Battery-replaceable modular unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

A battery-replaceable modular unmanned aerial vehicle relates to the field of aircrafts and comprises a plurality of single-rotor power modules, a battery replacement mechanism and a main battery. Each single-rotor power module comprises a single-rotor flight unit and a polygonal frame body, and the single-rotor flight units are arranged in the polygonal frame bodies; the polygonal frame body comprises an upper frame and a lower frame; the single-rotor power modules are assembled through a polygonal frame, and a battery bin used for containing a main battery is defined in the center of the single-rotor power modules. The battery replacing mechanism comprises a power supply guide rod and a battery compartment supporting leg; the power supply guide rod is connected with the upper frame, is in contact with an electrode of the main battery and supplies power to the single-rotor power module through a power supply wire connected with the power supply guide rod; and the battery compartment supporting legs are connected with the bottom of the polygonal frame body and are used for supporting the main battery. According to the invention, the power battery can be replaced without depending on ground infrastructures, and accurate butt joint and positioning of the battery can be realized in an unstable attitude in the air, so that the endurance mileage and the airborne time of the modular unmanned aerial vehicle are prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of aircraft, and particularly to a replaceable-battery modular unmanned aircraft. Background Art

[0002] In the promising low-altitude economy field, unmanned aerial vehicles need to have long endurance capabilities. However, due to the limitations of battery development technology, the existing batteries have low energy density and large weights. Increasing the battery capacity will cause a significant increase in battery weight, increasing the flight load of the aircraft and unable to achieve the purpose of increasing endurance. For electric unmanned aircraft to meet the endurance requirements, replacing the battery is an important means. However, ground static battery replacement cannot be achieved in some complex ground environments, and the development of in-air battery replacement technology has become an urgent need.

[0003] In current small unmanned aircraft, a multi-rotor integrated design layout is mostly adopted. It has only one set of battery and flight control system, with insufficient redundancy and safety of the system and not meeting the execution conditions for in-air battery replacement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above problem of short endurance time of existing lithium-ion multi-rotor integrated unmanned aircraft, and provide a replaceable-battery modular unmanned aircraft. By making full use of the geometric shape characteristics of the modular unmanned aircraft, the designed battery replacement mechanism and battery make full use of the space on the unmanned aircraft and can use gravity to complete battery replacement, power supply, and fixation. The present invention has the characteristics of simple and reliable mechanism operation, compact structure, and fast battery replacement speed. When combined with the modular unmanned aircraft, it can be used in combination to achieve the effects of increasing the load capacity of the unmanned aircraft and extending the endurance of the unmanned aircraft.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A replaceable-battery modular unmanned aircraft, comprising a plurality of single-rotor power modules, a battery replacement mechanism, and a main battery;

[0007] Each single-rotor power module includes a single-rotor flight unit and a polygonal frame. The single-rotor flight unit is disposed within the polygonal frame. The polygonal frame includes an upper frame and a lower frame. A plurality of single-rotor power modules are assembled through the polygonal frames and enclose a battery compartment in the center for placing the main battery;

[0008] The battery replacement mechanism includes a power supply guide rod and battery compartment legs. The power supply guide rod is connected to the upper frame, contacts the electrodes of the main battery, and supplies power to the single-rotor power modules through the power supply wires connected to the power supply guide rod. The battery compartment legs are connected to the bottom of the polygonal frame for supporting the main battery.

[0009] The present invention also includes a leg opening and closing mechanism, which includes a transmission gear and a transmission push rod, one end of the transmission push rod is hinged to the battery compartment leg, and the other end of the transmission push rod is provided with a toothed gear. The transmission gear is horizontally arranged between adjacent transmission push rods, and the transmission gear and the toothed gear are matched with each other, wherein the transmission gear is rotated to drive the transmission push rod to move horizontally, thereby opening or closing the battery compartment leg.

[0010] The present invention also comprises a bracket, and the bracket is used for connecting adjacent polygonal frames.

[0011] In the present invention, adjacent lower frames are connected via the bracket, and the battery compartment legs are hinged to the bracket connected to the lower frames.

[0012] Each side of the main battery is provided with two one-way sliding rail electrodes with ratchet teeth, which serve as the positive electrode and the negative electrode respectively, and cooperate with the groove contact at the end of the power supply guide rod to restrict the main battery from moving upward and complete the electrical connection.

[0013] The power supply guide rod is connected to the upper frame through a torsion spring, one end of the torsion spring is fixed to the upper frame, and the other end is fixed to the power supply guide rod, so that the power supply guide rod is closely attached to the electrode of the main battery by resisting the rotational movement.

[0014] The number of the single-rotor power modules is 6, and the main battery is in a regular hexagonal columnar structure.

[0015] In the present invention, each single-rotor power module is provided with a backup battery.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. The modular unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention is composed of multiple independent single-rotor power modules, each with its own backup battery for power supply during battery replacement and for emergency landing. The modularization of the present invention has the greatest advantage, which not only improves the safety margin of the entire unmanned aerial vehicle and enables it to meet the basic conditions for aerial power replacement; it can also be combined into other shapes at will, increasing the load capacity without increasing the difficulty of the entire machine development, and can also be stacked for easy transportation.

[0018] 2. The present invention can complete the replacement of power batteries without relying on ground infrastructure, and can achieve accurate docking and positioning of batteries in unstable postures in the air, thereby extending the range and airborne time of modular unmanned aerial vehicles. The single-rotor power module has a complete and independent control mechanism, backup battery and propulsion device inside, with strong versatility and high degree of modularization, and can be combined at will according to mission requirements. The power exchange mechanism of the present invention has a simple structure and compact layout, and can perform power exchange operations repeatedly in the air, extending the mission time and range of modular unmanned aerial vehicles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 Schematic structural diagram assembled by 6 single-rotor power modules;

[0020] Figure 2 Front axonometric schematic diagram of the battery swapping mechanism;

[0021] Figure 3 Bottom view schematic diagram of the battery swapping mechanism;

[0022] Figure 4 Schematic structural diagram of the contact between the main battery and the power supply guide rod;

[0023] Figure 5 Schematic structural diagram in the state of unloading the old main battery;

[0024] Figure 6 Schematic structural diagram in the state of loading a new main battery.

[0025] Reference numerals: 1 is a single-rotor power module, 2 is the main battery, 3 is a bracket, 4 is a power supply guide rod, 5 is a battery compartment leg, 6 is a transmission gear, and 7 is a transmission push rod. Detailed implementation manners

[0026] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention clearer and more understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0027] Refer to Figures 1 - 6 , an electric modular unmanned aerial vehicle in this embodiment includes a plurality of single-rotor power modules 1, a battery swapping mechanism and a main battery 2;

[0028] The number of single-rotor power modules 1 adopted by the present invention can be adjusted according to requirements, and each single-rotor power module 1 has a complete and independent control mechanism, a backup battery and a propulsion device; specifically, 6 single-rotor power modules 1 are provided in this embodiment; the single-rotor power module 1 and the battery swapping mechanism are assembled to form an electric modular unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0029] Each single-rotor power module 1 includes a single-rotor flight unit and a polygonal frame, and the single-rotor flight unit is arranged in the polygonal frame; the polygonal frame includes an upper frame and a lower frame; the 6 single-rotor power modules 1 are assembled through the polygonal frame and enclose a battery compartment in the center, and the battery compartment is used to place the main battery 2;

[0030] The battery swapping mechanism includes a power supply guide rod 4 and a battery compartment leg 5; the power supply guide rod 4 is connected to the upper frame, the power supply guide rod 4 is in contact with the electrode of the main battery 2, and powers the single-rotor power module 1 through the power supply wire connected to the power supply guide rod 4; the battery compartment leg 5 is connected to the bottom of the polygonal frame and is used to support the main battery 2.

[0031] This embodiment further includes a leg opening and closing mechanism, which includes a transmission gear 6 and a transmission push rod 7. One end of the transmission push rod 7 is hinged to the battery compartment leg 5, and the other end of the transmission push rod 7 is provided with a ratchet. The transmission gear 6 is horizontally arranged between adjacent transmission push rods 7, and the transmission gear 6 is adapted to the ratchet. Wherein, by the rotation of the transmission gear 6, the transmission push rod 7 is driven to move horizontally, so that the battery compartment leg 5 is opened or closed.

[0032] This embodiment further includes a bracket 3, and the bracket 3 is used to connect adjacent polygonal frames.

[0033] Specifically, adjacent lower frames are connected by the bracket 3, and the battery compartment leg 5 is hinged to the bracket 3 connecting the lower frames.

[0034] The main battery 2 has a regular hexagonal columnar structure; two unidirectional slide rail electrodes with ratchets are provided on each side of the main battery 2, serving as the positive electrode and the negative electrode respectively, and are matched with the groove contacts at the ends of two power supply guide rods 4 on the same side. Specifically, the unidirectional slide rail electrode is contacted and clamped by the groove contact, thereby restricting the upward displacement of the main battery 2 and completing the electrical connection.

[0035] The power supply guide rod 4 is connected to the upper frame through a torsion spring. One end of the torsion spring is fixed on the upper frame, and the other end is fixed on the power supply guide rod 4. By resisting the rotational movement, the power supply guide rod 4 is pressed against the electrode of the main battery 2, thereby realizing the fixation and power supply of the power supply guide rod 4.

[0036] The working principle and process of the present invention are as follows:

[0037] 1. The battery compartment loads the main battery 2 as a power battery to provide the energy required for flight; the single-rotor power module 1 loads a backup battery for power supply during the battery replacement period and during forced landing.

[0038] 2. The state of the battery replacement mechanism loading the main battery is as Figure 2 shown. The contact of the power supply guide rod 4 is closely attached to the electrode of the main battery 2, preventing the main battery 2 from moving upward and providing electrical energy for the single-rotor power module 1. The battery compartment leg 5 bears the weight of the main battery 2 and opens during battery replacement to ensure the normal fall of the main battery 2.

[0039] 3. During battery replacement, the transmission gear 6 is driven by the motor to drive the transmission push rod 7, so that the battery compartment leg 5 is opened, and the main battery slides out under the action of gravity and lands under the deceleration of the parachute. Subsequently, as Figure 6As shown, the battery compartment leg 5 is reset under the drive of the transmission gear 6 and the transmission push rod 7. At this time, the power supply guide rod 4 inclines towards the center of the battery compartment under the action of the torsion spring, and the extended power supply guide rod 4 guides and positions the new main battery 2 into the battery compartment in a funnel shape, completing the replacement of the battery. The structure of this mechanism is simple and the action is reliable, having the feasibility of in-air dynamic battery replacement.

[0040] While realizing the modular assembly flight of the aircraft, the present invention can complete the replacement of the power battery in the air, without relying on ground infrastructure, and extends the endurance mileage and in-air time of the modular aircraft. The design of the battery replacement mechanism and the battery compartment not only improves the endurance ability of the modular unmanned aircraft, but also makes ingenious use of the geometric characteristics of the modular unmanned aircraft to achieve a compact structure; at the same time, it makes ingenious use of gravity to enable the mechanism to complete safe and reliable operation under unstable in-air conditions while being simple and lightweight.

Claims

1. A battery-swappable modular unmanned aerial vehicle, characterized in that: It includes multiple single-rotor power modules, a power-changing mechanism and a main battery; Each single-rotor power module includes a single-rotor flight unit and a polygonal frame, wherein the single-rotor flight unit is arranged in the polygonal frame; the polygonal frame includes an upper frame and a lower frame; multiple single-rotor power modules are assembled through the polygonal frame and surrounded by a battery compartment in the center, wherein the battery compartment is used to place the main battery; The power exchange mechanism includes a power supply guide rod and a battery compartment leg; the power supply guide rod is connected to the upper frame, the power supply guide rod is in contact with the electrode of the main battery, and the power supply wire connected by the power supply guide rod is used to supply power to the single rotor power module; the battery compartment leg is connected to the bottom of the polygonal frame for supporting the main battery.

2. The battery-swappable modular unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a leg opening and closing mechanism, which includes a transmission gear and a transmission push rod. One end of the transmission push rod is hinged to the battery compartment leg, and the other end of the transmission push rod is provided with a toothed gear. The transmission gear is horizontally arranged between adjacent transmission push rods, and the transmission gear and the toothed gear are matched with each other. The transmission gear is driven to move horizontally by the rotation of the transmission gear, thereby opening or closing the battery compartment leg.

3. The battery-swappable modular unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a bracket, which is used to connect adjacent polygonal frames.

4. The battery-swappable modular unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that: Adjacent lower frames are connected via the bracket, and the battery compartment legs are hinged to the bracket connected to the lower frames.

5. The battery-swappable modular unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each side of the main battery is provided with two one-way sliding rail electrodes with ratchet teeth, which serve as the positive electrode and the negative electrode respectively, and cooperate with the groove contact at the end of the power supply guide rod to restrict the main battery from moving upward and complete the electrical connection.

6. The battery-swappable modular unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power supply guide rod is connected to the upper frame through a torsion spring, one end of the torsion spring is fixed to the upper frame, and the other end is fixed to the power supply guide rod, so that the power supply guide rod is closely attached to the electrode of the main battery by resisting the rotational movement.

7. The battery-swappable modular unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the single-rotor power modules is 6, and the main battery is in a regular hexagonal columnar structure.

8. The battery-swappable modular unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each single-rotor power module is equipped with a backup battery.

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