Method for realizing water-air cross-domain separation by carrying air unmanned aerial vehicle through underwater vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for realizing water-air cross-domain separation by using an underwater vehicle to carry an air unmanned aerial vehicle, which comprises a vehicle and an unmanned aerial vehicle, a container for placing the unmanned aerial vehicle and a container groove are arranged on the vehicle, an unmanned aerial vehicle container is arranged in the container groove, and the unmanned aerial vehicle is placed in the container; a control center is arranged on a shore base or a ship, the carrier and the unmanned aerial vehicle are controlled through wireless communication, the control center can firstly control the carrier to convey the unmanned aerial vehicle to a designated place, then control the carrier to float to the water surface and open the unmanned aerial vehicle container, and then the control center can control the unmanned aerial vehicle to be separated from the unmanned aerial vehicle container and take off. After the unmanned aerial vehicle takes off, the control center can close the unmanned aerial vehicle container and control the unmanned aerial vehicle to return or sail to other designated positions, and water-air cross-domain separation of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be achieved on the premise that the original structure, appearance, function and performance are not changed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of transportation technology, and in particular to a method for an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone to achieve cross-domain separation between water and air. Background Art

[0002] Cross-media navigation is a cutting-edge technology that has developed rapidly in recent years. Some research in related fields has made significant progress. Some existing achievements are mainly concentrated in the field of air-water cross-domain technology. Its medium conversion is achieved through special structural design (such as special folding wing structure, lightweight pressure-resistant structure), specific power switching technology and fast-response dynamic control technology to achieve rapid crossing of water-air medium.

[0003] This type of technology needs to consider the dual functions of integrating aerial flight and underwater diving, while taking into account the power performance under different media conditions. Its related technologies have the following characteristics: 1. Special structural design It adopts a combination of fixed-wing and folding-wing structures (such as "Longbow 1" and "Longbow 2"), which can be folded to reduce underwater resistance. Some models incorporate a rotor design to support vertical take-off and landing operations.

[0004] 2. Special power system and control system configuration It needs to be equipped with a dual-mode propulsion device, relying on electric propellers or jet engines in the air, and switching to pump propulsion or gliding power underwater, and equipped with a rapid response control system to adapt to medium changes.

[0005] These characteristics lead to the following shortcomings in existing technologies: 1. Structural design is difficult Since it involves cross-media navigation, higher requirements are placed on the main structure of the carrier. It must not only meet the statics and fluid dynamics requirements in different media, but also ensure the realization of various functional performance indicators in different media. This will increase the complexity of the structure and require unique structural design innovations and supporting processes and new materials. It also requires a lot of test verification work to ensure it.

[0006] 2. High technical configuration requirements To achieve cross-media operation, high-performance special power units and communication systems and other functional modules are required. This relies on a large number of technologically advanced sensor components, functional modules and other supporting support. This will greatly increase R&D and implementation costs, restricting the rapid promotion and application of the technology. 3. Functions and performance are limited due to media compatibility requirements Interface conversion needs to overcome the difference in medium density, and requires corresponding precise switching and adjustment of the carrier's center of gravity and center of buoyancy, the wing angle of attack, and the output form of the power device. Functional realization requires a balance and consideration between the two, which will limit the performance in each medium and thus affect the overall efficacy.

[0007] In addition, the application of cross-domain water and air technologies can only be limited to some more special military application fields due to the need for strong technical support and system support.

[0008] Therefore, how to provide a cross-medium underwater vehicle that can overcome the above problems is an issue that those skilled in the art urgently need to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In order to solve or partially solve the problems existing in the relevant technologies, the present application provides a method for an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone to achieve cross-domain separation of water and air, which can achieve cross-domain separation of the drone without changing its appearance, function and performance.

[0010] The present application discloses a separation mechanism for an underwater drone to achieve water-air cross-domain separation, comprising: The drone container is an openable and closable sealed container, including a fixed container and a movable cover movably connected to the fixed container; a catapult, which is used to eject the drone from the drone container; and a drive mechanism, which is used to drive the opening and closing of the drone container; wherein the drive mechanism is connected to the movable cover, and the catapult is installed at the bottom of the fixed container.

[0011] Optionally, the drone container is configured to be in the shape of a round pot, and one end of its movable cover is connected to a magnetic buckle; a catapult seat is provided at the bottom of its fixed container, and an annular reinforcing ring rib and reinforcing vertical ribs projecting vertically therefrom are provided on its inner wall; a positioning fastening plate is provided on the outer wall of its fixed container, and a positioning plate is provided on its top for positioning and sealing with the movable cover.

[0012] Optionally, the driving mechanism includes a first telescopic member, a connecting head, a transmission member, a rocking member, a rocking shaft seat, and a connecting head; wherein, the rocking shaft seat is arranged below the middle position of the rocking member, a connecting member is provided at one end of the rocking member to connect to the top center position of the movable cover, the other end of the rocking member is connected to the transmission member through a rotating shaft, the other end of the transmission member is transferred to the connecting head, and the connecting head is connected to the telescopic end of the first telescopic member.

[0013] Optionally, the catapult includes: a central support seat, the central support seat is used for positioning support, and a limit seat is provided on the top of the central support seat to abut against the bottom of the drone; a supporting circular plate, a U-shaped clip is constructed on the supporting circular plate to clamp the drone; and an ejection circular plate, an ejection seat is constructed on the ejection circular plate to abut against the bottom of the drone; and a limiting clamp, the limiting clamp is used to limit the pop-up of the ejection circular plate; and a driving pull rod, the driving pull rod is used to drive the limiting clamp to open so that the ejection circular plate pops out and flies the drone; and a first spring, a second retractor; wherein, a central support seat is provided on the catapult seat, a supporting circular plate and an ejection circular plate are sleeved on the outer side of the central support seat, a first spring is provided between the supporting circular plate and the ejection circular plate, the first spring is sleeved on the central support seat, a limiting clamp is connected on one side of the ejection circular plate, the limiting clamp clamps the ejection circular plate, a driving pull rod is provided on one side of the limiting clamp to connect the limiting clamp to open the limiting clamp so that the ejection circular plate pops out, and the second retractor is used to drive the limiting clamp to open.

[0014] Optionally, it further comprises a movable sleeve and a limiting clamp rotating shaft seat, a support platform is constructed on the middle part of the outer side of the movable sleeve, and a limiting protruding ear plate is constructed on the outer bottom of the movable sleeve; One side of the supporting circular plate is constructed with a retractor slot, and multiple supporting vertical plates are vertically arranged on the plate surface, and the supporting vertical plates are provided with elastic U-shaped clips; the ejection circular plate is vertically arranged on the plate surface, and the ejection seat is provided on the ejection vertical plates; one end of the driving rod is provided with a triangular plate, and the other end is provided with a retractor mounting head; The limiting clamp includes a left splint and a right splint, and a transfer hole is constructed in the middle and rear parts of the left splint and the right splint, a groove is constructed at one end of the two, and a spring mounting protrusion is provided in the groove, and a driving ear is constructed at the other end of the two, and a second compression spring is installed between the two spring mounting protrusions; wherein, the second telescoping device is installed in the telescoping device groove, the telescopic end of the second telescoping device is connected to the telescoping device mounting head, the driving ear abuts against the two edges of the triangular plate, the movable sleeve is slidably connected to the central support seat, a first spring is arranged in the movable sleeve and is sleeved on the central support seat, the limiting clamp is transferred to the limiting clamp rotating shaft seat through a rotating shaft, the drone is embedded in the U-shaped card and abuts against the top of the limit seat, and the bottom of the drone abuts against the ejection seat.

[0015] Optionally, it also includes a mounting ring, the center of the upper surface of the mounting ring is configured with a circular groove, the lower surface is configured with an annular groove, and the outer side of the ring is configured with a ring plate; an annular protrusion is configured on the ejector seat, the annular groove of the mounting ring is embedded in the annular protrusion, the center support seat is fastened in the circular groove by screws, the supporting circular plate is embedded in the mounting ring and is fastened to the ring plate by screws, and the limiting clamp rotation shaft seat is arranged on the outer side of the circular groove of the mounting ring.

[0016] Optionally, limit holes are constructed on the left and right splints, and limit screws are set on the mounting ring and pass through the limit holes; a limit keyway is constructed at the center position of the triangular plate, and a limit screw is set on the mounting ring and passes through the limit keyway.

[0017] A carrier for carrying an underwater drone to achieve water-to-air crossing, comprising a separation mechanism for carrying an underwater drone to achieve water-to-air crossing as described above; and a drain pipe is provided at the bottom of the fixed container.

[0018] Optionally, the top of the carrier is configured with a separation mechanism groove for accommodating the separation mechanism, and the separation mechanism is embedded and fixed in the separation mechanism groove.

[0019] Optionally, it also includes a connecting frame and a driving frame; The connecting frame is arranged in a strip groove shape, with side plates fixedly arranged on both sides thereof, a container frame arranged in the middle thereof, a container ring plate arranged on the container frame, a rear support and a swing support respectively arranged on both sides of the container frame, and a magnetic buckle seat arranged on the container ring plate; the driving frame is arranged in a strip groove shape, including a telescopic baffle; wherein the driving mechanism is arranged and fixed in the driving frame and abuts against the telescopic baffle, the driving frame is fixed to the connecting frame by screws, and the connecting frame is fixed in the separation mechanism groove by screws; the middle part of the rocking member is transferred to the rocking support, and the positioning and fastening plate abuts against the container ring plate and is fastened by screws.

[0020] A method for achieving water-air cross-domain separation by carrying an aerial drone on an underwater vehicle includes a vehicle and an aerial drone. The vehicle, as an independent vehicle, has underwater navigation and carrying capabilities, as well as remote control, communication, and positioning and navigation capabilities. The drone, as an independent aerial drone, has vertical take-off and landing, hovering, positioning and navigation, and mounting capabilities, as well as remote control and communication capabilities. A container slot for placing the drone is set on the carrier and a drone container is set in the slot, and the aerial drone is placed in the container; a control center is set on the shore or on a ship to implement synchronous control of the carrier and the drone through wireless communication. The control center can first control the carrier to transport the drone to a designated location, and then control the carrier to float to the surface and open the drone container. At the same time, the control center controls the drone to separate from the drone container and take off. After the drone takes off, the drone container is controlled to close, and the carrier is controlled to return or sail to other designated locations.

[0021] Optionally, the drone container is a sealed container with an ejection separation mechanism at the bottom. When the control center controls the carrier to float to the surface of the water, the drone container opens, the ejection separation mechanism quickly ejects the drone, and the drone starts flying.

[0022] Optionally, the drone is made of waterproof material and has a waterproof capability of IP67 or above. A buoyancy block is set at the bottom of the drone. When the carrier carries the drone to a designated location, the carrier floats to a certain position below the water surface and then releases the drone. The drone floats to the surface under the buoyancy of the buoyancy block, and the drone can be controlled to take off through the control center.

[0023] Optionally, the carrier's floating position above the water surface is determined by water pressure, and the buoyancy block is determined based on the total weight of the drone and the buoyancy in the water. The carrier's floating position above the water surface is determined by water pressure, and the rising speed of the drone and the buoyancy block determines the time it takes for the drone to float to the surface. This time is used to control the drone's takeoff timing. Once the buoyancy block is installed on the drone, it can change the drone's overall density, thereby changing the drone's sinking and buoyancy state when submerged, ensuring that the drone can float to the water surface on its own. The drone's sinking and buoyancy tendency in water can be determined by the following formula: When ρ 物 <ρ 介质 , the object will float up; When ρ 物 >ρ 介质 , the object sinks.

[0024] Where: ρ 物 is the density of the object (kg / m 3 ); ρ 介质 is the medium density (kg / m 3 ).

[0025] The UAV's ascent process may be dominated by turbulence, with a Reynolds number Re>1000, a medium of low viscosity (such as fresh water or seawater), and a non-spherical shape. Its ascent velocity can be calculated using the following velocity square model derived from Stokes' theorem: Where: v 浮 is the floating speed of the object in the medium (m / s); g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m / s 2 ); V 物 is the volume of the object (m 3 ); C_d is the drag coefficient (approximately 1.0 to 2.1 for a non-spherical cube); ρ 介质 is the density of the medium (kg / m 3 ); A is the projected area of the object (m 2 ); The time it takes for the drone to surface can be calculated using the following formula: Where: t 浮 is the time of ascent (s); S 浮 is the floating distance (m); v 浮 is the ascent speed (m / s).

[0026] Optionally, the drone container is sealed and has a drain pipe at its bottom, and a water pump connected to the drain pipe is provided inside the carrier so that the water inside can be drained when necessary.

[0027] Optionally, the separation method comprises the following steps: S1: Check whether the capabilities and parameters of the carrier and UAV are normal; S2: Check whether the control center's communication and control of the UAV and carrier are normal; S3: Secure the drone in the drone container inside the carrier, activate the drone, close the drone container hatch, and set the target location information and various operating parameters; S4: Use a sling to lift the vehicle into the water and sail autonomously or manually. S5: After the carrier sails underwater to a predetermined location, it floats to the surface of the water, causing the drone container to leak out of the water; S6: Control the drone container to open the hatch and, at the same time, control the drone to take off, completing the drone's underwater navigation from the shore or ship to the predetermined location and achieving cross-domain separation between water and air to fly in the air; Optionally, in step S2, a buoyancy block is placed on the bottom of the drone before proceeding to the subsequent steps; Optionally, in step S5, after the carrier navigates underwater to a predetermined location, it floats to a position 1 meter above the water surface and then opens the hatch to release the drone, allowing the drone to float to the water surface by itself under the action of the buoyancy block and the water buoyancy, and take off vertically at the moment of floating to the water surface.

[0028] Optionally, the carrier and the UAV return home on their own after completing the set mission.

[0029] The technical solution provided by this application may have one of the following beneficial effects: This device uses a technologically mature underwater carrier as a carrier for carrying drones. The basic structure of the carrier does not require excessive redesign and changes. It only needs to incorporate the structure of this application to carry drones for cross-domain separation. The drones do not need to be modified to adapt to the underwater environment and can still maintain their original performance and functions in the air. In this way, the aerial drone can be carried and navigated underwater and achieve cross-domain separation of water and air after arriving at the location without changing the structural characteristics and functions of the two. The overall solution has a simple structure and can adopt existing technical configurations, avoiding complex cross-media technical configurations. It does not require changes to the main structure and reduces the design difficulty. It can maintain and exert the functions and performance that underwater navigation and air flight should have.

[0030] A pot-shaped drone container is provided to hold the drone, and corresponding reinforcing ribs are provided inside to increase the support strength to withstand water pressure. The pot-shaped container can facilitate the loading of multi-rotor drones and also meet the pressure-bearing requirements underwater. By using the middle part as the support point, the swing piece constructs a seesaw, which can greatly overcome the magnetic attraction of the magnetic buckle to open the movable cover, and can also press the movable cover tightly to achieve sealing when sealing; The second retractor is used to telescope and drive the limiting clamp to close, which then clamps the ejection circular plate and compresses the first spring. In this state, the rotor bracket of the drone is clamped in the U-shaped clamp. When the drone needs to be ejected, the second retractor is used to telescope and drive the limiting clamp to open and release the ejection circular plate. Under the elastic force of the first spring, the ejection circular plate pushes the drone out of the U-shaped clamp through the ejection seat and moves out, thereby quickly separating the drone. This mechanism uses the telescopic movement of the second retractor to control the limiting clamp to limit the ejection circular plate, which can quickly achieve release, allowing the drone to be ejected and separated. The present application can achieve the positioning and fastening connection of various components and facilitate the rapid actuation of the entire mechanism. The restriction clamp can be quickly opened by quickly changing the angle of the triangular plate. When the restriction clamp is opened, it no longer presses on the restriction protruding ear plate, allowing the movable sleeve to be suddenly released to generate thrust, thereby driving the ejection seat to eject the drone. The present application constructs a separation mechanism slot on the carrier to place the separation mechanism, and connects and fastens the entire device to the carrier as a whole through a connecting frame and a driving frame. Overall, the structure of the original carrier or underwater vehicle or carrier is not changed much, which avoids the limitation of functions and performance due to media compatibility requirements during water-to-air cross-domain. The functions and performance of the carrier and the UAV remain unchanged, and they can still achieve underwater navigation together and the UAV can achieve rapid water-to-air cross-domain flight. On the other hand, the entire device does not need to be configured with other special functional modules. It only needs to be configured with a control center that can control the UAV and the carrier to achieve linkage control. The overall structural design no longer needs to consider the statics and fluid dynamics requirements of compatibility with different media. It can still achieve water-to-air cross-domain by utilizing the characteristics of the UAV and the carrier itself.

[0031] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent through a more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals generally represent the same components in the exemplary embodiments of the present application.

[0033] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the separation mechanism structure shown in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 This is a top view of the separation mechanism without a cover shown in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 1 is a front view of a drone container mechanism shown in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a drone container mechanism shown in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the driving mechanism structure shown in the embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a catapult shown in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 is a top view of the catapult structure shown in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 8 1 is a schematic diagram of the carrier structure shown in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the separation mechanism on the connecting frame shown in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 ; Figure 10 The separation mechanism shown in the embodiment of the present application is shown on the connecting frame. Figure 2 ; Figure 11This is a right side view of the separation mechanism shown in the embodiment of the present application on the connecting frame; Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the driving mechanism of the separation mechanism shown in an embodiment of the present application on the driving frame; Reference numerals: 1. Carrier; 11. Separation mechanism slot; 2. Separation mechanism; 21. Connecting frame; 211. Side plate; 212. Container frame; 213. Container ring plate; 214. Rear support; 215. Reinforced connecting plate; 216. Magnetic buckle seat; 217. Swing support; 22. Drive frame; 221. Telescopic baffle; 222. Front connecting plate; 223. Side slot; 224. Rear connecting plate; 23. Drive mechanism; 231. First telescopic device; 232. Connector; 233. Transmission member; 234. Swing member; 235. Swing shaft seat; 236. Connecting member; 24. UAV container; 241. Movable cover; 242. Fixed container; 2411. Magnetic buckle; 2421. Positioning and fastening plate; 2422. Positioning plate; 2423. Reinforced vertical ribs; 2425. Reinforced ring ribs; 2426. Ejector Seat; 24261, positioning mounting ring; 25, drain pipe; 26, ejector; 261, mounting ring; 262, center support seat; 2621, limit seat; 263, support circular plate; 2631, telescoping slot; 2632, support vertical plate; 2633, U-shaped card; 264, first spring; 265, movable sleeve; 2651, support platform; 2652, protruding ear plate; 266, limit clamp rotation Axle seat; 267, ejection circular plate; 2671, ejection vertical plate; 2672, ejection seat; 268, limiting clamp; 2681, left clamp, 2682, right clamp; 2683, spring mounting protrusion; 2684, limiting hole; 2685, drive groove, 2686, drive ear; 269, drive rod; 2691, triangle plate; 2692, limiting keyway; 2693, telescope mounting head. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following describes embodiments of the present application in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present application, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present application more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0035] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 12The illustrated underwater drone carrier (hereinafter referred to as a drone or aerial drone) achieves a separation mechanism for both water and air transport. The drone container 24 is a retractable, sealed container that houses the drone. When the carrier 1 is carrying the drone, the drone container 24 is sealed and unaffected by water pressure. The drone container 24 includes a fixed container 242 and a movable cover 241 movably connected to the fixed container 242. When the drone needs to leave the container 24, the movable cover 241 opens, allowing the drone to eject from the fixed container 242. To quickly eject the drone from the fixed container 242, the present application includes a catapult 26 for ejecting the drone from its fixed position within the container 24. The movable cover 241 is opened and closed by a drive mechanism 23. The drive mechanism 23 is connected to the movable cover 241, and the catapult 26 is mounted on the bottom of the fixed container 242.

[0036] Thus, during use, the device is placed on the carrier 1. When the device is underwater, it arrives at a designated location as the carrier 1 navigates. After arriving at the designated location, the carrier 1 rises to the movable cover 241 and emerges from the water. The drive mechanism 23 drives the movable cover 241 to open. At the same time, the catapult 26 ejects the drone. After ejection, the drone automatically surfaces and takes off to complete the mission. After closing the movable cover 241, the carrier 1 can dive and return. This device uses a technologically mature underwater vehicle or carrier as the carrier 1 to carry the drone. No major changes are required to the main structure. Only the structure of the present application is required to carry the drone. The drone also does not need to be modified to adapt to underwater navigation conditions and can maintain its original structure and function. In this way, the drone can be carried underwater and can achieve water-air cross-domain separation after reaching the predetermined location without changing its original structure and function. The overall structure is simple and compact, does not require expensive sensor components, does not require difficult structural innovation design, and effectively maintains the original functions and performance of underwater navigation and aerial flight.

[0037] In one embodiment, the drone container 24 can be a device that is compatible with various types of aerial drones of suitable specifications, such as a square device, a cylindrical device, etc. The present application example provides a shape different from the existing device, such as Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the drone container 24 is designed in a round pot shape to facilitate loading drones. A magnetic clasp 2411 is attached to one end of the movable cover 241, allowing it to be tightly secured to the container 242 during sealing. This also facilitates the opening of the movable cover 241 by the drive mechanism 23. The bottom of the fixed container 242 is provided with an ejector seat 2426 to facilitate installation of the ejector 26. The inner sidewalls are provided with an annular reinforcing rib 2425 and vertical reinforcing ribs 2423 projecting perpendicularly from the reinforcing rib 2425 to enhance structural strength. The movable cover 241 is also designed in an outwardly convex arc shape, with corresponding reinforcing ribs in the middle to increase strength and withstand underwater pressure. The outer sidewalls of the fixed container 242 are provided with a positioning and fastening plate 2421 to facilitate connection and fastening with other components. A positioning plate 2422 is provided at the top to position and seal with the movable cover 241, facilitating sealing after docking.

[0038] In this application, a pot-shaped drone container 24 is provided to load the drone, and corresponding reinforcing ribs are provided inside it to increase the support strength to adapt to the underwater water pressure. The pot-shaped container can facilitate the loading of the multi-rotor drone and also enable it to withstand the water pressure underwater.

[0039] In one embodiment, the driving component is used to drive the opening and closing of the drone container 24. Since the drone container 24 is composed of two parts that open and close, it is necessary to drive the movable cover 241 and the fixed container 242 to open and separate. A push rod hinge mechanism is used to open or close the movable cover 241. Since the drone needs to take off and land vertically, the movable cover 241 cannot occupy the position directly above the fixed container 242 after opening. The present application provides a driving mechanism 23 such as Figure 5 、 Figure 9 、 Figure 10 , Figure 12 and Figure 12 As shown, it includes a first telescopic device 231, a connecting head 232, a transmission member 233, a rocking member 234, a rocking shaft seat 235, and a connecting member 236; wherein, the rocking shaft seat 235 is arranged below the middle position of the rocking member 234, and is connected to the rocking support 217 through a rotating shaft when in use, a connecting member 236 is provided at one end of the rocking member 234 to connect to the top center position of the movable cover 241, and the other end of the rocking member 234 is connected to the transmission member 233 through a rotating shaft, and the other end of the transmission member 233 is transferred to the connecting head 232, and the connecting head 232 is connected to the telescopic end of the first telescopic device 231.

[0040] In this way, the first retractor 231 of the present application can be extended and retracted by rotating the rocking member 234 110° about the rocking pivot seat 235 via the transmission member 233, allowing the movable cover 241 to be quickly opened while preventing the movable cover 241 from obstructing the fixed container 242. By using the middle portion as a support point, the rocking member 234 forms a lever structure that can significantly overcome the magnetic attraction of the magnetic buckle 2411 to open the movable cover 241, and can also press the movable cover 241 tightly to achieve a seal when closing.

[0041] In one embodiment, the catapult 26 is the key to whether the UAV can quickly separate from the underwater vehicle. Figure 6 , the present application provides a catapult 26, comprising: The center support seat 262 is used for positioning support. The top of the center support seat 262 is provided with a limit seat 2621 to play a limiting role, and the bottom is connected to the ejector seat 2426; A support circular plate 263 is provided with a U-shaped clip 2633 for clipping the drone, so that the drone can be stably placed during underwater navigation; The ejection circular plate 267 is provided with an ejection seat 2672 which abuts against the bottom of the UAV and pushes the UAV out of the U-shaped card 2633 when ejecting; A limiting clip 268 is used to limit the ejection of the ejection circular plate 267; A driving rod 269 is used to drive the limiting clamp 268 to open so that the ejection circular plate 267 is ejected and then ejects the UAV; and a first spring 264 and a second retractor (not shown); Among them, a central support seat 262 is set on the ejector seat 2426, and a support circular plate 263 and an ejection circular plate 267 are sleeved on the outer side of the central support seat 262. A first spring 264 is set between the support circular plate 263 and the ejection circular plate 267. The first spring 264 is sleeved on the central support seat 262, and a limiting clamp 268 is connected to one side of the ejection circular plate 267. The limiting clamp 268 clamps the ejection circular plate 267. A driving pull rod 269 is set on one side of the limiting clamp 268 to connect the limiting clamp 268 to open the limiting clamp 268 so that the ejection circular plate 267 pops out. The second telescoping device (not shown in the figure) is used to drive the limiting clamp 268 to open.

[0042] Thus, in the present application, the limiting clamp 268 is closed by the extension and contraction of the second retractor. Then, when closed, the limiting clamp 268 clamps the ejection circular plate 267 and compresses the first spring 264. At this time, the rotor arm of the drone is clamped in the U-shaped clamp 2633. When the drone needs to be ejected, the second retractor drives the limiting clamp 268 to open, releasing the ejection circular plate 267. Under the elastic force of the first spring 264, the ejection circular plate 267 pushes the drone out of the U-shaped clamp 2633 through the ejection seat 2672, thereby quickly separating the drone from the carrier 1. This mechanism uses the extension and contraction of the second retractor to control the limiting clamp 268 to restrict the ejection circular plate 267, which can quickly achieve release, thereby allowing the drone to be ejected smoothly.

[0043] In one embodiment, in order to facilitate the positioning and installation of the entire ejector 26, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the ejector 26 also includes a mounting ring 261, a movable sleeve 265 and a limiting clamp rotating shaft seat 266. The center of the upper surface of the mounting ring 261 is configured with a circular groove, the lower surface is configured with an annular groove, and the outer side of the ring is configured with a ring plate; an annular protrusion is configured on the ejector seat 2426, and the annular groove of the mounting ring 261 is embedded in the annular protrusion, the central support seat is fastened in the circular groove by screws, the supporting circular plate 263 is embedded in the mounting ring 261 and is fastened to the ring plate by screws, and the limiting clamp rotating shaft seat 266 is arranged on the outer side of the circular groove of the mounting ring 261, so that the positioning and installation of each component and the fastening by screws are convenient.

[0044] A support platform 2651 is constructed on the middle part of the outer side of the movable sleeve 265, and a protruding ear plate 2652 for restriction is constructed on the outer bottom of the movable sleeve 265; A retractor slot 2361 is constructed on one side of the supporting circular plate 263, and a plurality of supporting vertical plates 2632 are vertically arranged on the plate surface, and elastic U-shaped clips 2633 are provided on the supporting vertical plates 2632; An ejection plate 2671 is vertically arranged on the surface of the ejection circular plate 267, and an ejection seat 2672 is arranged on the ejection plate 2671; A triangular plate 2691 is provided at one end of the driving rod 269, and a retractor mounting head 2693 is provided at the other end; The limiting clamp 268 includes a left clamping plate 2681 and a right clamping plate 2682. A transfer hole is formed at the center and rear of the left clamping plate 2681 and the right clamping plate 2682. A slot is formed at one end of each of the left clamping plate 2681 and the right clamping plate 2682. A spring mounting protrusion 2683 is provided in the slot. A driving ear 2686 is formed at the other end of each of the left clamping plate 2681 and the right clamping plate 2682. A second compression spring is installed between the two spring mounting protrusions 2683. Among them, the second telescopic device is installed in the telescopic device groove 2631, the telescopic end of the second telescopic device is connected to the telescopic device mounting head 2693, the driving ear 2686 is abutted against the two edges of the triangular plate 2691, the movable sleeve 265 is slidably connected to the center support seat 262, and the first spring 264 is arranged in the movable sleeve 265 and is sleeved on the center support seat 262. The limiting clamp 268 is connected to the limiting clamp rotating shaft seat 266 through a rotating shaft, and the rotor arm of the drone is embedded in the U-shaped card 2633.

[0045] In this way, the present application can achieve the positioning and fastening connection of each component, and facilitate the rapid driving of the entire mechanism. The limiting clamp 268 can be quickly opened by quickly changing the angle of the triangular plate 2691. The opening of the limiting clamp 268 can quickly eject the movable sleeve 265 stuck on the protruding ear plate 2652 under the elastic force of the first spring 264, thereby driving the ejection stand 2671 to eject the drone.

[0046] In one embodiment, Figure 7 In order to ensure that the limiting clamp 268 can only achieve stable horizontal opening and closing at a certain angle, a limiting hole 2684 is constructed on the left clamp plate 2681 and the right clamp plate 2682, and a limiting screw is set on the mounting ring 261 and passes through the limiting hole 2684; a limiting keyway 2692 is constructed at the center position of the triangular plate 2691, and a limiting screw is set on the mounting ring 261 and passes through the limiting keyway 2692.

[0047] In one embodiment, in order to cooperate with the use of underwater vehicles or carriers, the present application provides a carrier 1 for underwater carrying drones to achieve water-to-air cross-domain, including a separation mechanism for underwater carrying drones to achieve water-to-air cross-domain as in any of the above embodiments; and a drain pipe 25 is provided at the bottom of the fixed container 242, and the drain pipe 25 is connected to a water pump to discharge water entering the drone container 24.

[0048] In one embodiment, for the adaptation of the carrier 1 to the separation mechanism, such as Figures 8 to 12 As shown, the top of the carrier 1 is constructed with a separation mechanism slot 11 for accommodating the separation mechanism, and the separation mechanism is embedded and fixed in the separation mechanism slot 11. It also includes a connecting frame 21 and a driving frame 22 for connection.

[0049] Specifically, the connecting frame 21 is configured as a strip-shaped slot, with side panels 211 fixedly mounted on either side for screw connection to the separation mechanism slot 11. A container frame 212 is positioned in the center, with a container ring plate 213 mounted on the frame. The drone container is embedded within the ring plate 213, and the positioning and fastening plate 2421 abuts against the ring plate 213, securing the connection with bolts. A rear support 214 and a rocking support 217 are mounted on either side of the frame 212, respectively. A magnetic buckle 216 is mounted on the ring plate 213, magnetically attracting the magnetic buckle 2411. Grooves are constructed on the bottom and sides of the connecting frame to reduce overall weight, and bolt holes are provided on the bottom for fastening to the separation mechanism slot.

[0050] The drive frame 22 is configured in a strip-shaped groove, including a telescopic baffle 221, a front connecting plate 222, a side groove 223 and a rear connecting plate 224. These connecting plates are used to place other components; Among them, the driving mechanism is arranged and fixed in the driving frame 22 and abuts against the telescopic baffle 221. The driving frame 22 is fixed to the connecting frame 21 by screws, and the connecting frame 21 is fixed in the separation mechanism groove 11 by screws; the middle part of the rocking member 234 is transferred to the rocking support 217, and the positioning fastening plate 2421 abuts against the container ring plate 213 and is fastened by screws.

[0051] In this way, the present application constructs a separation mechanism slot 11 on the carrier 1 to place the separation mechanism 2, and connects and fastens the entire mechanism to the carrier 1 as a whole through the connecting frame 21 and the driving frame 22. Overall, the structure of the original carrier 1 or the underwater vehicle or carrier is not greatly changed, avoiding the limitation of functions and performance due to media compatibility requirements during water-to-air cross-domain. The functions and performance of the carrier 1 and the drone remain unchanged, and they can still achieve underwater navigation together and the drone can achieve air flight. On the other hand, the entire device does not require additional special functional modules, and only requires a control center that can control the drone and the carrier 1. The overall technical architecture is relatively simple, with clear functional allocation, effectively giving play to the functional characteristics of the drone and the carrier 1 itself, and effectively achieving the purpose of water-to-air cross-domain.

[0052] In one embodiment, a method for an underwater carrier carrying an aerial drone to achieve cross-domain separation of water and air includes a carrier and a drone. The carrier, as an underwater carrier, has the ability to navigate and carry underwater, as well as the ability of remote control, communication, and navigation and positioning. The drone, as an aerial aircraft, has the ability of vertical take-off and landing, hovering, navigation and positioning, as well as remote control and communication. A container slot for placing the drone is provided on the carrier, and a drone container is provided in the slot, and the drone is placed in the container. A control center is provided on the shore or on a ship to control the carrier and the drone through wireless communication. The control center can first control the carrier to transport the drone to a designated location, then float to the surface and open the drone container. The control center then controls the drone to separate from the drone container and take off. After the drone takes off, the drone container is closed, and the carrier can return or sail to other designated locations.

[0053] In this application, the existing carrier 1 can be equipped with functional modules such as energy and power units, positioning and navigation systems, and communication systems. The control center provides overall control of the equipment. The console can receive and display various parameter information sent by the underwater carrier through wireless transmission. At the same time, the navigation of the carrier 1 and the water-air cross-domain separation mechanism can be controlled from shore or on a ship. The vertical take-off and landing and aerial flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be controlled and operated. The entire control system is integrated on the carrier, including the control of the water-air cross-domain separation mechanism, which improves control efficiency and reduces configuration costs.

[0054] The carrier itself is equipped with an energy power device, which can provide the required electrical energy for the underwater carrier, including a battery pack and a battery management module; the power device is mainly composed of four vertical thrusters and two horizontal thrusters. The four vertical thrusters are centered on the center of gravity of the underwater carrier and are arranged in a rectangular array. They can drive the underwater carrier to move vertically in the water or maintain a hovering state at a certain depth. The two horizontal thrusters are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the underwater carrier, which can drive the underwater carrier forward, backward and turn. The thrusters can work together to form direction control, attitude control and speed control of the underwater carrier.

[0055] The carrier itself is equipped with a positioning and navigation system and a communication system. The positioning and navigation system is mainly composed of various functional modules that meet the positioning and navigation requirements, which can ensure that the underwater navigation carrier can autonomously navigate and return according to the established target; the communication system mainly undertakes the function of data transmission, including a signal data acquisition module, a data transmission module and an operation processing and storage module.

[0056] In one embodiment, the drone container is a sealed container with an ejection separation mechanism at the bottom. When the control center controls the carrier to float to the surface of the water, the drone container opens and the ejection separation mechanism quickly ejects the drone. The drone starts flying after it surfaces.

[0057] In one embodiment, the drone is made of waterproof material and has a waterproof capability of IP67 or above. A buoyancy block is provided at the bottom of the drone. When the carrier carries the drone to a designated location, the carrier floats to a certain position below the water surface and then releases the drone. The drone floats to the water surface under the buoyancy of the buoyancy block. At the moment the drone floats to the water surface, the control center controls the drone to take off vertically.

[0058] A buoyancy module is installed on an aerial drone to ensure it can surface and take off after separation. The buoyancy module is determined based on the drone's total weight and underwater buoyancy. It is mounted below the drone's rotor support, minimizing impact on flight. This allows the drone to be launched from underwater, then surfaced and taken off using the buoyancy module. However, this method requires the drone to meet certain water-to-air requirements (IP67 or higher). This demonstrates a novel underwater drone-carrying separation mechanism and carrier that combines water and air vehicles, achieving cross-domain separation between water and air. This innovative cross-domain separation mechanism enables cross-domain transfer between water and air. Specifically, the underwater vehicle carrying the drone reaches the target waters, surfaces, and then detaches and releases the drone for takeoff using the cross-domain separation mechanism.

[0059] The position of the carrier above the water surface is determined by water pressure. The buoyancy block is determined according to the total weight of the aerial drone and the buoyancy in the water. The time it takes for the buoyancy block to drive the drone to float to the water surface is determined by the water pressure, the position of the carrier above the water surface, the total weight of the drone, and the buoyancy of the buoyancy block. This time is used to control the take-off timing of the drone.

[0060] After the buoyancy block is configured on the drone, the overall density of the drone can be changed, thereby changing the drone's sinking and floating state when submerged in water, ensuring that the drone can float to the water surface on its own. The sinking and floating trend of the drone in water can be judged by the following formula: When ρ 物 <ρ 介质 , the object will float up; When ρ 物 >ρ 介质 , the object sinks.

[0061] Where: ρ 物 is the density of the object (kg / m 3 ); ρ 介质 is the medium density (kg / m 3 ).

[0062] The UAV's ascent process may be dominated by turbulence, with a Reynolds number Re>1000, a medium of low viscosity (such as fresh water or seawater), and a non-spherical shape. Its ascent velocity can be calculated using the following velocity square model derived from Stokes' theorem: Where: v 浮 is the floating speed of the object in the medium (m / s); g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m / s 2 ); V 物 is the volume of the object (m 3 ); C_d is the drag coefficient (approximately 1.0 to 2.1 for a non-spherical cube); ρ 介质 is the density of the medium (kg / m 3 ); A is the projected area of the object (m 2 ) The time it takes for the drone to surface can be calculated using the following formula: Where: t 浮 is the time of ascent (s); S 浮 is the floating distance (m); v 浮 is the ascent speed (m / s).

[0063] The drone container is sealed and has a drain pipe at its bottom. A water pump connected to the drain pipe is provided inside the carrier so that the accumulated water inside can be drained when necessary.

[0064] In one embodiment, a method for achieving water-air cross-domain separation by carrying an aerial drone by an underwater vehicle includes the following steps: S1: Check whether the capabilities and parameters of the carrier and UAV are normal; S2: Check whether the control center's communication and control of the UAV and carrier are normal; S3: Secure the drone in the drone container inside the carrier, activate the drone, close the drone container hatch, and set the target location information and various operating parameters; S4: Use a sling to lift the vehicle into the water and sail autonomously or manually. S5: After the carrier sails underwater to a predetermined location, it floats to the surface of the water, causing the drone container to leak out of the water; S6: Control the drone container to open the hatch, and at the same time, control the drone to take off vertically, complete the drone's underwater navigation from the shore or ship to the predetermined location and achieve cross-domain separation of water and air to fly in the air.

[0065] When using a cross-medium underwater vehicle, the underwater vehicle or vehicle 1 can be hoisted into the water from a shore base or a ship's deck. Before entering the water, the vertical take-off and landing UAV is turned on and loaded into the fixed U-shaped card of the water-to-air cross-domain separation mechanism, the hatch is closed, and the target position information and various operating parameters are set. After entering the water, the underwater vehicle or vehicle 1 can navigate to the mission target position autonomously or remotely. After arriving at the mission target position, the underwater vehicle or vehicle 1 floats up and hovers on the water surface, and the water-to-air medium conversion operation can be performed. The vertical take-off and landing UAV can be separated from the underwater vehicle or vehicle 1, surfaced and take off, and then the air flight mission can be performed by operating the remote control of the vertical take-off and landing UAV. After the UAV takes off, the underwater vehicle or vehicle 1 and the vertical take-off and landing UAV can return autonomously to the set position.

Claims

1. A method for achieving water-air cross-domain separation by using an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone, comprising the vehicle and the drone, characterized in that: The carrier, as an independent carrier, has the ability to navigate and carry goods underwater, as well as remote control, communication, and positioning and navigation capabilities. The drone, as an independent aerial drone, has the ability to take off and land vertically, hover, position and navigate, and mount goods, as well as remote control and communication capabilities. A container and a container slot for placing the drone are set on the carrier, and a drone container is set in the slot, and the drone is placed in the container; a control center is set on the shore or on a ship to control the carrier and the drone through wireless communication. The control center can first control the carrier to transport the drone to the designated location, float to the surface and open the drone container, and then control the drone to take off from the drone container. After the drone takes off, the drone container is closed, and the carrier can return or sail to other designated locations.

2. The method for realizing water-air cross-domain separation by using an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drone container is a sealed container with an ejection separation mechanism at the bottom. When the control center controls the carrier to float to the water surface, the drone container opens, and the ejection separation mechanism quickly ejects and separates the drone, and the drone can start flying.

3. The method for realizing water-air cross-domain separation by using an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ejection separation mechanism includes a drone container (24), which is an openable and closable sealed container and includes a fixed container (242) and a movable cover (241) movably connected to the fixed container (242); and a catapult (26) for ejecting the drone from the drone container (24); and A driving mechanism (23), the driving mechanism (23) is used to drive the opening and closing of the drone container (24); The driving mechanism (23) is connected to the movable cover (241), and the ejector (26) is installed at the bottom of the fixed container (242).

4. The method for realizing water-air cross-domain separation by using an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drone is made of waterproof materials and has a waterproof capability of IP67 or above. A buoyancy block is provided at the bottom of the drone. When the carrier carries the drone to a designated location, the carrier floats to a certain position below the water surface and then releases the drone. After the drone floats to the water surface under the buoyancy of the buoyancy block, the drone can be controlled to take off through the control center.

5. The method for realizing water-air cross-domain separation by using an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone according to claim 4, characterized in that: The position of the carrier above the water surface is determined by water pressure, and the buoyancy block is determined according to the total weight of the aerial drone and the buoyancy in the water. The position of the carrier above the water surface is determined by water pressure, and the time it takes for the drone to float to the water surface is determined according to the floating speed of the drone and the buoyancy block. This time is used to control the take-off timing of the drone.

6. The method for realizing water-air cross-domain separation by using an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone according to claim 5, characterized in that: The drone container is sealed and has a drain pipe at its bottom. A water pump connected to the drain pipe is provided inside the carrier so that accumulated water inside can be discharged when necessary.

7. The method for realizing water-air cross-domain separation by using an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1: Check whether the capabilities and parameters of the carrier and UAV are normal; S2: Check whether the control center's communication and control of the UAV and carrier are normal; S3: Secure the drone in the drone container inside the carrier, activate the drone, close the drone container hatch, and set the target location information and various operating parameters; S4: Use a sling to lift the vehicle into the water and sail autonomously or manually. S5: After the carrier sails underwater to a predetermined location, it floats to the surface of the water, causing the drone container to leak out of the water; S6: Open the hatch of the drone container, control the catapult to eject the drone, and at the same time, control the drone to take off, complete the drone's underwater navigation from the shore or ship to the predetermined location and achieve cross-domain separation of water and air to fly in the air.

8. The method for realizing water-air cross-domain separation by using an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step S2, a buoyancy block is placed on the bottom of the drone before proceeding to the subsequent steps.

9. The method for realizing water-air cross-domain separation by using an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone according to claim 4, characterized in that: In step S5, after the carrier navigates underwater to the predetermined location, it floats up to a position 1 meter above the water surface and then opens the hatch to release the drone. The drone floats up to the water surface by itself under the action of the buoyancy block and the water, and then takes off from the water surface.

10. The method for realizing water-air cross-domain separation by using an underwater vehicle to carry an aerial drone according to claim 4, characterized in that: The carrier and drone return home on their own after completing the assigned mission.

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