A horizontal launch platform for unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and specifically relates to a horizontal launch platform for unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising a base plate, a first reel, a second reel, a support plate, a swing arm, a first reel, and a second reel; one end of the base plate is arranged at the edge of the hull, the other end of the base plate is provided with a notch, both sides of the notch are provided with vertical plates standing on the base plate, and the bottom of the notch is provided with a support plate; the first swing arm, the second swing arm, and the third swing arm swing around the hinge to horizontally rotate the support plate on the support plate to the bottom of the support plate; one end of the first reel is fixed to the first reel, and the other end of the first reel is fixed to the hinge of the third swing arm and the support plate; one end of the second reel is fixed to the second reel, and the other end of the second reel is fixed to the hinge of the first swing arm and the support plate. The present invention can move an unmanned aerial vehicle from a horizontal position to the water surface without the need for a crane arm or impact force, occupies a small area, and is safe, stable, and reliable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular relates to a horizontal launching platform for unmanned aerial vehicles. Background Art

[0002] There are two main types of UAV launch systems available. One uses a crane mounted on the deck to lower the UAV into the water, which is both expensive and space-consuming. The other uses a catapult to launch the UAV from the ship into the sea. However, this catapult can create significant impact forces on the hull, potentially damaging it. Therefore, a low-cost, impact-resistant UAV launch platform is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal launch platform, which can effectively solve the problems in the background technology.

[0004] The present invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal launching platform, comprising a base plate, a first reel, a second reel, a supporting plate, a swing arm, a first reel, and a second reel;

[0005] One end of the bottom plate is arranged at the edge of the hull, the other end of the bottom plate is provided with a notch, both sides of the notch are provided with vertical plates standing on the bottom plate, and the bottom of the notch is provided with a support plate;

[0006] The first reel is provided at the end of the vertical plate facing the sea surface; the second reel is provided at the end of the vertical plate facing the hull;

[0007] The support plate is provided with a frame for mounting the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the sides of the support plate are provided with a first axis, a second axis and a third axis in sequence from the sea surface to the hull direction;

[0008] The swing arm includes a first swing arm, a second swing arm, and a third swing arm; one end of the first swing arm is hinged to the end of the first shaft; one end of the second swing arm is hinged to the end of the second shaft; one end of the third swing arm is hinged to the end of the third shaft; the other ends of the first swing arm, the second swing arm, and the third swing arm are hinged to the side wall of the notch, and the first swing arm, the second swing arm, and the third swing arm are equal in length and parallel; the first swing arm, the second swing arm, and the third swing arm swing around the hinge to horizontally rotate the support plate on the support plate to the bottom of the support plate;

[0009] One end of the first rope is fixed on the first drum, and the other end of the first rope is fixed on the hinge of the third swing arm and the support plate; one end of the second rope is fixed on the second drum, and the other end of the second rope is fixed on the hinge of the first swing arm and the support plate.

[0010] As a further optimization of the present invention, a driving motor is further included, which drives the first reel and the second reel to rotate forward and reverse.

[0011] As a further optimization of the present invention, the first swing arm is hinged at the end of the first shaft and is provided with a first lifting lug, and the other end of the second rope is fixed on the first lifting lug; the third swing arm is hinged at the end of the third shaft and is provided with a third lifting lug, and the other end of the first rope is fixed on the third lifting lug.

[0012] As a further optimization of the present invention, the support plate is provided with a strip-shaped protrusion with a semicircular cross-section, which is perpendicular to the plane constructed by the first swing arm, the second swing arm and the third swing arm; the bottom of the support plate is provided with a strip-shaped groove with a square cross-section corresponding to the strip-shaped protrusion.

[0013] As a further optimization of the present invention, a plurality of strip-shaped protrusions are provided and arranged in a parallel array.

[0014] As a further optimization of the present invention, the support plate is provided with a plurality of hemispherical protrusions with cross-sections; and the bottom of the support plate is provided with cubic grooves corresponding to the hemispherical protrusions.

[0015] As a further optimization of the present invention, the first axis is longer than the second axis, and the second axis is longer than the third axis; the distance between two adjacent swing arms and the base plate is less than the length of the swing arm.

[0016] As a further optimization of the present invention, the support plate is higher than the hinge between the swing arm and the base plate.

[0017] As a further optimization of the present invention, reinforcing ribs are provided between the vertical plate and the bottom plate, and between the bottom of the support plate and the bottom plate.

[0018] As a further optimization of the present invention, a method of use is also included, comprising the following steps:

[0019] S1: The pallet is placed on the support plate, and the unmanned aerial vehicle is placed on the frame;

[0020] S2: The first reel winds the first rope, and the first rope pulls the third swing arm until the third swing arm is collinear with the straightened first rope. During this movement, the second reel is in a natural state;

[0021] S3: The first reel slowly releases the first rope until the first swing arm swings to a vertical downward state and the support plate is located underwater;

[0022] S4: The first coil is wound around the first rope, and the second coil is wound around the second rope, so that the first rope and the second rope form a mutual stalemate force to reduce the shaking of the support plate;

[0023] S5: The unmanned aerial vehicle starts and leaves the pallet;

[0024] S6: The first coil winds the first rope until the third swing arm is in line with the first rope. During this movement, the second coil is in a natural state.

[0025] S7: The second reel winds the second rope until the support plate returns to the supporting plate. During this movement, the first reel is in a natural state.

[0026] The present invention provides an unmanned vehicle horizontal launch platform, which can move the unmanned vehicle from a horizontal position to the water surface without the need for a crane arm or impact force, occupies a small area, and is safe, stable, and reliable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the support plate of this embodiment located on the support plate;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present embodiment after the support plate is pulled up;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the support plate of this embodiment being placed underwater;

[0030] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram from another perspective;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this embodiment with the bottom plate hidden;

[0032] Among them, the bottom plate 1, the notch 1a, the vertical plate 1b, the support plate 1c, the strip-shaped protrusion 1c1, the first reel 2, the second reel 3, the support plate 4, the frame 4a, the strip-shaped groove 4b, the first swing arm 5a, the first lifting ear 5a1, the second swing arm 5b, the third swing arm 5c, the third lifting ear 5c1, the drive motor 6, and the reinforcing rib 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] like Figure 1-5 As shown, this embodiment includes a base plate 1, a first reel 2, a second reel 3, a support plate 4, a swing arm, a first rope, and a second rope.

[0034] One end of the bottom plate 1 is located at the edge of the hull, and the other end of the bottom plate 1 is provided with a notch 1a. On both sides of the notch 1a are upright plates 1b that stand on the bottom plate 1. A support plate 1c is provided at the bottom of the notch 1a, and the support plate 1c is parallel to the bottom plate 1. In other embodiments, the bottom plate 1 can be directly provided somewhere on the deck of the hull.

[0035] The first reel 2 is located at the end of the vertical plate 1b facing the sea surface, and the second reel 3 is located at the end of the vertical plate 1b facing the hull. To achieve basic functionality, the first and second reels 2 and 3 must be higher than the maximum height at which the support plate 4 can be pulled up. Both vertical plates 1b are equipped with the first and second reels 2 and 3, and the first and second reels 2 and 3 on the two vertical plates 1b are symmetrical. In this embodiment, the first and second reels 2 and 3 are driven in forward and reverse rotation by a drive motor 6, which is fixed to the vertical plate 1b.

[0036] A frame 4a for mounting the unmanned aerial vehicle is provided on the support plate 4, and a first axis, a second axis and a third axis are sequentially provided on two sides of the support plate 4 from the sea surface to the hull direction.

[0037] The swing arms include a first swing arm 5a, a second swing arm 5b, and a third swing arm 5c. The first, second, and third swing arms 5a, 5b, and 5c are of equal length and parallel to each other. One end of the first swing arm 5a is hinged to the end of the first shaft, one end of the second swing arm 5b is hinged to the end of the second shaft, and one end of the third swing arm 5c is hinged to the end of the third shaft. The other ends of the first, second, and third swing arms 5a, 5b, and 5c are all hinged to the sidewalls of the notch 1a. Of course, if the other ends of the first, second, and third swing arms 5a, 5b, and 5c are hinged at a higher position, they can also be hinged to the vertical plate 1b, depending on the actual situation. The vertical plate 1b should be understood as an extension of the sidewalls of the notch 1a.

[0038] The first swing arm 5a, the second swing arm 5b, and the third swing arm 5c swing around the hinge to rotate the support plate 4 on the support plate 1c horizontally to the bottom of the support plate 1c. To achieve this function, it is only necessary to set the distance between the two adjacent swing arms and the base plate 1 to be greater than the length of the swing arm. However, in this way, the swing amplitude of the swing arm will be smaller, which is not suitable for longer unmanned aerial vehicles. To overcome this problem, the present embodiment sets the distance between the two adjacent swing arms and the base plate 1 to be less than the length of the swing arm, and then sets the first axis to be longer than the second axis, and the second axis to be longer than the third axis. In this way, the second swing arm 5b can pass through the gap between the first swing arm 5a and the side wall of the support plate 4 when swinging, and the third swing arm 5c can pass through the gap between the second swing arm 5b and the side wall of the support plate 4 when swinging.

[0039] One end of the first rope is fixed to the first reel 2, and the other end of the first rope is fixed to the third swing arm 5c. Preferably, the first swing arm 5a is hinged at the end of the first shaft and has a first lifting eye 5a1, and the other end of the second rope is fixed to the first lifting eye 5a1. One end of the second rope is fixed to the second reel 3, and the other end of the second rope is fixed to the first swing arm 5a. Preferably, the third swing arm 5c is hinged at the end of the third shaft and has a third lifting eye 5c1, and the other end of the first rope is fixed to the third lifting eye 5c1.

[0040] In this embodiment, the support plate 1c is provided with a strip-shaped protrusion 1c1 with a semicircular cross-section. The strip-shaped protrusion 1c1 is perpendicular to the plane formed by the first swing arm 5a, the second swing arm 5b and the third swing arm 5c. Preferably, the strip-shaped protrusion 1c1 is provided with a plurality of strips arranged in a parallel array. The bottom of the support plate 4 is provided with a strip-shaped groove 4b with a square cross-section corresponding to the strip-shaped protrusion 1c1. This structure has multiple beneficial effects. On the one hand, when the support plate 4 moves to the bottom of the support plate 1c, the strip-shaped protrusion 1c1 can play an anti-slip role; on the other hand, when the support plate 4 is placed on the support plate 1c, the strip-shaped protrusion 1c1 can play a positioning role; in addition, the semicircular strip-shaped protrusion 1c1 cooperates with the square strip-shaped groove 4b to prevent the support plate 4 from sliding relative to the support plate 1c without affecting the rotation of the support plate 4 around the hinge axis.

[0041] In other embodiments, the support plate 1c can also be configured to have a hemispherical protrusion in cross section, with several hemispherical protrusions provided, and a cubic groove is provided at the bottom of the support plate 4 corresponding to the hemispherical protrusions.

[0042] In order to improve the strength, this embodiment further provides reinforcing ribs 7 between the vertical plate 1 b and the bottom plate 1 and between the bottom of the support plate 1 c and the bottom plate 1 .

[0043] This embodiment also provides a method of use, as follows:

[0044] S1: The support plate 4 is placed on the support plate 1c, and the unmanned aerial vehicle is placed on the frame 4a.

[0045] S2: If Figure 1 As shown, the first reel 2 winds the first rope, and the first rope pulls the third swing arm 5c. In order to avoid a dead point or the third swing arm 5c swinging in the opposite direction, the support plate 1c is arranged at a position higher than the hinge between the swing arm and the base plate 1 in this embodiment, so that when the first reel 2 pulls the first rope, the support plate 4 rotates upward.

[0046] The first rope pulls the third swing arm 5c until the third swing arm 5c is collinear with the straightened first rope. During this movement, the second reel 3 is in a natural state. The so-called natural state refers to a state in which it can be pulled at will and is not affected by the driving force.

[0047] S3: If Figure 2 As shown, the first reel 2 slowly releases the first rope until the first swing arm 5a swings to a vertical downward state and the support plate 4 is located underwater.

[0048] S4: As Figure 3 As shown, the first reel 2 winds up the first rope, and the second reel 3 winds up the second rope, so that the first rope and the second rope form a mutually stagnant force to reduce the shaking of the support plate 4.

[0049] S5: The unmanned aerial vehicle starts and detaches from the pallet 4.

[0050] S6: The first reel 2 winds the first rope until the third swing arm 5c is in line with the first rope. During this movement, the second rope is in a natural state.

[0051] S7: The second reel 3 takes over and winds the second rope until the support plate 4 returns to the support plate 1c. During this movement, the first reel 2 is in a natural state.

[0052] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the essence and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A horizontal launch platform for unmanned aerial vehicles, characterized in that: It includes a base plate, a first reel, a second reel, a supporting plate, a swing arm, a first rope and a second rope; One end of the bottom plate is arranged at the edge of the hull, the other end of the bottom plate is provided with a notch, both sides of the notch are provided with vertical plates standing on the bottom plate, and the bottom of the notch is provided with a support plate; The first reel is provided at the end of the vertical plate facing the sea surface; the second reel is provided at the end of the vertical plate facing the hull; The support plate is provided with a frame for mounting the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the sides of the support plate are provided with a first axis, a second axis and a third axis in sequence from the sea surface to the hull direction; The swing arm includes a first swing arm, a second swing arm, and a third swing arm; one end of the first swing arm is hinged to the end of the first shaft; one end of the second swing arm is hinged to the end of the second shaft; one end of the third swing arm is hinged to the end of the third shaft; the other ends of the first swing arm, the second swing arm, and the third swing arm are hinged to the side wall of the notch, and the first swing arm, the second swing arm, and the third swing arm are equal in length and parallel; the first swing arm, the second swing arm, and the third swing arm swing around the hinge to horizontally rotate the support plate on the support plate to the bottom of the support plate; One end of the first rope is fixed on the first drum, and the other end of the first rope is fixed on the hinge of the third swing arm and the support plate; one end of the second rope is fixed on the second drum, and the other end of the second rope is fixed on the hinge of the first swing arm and the support plate.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal launch platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also includes a driving motor, which drives the first reel and the second reel to rotate forward and reverse.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal launch platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first swing arm is hinged at the end of the first shaft and is provided with a first lifting lug, and the other end of the second rope is fixed on the first lifting lug; the third swing arm is hinged at the end of the third shaft and is provided with a third lifting lug, and the other end of the first rope is fixed on the third lifting lug.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal launch platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support plate is provided with a strip-shaped protrusion with a semicircular cross-section, which is perpendicular to the plane constructed by the first swing arm, the second swing arm and the third swing arm; the bottom of the support plate is provided with a strip-shaped groove with a square cross-section corresponding to the strip-shaped protrusion.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal launch platform according to claim 4, characterized in that: A plurality of strip-shaped protrusions are provided and arranged in a parallel array.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal launch platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support plate is provided with a plurality of hemispherical protrusions with cross sections; the bottom of the support plate is provided with cubic grooves corresponding to the hemispherical protrusions.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal launch platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first axis is longer than the second axis, and the second axis is longer than the third axis; the distance between two adjacent swing arms and the base plate is less than the length of the swing arm.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal launch platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support plate is higher than the hinge between the swing arm and the base plate.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal launch platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: Reinforcement ribs are provided between the vertical plate and the bottom plate, as well as between the bottom of the support plate and the bottom plate.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle horizontal launch platform according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is a method of use, comprising the following steps: S1: The pallet is placed on the support plate, and the unmanned aerial vehicle is placed on the frame; S2: The first reel winds the first rope, and the first rope pulls the third swing arm until the third swing arm is collinear with the straightened first rope. During this movement, the second reel is in a natural state; S3: The first reel slowly releases the first rope until the first swing arm swings to a vertical downward state and the support plate is located underwater; S4: The first coil is wound around the first rope, and the second coil is wound around the second rope, so that the first rope and the second rope form a mutual stalemate force to reduce the shaking of the support plate; S5: The unmanned aerial vehicle starts and leaves the pallet; S6: The first coil winds the first rope until the third swing arm is in line with the first rope. During this movement, the second coil is in a natural state. S7: The second reel winds the second rope until the support plate returns to the supporting plate. During this movement, the first reel is in a natural state.

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