A speed-controllable and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism

Abstract

The present invention application discloses a speed-controllable and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism, belonging to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, including: a mounting unit mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle body; a driving unit fixedly mounted on the mounting unit; a first rotating shaft assembly having a first central axis, the direction where the first central axis is located is set as the first direction, the first rotating shaft assembly can be driven by the driving unit to rotate around the first central axis, and its rotation direction is the first rotation direction. A cavity is provided inside the first rotating shaft assembly; a second rotating shaft assembly mounted in the cavity of the first rotating shaft assembly, and the first rotating shaft assembly limits the second rotating shaft assembly; a third rotating shaft assembly fixedly mounted with a second rotor, and it can be driven by the driving unit to rotate around the first central axis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of drone rotors. Background Art

[0002] In the design process of drones, usually the main rotor is a very important part, which provides a large lift for the drone to ensure that the drone does not fall. However, the greater the lift, the larger the area of the rotor usually is. When a small drone is mounted on a large carrier and launched, if the rotor is too large and too long, it will cause that multiple small drones cannot be placed side by side. Therefore, the rotor needs to be folded to reduce the overall width of the machine to ensure that multiple drones can be mounted.

[0003] Generally, the rotor folding and unfolding mechanism uses a spring as the power. When the rotor is stored, the spring is in a stretched state and the rotor is locked by a locking pin. When the rotor unfolds, the locking pin disengages and the tensile force of the spring pulls the rotor to the wing-expanded state. In this kind of mechanism, when the small drone is placed in the packing box, the spring needs to be stretched all the time. The long-term stretching may cause the change or even failure of the spring force. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to disclose a speed-controllable and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism for drones in view of the problems in the prior art, including:

[0005] An installation unit, which is installed on the drone body;

[0006] A driving unit, which is fixedly installed on the installation unit;

[0007] A first rotating shaft assembly, which has a first central axis, the direction where the first central axis is located is set as the first direction, the first rotating shaft assembly can be driven by the driving unit to rotate around the first central axis, its rotation direction is the first rotation direction, and a cavity is arranged inside the first rotating shaft assembly;

[0008] A second rotating shaft assembly, which is installed in the cavity of the first rotating shaft assembly, the first rotating shaft assembly limits the second rotating shaft assembly, so that the second rotating shaft assembly has only the sliding freedom degree in the first direction relative to the first rotating shaft assembly, a bevel groove body is arranged on the surface of the second rotating shaft assembly, and a first rotor is fixedly installed on the second rotating shaft;

[0009] The third rotating shaft assembly is fixedly installed with a second rotor. It can be driven by a driving unit to rotate around the first central axis, and its rotation direction is the second rotation direction. The first rotation direction and the second rotation direction are opposite. The third rotating shaft assembly includes at least one protrusion, and the protrusion is received in the inclined groove of the second rotating shaft assembly. When the third rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly rotate relative to each other around the first central axis, the second rotating shaft assembly can move relative to the third rotating shaft assembly in the first direction, driving the first rotor and the second rotor to move away from each other in the first direction.

[0010] In a preferred solution, the first rotating shaft assembly includes a first gear, the third rotating shaft assembly includes a second gear, and the driving unit includes a driving gear. The driving gear meshes with the first gear and the second gear respectively. When the driving gear is driven to rotate, the first gear and the second gear rotate in opposite directions, and the second rotating shaft assembly and the third rotating shaft assembly rotate in opposite directions.

[0011] In a preferred solution, the second rotating shaft assembly is provided with a card slot, the card slot extends along the first direction, the first rotating shaft assembly is provided with a card post, and the card post is received in the card slot and can move along the first direction in the card slot to limit the relative rotation of the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly and allow the relative sliding of the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly in the first direction.

[0012] In a preferred solution, the driving unit further includes a connecting shaft connected to the driving gear and a motor connected to the connecting shaft. The motor is installed on the installation unit, and the motor drives the driving gear to rotate through the connecting shaft.

[0013] In a preferred solution, the first rotating shaft assembly further includes a first shaft portion, and the first shaft portion penetrates through the first gear so that when the first gear is driven to rotate, the first shaft portion can be driven to rotate.

[0014] In a preferred solution, the surface of the second rotating shaft assembly is provided with 2 inclined grooves, and the end of the second rotating shaft assembly can install the first rotor.

[0015] In a preferred solution, the third rotating shaft assembly further includes a second shaft member and a connecting portion; the second shaft member is a hollow ring, the connecting portion is connected to the second shaft member, the connecting portion is fixedly connected with the protrusion, and the connecting portion can install the second rotor.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, a channel is provided inside the connecting portion. The end of the protrusion is received in the channel and can move within the channel. Two spring chambers communicating with the channel are provided at both ends of the channel. Rods are connected to both sides of the protrusion. The rods are inserted into the spring chambers, and springs are received between the ends of the rods and the ends of the spring chambers. The springs are preloaded and compressed.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, both ends of the spring are connected by a pull rope so that the spring is preloaded and compressed.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, a receiving cavity is provided on the second rotor. The connecting portion of the third rotating shaft assembly is received in the receiving cavity, and the connecting portion is fixedly connected to the side wall of the receiving cavity.

[0019] The tooling of the mechanism of the present invention is used when the width of the wing is close to that of the fuselage and the left and right wings cannot be completely stowed under the wing. At this time, when one wing needs to be folded, it moves up and down to avoid the other wing. Therefore, the present application uses a single power source to complete the two movements of the wing rising and rotating. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the whole application;

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the installation unit;

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the first rotating shaft assembly;

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the second rotor;

[0024] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the third rotating shaft assembly;

[0025] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the second rotating shaft assembly;

[0026] Figure 7 is an assembly schematic diagram of the third rotating shaft assembly, the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly;

[0027] Figure 8 is a connection schematic diagram of the connecting portion and the protrusion;

[0028] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the installation unit;

[0029] Figure 10 is a connection schematic diagram of the second rotating shaft assembly and the first rotating shaft assembly;

[0030] Markings in the figure: 100 - mounting unit, 200 - driving unit, 210 - driving gear, 220 - connecting shaft, 230 - motor, 300 - first rotating shaft assembly, 310 - first gear, 320 - first shaft portion, 400 - second rotating shaft assembly, 410 - inclined groove body, 420 - clamping groove, 500 - third rotating shaft assembly, 510 - second gear, 520 - second shaft member, 530 - connecting portion, 531 - channel, 532 - spring cavity, 533 - spring, 534 - pulling rope, 540 - protrusion, 550 - rotating member, 600 - first rotor wing, 700 - second rotor wing, 710 - accommodating cavity, 800 - locking pin. Detailed implementation mode

[0031] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, this embodiment discloses a speed - controllable and maintenance - free wing - spreading mechanism for an aircraft wing, which includes a mounting unit 100, a driving unit 200, a first rotating shaft assembly 300, a second rotating shaft assembly 400, and a third rotating shaft assembly 500; the driving unit 200, the first rotating shaft assembly 300, the second rotating shaft assembly 400, and the third rotating shaft assembly 500 are all mounted on the mounting unit 100.

[0033] As Figure 1 shown, the mounting unit 100 is mounted on the aircraft body of the unmanned aerial vehicle, Figure 9 which is a schematic diagram of the frame structure of the mounting unit 100, and is used for fixedly mounting the first rotating shaft assembly 300, the second rotating shaft assembly 400, and the third rotating shaft assembly 500 in the middle. As Figure 9 shown, the first rotating shaft assembly 300 is mounted in the circular ring above the mounting unit 100, there is a cavity inside the first rotating shaft assembly 300, and the second rotating shaft assembly 400 is located in the cavity inside the first rotating shaft assembly 300; the third rotating shaft assembly 500 is mounted in the circular ring below the mounting unit 100.

[0034] As Figure 3 shown is a schematic diagram of the first rotating shaft assembly 300. The first rotating shaft assembly 300 has a first central axis, and the direction where the first central axis is located is set as the first direction, and the first direction is as Figure 3The direction of the arrow shown. The first rotating shaft assembly 300 can be driven by the driving unit 200 to rotate around the first central axis, and its rotation direction is the first rotation direction. The first rotating shaft assembly 300 includes a first gear 310 and a first shaft portion 320. The first shaft portion 320 penetrates through the first gear 310 and is fixedly connected to the first gear 310, so that when the first gear 310 is driven to rotate by the driving unit 200, the first shaft portion 320 can be driven to rotate. The first shaft portion 320 is installed on the installation unit 100 through components such as bearings, so that when the installation unit 100 is stationary, the first shaft portion 320 can rotate around the first direction.

[0035] Continue as Figure 3 As shown, the second rotating shaft assembly 400 is installed in the cavity of the first rotating shaft assembly 300. The inside of the second rotating shaft assembly 400 is a through-channel structure. Specifically, a cylindrical channel is provided inside the first rotating shaft. The second rotating shaft assembly 400 is located in the cylindrical channel. The first rotating shaft assembly 300 limits the second rotating shaft assembly 400, so that the second rotating shaft assembly 400 only has a sliding degree of freedom in the first direction relative to the first rotating shaft assembly 300. That is to say, the second rotating shaft assembly 400 can only slide relative to the first rotating shaft assembly 300 in the first direction. When the first rotating shaft assembly 300 rotates around the first central axis, the second rotating shaft assembly 400 also rotates with the first rotating shaft assembly 300.

[0036] In order to limit the first rotating shaft assembly 300 and the second rotating shaft assembly 400, as Figure 10 shown, the second rotating shaft assembly 400 is provided with a card slot 420. The card slot 420 extends along the first direction. The first rotating shaft assembly 300 is provided with a card post. The card post is accommodated in the card slot 420 and can move along the first direction in the card slot 420 to limit the relative rotation of the first rotating shaft assembly 300 and the second rotating shaft assembly 400, and allow the relative sliding of the first rotating shaft assembly 300 and the second rotating shaft assembly 400 in the first direction. When the second rotating shaft assembly 400 receives a force along the first direction, the second rotating shaft assembly 400 can move relative to the first rotating shaft assembly 300. Since the first rotor 600 is fixedly installed at the end of the second rotating shaft assembly 400, the first rotor can move relative to the first rotating shaft assembly 300 in the first direction. And the first rotating shaft assembly 300 is fixed in the first direction relative to the installation unit 100. Therefore, the first rotor 600 can move relative to the first rotating shaft assembly 300 in the first direction.

[0037] As Figure 3As shown, the surface of the second rotating shaft assembly 400 is provided with an inclined groove body 410. In a preferred solution, there are 2 inclined groove bodies 410 provided on the surface of the second rotating shaft assembly 400. The function of the inclined groove body 410 will be further described below.

[0038] In order to enable the second rotating shaft assembly 400 to have a force in the first direction, such as Figure 7 and Figure 5 ( Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the third rotating shaft assembly 500) shown, the third rotating shaft assembly 500 is installed on the installation unit 100. Specifically, the third rotating shaft assembly 500 is installed on the installation unit 100 through bearings, etc. The third rotating shaft assembly 500 can be installed with a second rotor 700. The third rotating shaft assembly 500 can be driven by the driving unit 200 to rotate around the first central axis. Its rotation direction is the second rotation direction, and the first rotation direction and the second rotation direction are opposite. As Figure 7 shown, the third rotating shaft assembly 500 includes at least one protrusion 540. The protrusion 540 is received in the inclined groove body 410 of the second rotating shaft assembly 400. When the third rotating shaft assembly 500 and the second rotating shaft assembly 400 rotate relative to each other around the first central axis, the second rotating shaft assembly 400 can move relative to the third rotating shaft assembly 500 in the first direction, driving the first rotor 600 and the second rotor 700 to move away from each other in the first direction, so that the two rotors can have a certain gap in the first direction to realize the folding of the rotors. Specifically, when the first rotating shaft assembly 300 is driven by the driving unit 200 to rotate around a direction, the second rotating shaft assembly 400 will also follow the first rotating shaft assembly 300 to rotate. At this time, the third rotating shaft assembly 500 rotates in the opposite direction. The protrusion 540 of the third rotating shaft assembly 500 is engaged into the inclined groove body 410, and its protrusion 540 will move along the inclined groove body 410, thereby applying a component force to the third rotating shaft assembly 500, causing the second rotating shaft assembly 400 to slide relative to the first rotating shaft assembly 300 in the first direction. Further, the second rotating shaft assembly 400 moves relative to the third rotating shaft assembly 500 in the first direction, so that the two rotors have sufficient clearance.

[0039] In order to enable the first rotating shaft assembly 300 and the third rotating shaft assembly 500 to rotate in opposite directions, in an improved solution, such as Figure 2As shown, the first rotating shaft assembly 300 includes a first gear 310, the third rotating shaft assembly 500 includes a second gear 510, and the driving unit 200 includes a driving gear 210. The driving gear 210 meshes with the first gear 310 and the second gear 510 respectively. When the driving gear 210 is driven to rotate, the first gear 310 and the second gear 510 rotate in opposite directions, and the second rotating shaft assembly 400 and the third rotating shaft assembly 500 rotate in opposite directions.

[0040] In a more specific solution, as Figure 2 shown, the driving unit 200 further includes a connecting shaft 220 connected to the driving gear 210 and a motor 230 connected to the connecting shaft 220. The motor 230 is installed on the installation unit 100, and the motor 230 drives the driving gear 210 to rotate through the connecting shaft 220.

[0041] In a more preferred solution, as Figure 7 shown, the third rotating shaft assembly 500 further includes a second shaft member 520 and a connecting portion 530; the second shaft member 520 is a hollow ring, which is installed on the installation unit 100 through bearings and the like, and the second shaft member 520 can rotate relative to the installation unit 100. The connecting portion 530 is connected to the second shaft member 520, and the connecting portion 530 is fixedly connected with the protrusion 540. The connecting portion 530 can install the second rotor 700. In a more specific solution, the second rotor 700 is provided with a receiving cavity 710, and the connecting portion 530 of the third rotating shaft assembly 500 is received in the receiving cavity 710, and the connecting portion 530 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the receiving cavity through screws and bolts.

[0042] When the rotor needs to be retracted, a gap is formed between the two rotors through the driving unit 200 so that it can be retracted; when the rotor needs to be opened, the driving unit 200 makes the opposite movement, and the protrusion 540 slides to the edge of the inclined groove body 410 (as Figure 6 shown), as Figure 4 shown, the end of the second rotating shaft assembly 400 just keeps flush with the end of the second rotor 700. At this time, the first rotor 600 can be directly installed at the end of the second rotating shaft assembly 400, and it can be installed by means of fixed connection such as screws and bolts. At this time, the two rotors are in the open state, and the installation unit 100 and the first shaft portion 320 are fixed to each other by a locking pin 800 so that normal flight can be carried out. During use, the process of the driving unit 200 is adjusted or sensors are provided in the inclined groove body 410 to detect whether the rotors are opened or retracted to a fixed position.

[0043] When the protrusion 540 is received in the inclined groove body 410 and slides along the inclined groove body 410, it will cause the third rotating shaft assembly 500 to slide smoothly relative to the second rotating shaft assembly 400. Therefore, in the preferred solution, as Figure 5 shown, a rotating member 550 is installed at the end of the protrusion 540. The rotating member 550 rotates relative to the protrusion 540 in the axial direction of the protrusion 540. The rotating member 550 can be a bearing, the inner ring of which is fixed on the protrusion 540, and the outer ring contacts the inclined groove body 410 and can roll in the inclined groove body 410, thereby reducing the rotational load of the third rotating shaft assembly 500.

[0044] It is also found during use that when the driving unit 200 is started, when the driving gear 210 drives the third rotating shaft assembly 500 to rotate in the second rotation direction, and the driving gear 210 drives the second rotating shaft assembly 400 to rotate in the first rotation direction by driving the first rotating shaft assembly 300, since the second rotating shaft assembly 400 was previously stationary relative to the first rotating shaft assembly 300, the second rotating shaft assembly 400 cannot move relative to the first rotating shaft assembly 300 at a sufficient speed, and the second rotating shaft assembly 400 and the third rotating shaft assembly 500 cannot rotate relative to each other at a matching speed (relative to the rotational speed of the driving gear 210). This causes the extrusion force of the protrusion 540 on the second rotating shaft assembly 400 to be too large, and the load on the driving gear 210 to be too large, which may damage the motor 230 and increase the wear between the driving gear 210 and the first gear 310 and the second gear 510. In severe cases, the gears may be damaged.

[0045] Therefore, to solve the above problems, in the improved solution, a channel 531 is provided inside the connecting portion 530. The end of the protrusion is received in the channel 531 and can move in the channel. Two spring chambers 532 communicating with the channel are provided at both ends of the channel 531. Rods are connected to both sides of the protrusion 540 and inserted into the spring chambers 532. A spring 533 is received between the end of the rod and the end of the spring chamber 532, and the spring 533 is preloaded and compressed. The two ends of the spring 533 are connected by a pulling rope 534, so that the spring 533 is preloaded and compressed. Assume that the force preloading the spring 533 by the pulling rope 534 is N. At this time, if the extrusion force of the end of the protrusion on the spring 533 (the same as the extrusion force of the protrusion on the inclined groove) is less than N, at this time, the protrusion 540 will not move relative to the connecting portion 530, maintaining the relative rigid state of the two, providing stable operation. When the driving gear 210 is instantaneously driven, the extrusion force of the protrusion 540 on the inclined groove instantaneously increases. At this time, the extrusion force of the end of the protrusion on the spring 533 exceeds N. At this time, the spring 533 is squeezed, and the protrusion 540 moves relative to the connecting portion 530, thereby enabling the third rotating shaft assembly 500 and the second rotating shaft assembly 400 to have sufficient rotation accommodation space, reducing the load received by the driving gear 210, and protecting each gear and the motor.

[0046] The embodiments of the present application have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Without conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other. The present application is not limited to the above specific embodiments. The above specific embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the inspiration of the present application, those of ordinary skill in the art can also make many forms without departing from the purpose of the present application and the scope protected by the claims, and all of them belong to the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A controllable-speed and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism, characterized in that, It includes: An installation unit (100) installed on the drone body; A drive unit (200) fixedly installed on the installation unit (100); A first rotating shaft assembly (300) having a first central axis, the direction where the first central axis is located is set as the first direction, the first rotating shaft assembly (300) can be driven by the drive unit (200) to rotate around the first central axis, its rotation direction is the first rotation direction, and a cavity is provided inside the first rotating shaft assembly (300); A second rotating shaft assembly (400) installed in the cavity of the first rotating shaft assembly (300), the first rotating shaft assembly (300) limits the second rotating shaft assembly (400) so that the second rotating shaft assembly (400) has only a sliding freedom degree in the first direction relative to the first rotating shaft assembly (300), a bevel groove body (410) is provided on the surface of the second rotating shaft assembly (400), and a first rotor (600) is fixedly installed on the second rotating shaft; A third rotating shaft assembly (500) fixedly installed with a second rotor (700), it can be driven by the drive unit (200) to rotate around the first central axis, its rotation direction is the second rotation direction, the first rotation direction and the second rotation direction are opposite, the third rotating shaft assembly (500) includes at least one protrusion (540), the protrusion (540) is received in the bevel groove body (410) of the second rotating shaft assembly (400), so that when the third rotating shaft assembly (500) and the second rotating shaft assembly (400) rotate relative to each other around the first central axis, the second rotating shaft assembly (400) can move in the first direction relative to the third rotating shaft assembly (500), driving the first rotor (600) and the second rotor (700) to move away from each other in the first direction.

2. The speed-controllable and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that The first rotating shaft assembly (300) includes a first gear (310), the third rotating shaft assembly (500) includes a second gear (510), the drive unit (200) includes a driving gear (210), the driving gear (210) meshes with the first gear (310) and the second gear (510) respectively, so that when the driving gear (210) is driven to rotate, the first gear (310) and the second gear (510) rotate in opposite directions, and the second rotating shaft assembly (400) and the third rotating shaft assembly (500) rotate in opposite directions.

3. The speed-controllable and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second rotating shaft assembly (400) is provided with a card slot (420), the card slot (420) extends along the first direction, the first rotating shaft assembly (300) is provided with a card post, the card post is received in the card slot (420) and can move along the first direction in the card slot (420) to limit the relative rotation of the first rotating shaft assembly (300) and the second rotating shaft assembly (400), and allow the relative sliding of the first rotating shaft assembly (300) and the second rotating shaft assembly (400) in the first direction.

4. The speed-controllable and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that The described drive unit (200) further includes a connecting shaft (220) connected to the driving gear (210), and a motor (230) connected to the connecting shaft (220). The motor (230) is installed on the installation unit (100), and the motor (230) drives the driving gear (210) to rotate through the connecting shaft (220).

5. The speed-controllable and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The described first rotating shaft assembly (300) further includes a first shaft portion (320). When the first gear (310) is driven to rotate by the first shaft portion (320) passing through the first gear (310), the first shaft portion (320) can be driven to rotate.

6. The speed-controllable and maintenance-free wing extension mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that The surface of the described second rotating shaft assembly (400) is provided with two inclined groove bodies (410), and the first rotor (600) can be installed at the end of the second rotating shaft assembly (400).

7. The controllable-speed and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism according to claim 3, wherein The described third rotating shaft assembly (500) further includes a second shaft member (520) and a connecting portion (530). The second shaft member (520) is a hollow ring, and the connecting portion (530) is connected to the second shaft member (520). The connecting portion (530) is fixedly connected with the protrusion (540), and the second rotor (700) can be installed on the connecting portion (530).

8. The speed-controllable and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, A channel (531) is provided inside the connecting portion (530). The end of the protrusion (540) is received in the channel (531) and can move in the channel (531). Two spring cavities (532) communicating with the channel (531) are provided at both ends of the channel (531). Rod members are connected to both sides of the protrusion (540) and inserted into the spring cavities (532). A spring (533) is received between the end of the rod member and the end of the spring cavity (532), and the spring (533) is pre-loaded and compressed.

9. The controllable-speed and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, Both ends of the spring (533) are connected by a pull rope (534) so that the spring (533) is pre-loaded and compressed.

10. The speed-controllable and maintenance-free wing unfolding mechanism according to claim 9, wherein A receiving cavity (710) is provided on the second rotor (700), and the connecting portion (530) of the third rotating shaft assembly (500) is received in the receiving cavity (710).

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