A functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing
Through the functional modular design of metal 3D printing, the servo and connecting rod mechanism are used to drive the movable wings to unfold, combined with the limit groove and self-locking thread to adjust the tail wing, and the airbag assembly to adjust the buoyancy. This solves the problem of the long wing deployment time of existing cross-media aircraft and realizes fast and reliable cross-media conversion.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510076957.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-17
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-05
- Estimated Expiration
- 2045-01-17
AI Technical Summary
The wings of existing cross-medium vehicles take too long to unfold during the process of entering the air from water, resulting in a high failure rate of the cross-medium process.
A functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing is used. The servo drives the servo arm to drive the connecting rod mechanism, so that the movable wing rotates around the fixed wing, and the auxiliary motor and pull rod apply rotational torque to assist in unfolding the wing. At the same time, the limit slot and self-locking trapezoidal thread are used to adjust the tail wing assembly and center of gravity, and the buoyancy is adjusted in combination with the airbag assembly to achieve rapid cross-media conversion.
It shortens the time required for crossing the medium from water to air, improves the success rate of crossing the medium, enhances the reliability and stability of the device, adapts flexibly to different environments, and expands the functional range.
Smart Images

Figure CN119898145B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of seaplanes, and in particular to a functional modular cross-media aircraft based on metal 3D printing. Background Art
[0002] A cross-media vehicle is one that can switch freely between different physical media. Its most typical function is autonomous flight in a variety of environments, including air and ocean. In practical applications, cross-media vehicles can be rapidly deployed and maneuvered in complex battlefield environments. They possess excellent concealment and flexibility, have broad development prospects, and have great potential for application in reconnaissance, rescue, scientific exploration, transportation, and other fields. Cross-media vehicles need to be able to navigate in air and water, and have the ability to enter air from water and enter water from air. This requires that the design of cross-media vehicles has a propulsion system that can adapt to different physical environments (air and water), as well as a reliable and stable cross-media method.
[0003] In the prior art, during the process of the cross-medium vehicle entering the air from water, the wings are unfolded by a single motor drive, and the wing unfolding time is too long, resulting in a high failure rate of the cross-medium process from water to air. Summary of the Invention
[0004] In view of this, the present invention proposes a functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing to solve the technical problem raised in the above background technology that during the process of crossing the medium from water to air, the wing deployment relies solely on a single motor drive, the wing deployment time is too long, and the failure rate of the process of crossing the medium from water to air is relatively high.
[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is achieved as follows:
[0006] The present invention provides a functional modular cross-media aircraft based on metal 3D printing, comprising a fuselage, a folding wing assembly, a connecting rod, a tail assembly and a functional module, wherein:
[0007] The front end of the fuselage is connected to a main propeller, and the rear end of the fuselage is detachably connected to the functional module;
[0008] The folding wing assembly includes a fixed wing, two movable wings, a steering gear and a connecting rod mechanism, the fixed wing is fixed to the fuselage and its length direction is perpendicular to the central axis of the fuselage; the two movable wings are hinged to the two ends of the fixed wing in the length direction of the fixed wing respectively; the steering gear is installed on the fixed wing; the connecting rod mechanism includes a steering gear arm, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a pull rod and a motor base, one end of the steering gear arm is drive connected to the steering gear, and the other end is hinged to the first connecting rod; one end of the first connecting rod away from the steering gear arm is hinged to the movable wing; one end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the fixed wing, and the other end is hinged to the pull rod; the end of the pull rod away from the second connecting rod is fixedly connected to the motor base; one end of the motor base is hinged to the movable wing, and the other end is connected to an auxiliary motor,
[0009] One end of the connecting rod is connected to the rear end of the fuselage, and the other end is connected to the tail assembly.
[0010] Based on the above technical solution, preferably, the folding wing assembly further includes a connecting block, a connecting shaft, and two bearings, wherein the connecting block is provided with a first mounting hole and a second mounting hole, and the connecting block is located between the two bearings; the first connecting rod is hingedly connected to the first mounting hole via a hinge shaft; the connecting shaft is mounted on the fixed wing and passes through the second mounting hole, and the bearings are mounted on the connecting shaft;
[0011] The fixed wing includes a base plate, a limit plate and a first wing shell, the base plate is fixed to the fuselage, the limit plate is sleeved on the connecting shaft and fixedly connected to the base plate, the first wing shell cover is arranged outside the base plate and the limit plate, the limit plate is provided with a limit groove, the hinge shaft is slidably installed in the limit groove, and when the hinge shaft is located at the two ends of the limit groove, the movable wing is in a folded state and an unfolded state respectively.
[0012] On the basis of the above technical solution, preferably, the limit groove includes an arc groove, a first limit end and a second limit end, the arc groove takes the second mounting hole as the center, and the first limit end and the second limit end are respectively located at the two ends of the arc groove; when the hinge shaft slides to the first limit end, the movable wing is in a folded state; when the hinge shaft slides to the second limit end, the movable wing is in an unfolded state.
[0013] On the basis of the above technical solution, preferably, the movable wing includes a base, a connecting pipe, a rotating seat and a second wing shell, the base is fixedly connected to the connecting block, the two ends of the connecting pipe are respectively connected to the base and the rotating seat, the motor seat is installed on the rotating seat, and the second wing shell cover is arranged outside the base, the connecting pipe and the rotating seat.
[0014] On the basis of the above technical solution, preferably, it also includes a tail wing adjustment mechanism, which includes a tail drive motor, a screw rod and a slider. The tail wing assembly is provided with a guide groove, the tail drive motor is installed on the tail wing assembly and is driven by the screw rod. The thread on the screw rod is a trapezoidal thread with a self-locking function. The slider is threadedly connected to the screw rod, and the guide groove limiter is in contact with both sides of the slider.
[0015] Based on the above technical solution, preferably, the tail assembly includes a tail seat, a horizontal tail and a vertical tail, the tail seat is detachably connected to the connecting rod, the guide groove is provided on the tail seat, and the tail drive motor is installed on the tail seat; the horizontal tail is installed on the tail seat in a horizontal direction and is symmetrical about the tail seat, and the vertical tail is installed on the top of the horizontal tail in a vertical direction.
[0016] On the basis of the above technical solution, preferably, the horizontal tail includes a horizontal stabilizing plate and two elevators, the horizontal stabilizing plate is fixedly mounted on the top of the tail seat, and the two elevators are rotatably mounted on the horizontal stabilizing plate and symmetrically arranged about the tail seat; the vertical tail includes a vertical stabilizing plate and a rudder, the vertical stabilizing plate is fixedly mounted on the top of the horizontal stabilizing plate, and the rudder is rotatably mounted on the vertical stabilizing plate.
[0017] On the basis of the above technical solution, preferably, it also includes an airbag assembly, which includes two front airbags and one rear airbag, the two front airbags are respectively installed on both sides of the width direction of the bottom of the fuselage, and the rear airbag is installed at the bottom of the tail wing assembly.
[0018] On the basis of the above technical solution, preferably, the bottom surface of the rear end of the fuselage is provided with a connecting guide rail, and the side is provided with a connecting port; the top surface of the functional module is provided with a connecting slide, and the connecting slide is slidably installed on the connecting guide rail, and the side of the functional module is provided with a connecting column, and the connecting column is plugged into the connecting port; the functional module can be one of a computing module, a reconnaissance module, a communication module, a power module, a detection module and a clamping claw module.
[0019] On the basis of the above technical solution, preferably, the fuselage, the folding wing assembly, the tail assembly and the functional module are formed by SLM processing using aluminum alloy powder; and the main propeller and the auxiliary propeller are formed by SLM processing using titanium alloy metal powder.
[0020] The functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing of the present invention has the following advantages over the prior art:
[0021] (1) The servo drives the servo arm to swing, thereby driving the first connecting rod to move toward the center axis of the fuselage, so that the movable wing rotates around the fixed wing to unfold the movable wing. While the auxiliary propeller provides lift to the cross-medium vehicle, it applies a rotational torque to the second pull rod through the motor seat and the pull rod to assist in driving the unfolding of the movable wing, thereby increasing the speed of the movable wing unfolding, shortening the time required for the cross-medium from water to air, and improving the success rate of the cross-medium;
[0022] (2) The first connecting rod and the first mounting hole are hinged through a hinge shaft; a limiting groove is provided on the limiting plate, and the hinge shaft is slidably installed in the limiting groove. When the hinge shaft is located at the two ends of the limiting groove, the movable wing is respectively in a folded state and an unfolded state. The sliding of the hinge shaft is limited by the limiting groove, thereby limiting the rotation of the movable wing, and limiting the two extreme positions of the folded state and the unfolded state of the movable wing, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the device;
[0023] (3) By driving the screw rod to rotate through the tail drive motor, the two sides of the slider are restricted by the guide groove and cannot rotate, so that the slider moves along the axis of the screw rod, driving the tail assembly to move, so that the distance between the tail assembly and the fuselage can be adjusted. After the distance is adjusted, when the tail drive motor stops working, the self-locking performance of the trapezoidal thread on the screw rod prevents the tail assembly from moving forward and backward under the action of external force, and the center of gravity of the entire cross-medium vehicle can be adjusted to adapt to the influence of different functional modules on the center of gravity, thereby improving the applicability of the device;
[0024] (4) The two front airbags are respectively installed on both sides of the bottom width direction of the fuselage, and the rear airbag is installed at the bottom of the tail assembly. By adjusting the volume of the front airbag and the rear airbag, the buoyancy of the cross-medium vehicle is changed, so that the cross-medium vehicle can more flexibly navigate underwater and move forward on the water surface;
[0025] (5) The horizontal stabilizer is fixedly mounted on the top of the tail wing seat, the two elevators are rotatably mounted on the horizontal stabilizer and symmetrically arranged about the tail wing seat, the vertical stabilizer is fixedly mounted on the top of the horizontal stabilizer, and the rudder is rotatably mounted on the vertical stabilizer. Steering during flight can be achieved by the differential speed of the two auxiliary propellers or by rotating the rudder of the vertical tail; the ups and downs of flight can be achieved by the elevator of the horizontal tail;
[0026] (6) A connecting guide rail is provided on the bottom surface of the rear end of the fuselage, and a connecting port is provided on the side surface; a connecting slide is provided on the top surface of the functional module, and the connecting slide is slidably installed on the connecting guide rail; a connecting column is provided on the side surface of the functional module, and the connecting column is plugged into the connecting port to realize a detachable connection between the functional module and the fuselage, which is convenient for the installation and replacement of different functional modules, improves the functional range of the device, and meets different usage requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.
[0028] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional diagram of a functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing in an embodiment of the present invention with its movable wings deployed;
[0029] Figure 2 A three-dimensional diagram of a functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing in an embodiment of the present invention with its movable wings folded;
[0030] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the fuselage in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0031] Figure 4 is a front view of a functional module in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0032] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the folding wing assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0033] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the folding wing assembly (hiding the first wing shell and the second wing shell) in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0034] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of the connecting rod mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0035] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of the bottom plate, the limiting plate and the connecting block in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0036] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of the tail adjustment mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0037] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the flow of the airbag assembly control method during the process of switching from underwater navigation to surface navigation in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0038] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the process of water entering air-to-medium crossover in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0039] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the classification of functional modules in an embodiment of the present invention;
[0040] Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the structure of a cross-media aircraft formation in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0041] Explanation of reference numerals: 100 - fuselage, 200 - folding wing assembly, 300 - connecting rod, 400 - tail assembly, 500 - functional module, 600 - tail adjustment mechanism, 700 - airbag assembly;
[0042] 101-main motor, 102-main propeller, 103-connection rail, 104-connection port;
[0043] 210-fixed wing, 211-bottom plate, 2111-third mounting hole, 2112-rotating groove, 212-limiting plate, 2120-limiting groove, 2121-arc-shaped groove, 2122-first limiting end, 2123-second limiting end, 213-first wing shell, 220-movable wing, 221-base, 222-connecting pipe, 223-rotating seat, 224-second wing shell, 2241-wing plate body, 2242-wing flap, 230-servo, 240-connecting rod mechanism, 241-servo arm, 242-first connecting rod, 243-second connecting rod, 244-pull rod, 245-motor seat, 250-auxiliary motor, 260-auxiliary propeller, 270-connecting block, 271-first mounting hole, 272-second mounting hole, 273-connecting ear seat, 280-bearing;
[0044] 410-tail seat, 411-guide slot, 420-horizontal tail, 421-horizontal stabilizer, 422-elevator, 430-vertical tail, 431-vertical stabilizer, 432-rudder;
[0045] 510-connecting chute, 520-connecting column;
[0046] 610-tail drive motor, 620-screw, 630-slider;
[0047] 710-front airbag, 720-rear airbag. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0048] The following will be combined with the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described 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 making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0049] Reference Figure 1-13 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention proposes a functional modular cross-media aircraft based on metal 3D printing, including a fuselage 100, a folding wing assembly 200, a connecting rod 300, a tail assembly 400 and a functional module 500, wherein:
[0050] The front end of the fuselage 100 is connected to a main motor 101, which is drivingly connected to a main propeller 102. The rear end of the fuselage 100 is detachably connected to the functional module 500.
[0051] The folding wing assembly 200 includes a fixed wing 210, two movable wings 220, a steering gear 230 and a connecting rod mechanism 240. The fixed wing 210 is fixed to the fuselage 100 and its length direction is perpendicular to the central axis of the fuselage 100; the two movable wings 220 are respectively hinged to the two ends of the length direction of the fixed wing 210; the steering gear 230 is installed on the fixed wing 210; the connecting rod mechanism 240 includes a steering gear arm 241, a first connecting rod 242, a second connecting rod 243, a pull rod 244 and a motor base 245. One end of the steering gear arm 241 is connected to the steering gear 230 for driving, and the other end is connected to the steering gear 230 for driving. The first connecting rod 242 is hinged at one end to the movable wing 220; the first connecting rod 242 is hinged at one end away from the servo arm 241 to the movable wing 220; the second connecting rod 243 is hinged at one end to the fixed wing 210, and the other end is hinged to the pull rod 244; the pull rod 244 is fixedly connected to the motor base 245 at one end away from the second connecting rod 243; the motor base 245 is hinged at one end to the movable wing 220, and the other end is connected to the auxiliary motor 250, and the auxiliary propeller 260 is mounted on the auxiliary motor 250, and the axis direction of the auxiliary motor 250 is always parallel to the central axis of the fuselage 100;
[0052] One end of the connecting rod 300 is connected to the rear end of the fuselage 100 , and the other end is connected to the tail assembly 400 .
[0053] It should be noted that, when the servo arm 241 drives the first connecting rod 242 to move toward the direction close to the central axis of the fuselage 100, so that the movable wing 220 rotates around the fixed wing 210, the second connecting rod 243 drives the pull rod 244 and the motor seat 245 to rotate around the movable wing 220, so that the axial direction of the output shaft of the auxiliary motor 250 is always parallel to the central axis of the fuselage 100, and the thrust direction of the auxiliary propeller 260 is always parallel to the central axis of the fuselage 100.
[0054] The functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing proposed in this embodiment drives the servo arm 241 to swing through the servo 230, thereby driving the first connecting rod 242 to move in the direction close to the central axis of the fuselage 100, so that the movable wings 220 rotate around the fixed wings 210 to unfold the movable wings 220. While the auxiliary propeller 260 provides lift to the cross-media vehicle, it applies a rotational torque to the second pull rod 244 through the motor base 245 and the pull rod 244 to assist in driving the unfolding of the movable wings 220, thereby increasing the speed of unfolding the movable wings 220, shortening the time required for cross-media from water to air, and improving the success rate of cross-media.
[0055] In some embodiments, the folding wing assembly further includes a connecting block 270, a connecting shaft (not shown in the figure) and two bearings 280, wherein the connecting block 270 is provided with a first mounting hole 271 and a second mounting hole 272, and the connecting block 270 is located between the two bearings 280; the first connecting rod 242 is hinged to the first mounting hole 271 through a hinge shaft (not shown in the figure), and both ends of the hinge shaft are limited so that the hinge shaft will not be detached from the first mounting hole 271; the connecting shaft is mounted on the fixed wing 210 and passes through the second mounting hole 272, and the bearings 280 are mounted on the connecting shaft; the fixed wing 210 includes a base plate 211, a limiting plate 212, and a first wing shell 213. The bottom plate 211 is fixed to the fuselage 100. The bottom plate 211 is provided with a third mounting hole 2111. The connecting shaft passes through the third mounting hole 2111. The limiting plate 212 is sleeved on the connecting shaft and fixedly connected to the bottom plate 211. The first wing shell 213 is covered outside the bottom plate 211 and the limiting plate 212. The limiting plate 212 is provided with a limiting groove 2120. The hinge shaft is slidably installed in the limiting groove 2120. When the hinge shaft is located at the two ends of the limiting groove 2120, the movable wing 220 is in a folded state and an unfolded state, respectively. The limiting groove 2120 limits the sliding of the hinge shaft, thereby limiting the rotation of the movable wing 220. The two extreme positions of the folded state and the unfolded state of the movable wing 220 are limited, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the device.
[0056] In some embodiments, in order to facilitate the connection between the connecting block 270 and the first connecting rod 242, the connecting block 270 is set to protrude downward at the position of the first mounting hole 271, and the connecting block 270 is provided with two connecting ear seats 273. The first mounting hole 271 is set on the connecting ear seat 273. In order to avoid interfering with the rotation of the connecting ear seat 273 at the lower end, in this embodiment, a rotation groove 2112 is set on the base plate 211, and the rotation groove 2112 is recessed downward. The rotation groove 2112 is part of an annular groove with the third mounting hole 2111 as the center. When the connecting ear seat 273 at the lower end contacts the side of the rotation groove 2112, the rotation groove 2112 can limit the rotation of the connecting block 270. At this time, the movable wing 220 is in an unfolded state.
[0057] In some embodiments, the limiting groove 2120 includes an arcuate groove 2121, a first limiting end 2122, and a second limiting end 2123. The arcuate groove 2121 is centered on the second mounting hole 272, and the first limiting end 2122 and the second limiting end 2123 are respectively located at opposite ends of the arcuate groove 2121. When the hinge shaft slides to the first limiting end 2122, the movable wing 220 is in a folded state; when the hinge shaft slides to the second limiting end 2123, the movable wing 220 is in an unfolded state. The first limiting end 2122 and the second limiting end 2123 limit the rotation of the movable wing 220, limiting the two extreme positions of the folded state and the unfolded state of the movable wing 220, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the device.
[0058] In some embodiments, the movable wing 220 includes a base 221, a connecting tube 222, a rotating seat 223 and a second wing shell 224. The base 221 is fixedly connected to the side of the connecting block 270 away from the first mounting hole 271. The two ends of the connecting tube 222 are respectively connected to the base 221 and the rotating seat 223. The two connecting tubes 222 are arranged in parallel to form a frame structure. The motor base 245 is installed on the rotating seat 223. The second wing shell 224 is covered outside the base 221, the connecting tube 222 and the rotating seat 223. The second wing shell 224 includes a wing plate body 2241 and a wing flap 2242. The wing flap 2242 is rotatably installed on the wing plate body 2241. During the folding process of the movable wing 220, the second wing shell 224 will not interfere with the first wing shell 213, and after the folding is completed, the top surface of the second wing shell 224 is located below the top surface of the first wing shell 213, forming an approximately rectangular plane (when the middle gap is negligible), reducing resistance and facilitating the cross-medium vehicle to navigate in the water.
[0059] In some embodiments, the cross-media vehicle also includes a tail adjustment mechanism 600, which includes a tail drive motor 610, a screw rod 620 and a slider 630. The tail assembly 400 is provided with a guide groove 411. The tail drive motor 610 is installed on the tail assembly 400 and is driven and connected to the screw rod 620. The thread on the screw rod 620 is a trapezoidal thread with a self-locking function. The slider 630 is threadedly connected to the screw rod 620, and the guide groove 411 is limited and abuts on both sides of the slider 630. The screw rod 620 is driven to rotate by the tail drive motor 610. Since the two sides of the slider 430 are restricted by the guide groove 411 and cannot rotate, the slider 430 moves along the axial direction of the screw rod 620, driving the tail wing assembly 400 to move, so that the distance between the tail wing assembly 400 and the fuselage 100 can be adjusted. After the distance is adjusted, when the tail drive motor 610 stops working, the self-locking performance of the trapezoidal thread on the screw rod 620 prevents the tail wing assembly 400 from moving back and forth under the action of external force, and the center of gravity of the entire cross-medium vehicle can be adjusted to adapt to the influence of different functional modules 500 on the center of gravity, thereby improving the applicability of the device.
[0060] In other embodiments, the tail adjustment mechanism 600 may also be a slider guide structure, a gear rack mechanism, a cylinder, etc., as long as it can achieve linear motion of the tail assembly 400 along the length direction of the connecting rod 300.
[0061] In some embodiments, the tail assembly 400 includes a tail mount 410, a horizontal tail 420, and a vertical tail 430. The tail mount 410 is detachably connected to the connecting rod 300, a guide groove 411 is provided on the tail mount 410, and a tail drive motor 610 is mounted on the tail mount 410. The horizontal tail 420 is mounted horizontally on the tail mount 410 and symmetrically with respect to the tail mount 410, and the vertical tail 430 is mounted vertically on top of the horizontal tail 420. The horizontal tail 420 can improve the stability of the cross-medium vehicle and provide downforce, making flight or underwater navigation more stable. The vertical tail 430 can adjust the direction and assist in steering.
[0062] In some embodiments, the horizontal tail 420 includes a horizontal stabilizing plate 421 and two elevators 422, wherein the horizontal stabilizing plate 421 is fixedly mounted on the top of the tail seat 410, and the two elevators 422 are rotatably mounted on the horizontal stabilizing plate 421 and are symmetrically arranged about the tail seat 410; the vertical tail 430 includes a vertical stabilizing plate 431 and a rudder 432, wherein the vertical stabilizing plate 431 is fixedly mounted on the top of the horizontal stabilizing plate 421, and the rudder 432 is rotatably mounted on the vertical stabilizing plate 431. The horizontal stabilizer plate 421 is fixedly mounted on the top of the tail wing seat 410, the elevator 422 is rotatably mounted on the horizontal stabilizer plate 421, the vertical stabilizer plate 431 is fixedly mounted on the top of the horizontal stabilizer plate 421, and the rudder 432 is rotatably mounted on the vertical stabilizer plate 431. Steering during air flight can be achieved by the differential speed of the two auxiliary propellers 260, or by rotating the rudder 432 of the vertical tail; the ups and downs of air flight can be achieved by the elevator 422 of the horizontal tail wing 420 or the flap 2242 on the movable wing 220.
[0063] In some embodiments, the trans-medium vehicle further includes an airbag assembly 700, comprising two front airbags 710 and a rear airbag 720. The two front airbags 710 are mounted on either side of the bottom width of the fuselage 100, and the rear airbag 720 is mounted on the bottom of the empennage assembly 400. By mounting the two front airbags 710 on either side of the bottom width of the fuselage 100 and the rear airbag 720 on the bottom of the empennage assembly 400, the buoyancy of the trans-medium vehicle can be varied by adjusting the volume of the front and rear airbags 710, 720, enabling the trans-medium vehicle to navigate both underwater and surface with greater flexibility. The gas source is a high-pressure gas tank located within the fuselage 100, and the air pipe used to inflate the rear airbag 720 is located within the connecting rod 300.
[0064] In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the rear end of the fuselage 100 is provided with a connecting rail 103, which may be L-shaped and has a connecting port 104 on its side. The top surface of the functional module 500 is provided with a connecting slot 510, which is slidably mounted on the connecting rail 103. The side of the functional module 500 is provided with a connecting post 520, which plugs into and mates with the connecting port 104. The functional module 500 may be one of a computing module, a reconnaissance module, a communication module, a power module, a detection module, and a gripper module. The connecting slot 510 slides along the connecting rail 103. When the connecting post 520 plugs into and mates with the connecting port 104, the functional module 500 snaps into the fuselage 100, achieving a detachable connection between the functional module 500 and the fuselage 100. This facilitates the installation and replacement of different functional modules 500, expands the functional range of the device, and meets different usage requirements. The functional module 500 has the function of quick connection and disassembly, which greatly expands the function of the cross-media aircraft. By installing detachable modules with different functions on the cross-media aircraft, the cross-media aircraft can more flexibly respond to application scenarios with different functional requirements; by equipping multiple cross-media aircraft with detachable modules with different functions, a powerful cross-media aircraft formation can be formed.
[0065] In some embodiments, the fuselage 100, the folding wing assembly 200, the tail assembly 400 and the functional module 500 are made of aluminum alloy powder by SLM processing; the main propeller 102 and the auxiliary propeller 260 are made of titanium alloy metal powder by SLM processing. SLM (Selective laser melting) is an important component of rapid prototyping technology in the field of 3D printing. It can directly manufacture high-quality metal parts using single metal or mixed metal powder. SLM technology overcomes the difficulties of traditional manufacturing of complex parts and can directly form integrated, high-density, high-precision and high-mechanical performance parts. The fuselage 100 is printed as a whole using SLM technology. While ensuring the strength of the fuselage 100, it also greatly reduces the area of the sealing interface, ensuring the sealing of the fuselage 100 underwater. The strength requirements of the fuselage 100, the folding wing assembly 200, the tail assembly 400 and the functional module 500 are not particularly high. They are made of aluminum alloy powder through SLM processing, which can meet the strength requirements while greatly reducing weight, thereby improving the endurance of the cross-medium vehicle; the main propeller 102 and the auxiliary propeller 260 have higher strength requirements due to the need to overcome greater resistance. Therefore, they are made of titanium alloy metal powder through SLM processing, so that the main propeller 102 and the auxiliary propeller 260 have high strength and hardness, excellent corrosion resistance, especially in seawater and acidic environments, thereby improving reliability and service life.
[0066] The functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing proposed in this embodiment works as follows:
[0067] When the trans-medium aircraft is flying in the air, the movable wings 220 are unfolded, the airbag assembly 700 is deflated and retracted, and the trans-medium aircraft uses the aerodynamic lift in flight to maintain flight. When the trans-medium aircraft needs to fly at high speed, the three motors in the power unit operate together; when the trans-medium aircraft needs to fly at high endurance, the two suspension motors on the movable wings 220 stop working, and only the main motor 101 at the nose is kept running. By using a combination of motors in the power unit, the trans-medium aircraft can meet the requirements of high speed or high endurance according to the application scenario. Steering during flight in the air can be achieved by rotating the rudder 432 of the vertical tail, or by the differential speed of the two auxiliary propellers 260; the ups and downs of flight in the air can be achieved by the elevator 422 of the horizontal tail 420 or the flap 2242 on the movable wing 220;
[0068] When navigating underwater, the trans-medium vehicle relies on two auxiliary propellers 260 as underwater propulsion. Because water is denser than air and produces greater drag, the movable wings 220 are folded to reduce the trans-medium vehicle's frontal area and achieve underwater drag reduction. Depending on the degree of wing folding, the trans-medium vehicle can be operated in either high-speed mode or high-maneuverability mode. When the movable wings 220 are folded back 90 degrees, the trans-medium vehicle enters high-speed mode, minimizing its frontal area and maximizing its cruising speed. In high-speed mode, the auxiliary motors 250 on the movable wings 220 are closest to the central axis of the fuselage 100. At this point, the turning torque generated by the auxiliary motors 250 during differential turning is minimal, resulting in a large turning radius. In this case, the movable wings 220 can be deployed to a certain angle to increase the turning torque generated by the motor differential, enabling the trans-medium vehicle to turn quickly. The mode with the movable wings 220 deployed at this angle represents high-maneuverability mode. During actual underwater navigation, the trans-medium vehicle's underwater navigation mode can be adjusted based on the specific route and environment. The ups and downs of underwater navigation can be achieved by the elevator 422 of the horizontal tail 420, or by inflating the airbag assembly 700 to change the buoyancy of the cross-medium vehicle;
[0069] The cross-media vehicle can also sail on the water surface. In this state, the front airbag 710 and the rear airbag 720 are inflated by the high-pressure gas tank inside the fuselage 100. The volume of the front airbag 710 and the rear airbag 720 increases, thereby increasing the buoyancy of the cross-media vehicle. The control flow chart of the airbag assembly 700 at this time is shown in FIG. Figure 10 At this time, the power comes from the auxiliary propeller 260, and the left and right direction of travel is adjusted by the rudder 432 of the vertical tail. In this state, the trans-media vehicle can dive and enter the underwater navigation state by adjusting the volume of the airbag assembly 700.
[0070] In this embodiment, the trans-medium vehicle, during the process of transitioning from water to air, dives upward out of the water at a certain depth and at a certain angle. To achieve rapid water exit, the trans-medium vehicle must be in a high-speed mode with its movable wings 220 fully folded, minimizing resistance during the water exit. After the folded wing assembly 200 leaves the water, the wings must be rapidly deployed to enter the airborne flight state. The trans-medium vehicle of this patent achieves high-speed water exit and rapid wing deployment after water exit. This is achieved by using the auxiliary propellers 260 at the ends of the wings as propulsion underwater, causing the trans-medium vehicle to dive upward in the water. Once the propeller at the nose of the aircraft emerges from the water, it begins to operate. At this point, the trans-medium vehicle, operating its three motors, achieves greater pulling force out of the water. Once the wings, in their folded state, are fully out of the water, the two servos 230 located on the middle fixed wings 210 begin operating, causing the movable wings 220 to rotate and deploy. During this process, the auxiliary propellers 260 at the ends of the movable wings 220 continue to operate. The auxiliary propeller 260 at the end of the wing can not only provide lift to the cross-media aircraft, but also provide rotational torque to the movable wing 220 during the deployment process, driving the movable wing 220 to deploy. During the process of the movable wing 220 rotating and deploying, the rotational torque applied by the auxiliary propeller 260 at the end of the movable wing 220 increases as the angle between the movable wing 220 and the central axis of the fuselage 100 increases. Under the joint action of the servo 230 and the auxiliary propeller 260 at the end of the movable wing 220, the movable wing 220 is rapidly deployed. After the wings are deployed, the cross-media aircraft quickly rises to a specified height under the action of the three propellers. The cross-media aircraft in this patent uses different power combinations at different times during the entire cross-media process from water to air, which not only enables the cross-media aircraft to quickly exit the water, but also enables the movable wing 220 to rapidly deploy, shortening the time required for cross-media and improving the success rate of cross-media. Its water exit strategy is as follows: Figure 11 shown.
[0071] During the air-to-water trans-media entry process, the trans-media vehicle can choose to glide or dive. The most significant difference between these two entry methods is the angle between the trans-media vehicle and the water surface before entry. When glide is selected, the trans-media vehicle in flight increases its angle of attack, slowly decreasing its altitude and speed. When it is one to two meters above the water surface, the movable wings 220 glide to the bottom of the fuselage 100, making contact with the water surface to decelerate. The airbag assembly 700 is then inflated based on whether the trans-media vehicle is sailing on the surface or underwater. The trajectory of a dive is similar to the process of waterfowl diving for prey in nature. During this process, the trans-media vehicle adjusts to a head-down posture near the water surface, the movable wings 220 fold, and the vehicle rapidly enters the water under the influence of gravity and inertia. After the dive, the trans-media vehicle enters the underwater navigation state. Glide is suitable for situations requiring a stable motion after entry, while dive is suitable for situations requiring efficient and rapid entry.
[0072] The functions of this patent are modularly installed universal cross-media vehicles that form a formation, where each cross-media vehicle can be installed with the required modules according to the needs of the mission objectives, such as computing modules, reconnaissance modules, communication modules, power modules, detection modules and gripper modules. The detachable modules of the cross-media vehicles make the formation highly scalable and adaptable. The specific functions that the formation can achieve can be flexibly configured according to the mission requirements, and they can cooperate with each other during navigation and mission execution. The specific types of modules are as follows: Figure 12 As shown in the figure, the computing module possesses powerful computing capabilities, enabling real-time analysis of external environmental data. A cross-media vehicle equipped with the computing module can command the actions of the entire cross-media vehicle formation and adjust the formation to complete the mission. The reconnaissance module is equipped with infrared thermal imaging, panoramic cameras, high-resolution cameras, telescopic camera modules, and sonar modules. A cross-media vehicle equipped with the reconnaissance module can perform long-range reconnaissance, target identification, and image acquisition during the mission. The communication module can be equipped with a regional network, satellite communications, underwater acoustic communication equipment, and a long-range relay module. A cross-media UAV equipped with the communication module can perform internal and external communications within the formation, underwater communications, and serve as a data transmission relay station. The power module provides an additional power source for the cross-media vehicle, and can be equipped with a lithium battery module, solar module, or combustion battery module according to needs. The detection module can be equipped with sonar, infrared sensors, vibration sensors, lidar, gas sensors, and temperature sensors, enabling resource exploration, personnel search and rescue, and environmental exploration and monitoring. The gripper module is primarily used by cross-border, cross-media vehicles during underwater navigation, enabling object collection and sampling, remote operation, and other tasks.
[0073] Figure 13A cross-media vehicle formation, carrying out a mission, departs from a starting point in an airborne formation. Along the way, cross-media vehicles equipped with remote relay modules glide into the water and transition to a low-power surface navigation mode to ensure the reliability of the cross-media vehicle formation's communication links. Upon reaching the mission area, the cross-media vehicle equipped with the main control computing module glides to the surface, responsible for overall mission command. The cross-media vehicle equipped with the regional network module and the module equipped with the underwater acoustic communication system glide to the surface and underwater, respectively, responsible for communications with the cross-media vehicles in the air and underwater. The reconnaissance module, detection module, and gripper module are equipped with corresponding functional modules 500 based on the specific mission requirements.
[0074] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing, characterized in that: It includes a fuselage, a folding wing assembly, a connecting rod, a tail assembly, a functional module and a tail adjustment mechanism, wherein: The front end of the fuselage is connected to a main propeller, and the rear end of the fuselage is detachably connected to the functional module; The folding wing assembly includes a fixed wing, two movable wings, a servo and a connecting rod mechanism, wherein the fixed wing is fixed to the fuselage and its length direction is perpendicular to the central axis of the fuselage; the two movable wings are hinged to the two ends of the fixed wing in the length direction respectively; the servo is installed on the fixed wing; the connecting rod mechanism includes a servo arm, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a pull rod and a motor seat, one end of the servo arm is connected to the servo drive, and the other end is hinged to the first connecting rod; the end of the first connecting rod away from the servo arm is hinged to the movable wing; one end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the fixed wing, and the other end is hinged to the pull rod; the end of the pull rod away from the second connecting rod is fixedly connected to the motor seat; one end of the motor seat is hinged to the movable wing, and the other end is connected to an auxiliary motor, and a secondary propeller is installed on the auxiliary motor. The axial direction of the motor is always parallel to the central axis of the fuselage; the folding wing assembly also includes a connecting block, a connecting shaft and two bearings, the connecting block is provided with a first mounting hole and a second mounting hole, and the connecting block is located between the two bearings; the first connecting rod is hinged to the first mounting hole through a hinge shaft; the connecting shaft is installed on the fixed wing and passes through the second mounting hole, and the bearing is installed on the connecting shaft; the fixed wing includes a base plate, a limit plate and a first wing shell, the base plate is fixed to the fuselage, the limit plate is sleeved on the connecting shaft and fixedly connected to the base plate, the first wing shell cover is provided outside the base plate and the limit plate, the limit plate is provided with a limit slot, the hinge shaft is slidably installed in the limit slot, and when the hinge shaft is located at the two ends of the limit slot, the movable wing is in a folded state and an unfolded state respectively; One end of the connecting rod is connected to the rear end of the fuselage, and the other end is connected to the tail assembly; The tail adjustment mechanism includes a tail drive motor, a screw and a slider. The tail assembly is provided with a guide groove. The tail drive motor is mounted on the tail assembly and is driven by the screw. The thread on the screw is a trapezoidal thread with a self-locking function. The slider is threadedly connected to the screw, and the guide groove is limited to abut against both sides of the slider. The tail assembly includes a tail seat, a horizontal tail and a vertical tail, the tail seat is detachably connected to the connecting rod, the guide groove is arranged on the tail seat, and the tail drive motor is installed on the tail seat; the horizontal tail is installed on the tail seat in the horizontal direction and is symmetrical about the tail seat, and the vertical tail is installed on the top of the horizontal tail in the vertical direction; the horizontal tail includes a horizontal stabilizer plate and two elevators, the horizontal stabilizer plate is fixedly installed on the top of the tail seat, and the two elevators are rotatably installed on the horizontal stabilizer plate and are symmetrically arranged about the tail seat; the vertical tail includes a vertical stabilizer plate and a rudder, the vertical stabilizer plate is fixedly installed on the top of the horizontal stabilizer plate, and the rudder is rotatably installed on the vertical stabilizer plate.
2. The functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting groove includes an arc-shaped groove, a first limiting end and a second limiting end. The arc-shaped groove takes the second mounting hole as the center, and the first limiting end and the second limiting end are respectively located at two ends of the arc-shaped groove; when the hinge shaft slides to the first limiting end, the movable wing is in a folded state; when the hinge shaft slides to the second limiting end, the movable wing is in an unfolded state.
3. The functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable wing includes a base, a connecting pipe, a rotating seat and a second wing shell. The base is fixedly connected to the connecting block. The two ends of the connecting pipe are respectively connected to the base and the rotating seat. The motor seat is installed on the rotating seat. The second wing shell cover is arranged outside the base, the connecting pipe and the rotating seat.
4. The functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an airbag assembly, which includes two front airbags and a rear airbag. The two front airbags are respectively installed on both sides of the width direction of the bottom of the fuselage, and the rear airbag is installed at the bottom of the tail wing assembly.
5. The functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the rear end of the fuselage is provided with a connecting guide rail, and the side is provided with a connecting port; the top surface of the functional module is provided with a connecting slide, and the connecting slide is slidably installed on the connecting guide rail. The side of the functional module is provided with a connecting column, and the connecting column is plugged into the connecting port; the functional module can be one of a computing module, a reconnaissance module, a communication module, a power module, a detection module and a gripper module.
6. The functional modular cross-media vehicle based on metal 3D printing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The fuselage, the folding wing assembly, the tail assembly and the functional module are formed by SLM processing using aluminum alloy powder; the main propeller and the auxiliary propeller are formed by SLM processing using titanium alloy metal powder.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Water-air cross-medium folding wing unmanned aerial vehicle
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Breaching for submergible fixed wing aircraft
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