Aerial photography device for drone

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial photography, and specifically relates to an aerial photography device for UAV, comprising: a seat plate, which is fixedly embedded in the top wall of the UAV and is ring-shaped; a movable frame, which is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the seat plate and is distributed vertically; a camera mechanism, which is vertically slidably matched with the movable frame and is used to pass through the inner side of the seat plate and extend above the top of the UAV, or extend below the bottom of the UAV; the aerial photography device in the present invention can extend below the bottom of the UAV or above the top of the UAV, and two pictures can be taken at the bottom and top of the UAV respectively through one aerial photography device, thereby helping to expand the shooting range of traditional aerial photography devices without damaging the drag coefficient of the unmanned helicopter and without causing the problem of differences in picture parameters due to the two sets of cameras.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial photography, and in particular to an aerial photography device for a UAV. Background Art

[0002] Unmanned helicopters used for aerial photography have the advantages of vertical take-off and landing, hovering in the air, flying in any direction, and a small take-off and landing area. At the same time, they have a compact body and can flexibly shuttle in low-altitude complex environments such as urban blocks and valleys, quickly adjust shooting angles and positions, and capture ideal pictures.

[0003] An unmanned helicopter generally includes a rotor, a tail rotor, an airframe, a control system, a power unit, and the like. The aerial photography device is movably mounted inside the fuselage, and the bottom wall of the fuselage has a movable hatch. During flight, the aerial photography device can be hidden inside the fuselage to reduce wind resistance and protect it from damage. When filming is required, the device is extended from the hatch below the fuselage to perform the shooting task. However, conventional aerial photography devices can only be extended from the bottom of the fuselage, and the obstruction of the fuselage limits the shooting angle of the aerial photography device.

[0004] In the prior art, there are also technical solutions that place aerial photography devices on the front end of unmanned helicopters. Although this method can expand the shooting range, it is not convenient to hide the aerial photography device, causing the unmanned helicopter to be subject to greater air resistance during flight, which is not conducive to maintaining the stability and balance of the fuselage. In addition, if two sets of aerial photography devices are respectively installed on the top and bottom of the unmanned helicopter, although the shooting range can be expanded, due to the possible differences in parameters such as color, brightness, and contrast between the images captured by the two sets of cameras, complex image fusion or splicing work will be required during the later stage of image processing, which will add trouble to the later production. In addition, the installation of two sets of camera mechanisms will also increase the shooting cost to a certain extent. In view of this, we propose an aerial photography device for drones to effectively solve the above-mentioned disadvantages. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an aerial photography device for a drone, so as to solve the problems raised in the above-mentioned background technology.

[0006] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: an aerial photography device for a drone, comprising:

[0007] A seat plate, fixedly embedded in the top wall of the drone, wherein the seat plate is ring-shaped;

[0008] A movable frame, wherein the movable frame is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the seat plate and is distributed vertically;

[0009] a camera mechanism, wherein the camera mechanism and the movable frame are slidably engaged with each other in a vertical direction and configured to extend through the inner side of the seat plate and extend above the top of the drone, or extend below the bottom of the drone;

[0010] Wherein, the movable frame is further provided with a linear drive component for driving the camera mechanism to slide up and down along the movable frame.

[0011] Optionally, the camera mechanism includes a camera, a pitch adjustment component and a rotation control component, the camera is mounted on the pitch adjustment component, and the pitch adjustment component is arranged at the output end of the rotation control component.

[0012] Optionally, the movable frame includes two slide rails distributed vertically, and the two slide rails are slidably connected to displacement blocks. The rotation control component is arranged between the two displacement blocks, and the rotation control component is rotationally matched with the two displacement blocks.

[0013] Optionally, one side of the rotation control component is rotationally connected to one of the displacement blocks via a rotating shaft, a servo motor is installed on the displacement block on the other side of the rotation control component, and an output end of the servo motor is connected to the rotation control component.

[0014] Optionally, an electric door is provided on the lower surface of the seat plate to close the inner space of the seat plate.

[0015] Optionally, a shielding mechanism is provided on the top surface of the camera, and the shielding mechanism includes a shielding cover and a shielding plate, the shielding cover is a hollow structure with an opening at one end, and the shielding plate is movably inserted into the inner side of the shielding cover; when the camera is extended to the top of the seat plate and the camera is looking horizontally, the shielding plate in a fully expanded state can prevent the camera from capturing the propeller.

[0016] Optionally, an electromagnet is provided inside the shielding sleeve, the shielding plate is an internal hollow structure, and a permanent magnet block is provided inside the shielding plate. When the electromagnet is energized, the facing magnetic poles of the electromagnet and the permanent magnet block are the same, and the shielding plate is in a fully extended state; when the electromagnet is de-energized, the shielding plate is in a retracted state.

[0017] Optionally, a gravity switch is provided on the outside of the rotation control component, and the gravity switch is arranged in series with the electromagnet. When the camera is located directly above the rotation control component, the gravity switch is in a closed state; in other states, the gravity switch is in an open state.

[0018] Optionally, a reinforced positioning component is further included, the reinforced positioning component is installed on the bottom tripod of the drone, and the reinforced positioning component at least includes a positioning plate, and a positioning groove is opened on the surface of the positioning plate;

[0019] A positioning block is provided on the top surface of the shielding cover. When the camera is located directly below the rotation control assembly and extends out of the bottom of the drone, the positioning block can be embedded in the positioning groove.

[0020] Optionally, the reinforced positioning assembly further includes a reinforced seat, which is fixedly connected to the bottom tripod of the drone, and the positioning plate is rotatably set on the reinforced seat. When the positioning block is embedded in the positioning groove, the rotating shaft of the positioning plate is coaxially set with the output shaft of the rotation control assembly.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides an aerial photography device for a drone, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0022] 1. The aerial photography device of the present invention can be extended from the bottom of the drone or from the top of the drone. This allows for capturing two images, one from the bottom and one from the top of the drone, thus expanding the shooting range of traditional aerial photography devices without compromising the drag coefficient of the unmanned helicopter or causing image parameter discrepancies between the two cameras.

[0023] 2. The present invention also has a shielding mechanism. When the aerial photography device is located above the top of the drone, the shielding mechanism can be deployed to block the propeller from entering the camera's shooting image. At the same time, the shielding mechanism can also prevent pollutants such as rain and snow from dripping onto the camera lens, helping to keep the lens clean.

[0024] 3. The shielding mechanism of the present invention also includes a positioning block. When the positioning block is embedded in the positioning groove at the bottom of the unmanned helicopter, it can help to increase the support strength of the camera, thereby improving the stability of the camera, thereby helping to improve the image quality;

[0025] 4. The rotation control assembly in the present invention is provided with a gravity switch. When the camera rotates to the upper position, the shielding mechanism automatically expands, otherwise the shielding mechanism automatically retracts. Therefore, the shielding mechanism can be automatically opened and closed, thereby improving the smoothness of use. At the same time, when there is no need to use the shielding plate, the shielding plate is always in a retracted state, thereby helping to reduce the volume of the aerial photography device when it passes through the inside of the drone. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a state of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is another state schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 It is a front cross-sectional view of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 It is a side sectional view of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the shielding mechanism of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a positioning component for strengthening the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 For the present invention Figure 2 The corresponding figure at point A is enlarged.

[0033] In the figure: 100, seat plate; 101, electric cabin door; 200, moving frame; 201, slide rail; 202, displacement block; 300, camera mechanism; 301, camera; 302, pitch adjustment assembly; 303, rotation control assembly; 400, servo motor; 500, linear drive assembly; 600, shielding mechanism; 601, shielding sleeve; 602, shielding plate; 603, electromagnet; 604, permanent magnet block; 605, positioning block; 700, gravity switch; 800, reinforced positioning assembly; 801, positioning plate; 802, positioning groove; 803, reinforced seat. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following will provide a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] Example 1: Please refer to Figure 1 - Figure 4 An aerial photography device for a drone includes a base plate 100, a mobile frame 200, and a camera mechanism 300. The base plate 100 is fixedly embedded in the drone's top wall and is ring-shaped. Specifically, in this embodiment, the outer contour of the base plate 100 is square, and the inner contour of the base plate 100 is circular. The base plate 100 is fixedly mounted on the drone's top wall. However, it should be noted that the drone's top wall must have a pre-set mounting notch for the base plate 100. Once the base plate 100 is placed inside the mounting notch, it can be secured with bolts or rivets.

[0036] Furthermore, the mobile frame 200 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the seat plate 100, and the mobile frame 200 is distributed vertically; the camera mechanism 300 and the mobile frame 200 slide together vertically, and are used to extend above the top or below the bottom of the drone. It should be noted that in order to allow the camera mechanism 300 to extend to the bottom of the drone, an extension opening for the camera mechanism 300 to pass through is also provided on the bottom wall of the drone. In addition, an electric door 101 is provided on the lower surface of the seat plate 100, which is used to close the inner space of the seat plate 100. When shooting is not required, the electric door 101 is always in a closed state to prevent foreign objects from entering the cabin and causing damage and pollution.

[0037] Specifically, in this embodiment, the camera mechanism 300 includes a camera 301, a pitch adjustment assembly 302, and a rotation control assembly 303. The pitch adjustment assembly 302 is shaped like a U, and the camera 301 is rotatably mounted inside the pitch adjustment assembly 302. The pitch adjustment assembly 302 also contains a servo control assembly that controls the rotation of the camera 301 around its axis. The output of the rotation control assembly 303 is a rotation axis, and the pitch adjustment assembly 302 is mounted on the output of the rotation control assembly 303. It should be noted that the pitch adjustment assembly 302 and the rotation control assembly 303 together form an aerial photography gimbal, which is used to adjust the angle of the camera 301.

[0038] The movable frame 200 includes two vertically distributed slide rails 201, and the two slide rails 201 are slidably connected with displacement blocks 202. The rotation control component 303 is arranged between the two displacement blocks 202, and one side of the rotation control component 303 is rotatably connected to one of the displacement blocks 202 through a rotating shaft. A servo motor 400 is installed on the displacement block 202 located on the other side of the rotation control component 303, and the output end of the servo motor 400 is connected to the rotation control component 303, and the output shaft of the servo motor 400 is coaxially arranged with the rotating shaft on one side of the rotation control component 303; therefore, the servo motor 400 can directly control the camera mechanism 300 to flip, so that the camera 301 is located below the rotation control component 303, or the camera 301 is located above the rotation control component 303.

[0039] In order to control the camera mechanism 300 to move up and down along the movable frame 200, a linear drive component 500 is also provided on the movable frame 200. The linear drive component 500 adopts an electric slide in this embodiment. The electric slide is fixedly installed on one of the slide rails 201, and the movable end of the electric slide is fixedly connected to the displacement block 202, thereby controlling the camera mechanism 300 to slide up and down.

[0040] In summary, this embodiment provides openings on the top and bottom walls of the drone for the camera mechanism 300 to pass through, so that the camera mechanism 300 can extend both above the top and below the bottom of the drone. One camera 301 can be used to capture images at two locations respectively. Compared with an aerial photography device that is only provided at the bottom of the drone, this embodiment can obviously increase the shooting range and expand the shooting angle.

[0041] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, when shooting in a single direction in a small space, the location of the aerial photography device has a significant impact on the shooting effect. If the aerial photography device is placed at the bottom of the drone, it will be difficult to obtain images near the top area due to the obstruction of the drone's own structure; similarly, if the camera is installed on the top of the drone, it will also face similar obstruction problems. In this embodiment, an innovative solution is adopted to install the camera mechanism 300 in a through-type manner on the unmanned helicopter. With this unique design, a single camera device can capture two images at the same time. The advantage of this design is that it can effectively ensure the consistency of the captured images in key parameters such as color, brightness, and contrast, greatly simplifying the post-production process and significantly improving work efficiency.

[0042] Example 2: Please refer to Figure 1 - Figure 5 The present application also provides an aerial photography device for a drone. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that:

[0043] A shielding mechanism 600 is provided on the top surface of the camera 301, and the shielding mechanism 600 includes a shielding cover 601 and a shielding plate 602. The shielding cover 601 is a hollow structure with an opening at one end. The shielding cover 601 is fixedly connected to the top surface of the camera 301 by bolts, and the open end of the shielding cover 601 is located on the same side as the camera end of the camera 301. The shielding plate 602 is movably inserted into the inner side of the shielding cover 601; when the camera 301 is extended to the top of the seat plate 100 and the camera 301 is looking horizontally, the shielding plate 602 in the fully expanded state can prevent the camera 301 from photographing the propeller.

[0044] The specific structure of the shielding mechanism 600 is described below:

[0045] The shielding sleeve 601 houses an electromagnet 603, and a hollow shielding plate 602. A permanent magnet 604 is housed within the shielding plate 602. When the electromagnet 603 is energized, the opposing magnetic poles of the electromagnet 603 and the permanent magnet 604 align, and the shielding plate 602 is fully extended. When the electromagnet 603 is de-energized, the shielding plate 602 is retracted. In other words, when the electromagnet 603 is energized, the shielding plate 602 extends outward and blocks the camera 301's upward view, preventing the propeller from entering the camera's image.

[0046] A gravity switch 700 is installed on the outside of the rotation control assembly 303 and is connected in series with the electromagnet 603. When the camera 301 is directly above the rotation control assembly 303, the gravity switch 700 is closed; otherwise, it is open. Specifically, the electromagnet 603 is connected to the drone's internal power supply. Due to the gravity switch 700, when the camera 301 is directly above the rotation control assembly 303, the electromagnet 603 is energized. Otherwise, the electromagnet 603 is de-energized and the shield 602 is retracted.

[0047] In summary, in this embodiment, when the camera 301 extends above the seat plate 100 and the camera 301 is looking horizontally, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the shielding plate 602 in the fully expanded state can block the camera 301 from photographing the helicopter's propeller. Therefore, the shielding mechanism 600 can block the propeller from entering the camera's shooting picture, thereby affecting the picture quality.

[0048] At the same time, since the extending direction of the shielding plate 602 is consistent with the direction of the lens of the camera 301, the shielding plate 602 also has the function of preventing pollutants such as rain and snow from dripping onto the lens, keeping the lens clean.

[0049] Furthermore, due to the provision of gravity switch 700, when camera 301 is flipped to a position directly above rotation control assembly 303, shielding plate 602 automatically deploys; conversely, shielding plate 602 automatically retracts. This allows for automatic opening and closing of shielding mechanism 600, thereby improving the operational fluidity of this embodiment, eliminating the need for manual control and effectively preventing the adverse effects of human error.

[0050] It should be noted that in this embodiment, in the initial state, the camera 301 is facing downward. When the camera 301 needs to be extended from the top of the drone for filming, the linear drive assembly 500 first drives the camera mechanism 300 to the topmost position, and then the servo motor 400 controls the camera mechanism 300 to rotate half a circle until the camera 301 is directly above the rotation control assembly 303. When the camera mechanism 300 needs to be retracted, the servo motor 400 first controls the camera mechanism 300 to rotate half a circle in the opposite direction, and then the linear drive assembly 500 controls the camera mechanism 300 to retract.

[0051] Example 3: Please refer to Figure 1 - Figure 7 The present application also provides an aerial photography device for a drone. The difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment is that:

[0052] The shielding cover 601 also includes a reinforced positioning assembly 800, which is mounted on the bottom tripod of the drone. The reinforced positioning assembly 800 includes at least a positioning plate 801 with a positioning slot 802 defined on its surface. A positioning block 605 is provided on the top surface of the shielding cover 601. When the camera 301 is directly below the rotation control assembly 303 and extends out of the bottom of the drone, the positioning block 605 can be inserted into the positioning slot 802. Specifically, in this embodiment, the positioning slot 802 is square, and the shape of the positioning block 605 matches the positioning slot 802.

[0053] Furthermore, the reinforced positioning assembly 800 also includes a reinforced base 803, which is fixedly connected to the bottom tripod of the drone. The positioning plate 801 is rotatably mounted on the reinforced base 803. When the positioning block 605 is embedded in the positioning slot 802, the rotation axis of the positioning plate 801 is coaxial with the output axis of the rotation control assembly 303. Therefore, when the rotation control assembly 303 controls the rotation of the pitch adjustment assembly 302, the positioning block 605 on the camera 301 is always embedded in the positioning slot 802. Therefore, the positioning plate 801 can rotate synchronously with the camera 301, thereby improving the support strength of the camera 301.

[0054] It should be noted that when camera 301 is facing downward and extending below the bottom of the drone, positioning block 605 does not always need to be embedded in positioning slot 802. Specifically, when camera 301 needs to perform a pitch rotation to achieve pitch photography, positioning block 605 should be kept at a specific distance from positioning plate 801 to provide freedom of pitch motion for camera 301. During forward flight, however, given the significant air resistance encountered during this period, positioning block 605 can be embedded in positioning slot 802 to ensure stable photography. This helps maintain the stability of camera 301 during flight, thereby improving image quality.

[0055] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or device. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or device comprising the element.

[0056] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An aerial photography device for a drone, characterized in that: include: A seat plate, fixedly embedded in the top wall of the drone, wherein the seat plate is ring-shaped; A movable frame, wherein the movable frame is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the seat plate and is distributed vertically; a camera mechanism, wherein the camera mechanism and the movable frame are slidably engaged with each other in a vertical direction and configured to extend through the inner side of the seat plate and extend above the top of the drone, or extend below the bottom of the drone; The movable frame is further provided with a linear drive assembly for driving the camera mechanism to slide up and down along the movable frame; The camera mechanism includes a camera, a pitch adjustment component and a rotation control component, wherein the camera is mounted on the pitch adjustment component, and the pitch adjustment component is arranged at the output end of the rotation control component; The top surface of the camera is provided with a shielding mechanism, which includes a shielding cover and a shielding plate. The shielding cover is a hollow structure with an opening at one end, and the shielding plate is movably inserted into the inner side of the shielding cover. When the camera is extended above the seat plate and the camera is looking horizontally, the shielding plate in a fully extended state can prevent the camera from photographing the propeller. An electromagnet is provided inside the shielding sleeve, and the shielding plate is an internal hollow structure. A permanent magnet block is provided inside the shielding plate. When the electromagnet is energized, the magnetic poles of the electromagnet and the permanent magnet block facing each other are the same, and the shielding plate is in a fully extended state; when the electromagnet is de-energized, the shielding plate is in a retracted state. A gravity switch is provided on the outside of the rotation control assembly, and the gravity switch is arranged in series with the electromagnet. When the camera is located directly above the rotation control assembly, the gravity switch is in a closed state; In other states, the gravity switch is in an off state.

2. The aerial photography device for a drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable frame includes two slide rails distributed vertically, and the two slide rails are slidably connected with displacement blocks. The rotation control component is arranged between the two displacement blocks, and the rotation control component is rotationally matched with the two displacement blocks.

3. The aerial photography device for a drone according to claim 2, characterized in that: One side of the rotation control component is rotationally connected to one of the displacement blocks via a rotating shaft. A servo motor is installed on the displacement block on the other side of the rotation control component, and the output end of the servo motor is connected to the rotation control component.

4. The aerial photography device for a drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: An electric door is provided on the lower surface of the seat plate for closing the inner space of the seat plate.

5. The aerial photography device for a drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The device further comprises a reinforced positioning assembly, the reinforced positioning assembly being mounted on the bottom tripod of the drone, the reinforced positioning assembly comprising at least a positioning plate, the surface of which is provided with a positioning groove; A positioning block is provided on the top surface of the shielding cover. When the camera is located directly below the rotation control assembly and extends out of the bottom of the drone, the positioning block can be embedded in the positioning groove.

6. The aerial photography device for a drone according to claim 5, characterized in that: The reinforced positioning assembly also includes a reinforced seat, which is fixedly connected to the bottom tripod of the drone. The positioning plate is rotatably set on the reinforced seat, and when the positioning block is embedded in the positioning groove, the rotating shaft of the positioning plate is coaxially arranged with the output shaft of the rotation control assembly.

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