Wing controllable folding and unfolding mechanism of light and small fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

A shell in the mechanism is connected with an unmanned aerial vehicle body, a rotating shaft is rotationally connected to the axis of the shell, the rotating shaft is connected with a wing on one side of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a torsional spring is arranged on the rotating shaft in a sleeving mode, the torsional spring is connected with the rotating shaft and the shell, and a moving assembly is arranged on the rotating shaft; controllable folding and unfolding of the wings of the unmanned aerial vehicle are achieved, and the control assembly and the locking assembly are arranged on the shell and used for limiting the position of the movement assembly in the wing folding state and limiting the position of the movement assembly in the wing unfolding state correspondingly. According to the scheme, control over folding and unfolding actions, buffering before unfolding in place and locking after unfolding in place of the wings of the unmanned aerial vehicle under the condition of no external force constraint can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of foldable fixed-wing UAVs, and in particular relates to a controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wings of a light and small fixed-wing UAV. Background Art

[0002] As drone technology becomes increasingly mature, the demand for drones in various segments is also increasing. Some applications require drones to take off by airborne launch (aerial projection) or tube launch. In this case, the drone needs to occupy a smaller space volume before takeoff in order to increase the number of single-mounted airborne drones or reduce the size of the launch tube. An effective way to reduce the occupied space volume is to use folding wings.

[0003] The wing folding mechanism used in the foldable fixed-wing UAV launched by canister launch achieves wing folding under the constraint of the launch canister. After the UAV launched by canister launch is launched out of the canister, the wings will automatically unfold when they lose the constraint of the launch canister. However, the UAV launched by airborne launch does not have the constraint of the launch canister, cannot autonomously restrain the folded wings, and cannot achieve controllable wing unfolding. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wings of a light and small fixed-wing UAV, so as to realize the folding and controllable unfolding of the wings of the foldable fixed-wing UAV without external force constraints.

[0005] The specific technical solution for achieving the purpose of the present invention is:

[0006] A controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wings of a light and small fixed-wing UAV, comprising a housing, a rotating shaft, a torsion spring, a motion component, a control component and a locking component;

[0007] The shell is connected to the fuselage of the drone, and a rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the axis of the shell, and the rotating shaft is connected to a wing on one side of the drone;

[0008] A torsion spring is sleeved on the rotating shaft, one end of the torsion spring is connected to the rotating shaft, and the other end is connected to the housing;

[0009] A motion component is arranged on the rotating shaft to realize the controllable folding and unfolding of the wings of the drone;

[0010] A control component and a locking component are respectively arranged on the shell, wherein the control component is used to limit the position of the moving component when the wing is folded, and the locking component is used to limit the position of the moving component when the wing is unfolded.

[0011] Further, the control assembly includes a driver and a rocker arm;

[0012] The driver is arranged on the housing, and the output end of the driver is connected to the rocker arm. The rocker arm adjusts its position through the output end of the driver to limit the position of the motion component in the wing folding state.

[0013] Further, the locking assembly includes a locking seat and a locking pin;

[0014] The locking seat is arranged on the housing, a locking pin mounting hole is arranged on the top of the locking seat, the locking pin is elastically mounted in the locking pin mounting hole through a compression spring, and maintains a tendency of vertical upward movement under the elastic action of the compression spring.

[0015] Further, the motion assembly includes a motion disk, a pulley, and a locking pin hole;

[0016] The moving disk is arranged at the top end of the rotating shaft, and a pulley and a locking pin hole are arranged on the moving disk;

[0017] The pulley cooperates with the rocker arm to achieve the limiting of the moving component.

[0018] Furthermore, the motion assembly also includes a pulley mounting shaft, a limit block and a limit buffer;

[0019] The pulley is rotatably mounted on the pulley mounting shaft through a thin-wall bearing;

[0020] The limit block is arranged on the moving disk, and a limit buffer member cooperating with the limit block is arranged at a corresponding position on the locking seat.

[0021] Furthermore, the rotating shaft and the housing are rotatably connected via two sets of bearing groups;

[0022] Each bearing set includes a spindle, a thin-walled bearing and a thrust bearing;

[0023] Among them, the thrust bearing and the thin-walled bearing sleeve are installed in the main shaft;

[0024] The thin-wall bearing is arranged on the outer side of the main shaft, and the thrust bearing is arranged on the inner side of the main shaft.

[0025] Furthermore, a wing mounting plate is arranged on the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is connected to a wing on one side of the UAV through the wing mounting plate.

[0026] Furthermore, the controllable folding and unfolding mechanisms of the wings on both sides of the drone are used to realize synchronous unfolding of the wings through a synchronous gear set;

[0027] The synchronous gear set is connected to the rotation shaft of the controllable folding and unfolding mechanism of the wings on both sides.

[0028] Furthermore, the position-limiting buffer is arranged in a position-limiting buffer installation hole reserved on the locking seat and is locked by a quick-release top screw.

[0029] Furthermore, a plurality of torsion spring mounting holes are circumferentially arranged at the bottom of the housing, and one end of the torsion spring connected to the housing is arranged in the torsion spring mounting hole;

[0030] According to the required moment of inertia of the UAV wing and the deployment time requirement, different torsion spring mounting holes are selected to adjust the initial torque of the torsion spring.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0032] (1) The solution of the present invention is based on the cooperation of the rotating shaft, the motion component, the control component and the locking component to realize the control of the folding and unfolding action of the UAV wing without external force constraints, the buffering before the folding is completed, and the locking after the folding is completed;

[0033] (2) In the solution of the present invention, the rotating shaft connected to the wing is rotatably connected to the housing through two sets of bearing groups, each bearing group includes a thin-walled bearing and a thrust bearing; the two sets of bearing groups constrain the rotating shaft axially and radially, while increasing the axial and radial overload resistance of the rotating shaft, reducing the friction and virtual position between the rotating shaft and the housing, and reducing the wing shaking caused by the bearing clearance;

[0034] (3) When the driver of the control assembly in the solution of the present invention drives the rocker arm to release the pulley, rolling friction is formed between the rocker arm and the pulley, which effectively reduces the friction force when the rocker arm releases the pulley, so that the driver can use a smaller driving force to unlock the wing with a large moment of inertia, thereby achieving low-power controllable unlocking;

[0035] (4) Since the moment of inertia of the wing is relatively large when it is unfolded, the solution of the present invention realizes the limitation and buffering of the wing unfolding movement by the cooperation of the limit block and the limit buffer, thereby reducing the impact and extending the service life; the limit buffer made of lead material constitutes a lead damper, which can absorb the large moment of inertia when the wing is unfolded and prevent the rebound phenomenon from occurring when the limit block collides with the limit buffer;

[0036] (5) After the wing is unfolded, the locking pin of the locking assembly corresponds axially to the locking pin hole on the moving disk of the moving assembly. The locking pin is inserted into the locking pin hole under the action of elasticity, thereby locking the moving assembly and preventing the moving assembly from rotating. This achieves locking of the wing in the unfolded state.

[0037] (6) The solution of the present invention is to set a plurality of torsion spring mounting holes in the circumferential direction of the bottom of the shell. Different torsion spring mounting holes are selected to install the torsion spring according to the rotational inertia of the wing and the requirements of the deployment time, so as to adjust the initial torque of the torsion spring.

[0038] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with specific implementation modes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 It is a front view schematic diagram of the controllable folding and unfolding mechanism of the wing of a light and small fixed-wing UAV of the present invention in a wing folded state.

[0040] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the controllable folding and unfolding mechanism of the wing of the light and small fixed-wing UAV of the present invention in the wing folded state.

[0041] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the controllable folding and unfolding mechanism of the wing of the light and small fixed-wing UAV of the present invention in the wing unfolding state.

[0042] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the controllable folding and unfolding mechanism of the wing of the light and small fixed-wing UAV of the present invention in the wing folded state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Example

[0044] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The described embodiments are only 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 are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] As shown in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates an exception, the words "a", "an", "an kind" and / or "the" do not refer to the singular and may also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "include" and "comprise" only indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements that have been clearly identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. The method or device may also include other steps or elements.

[0046] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​of the parts and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The technology, method and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant field may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, method and equipment should be considered as a part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, so that once a certain item is defined in an accompanying drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0047] Combination Figures 1 to 4 , a controllable folding and unfolding mechanism of a wing of a light and small fixed-wing UAV, comprising a housing 1, a rotating shaft 2, a torsion spring 3, a motion component, a control component and a locking component;

[0048] The housing 1 is connected to the fuselage of the drone, and a rotating shaft 2 is rotatably connected to the axis of the housing 1, and the rotating shaft 2 is connected to a wing on one side of the drone;

[0049] A torsion spring 3 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 2, one end of the torsion spring 3 is connected to the rotating shaft 2, and the other end is connected to the housing 1;

[0050] The housing is used to accommodate the rotating shaft 2 and is connected to the drone fuselage. The rotating shaft 2 cooperates with the torsion spring 3 to realize the folding and unfolding of the drone wings.

[0051] The rotating shaft 2 and the housing 1 are rotatably connected via two sets of bearing groups;

[0052] Each bearing set includes a main shaft, a thin-walled bearing 4 and a thrust bearing 5;

[0053] Among them, a gasket is added on both sides of the thrust bearing 5, and then it is sleeved into the main shaft together with the thin-walled bearing 4. The thin-walled bearing 4 is placed on the outside of the main shaft, and the thrust bearing 5 is placed on the inside of the main shaft.

[0054] The two sets of bearing groups constrain the rotating shaft 2 axially and radially, while increasing the axial and radial overload resistance of the rotating shaft 2, reducing the friction and virtual position between the rotating shaft 2 and the housing 1, and reducing the wing shaking caused by the bearing clearance.

[0055] A motion component is arranged on the rotating shaft 2 to realize the controllable folding and unfolding of the wings of the drone;

[0056] A control component and a locking component are respectively arranged on the housing 1, wherein the control component is used to limit the position of the moving component when the wing is folded, and the locking component is used to limit the position of the moving component when the wing is unfolded.

[0057] In addition, in order to synchronously unfold the wings on both sides of the drone, the controllable folding and unfolding mechanisms of the wings on both sides of the drone are connected through a synchronous gear set to achieve synchronous unfolding of the wings, thereby increasing the flexibility of the structural design.

[0058] The synchronous gear set is connected to the rotating shaft 2 of the controllable folding and unfolding mechanism of the wings on both sides, that is, the synchronous folding and unfolding of the wings on both sides is achieved through the synchronous gear set.

[0059] More specifically: In this embodiment, the control assembly includes a driver 7 and a rocker arm 8;

[0060] The driver 7 is arranged on the shell 1, and in this embodiment is arranged in a slot on the shell 1 to achieve the limitation of the motor; the output end of the driver 7 is connected to the rocker arm 8, and the rocker arm 8 adjusts its position through the output end of the driver 7, so as to limit the position of the moving component when the wing is folded.

[0061] In this embodiment, the driver 7 is implemented by a motor, and the rocker arm 8 is arranged on the output shaft of the motor.

[0062] The locking assembly comprises a locking seat 9 and a locking pin 10;

[0063] The locking seat 9 is arranged on the housing 1 and is fixedly connected to the housing 1 by screws. A locking pin mounting hole is arranged on the top of the locking seat 9. The locking pin 10 is elastically mounted in the locking pin mounting hole by a compression spring and maintains a tendency to move vertically upward under the elastic action of the compression spring.

[0064] The motion assembly includes a motion disk 11, a pulley 12, and a locking pin hole 13;

[0065] The moving disk 11 is arranged at the top of the rotating shaft 2, and a pulley 12 and a locking pin hole 13 are arranged on the moving disk 11, and the locking pin hole 13 cooperates with the locking pin 10; when the wing is folded, the rocker arm 8 blocks the pulley 12, so that the moving component cannot rotate under the action of the torsion spring 3, and at this time, the locking pin 10 is in elastic contact with the bottom of the moving disk 11;

[0066] The pulley 12 cooperates with the rocker arm 8 to achieve the limiting of the moving component.

[0067] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 It can be seen that the rocker arm 8 can adjust its position under the drive of the driver 7. When it is in a limited state, it limits the moving disk 11 by interfering with the pulley 12. When it is lifted up under the drive of the driver 7, the pulley 12 loses the limit, and the moving disk 11 rotates under the drive of the torsion spring 3 until it reaches the locked position.

[0068] When the wing is in the unfolded state, the locking pin 10 is inserted into the locking pin hole 13 under the elastic action of the compression spring; the end of the locking pin 10 can adopt a conical structure, and the locking pin hole 13 adopts a conical hole that matches the end of the conical structure of the locking pin 10, and the conical hole has a small matching clearance and a small virtual position.

[0069] The motion assembly further includes a pulley mounting shaft 14, a limit block 15 and a limit buffer 16;

[0070] The pulley 12 is rotatably mounted on the pulley mounting shaft 14 through a thin-walled bearing. When the driver 7 drives the rocker arm 8 to release the pulley 12, rolling friction is formed between the rocker arm 8 and the pulley 12, which effectively reduces the friction force when the rocker arm 8 releases the pulley 12, so that the driver 7 can unlock the wing with a large moment of inertia with a smaller driving force.

[0071] The limit block 15 is arranged on the moving plate 11, and a limit buffer 16 cooperating with the limit block 15 is arranged at a corresponding position on the locking seat 9; the limit buffer 16 in this embodiment is arranged in a limit buffer installation hole reserved on the locking seat 9, and is locked by a quick-install top screw 17;

[0072] The limit buffer 16 is made of lead material; the moment of inertia of the wing when it is unfolded is large, and the limit block 15 and the limit buffer 16 cooperate to achieve the limitation and buffering of the wing unfolding movement, reduce the impact and extend the service life; the limit buffer 16 made of lead material constitutes a lead damper, which can absorb the large moment of inertia when the wing is unfolded and prevent rebound when the limit block 15 collides with the limit buffer 16.

[0073] The rotating shaft 2 is provided with a wing mounting plate 6, and the rotating shaft 2 is connected to a wing of the UAV through the wing mounting plate 6. The wing mounting plate 6 and the wing of the UAV are connected by bolts.

[0074] A plurality of torsion spring mounting holes 18 are circumferentially arranged at the bottom of the housing 1, and one end of the torsion spring 3 connected to the housing 1 is arranged in the torsion spring mounting hole 18;

[0075] Different torsion spring mounting holes 18 are selected according to the required rotational inertia of the drone wing and the deployment time requirement, so as to adjust the initial torque of the torsion spring 3 .

[0076] The status of this program organization during implementation is as follows:

[0077] When the drone's wings are in the folded state, the main wing is parallel to the fuselage, the torsion spring is in a state of force storage, and the wing shaft is stuck on the unlocking device. Figure 2 As shown;

[0078] The torsion spring 3 is loaded and stores force, so that the rotating shaft 2 has an initial torque. The moving component tends to accelerate the rotational motion under the initial torque of the rotating shaft 2. The rocker arm 8 of the control component is in a horizontal position, and the pulley 12 of the moving component is in contact with the rocker arm 8. The moving component is blocked by the rocker arm 8 along the tangential direction of the rotational motion. The moving component is in a stationary state, and the locking pin 10 of the locking assembly is in elastic contact with the bottom of the moving disk 11 of the moving component; at this time, the wing is in a folded state.

[0079] The wing deployment process and deployment status, such as Figure 3 As shown;

[0080] After the driver 7 of the control component receives the unlocking control signal, the driver 7 controls the rocker arm 8 to rotate. When the rocker arm 8 releases the pulley 12 of the moving component, the torsion spring 3 releases the stored force to provide torque to the rotating shaft 2. The rotating shaft 2 drives the moving component to start accelerating the rotational movement. The locking pin 10 of the locking component elastically slides in contact with the bottom of the moving disk 11 of the moving component. When the limit block 15 of the moving component collides with the limit buffer 16, the moving component stops moving; the locking pin 10 of the locking component axially corresponds to the locking pin hole 13 on the moving disk 11 of the moving component. The locking pin 10 is inserted into the locking pin hole 13 under the elastic action of the compression spring, forming a locking effect on the moving component, so that the moving component can no longer rotate and is in a stationary state; at this time, the wing completes the unfolding process and is locked in the unfolded state.

[0081] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wings of a small and light fixed-wing UAV, characterized in that: It comprises a housing (1), a rotating shaft (2), a torsion spring (3), a motion component, a control component and a locking component; The shell (1) is connected to the fuselage of the drone, a rotating shaft (2) is rotatably connected to the axis of the shell (1), and the rotating shaft (2) is connected to a wing on one side of the drone; A torsion spring (3) is sleeved on the rotating shaft (2), one end of the torsion spring (3) is connected to the rotating shaft (2), and the other end is connected to the housing (1); A motion component is arranged on the rotating shaft (2) for realizing controllable folding and unfolding of the wings of the drone; The housing (1) is provided with a control component and a locking component, respectively, wherein the control component is used to limit the position of the moving component when the wing is folded, and the locking component is used to limit the position of the moving component when the wing is unfolded.

2. The controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wing of a small fixed-wing UAV according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The control component comprises a driver (7) and a rocker arm (8); The driver (7) is arranged on the housing (1); the output end of the driver (7) is connected to the rocker arm (8); the rocker arm (8) adjusts its position through the output end of the driver (7) to limit the position of the motion component in a wing-folded state.

3. The controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wing of a small and light fixed-wing UAV according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The locking assembly comprises a locking seat (9) and a locking pin (10); The locking seat (9) is arranged on the housing (1), and a locking pin mounting hole is arranged on the top of the locking seat (9). The locking pin (10) is elastically mounted in the locking pin mounting hole by means of a compression spring, and maintains a tendency to move vertically upwards under the elastic action of the compression spring.

4. The controllable folding and unfolding mechanism of the wing of a small and light fixed-wing UAV according to claim 2 or 3 is characterized in that: The moving assembly comprises a moving disk (11), a pulley (12), and a locking pin hole (13); The moving disk (11) is arranged at the top end of the rotating shaft (2), and a pulley (12) and a locking pin hole (13) are arranged on the moving disk (11); The pulley (12) cooperates with the rocker arm (8) to achieve position limiting of the moving component.

5. The controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wing of a small and light fixed-wing UAV according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The motion assembly further comprises a pulley mounting shaft (14), a limit block (15) and a limit buffer (16); The pulley (12) is rotatably mounted on the pulley mounting shaft (14) via a thin-walled bearing; The limit block (15) is arranged on the moving disk (11), and a limit buffer (16) cooperating with the limit block (15) is arranged at a corresponding position on the locking seat (9).

6. The controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wing of a small and light fixed-wing UAV according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The rotating shaft (2) and the housing (1) are rotatably connected via two sets of bearing groups; Each bearing set includes a main shaft, a thin-walled bearing (4) and a thrust bearing (5); The thrust bearing (5) and the thin-walled bearing (4) are sleeved into the main shaft; The thin-walled bearing (4) is arranged on the outside of the main shaft, and the thrust bearing (5) is arranged on the inside of the main shaft.

7. The controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wing of a small fixed-wing UAV according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A wing mounting plate (6) is arranged on the rotating shaft (2), and the rotating shaft (2) is connected to a wing on one side of the drone via the wing mounting plate (6).

8. The controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wings of a small and light fixed-wing UAV according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The controllable folding and unfolding mechanisms of the wings on both sides of the drone are used to realize synchronous unfolding of the wings through a synchronous gear set; The synchronous gear set is connected to the rotation shaft (2) of the controllable folding and unfolding mechanism of the wings on both sides.

9. The controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wing of a small and light fixed-wing UAV according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The position-limiting buffer (16) is arranged in a position-limiting buffer installation hole reserved on the locking seat (9) and is locked by a quick-installing top screw (17).

10. The controllable folding and unfolding mechanism for the wings of a small and light fixed-wing UAV according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A plurality of torsion spring mounting holes (18) are circumferentially arranged at the bottom of the housing (1), and one end of the torsion spring (3) connected to the housing (1) is arranged in the torsion spring mounting hole (18); Different torsion spring mounting holes (18) are selected according to the required rotational inertia of the drone wing and the requirement for the deployment time, thereby achieving adjustment of the initial torque of the torsion spring (3).

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