangar:

[0030] The automatic charging hangar for UAVs includes a UAV mobile module, a UAV folding module and a charging and cooling module;

[0031] The drone mobile module includes a slide rail transmission mechanism for pushing out or recovering the drone and connecting the charging port of the drone to the charging pile;

[0032] The drone folding module includes baffles on both sides of the cabin door, which are used to fold the propeller blades of the drone to adjust the size of the drone;

[0033] The charging and cooling module includes an air conditioner for blowing cold air to the drone during charging.

[0034] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the slide rail transmission mechanism is specifically:

[0035] The slide rail transmission mechanism includes a primary slide rail and a secondary slide rail; wherein the primary slide rail is fixed at the bottom center of the UAV automatic charging hangar;

[0036] A first-level slide block is arranged on the first-level slide rail, and a first-level slide table is arranged on the first-level slide block;

[0037] One end of the secondary slide rail is fixed to the primary slide platform;

[0038] The secondary slide rail is provided with a secondary slide block, and the secondary slide block is provided with a secondary slide table;

[0039] The apron is fixed on the secondary slide, and the apron can be moved by moving the secondary slide.

[0040] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the apron may be moved by moving the secondary slide, specifically:

[0041] The secondary slide rail is moved on the primary slide rail along with the primary slider, and the secondary slide platform is moved on the secondary slide rail along with the secondary slider, so that the apron moves on the slide rail conveying mechanism.

[0042] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the air conditioner is specifically:

[0043] An air duct is provided between the air outlet of the air conditioner and the battery of the drone, and a fan is provided in the air duct for guiding cold air;

[0044] The air conditioner blows cold air toward the battery of the drone through the air duct. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, the drawings required for use in the implementation manner will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some implementation manners of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0046] Figure 1This is a specific flow chart of a method for using an automatic charging hangar for drones provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 2 This is an overall structural diagram of a drone charging hangar and a method for using a drone automatic charging hangar provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the internal structure of a hangar for a method of using an automatic charging hangar for drones provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 4 This is a diagram of the external structure of a hangar for a method of using an automatic charging hangar for drones provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of a slide rail transmission mechanism of a method for using an automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of a helipad return mechanism for a method of using an automatic charging hangar for drones provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 7 This is an air conditioning installation structure diagram of a method for using a drone automatic charging hangar provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 8 This is an air conditioning installation effect diagram of a method for using a drone automatic charging hangar provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Fig. 9 This is a diagram of the cold air flow direction of an air conditioner in a method for using an automatic charging hangar for a drone provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Fig.10 This is a structural diagram of an air conditioning cold air duct for a method of using a drone automatic charging hangar provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Fig.11 This is a structural diagram of a hangar maintenance door of a method for using a drone automatic charging hangar provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Fig.12 This is a structural diagram of the layout of the left and right sides of a hangar for a method of using a drone automatic charging hangar provided in a certain embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Fig.13 This is a structural diagram of a system for using an automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles provided in a certain embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0060] It should be understood that the step numbers used in this article are only for the convenience of description and are not intended to limit the order in which the steps are executed.

[0061] First embodiment

[0062] The existing automatic charging hangar for drones has doors on the roof of the hangar that are opened to both sides, and the drones take off and land from the top of the hangar. When the doors are opened to both sides, since the interior of the hangar is directly open upwards, in places with trees outdoors, leaves or other debris in the air can easily fall into the hangar, affecting the operation of the internal mechanisms of the hangar, and even causing internal mechanism failures. Leaves or garbage may also fall into the gaps between the closed doors on both sides, affecting the sealing and waterproofness of the doors. In rainy days, since the diameters of the two doors cannot be completely sealed, rainwater will leak into the hangar, causing damage to internal electronic devices. Therefore, how to recover drones without affecting the sealing of the hangar is the main research direction of the embodiments of this application.

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 A specific flow chart of a method for using an automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles is provided for a certain embodiment of the present application. The method for using an automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles of this embodiment includes steps S1 to S4, which are described in detail as follows:

[0064] Step S1, after receiving the return signal of the UAV, open the door on the side of the UAV automatic charging hangar and push it out to the apron through the slide rail transmission mechanism.

[0065] In the embodiment of the present application, when the drone is ready to return to charge, it will send a return signal to the drone automatic charging hangar, and after receiving the return signal, the hangar will start preparation. The hangar will first open the hatch on the side, and then push the apron out of the hangar through the hatch through the slide rail transmission mechanism for the drone to park.

[0066] Compared with the prior art drone automatic charging hangar, which has a hatch on the top cover that opens to both sides, the drone automatic charging hangar provided in the embodiment of the present application has a hatch that can be opened by rotating up and down on the side, and the drone can be pushed out and retracted from the side through a slide rail transmission mechanism. Moreover, compared with the top, the space for drones to take off and land on the side is relatively open, and the drone blades are not easy to interfere with and collide with other parts when they are fully opened.

[0067] Specifically, the hinge of the hatch is set on the left and right sides below the hatch, and an electric push rod is also set inside the hangar cabin. A rotatable connecting rod is set at the end of the electric push rod. The connecting rod is connected to the appropriate position at the lower center of the hatch with a pin. When the electric push rod is pushed outward, the hatch rotates about 90° downward and outward under the action of the connecting rod. At this time, the hatch is open. A touch switch is also set inside the hangar (upper right of the hatch). When the hatch is closed, the hatch presses the touch switch to trigger the switch to detect whether the hatch is closed. A circle of sealing strips is set on the hatch. When the hatch is closed, the sealing strips are squeezed against the edge of the waterproof groove of the hangar side door to play a sealing and waterproof role.

[0068] Figure 2 The overall structure diagram of the UAV charging hangar is provided, and the figure shows the situation where the side hatch is opened to the outside. As shown in the figure, when the hatch is opened, the slide rail transmission structure is pushed out of the apron from above the hatch, and the UAV can land on the apron. The position of the UAV can be fixed by the X-axis push rod and the Y-axis push rod. Among them, the slide rail transmission structure and the hatch are connected by a connecting rod and a pin. In addition, two baffles are provided on both sides of the side of the hangar for folding the blades of the UAV to reduce the size of the UAV during the recovery process. A rain gauge, anemometer, temperature and humidity detector and antenna are provided above the hangar to detect the external environment of the hangar and determine whether the current weather conditions are suitable for recovering the UAV. In addition, the antenna above the hangar is used to receive the return signal sent by the UAV, and the status light is used to display the current status of the hangar. In addition, in order to facilitate the maintenance and overhaul of the UAV charging hangar, openable maintenance doors are provided on the left and right sides of the hangar and on the top of the hangar, and sealing strips are provided between the maintenance door and the hangar cabin frame for sealing and waterproofing. In order to facilitate the observation of the status of the drone on the apron, a camera is installed on the side of the hangar roof and the hatch, and a lighting lamp is installed on the top of the front hatch to increase the lighting and observe the drone at night.

[0069] Figure 3 The internal structure of the drone charging hangar is shown. When the cabin door is closed, the slide rail conveyor mechanism is placed longitudinally relative to the cabin door, and the apron set on the slide rail conveyor mechanism is also in a folded state to reduce the placement space in the cabin. Figure 4This is the external structure diagram of the hangar. Opposite the door for entering and exiting the slide rail conveyor mechanism is the front door. A lighting lamp is installed on the top of the front door to increase the lighting and observe the drone at night.

[0070] Step S2, controlling the UAV to land on the apron, and then pushing the UAV to move to the UAV automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism.

[0071] In an embodiment of the present application, the slide rail transmission mechanism is configured as a secondary sliding mechanism, including a primary slide rail and a secondary slide rail, which can increase the sliding distance. If the cabin door is regarded as horizontal, the primary slide rail is longitudinally fixed to the center of the hangar, a primary slider is provided on the primary slide rail, a primary slide table is provided on the primary slider, and the primary slide table is fixedly mounted on the primary slider. The secondary slide rail is also provided on the primary slider, and one end of the secondary slide rail is also longitudinally fixed on the primary slide table, so the secondary slide rail and the primary slide table can only move longitudinally on the primary slide rail along with the primary slider. A secondary slider is provided on the secondary slide rail, and a secondary slide table is provided on the secondary slider, and the secondary slide table is fixedly mounted on the secondary slider, and the secondary slide table can slide longitudinally on the secondary slide rail along with the secondary slider. The apron is fixed on the secondary slide table, so when the cabin door is opened, the secondary slide rail is pushed out of the cabin door through the primary slide rail, and the apron can slide on the secondary slide rail to realize the recovery of the drone from the outside of the hangar.

[0072] Furthermore, Figure 5 The detailed structural diagram of the slide rail transmission mechanism is provided. The leftmost part of the figure is the secondary slide, which is set on the secondary slider and the secondary slide rail; to the right of the secondary slide rail is the primary slide rail, which is connected to the secondary slide rail through the primary slider; a charging pile is set on the far right of the primary slide rail, and the drone on the apron can be moved to the charging socket of the charging pile for charging through the slide rail transmission mechanism; an air duct is also set in the charging pile to dissipate the heat of the drone battery being charged.

[0073] In addition Figure 5In the embodiment, an electric motor (servo) is arranged on the side of the primary slide, and a gear (driving wheel) is arranged at the rotating shaft of the electric motor. A pulley platform is fixedly installed at the bottom of the other end (front section) of the secondary slide, and a gear pulley (idler wheel) is arranged on one side of the pulley platform. The driving gear on the primary slide and the idler wheel on the pulley platform are connected by a synchronous belt. A bracket is arranged at the front end of the primary slide, and the synchronous belt is fixed on the bracket with a rack pressure block. When the motor drives the driving wheel to rotate, the synchronous belt and the idler wheel will rotate synchronously. Since one end of the synchronous belt is relatively fixed and the other end is relatively movable, the driving gear and the primary slide and the primary slider are also relatively movable. The driving gear rotates along the direction of the synchronous belt under the action of the synchronous belt rack, thereby driving the primary slider, the primary slide and the secondary slide to slide back and forth on the primary slide. Similarly, a rack pressure block is used to fix a part of the synchronous belt on the secondary slide. Since the idler wheel is fixed on the secondary slide rail and the idler wheel rotates under the action of the driving gear and the synchronous belt, a part of the synchronous belt will rotate, and the secondary slide will slide relatively on the secondary slide rail as the synchronous belt rotates, thereby realizing the movement of the apron on the slide rail transmission mechanism.

[0074] As an improvement to the above solution, in order to facilitate the forward and backward movement of the wires on the slide without being worn, a drag chain is respectively provided on the primary slide and the secondary slide, and the wires are installed inside the drag chain.

[0075] In addition, two touch switches in opposite directions are set at the connection between the primary and secondary slide rails, and a baffle is set on the pulley platform at the front end of the primary slide and the secondary slide rail to control the movement of the slide rail. When the slide rail mechanism is pushed out and the primary slider and the slide slide to the set position at the front end of the slide rail, the baffle on the primary slide triggers the touch switch to stop the slide rail mechanism from sliding. Similarly, when the slide rail mechanism is pushed back into the hangar, the baffle on the pulley platform triggers the touch switch on the outside to stop the slide rail from sliding.

[0076] As an improvement of the above solution, in order to allow the drone to stop more accurately in the middle of the apron, a return mechanism is also provided at the bottom of the apron. In the embodiment of the present application, a lateral return mechanism and a longitudinal return mechanism are provided. The lateral return mechanism includes Figure 2 The X-direction push rod (lateral push rod) in the longitudinal return mechanism includes Figure 2 The Y-axis push rod (longitudinal push rod) in.

[0077] In order to better display the Huizhong mechanism, Figure 6The specific structure of the return mechanism is provided. As shown in the figure, a motor is set at one end of the X-axis return mechanism (lateral return mechanism), a positive screw and a guide rod are radially set next to the motor, a positive screw nut slider is set on the positive screw, and an X-axis push rod is set on the slider. The motor drives the positive screw to rotate, and the positive screw makes the screw nut slider move axially on the screw, thereby driving the X-axis push rod to move. X-axis and Y-axis push rods are set on the apron, and the push rods are used to push the drone to the center of the apron. A reverse screw is arranged at the other end of the X-axis return mechanism, a reverse screw nut slider is arranged on the reverse screw, a push rod is arranged on the reverse screw nut slider, the reverse screw and the adjacent ends of the forward screw are connected by a coupling, the reverse screw rotates synchronously with the forward screw, and since the threads of the forward screw and the reverse screw are opposite, the moving direction of the forward screw nut slider is always opposite to the moving direction of the reverse screw nut slider, so that the push rods at both ends of the X-axis form an opening or closing action, so as to achieve the effect of the push rod pushing the drone to the middle, pushing and clamping the bottom of the drone when returning, and releasing the push rod before the drone takes off. Similarly, the principle of the Y-axis return mechanism is the same as that of the X-axis return mechanism. A touch switch is arranged near the middle position of the X-axis and Y-axis return mechanisms, and when the X-axis and Y-axis screw nut sliders move in opposite directions (the push rod closes and clamps the drone), the touch switch is triggered to stop moving, thereby controlling the travel of the push rod. A touch switch is respectively arranged near the end position of the X-direction and Y-direction return mechanisms to control the stroke of the push rod to open and move.

[0078] The UAV is fixed in the center of the apron through the horizontal and vertical return mechanisms, making it convenient to recover the UAV into the hangar.

[0079] Step S3, when the drone passes through the hatch, the blades of the drone are folded by the baffles on both sides of the hatch so that the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar.

[0080] In the embodiment of the present application, a baffle is provided on each side of the hatch of the automatic charging hangar of the drone, at the same position as the height of the drone blades (the drone blade height here refers to the height of the blades after the drone is fixed on the apron). In the process of the drone being pushed back into the hangar cabin, when the drone passes through the hatch, the drone blades hit the baffles on both sides of the hatch and fold, which can reduce the overall size of the drone and then be pushed back into the cabin, so that the overall size of the drone hangar can be made smaller, or the hangar of the same size can be compatible with larger drones with folded blades.

[0081] Because the space occupied by the drone parked inside the hangar becomes smaller, the overall size of the hangar can also be made smaller, making the hangar lightweight, easier to carry and install manually, reducing packaging and transportation costs, and reducing the site area occupied by the hangar installation.

[0082] Step S4, after the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar, the charging port of the drone is connected to the charging pile of the slide rail transmission mechanism and charging is started.

[0083] In the embodiment of the present application, the charging pile is installed at one end of the primary slide rail, and a charging socket is also provided on the charging pile. When the drone is recovered to the hangar by the slide rail conveying mechanism, the charging port on the drone is aligned with the charging socket on the charging pile to realize automatic charging of the drone.

[0084] Because drones require the charging time to be as short as possible, fast charging is required. However, the increase in fast charging power will cause the battery to generate more heat in a short period of time. If the battery temperature is too high, the drone battery will stop charging and may even cause battery failure. In order to reduce the temperature inside the drone hangar and speed up the cooling of the drone battery, the embodiment of the present application installs a small compressor air conditioner inside the hangar, close to the charging pile.

[0085] In order to better demonstrate the installation effect of the air conditioner, the present application embodiment provides Figure 7 Air conditioning installation structure and Figure 8 Air conditioning installation effect diagram. Figure 7 and Figure 8 It can be seen that the air conditioner is installed from the outside of the hangar to the inside. The compressor air conditioner is installed by tightening the screws, and then a protective mesh cover is set outside the air conditioner to increase the protection of the air conditioner and facilitate the cleaning and maintenance of the air conditioner. The protective mesh cover is also installed from the outside of the hangar to the inside, which makes it easier to disassemble and assemble.

[0086] Furthermore, an air duct is set between the air outlet of the air conditioner and the drone battery, and a guide fan is set inside the air duct to allow the first-hand cold air from the air conditioner to blow to the drone battery as much as possible. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The air conditioning structure after the air duct is installed is shown.

[0087] In addition, in order to facilitate the maintenance and overhaul of the UAV charging hangar, openable maintenance doors are set on the left and right sides and the top of the hangar, and sealing strips are set between the maintenance doors and the hangar cabin frame for sealing and waterproofing. Fig.11 .

[0088] Fig.12 The electronic device layout structure of the drone automatic charging hangar is shown on the right and left sides.

[0089] When the drone take-off signal is received through the antenna, the drone is pushed from the cabin door to the outside of the drone automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism, and then the transverse push rod and the longitudinal push rod are moved to the preset initial positions to make the drone take off.

[0090] Implementing the embodiments of the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0091] The embodiment of the present application pushes the helipad from the slide rail transmission mechanism on the side of the automatic charging hangar of the drone, so that the drone can land on the helipad and recover the drone from the side of the hangar. In this way, it is difficult for debris to enter the hangar from the side in extreme weather, which improves the sealing of the hangar and avoids damage to the internal electronic devices. In addition, in the process of recovering the drone, the blades of the drone are folded through the baffles on both sides of the door to reduce the volume of the drone recovered into the hangar. In this way, the size of the hangar door can be designed according to the drone after the blades are folded, so that the overall size of the hangar is smaller, the hangar is lightweight, and the transportation and installation of the hangar are convenient.

[0092] Second embodiment

[0093] Furthermore, in order to implement the use system of the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles corresponding to the above method embodiment to achieve the corresponding functions and technical effects, Figure 2 A structural diagram of a system for using an automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles is provided. For ease of description, only the parts related to this embodiment are shown. The system for using an automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles provided in the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0094] The return work preparation module 201 is used to open the door on the side of the drone automatic charging hangar and push it out to the apron through the slide rail transmission mechanism after receiving the drone return signal.

[0095] In the embodiment of the present application, when the drone is ready to return to charge, it will send a return signal to the drone automatic charging hangar, and after receiving the return signal, the hangar will start preparation. The hangar will first open the hatch on the side, and then push the apron out of the hangar through the hatch through the slide rail transmission mechanism for the drone to park.

[0096] Compared with the prior art drone automatic charging hangar, which has a hatch on the top cover that opens to both sides, the drone automatic charging hangar provided in the embodiment of the present application has a hatch that can be opened by rotating up and down on the side, and the drone can be pushed out and retracted from the side through a slide rail transmission mechanism. Moreover, compared with the top, the space for drones to take off and land on the side is relatively open, and the drone blades are not easy to interfere with and collide with other parts when they are fully opened.

[0097] Specifically, the hinge of the hatch is set on the left and right sides below the hatch, and an electric push rod is also set inside the hangar cabin. A rotatable connecting rod is set at the end of the electric push rod. The connecting rod is connected to the appropriate position at the lower center of the hatch with a pin. When the electric push rod is pushed outward, the hatch rotates about 90° downward and outward under the action of the connecting rod. At this time, the hatch is open. A touch switch is also set inside the hangar (upper right of the hatch). When the hatch is closed, the hatch presses the touch switch to trigger the switch to detect whether the hatch is closed. A circle of sealing strips is set on the hatch. When the hatch is closed, the sealing strips are squeezed against the edge of the waterproof groove of the hangar side door to play a sealing and waterproof role.

[0098] When the hatch is opened, the slide rail transmission structure is pushed out of the apron from above the hatch, and the drone can land on the apron. The position of the drone can be fixed by the X-axis push rod and the Y-axis push rod. Among them, the slide rail transmission structure is connected to the hatch by a connecting rod and a pin. In addition, two baffles are provided on both sides of the hangar side for folding the propeller blades of the drone to reduce the size of the drone during the recovery process. A rain gauge, anemometer, temperature and humidity detector and antenna are provided above the hangar to detect the external environment of the hangar and determine whether the current weather conditions are suitable for recovering the drone. In addition, the antenna above the hangar is used to receive the return signal sent by the drone, and the status light is used to display the current status of the hangar. In addition, in order to facilitate the maintenance and overhaul of the drone charging hangar, openable maintenance doors are provided on the left and right sides of the hangar and on the top of the hangar, and sealing strips are provided between the maintenance door and the hangar cabin frame for sealing and waterproofing. In order to facilitate the observation of the drone on the apron, a camera is provided on the hangar roof and the side where the hatch is located, and a lighting lamp is provided on the top of the front hatch to facilitate the observation of the drone at night with improved lighting.

[0099] The drone landing module 202 is used to control the drone to land on the apron, and then push the drone to move to the drone automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism.

[0100] In an embodiment of the present application, the UAV is pushed to the center of the apron and fixed by means of a lateral push rod and a longitudinal push rod on the apron.

[0101] After the UAV is fixed in the center of the apron, the UAV is pushed back to the man-machine automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism.

[0102] The drone recovery module 203 is used to fold the propeller blades of the drone through the baffles on both sides of the door when the drone passes through the door, so that the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar.

[0103] In the embodiment of the present application, a baffle is respectively provided on both sides of the hatch at the same height as the blade.

[0104] When the blades touch the baffle, the blades are folded by the baffle to reduce the size of the drone.

[0105] Specifically, a baffle is provided on the left and right sides of the hatch of the automatic charging hangar of the drone, at the same position as the height of the drone blades (the drone blade height here refers to the height of the blades after the drone is fixed on the apron). When the drone is pushed back into the hangar cabin, when the drone passes through the hatch, the drone blades hit the baffles on both sides of the hatch and fold, which can reduce the overall size of the drone and then be pushed back into the cabin, so that the overall size of the drone hangar can be made smaller, or the hangar of the same size can be compatible with larger drones with folded blades.

[0106] Because the space occupied by the drone parked inside the hangar becomes smaller, the overall size of the hangar can also be made smaller, making the hangar lightweight, easier to carry and install manually, reducing packaging and transportation costs, and reducing the site area occupied by the hangar installation.

[0107] The drone charging module 204 is used to connect the drone's charging port to the charging post of the slide rail transmission mechanism and start charging after the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar.

[0108] In an embodiment of the present application, when the drone starts charging, the air conditioner in the drone automatic charging hangar is started, and cold air is blown to the drone's battery through the air duct between the air outlet of the air conditioner and the drone to dissipate heat from the drone's battery.

[0109] The charging pile is installed at one end of the first-level slide rail, and a charging socket is also set on the charging pile. When the drone is recovered to the hangar by the slide rail conveyor mechanism, the charging port on the drone is aligned with the charging socket on the charging pile to realize automatic charging of the drone.

[0110] Because drones require the charging time to be as short as possible, fast charging is required. However, the increase in fast charging power will cause the battery to generate more heat in a short period of time. If the battery temperature is too high, the drone battery will stop charging and may even cause battery failure. In order to reduce the temperature inside the drone hangar and speed up the cooling of the drone battery, the embodiment of the present application installs a small compressor air conditioner inside the hangar, close to the charging pile.

[0111] The air conditioner is installed from the outside of the hangar to the inside. The compressor air conditioner is installed by tightening the screws. Then a protective mesh cover is set outside the air conditioner to increase the protection of the air conditioner and facilitate the cleaning and maintenance of the air conditioner. The protective mesh cover is also installed from the outside of the hangar to the inside, which makes it easier to disassemble and assemble.

[0112] Furthermore, an air duct is set between the air outlet of the air conditioner and the drone battery, and a guide fan is set inside the air duct to allow the first-hand cold air from the air conditioner to blow to the drone battery as much as possible.

[0113] In addition, in order to facilitate the maintenance and inspection of the drone charging hangar, openable maintenance doors are set on the left and right sides and the top of the hangar, and sealing strips are set between the maintenance doors and the hangar cabin frame for sealing and waterproofing.

[0114] When the drone take-off signal is received through the antenna, the drone is pushed from the cabin door to the outside of the drone automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism, and then the transverse push rod and the longitudinal push rod are moved to the preset initial positions to make the drone take off.

[0115] In some embodiments, the drone landing module 202 further includes:

[0116] The slide rail transmission mechanism is configured as a secondary sliding mechanism, including a primary slide rail and a secondary slide rail, which can increase the sliding distance. If the cabin door is regarded as horizontal, the primary slide rail is longitudinally fixed in the center of the hangar, a primary slider is provided on the primary slide rail, a primary slide table is provided on the primary slider, and the primary slide table is fixedly mounted on the primary slider. The secondary slide rail is also provided on the primary slider, and one end of the secondary slide rail is also longitudinally fixed on the primary slide table, so the secondary slide rail and the primary slide table can only move longitudinally on the primary slide rail along with the primary slider. A secondary slider is provided on the secondary slide rail, a secondary slide table is provided on the secondary slider, the secondary slide table is fixedly mounted on the secondary slider, and the secondary slide table can slide longitudinally on the secondary slide rail along with the secondary slider. The apron is fixed on the secondary slide table, so when the cabin door is opened, the secondary slide rail is pushed out of the cabin door through the primary slide rail, and the apron can slide on the secondary slide rail to realize the recovery of the drone from the outside of the hangar.

[0117] Furthermore, an electric motor (servo) is arranged on the side of the primary slide, and a gear (driving wheel) is arranged at the rotating shaft of the electric motor. A pulley platform is fixedly installed at the bottom of the other end (front section) of the secondary slide, and a gear pulley (idler wheel) is arranged on one side of the pulley platform. The driving gear on the primary slide and the idler wheel on the pulley platform are connected by a synchronous belt. A bracket is arranged at the front end of the primary slide, and the synchronous belt is fixed to the bracket with a rack pressure block. When the motor drives the driving wheel to rotate, the synchronous belt and the idler wheel will rotate synchronously. Since one end of the synchronous belt is relatively fixed and the other end is relatively movable, the driving gear and the primary slide and the primary slider are also relatively movable. The driving gear rotates along the direction of the synchronous belt under the action of the synchronous belt rack, thereby driving the primary slider, the primary slide and the secondary slide to slide back and forth on the primary slide. Similarly, a rack pressure block is used to fix a part of the synchronous belt on the secondary slide. Since the idler wheel is fixed on the secondary slide rail and the idler wheel rotates under the action of the driving gear and the synchronous belt, a part of the synchronous belt will rotate, and the secondary slide will slide relatively on the secondary slide rail as the synchronous belt rotates, thereby realizing the movement of the apron on the slide rail transmission mechanism.

[0118] As an improvement to the above solution, in order to facilitate the forward and backward movement of the wires on the slide without being worn, a drag chain is respectively provided on the primary slide and the secondary slide, and the wires are installed inside the drag chain.

[0119] In addition, two touch switches in opposite directions are set at the connection between the primary and secondary slide rails, and a baffle is set on the pulley platform at the front end of the primary slide and the secondary slide rail to control the movement of the slide rail. When the slide rail mechanism is pushed out and the primary slider and the slide slide to the set position at the front end of the slide rail, the baffle on the primary slide triggers the touch switch to stop the slide rail mechanism from sliding. Similarly, when the slide rail mechanism is pushed back into the hangar, the baffle on the pulley platform triggers the touch switch on the outside to stop the slide rail from sliding.

[0120] As an improvement of the above-mentioned solution, in order to allow the drone to stop more accurately in the middle of the apron, a centering mechanism is also provided at the bottom of the apron. In the embodiment of the present application, a lateral centering mechanism and a longitudinal centering mechanism are provided. The lateral centering mechanism includes an X-axis push rod, i.e., a lateral push rod, and the longitudinal centering mechanism includes a Y-axis push rod, i.e., a longitudinal push rod.

[0121] A motor is set at one end of the lateral return mechanism, a positive screw and a guide rod are radially set next to the motor, a positive screw nut slider is set on the positive screw, and a lateral push rod is set on the slider. The motor drives the positive screw to rotate, and the positive screw makes the screw nut slider move axially on the screw, thereby driving the lateral push rod. Horizontal and longitudinal push rods are set on the mobile apron, and the push rods are used to push the drone to the center of the apron. A reverse screw is arranged at the other end of the lateral return mechanism, a reverse screw nut slider is arranged on the reverse screw, a push rod is arranged on the reverse screw nut slider, the reverse screw and the adjacent ends of the forward screw are connected by a coupling, the reverse screw rotates synchronously with the forward screw, and since the threads of the forward screw and the reverse screw are opposite, the moving direction of the forward screw nut slider is always opposite to the moving direction of the reverse screw nut slider, so that the push rods at both ends of the lateral direction form an opening or closing action, so as to achieve the effect of the push rod pushing the drone to the middle, pushing and clamping the bottom of the drone during return, and releasing the push rod before the drone takes off. Similarly, the principle of the longitudinal return mechanism is the same as that of the lateral return mechanism. A touch switch is arranged near the middle position of the lateral and longitudinal return mechanisms, and when the lateral and longitudinal screw nut sliders move in opposite directions (the push rod closes and clamps the drone), the touch switch is triggered to stop moving, thereby controlling the travel of the push rod. A touch switch is arranged near the end position of the lateral and longitudinal return mechanisms, which is used to control the travel of the push rod opening movement.

[0122] The UAV is fixed in the center of the apron through the horizontal and vertical return mechanisms, making it convenient to recover the UAV into the hangar.

[0123] Implementing the embodiments of the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0124] The embodiment of the present application pushes the helipad from the slide rail transmission mechanism on the side of the automatic charging hangar of the drone, so that the drone can land on the helipad and recover the drone from the side of the hangar. In this way, it is difficult for debris to enter the hangar from the side in extreme weather, which improves the sealing of the hangar and avoids damage to the internal electronic devices. In addition, in the process of recovering the drone, the blades of the drone are folded through the baffles on both sides of the door to reduce the volume of the drone recovered into the hangar. In this way, the size of the hangar door can be designed according to the drone after the blades are folded, so that the overall size of the hangar is smaller, the hangar is lightweight, and the transportation and installation of the hangar are convenient.

[0125] The specific embodiments described above further describe the purpose, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present application in detail. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. It is particularly pointed out that for those skilled in the art, any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for using an automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles, characterized in that: include: After receiving the return signal from the drone, the hatch on the side of the drone automatic charging hangar is opened and the helipad is pushed out through the slide rail transmission mechanism; wherein the helipad is arranged on the slide rail transmission mechanism; Control the drone to land on the apron, and then push the drone to move to the drone automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism; When the drone passes through the hatch, the blades of the drone are folded by the baffles on both sides of the hatch so that the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar; After the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar, connect the drone's charging port to the charging pile of the slide rail transmission mechanism and start charging.

2. The method for using the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The control of the drone to land on the apron and then pushing the drone to move to the drone automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism is specifically as follows: Pushing the UAV to the center of the apron and fixing it by means of the lateral push rod and the longitudinal push rod on the apron; After the UAV is fixed in the center of the apron, the UAV is pushed back to the man-machine automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism.

3. The method for using the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The blades of the drone are folded by the baffles on both sides of the door, specifically: A baffle is respectively arranged on both sides of the hatch at a position having the same height as the propeller blade; When the blades touch the baffle, the blades are folded by the baffle to reduce the size of the drone.

4. The method for using the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The method of connecting the charging port of the drone to the charging pile of the slide rail transmission mechanism and starting charging also includes: When the drone starts to charge, the air conditioner in the drone automatic charging hangar is started, and cold air is blown to the drone battery through the air duct between the air outlet of the air conditioner and the drone to dissipate the heat of the drone battery.

5. The method for using the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Also includes: When the drone take-off signal is received, the drone is pushed from the cabin door to the outside of the drone automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism, and then the transverse push rod and the longitudinal push rod are moved to the preset initial positions to make the drone take off.

6. A system for using an automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles, characterized in that: include: Return work preparation module, drone landing module, drone recovery module and drone charging module; Among them, the return work preparation module is used to open the hatch on the side of the drone automatic charging hangar and push it out to the apron through the slide rail transmission mechanism after receiving the drone return signal; The drone landing module is used to control the drone to land on the apron, and then push the drone to move to the drone automatic charging hangar through the slide rail transmission mechanism; The drone recovery module is used to fold the propellers of the drone through the baffles on both sides of the door when the drone passes through the door, so that the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar; The drone charging module is used to connect the drone's charging port to the charging pile of the slide rail transmission mechanism and start charging after the drone enters the drone automatic charging hangar.

7. The system for using the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 6 is characterized in that: Also includes: Automatic charging hangar for drones; The automatic charging hangar for UAVs includes a UAV mobile module, a UAV folding module and a charging and cooling module; The drone mobile module includes a slide rail transmission mechanism for pushing out or recovering the drone and connecting the charging port of the drone to the charging pile; The drone folding module includes baffles on both sides of the cabin door, which are used to fold the propeller blades of the drone to adjust the size of the drone; The charging and cooling module includes an air conditioner for blowing cold air to the drone during charging.

8. The system for using the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 7 is characterized in that: The slide rail transmission mechanism is specifically: The slide rail transmission mechanism includes a primary slide rail and a secondary slide rail; wherein the primary slide rail is fixed at the bottom center of the UAV automatic charging hangar; A first-level slide block is arranged on the first-level slide rail, and a first-level slide table is arranged on the first-level slide block; One end of the secondary slide rail is fixed to the primary slide platform; The secondary slide rail is provided with a secondary slide block, and the secondary slide block is provided with a secondary slide table; The apron is fixed on the secondary slide, and the apron can be moved by moving the secondary slide.

9. The system for using the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 8 is characterized in that: The apron can be moved by moving the secondary slide, specifically: The secondary slide rail can move on the primary slide rail along with the primary slider; the secondary slide platform can move on the secondary slide rail along with the secondary slider, so that the apron moves on the slide rail conveying mechanism.

10. The use system of the automatic charging hangar for unmanned aerial vehicles according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The air conditioner is specifically: An air duct is provided between the air outlet of the air conditioner and the battery of the drone, and a fan is provided in the air duct for guiding cold air; The air conditioner blows cold air toward the battery of the drone through the air duct.

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