Folding arm joint locking device, unmanned aerial vehicle and operation method

Abstract

The invention discloses a folding arm joint locking device, an unmanned aerial vehicle and an operation method, and belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, the folding arm joint locking device comprises an arm sleeve folding piece, a horizontal milling flat pin shaft, a connecting body and a lock catch sleeve, and one end of the arm sleeve folding piece is movably embedded into an inner cavity of the connecting body and is limited through an axial limiting assembly; the horizontally milled flat pin shaft is symmetrically and fixedly connected to the arm sleeve folding piece, the two ends of the horizontally milled flat pin shaft extend out of the arm sleeve folding piece and then are movably inserted into strip-shaped through holes in the two strip-shaped connecting plates, the two strip-shaped connecting plates are fixedly connected to the connecting body, and round holes are formed in the outer ends of the strip-shaped through holes. The lock catch sleeve is connected outside the connecting body in a screwed mode and limited through a pressing type circumferential limiting assembly, an inner hole in the outer end of the lock catch sleeve is arranged to be a conical hole, the conical hole can abut against the outer end of the circumferential limiting assembly, and a spiral groove is formed in an inner hole in the tail end of the lock catch sleeve and abuts against the outer end of the pressing type circumferential limiting assembly. The locking device is convenient and fast to operate, realizes double locking and is reliable and stable in locking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and in particular relates to a folding arm joint locking device and an operating method thereof, and also relates to a UAV having the folding arm joint locking device. Background Art

[0002] UAVs, or drones, are unmanned aircraft controlled by radio remote control and self-contained programmable controls, or operated fully or intermittently autonomously by onboard computers. Compared to manned aircraft, they offer advantages such as small size, low cost, ease of use, low operational requirements, and enhanced battlefield survivability, making them highly sought after by militaries worldwide. In several regional wars, UAVs have played a significant role in various combat scenarios, including accurate, efficient, and flexible reconnaissance, jamming, deception, search, and guidance, as well as combat operations under irregular conditions. This has sparked a continuous stream of research on related military science, equipment, and technology. Along with emerging arsenal ships, unmanned tanks, robotic soldiers, computer virus weapons, space-based weapons, and laser weapons, they will become a key player in 21st-century land, naval, air, and space warfare, profoundly impacting future military struggles.

[0003] In order to achieve folding, the arms of folding drones are set to a folding structure and locked with a lock when extended. However, the existing folding arm joint locking device design has the following problems: (1) The use of a connecting rod folding locking structure makes it difficult to press the locking and unlocking parts, which is not conducive to the convenient use of the locking parts. In addition, there is a technical problem that the folding arms fall off due to the lack of buffering when the locking parts are unlocked, causing damage to the drone. (2) The use of traditional mechanical locks (such as spring buckles and latches) relies on a single locking point. After long-term use, the lock tongue is prone to deformation or breakage due to material fatigue, vibration or impact, causing accidental unlocking; (3) Lack of locking feedback. Users cannot intuitively judge whether the lock is fully locked and need to check manually. (4) Some locks are complicated to operate, which may increase the risk of users accidentally unlocking the lock.

[0004] The above-mentioned problems have great limitations in current use. The current drone folding arm structure is mostly a single locking point (traditional spring clip or pin lock). Long-term vibration or impact of the single-point lock can easily cause fatigue and deformation of the lock components, and there is a risk of accidental unlocking; the connecting rod folding locking structure is difficult to apply force and the impact at the moment of unlocking is large, which can easily cause the arm to fall accidentally and have poor operating performance; most locks lack locking status feedback, and users cannot intuitively confirm the locking status, and the probability of misoperation is high; these defects seriously affect the flight safety of the drone and also limit its portability, durability and user-friendliness. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a folding arm joint locking device, a drone and a method, which provide a purely mechanical locking design with intuitive locking feedback, thereby solving the problems existing in the prior art such as the risk of accidental unlocking, the risk of accidental arm falling, poor operating performance and lack of locking status feedback.

[0006] In view of the purpose of the invention, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a folding arm joint locking device, including an arm sleeve folding part, a horizontal milling pin, a connecting body and a locking sleeve, one end of the arm sleeve folding part is movably embedded in the inner cavity of the connecting body and is limited by an axial limit assembly, the horizontal milling pin is symmetrically fixedly connected to the arm sleeve folding part and its axis is perpendicularly intersected with the axis of the horizontal milling pin, the horizontal milling pin is provided with two symmetrical flat surfaces, and the two ends extend out of the arm sleeve folding part and are movably inserted into the strip through holes on the two strip connecting plates, one end of the two strip connecting plates is fixedly connected to the connecting body, and the strip through holes are away from one end of the connecting body. It is set to a circular hole that is not less than the diameter of the horizontal milling pin shaft, and the length of the strip through hole can meet the requirement of pulling out the end of the arm sleeve folding piece from the inner cavity. The locking sleeve is spirally connected to the outside of the connecting body and is limited by a press-type circumferential limit assembly. The inner hole of the locking sleeve near one end of the arm sleeve folding piece is set to a conical hole with a larger outside and a smaller inside. The conical hole can abut against the outer end of the circumferential limit assembly and the axial movement can drive the axial limit assembly to unlock the arm sleeve folding piece. The inner hole of the locking sleeve away from one end of the arm sleeve folding piece is provided with a spiral groove, which abuts against the outer end of the press-type circumferential limit assembly and drives the press-type circumferential limit assembly to unlock the circumferential limit of the locking sleeve after circumferential movement.

[0007] Furthermore, the above-mentioned axial limiting assembly includes a movable ball, a limiting annular groove and a ball limiting ring. The limiting annular groove is provided at one end of the arm sleeve folding piece inserted into the connecting body. At least one radial through hole is provided at one end of the connecting body close to the arm sleeve folding piece. The movable ball is movably placed in the radial through hole. A ball limiting ring is provided on the outside of the radial through hole for limiting the radial outward movement of the movable ball. After the inner side of the movable ball is movably engaged with the limiting annular groove, it can axially limit the arm sleeve folding piece. The movable ball maintains an interference fit with the limiting annular groove under the extrusion of the conical hole, and the press-type circumferential limiting assembly maintains the circumferential limitation of the locking sleeve.

[0008] Furthermore, the above-mentioned press-type circumferential limit assembly includes a press handle and a limit assembly. The press handle is installed on the locking sleeve and is located at the U-shaped slot on the locking sleeve. The U-shaped slot is connected to the outermost end of the spiral groove. The upper end of the limit assembly elastically extends out and is inserted into the U-shaped slot to perform circumferential positioning of the locking sleeve. The limit assembly is installed on the connecting body.

[0009] Furthermore, the above-mentioned limiting assembly includes a marble, a hollow shaft fixing seat, a sealing screw and a spring. The lower end of the hollow shaft fixing seat is fixedly connected to the connecting body. The hollow shaft fixing seat is provided with an accommodating cavity with openings at both ends. The outer end of the marble is a ball head structure, and the inner end is provided with an external convex anti-slip limit ring. The ball head structure can be movably embedded in the spiral groove and the U-shaped slot. The external convex anti-slip limit ring is embedded in the upper part of the accommodating cavity. The upper end of the accommodating cavity is provided with an internal convex anti-slip limit ring. The outer diameter of the internal convex anti-slip limit ring is smaller than the outer diameter of the external convex anti-slip limit ring. The upper end of the spring abuts against the inner end face of the external convex anti-slip limit ring, and the lower end abuts against the inner end of the sealing screw. The sealing screw is spirally connected to the lower end of the accommodating cavity.

[0010] Furthermore, the above-mentioned pressing handle includes a pressing pin and an elastic sheet, one end of the pressing pin is fixedly connected to one end of the elastic sheet, and the other end of the elastic sheet is fixedly connected to the locking sleeve and remains suspended in the air, and the pressing pin is movably embedded in the card slot and can face the outer end of the marble.

[0011] A drone comprises the folding arm joint locking device.

[0012] An operating method for a folding machine arm joint locking device, including a locking operation method and an unlocking operation method; The locking operation method is as follows: the rotating lock sleeve is screwed into the connecting body and moved toward the arm sleeve folding part, and the conical hole in the rotating lock sleeve squeezes the movable ball to move toward the limiting annular groove at the inner end of the arm sleeve folding part, forming an interference fit between the limiting annular groove and the movable ball, thereby obtaining a first lock between the connecting body and the arm sleeve folding part; during the process of screwing the lock sleeve in, the stationary marble is constrained by the spiral trajectory of the spiral groove and is ejected to the U-shaped slot position of the pressing handle installation position under the action of the spring, thereby forming a second lock between the connecting body and the lock sleeve; The unlocking operation method is: press down the pressing handle to drive the marble to slide inward along the spiral groove on the inner surface of the locking sleeve to release the marble from its position; synchronously rotate the locking sleeve to retract along the external thread of the connecting body to release the squeezing of the movable ball by the conical hole of the locking sleeve, and the movable ball will be disengaged from the limiting annular groove of the folding part of the arm sleeve to complete the mechanical locking release.

[0013] Beneficial effects of the present invention: Compared with the prior art, the device of the present invention is a folding arm joint locking device composed of an arm sleeve folding piece, a horizontal milling flat pin, a connecting body and a locking sleeve, and adopts an axial limit assembly and a circumferential limit assembly to limit and lock the arm sleeve folding piece. The axial limit assembly and the circumferential limit assembly realize linkage action during the rotation and movement of the locking sleeve, which is convenient and fast to operate, has double locking, and is reliable and stable. After being released, the arm sleeve folding piece hangs down and is hung on the connecting body, which is convenient to fold. Specifically, by squeezing the movable ball (lock one) and the marble position (lock two), double security is achieved. Compared with traditional single-point locks, the redundant design of the mechanical structure greatly improves the vibration and impact resistance, reduces the probability of accidental unlocking, and meets the needs of high-reliability flight scenarios. The compound action design of pressing the handle with one hand to release the marble lock and rotating the movable ball to release the folding part lock simplifies the operation process, and can still be stably controlled in scenarios where both hands are occupied, reducing the risk of accidental touch. The arm sleeve folding part is connected to the movable groove through an axis rod, and supports two-step folding of axial sliding plus end rotation, which reduces the space occupied by the drone and improves portability. The pop-up design at the end of the spiral groove (marble guide) forms a noticeable bulge. The user can directly judge the locking status by the naked eye without manual exploration, and has intuitive status feedback. The specific effects are as follows: (1) The multiple balls squeezed around the joint can withstand multi-directional forces when the UAV is in multi-attitude flight conditions, ensuring that the joint is locked safely and reliably, thus overcoming the limitation of the single-position locking force of most joints at present; (2) When the lock is locked, the pin in the limit assembly will automatically pop out to block the lock sleeve to achieve axial braking, thereby preventing the lock sleeve from slipping off, which is the first insurance to achieve safe locking of the lock; (3) If the locking sleeve slips, the horizontal milled pin inside the arm is stuck in the flat groove and can withstand the lifting load of the drone, thereby preventing the joint from suddenly collapsing and failing. This is the second layer of insurance for the lock to be locked securely. (4) When locking the joint lock, the machine arm can be rotated to the horizontal position first, and then pushed to the joint. During the pushing process, the horizontal milled flat pin in the machine arm will be stuck in the bar-shaped through hole (flat slide), which can withstand the gravity load of the machine arm assembly. Therefore, only a single action is needed to push it to the joint, and then the lock sleeve is screwed until the limit assembly pops out to achieve automatic locking. Because each step of the operation is independent, it is more labor-saving and convenient than most existing joint arm lifting and locking methods. Similarly, the unlocking process also has the advantages of labor-saving and convenience; (5) The components of the joint locking device are all built into the joint. Compared with the external placement of the joint arm locking components in most existing technologies, it is safer and more reliable under harsh outdoor working conditions and has a more compact structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the folding arm joint locking device; Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the folding arm joint locking device in the locked state; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the principle structure of the folding arm joint locking device in the locked state; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of the middle part A; Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the top view of the structure of the folding arm joint locking device in the locked state; Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the folding arm joint locking device in the locked state; Figure 7 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of the middle B part; Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional cross-sectional structure of the folding arm joint locking device in the locked state; Figure 9 for Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of the middle C part; Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the folding arm joint locking device in the unlocked state; Figure 11 It is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the folding arm joint locking device in the unlocked state; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the top view of the folding arm joint locking device in the unlocked state; Figure 13 for Figure 11 The enlarged structural diagram of the middle D part; Figure 14 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the limiting component; Figure 15Schematic diagram of the unfolded structure for the UAV assembly; Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the UAV structure from a bird's-eye view; Figure 17 Assemble the folding state diagram for the drone; Figure 18 Assemble the unfolded state diagram for the drone.

[0015] In the figure, 1. Arm sleeve folding parts; 101. Limiting annular groove 2. Horizontal milling flat pin; 3. Connect the main body; 301, radial through hole 4. Activity ball; 5. Limiting components; 51. Marble, 52. Hollow shaft fixing seat, 53. Sealing screw, 54. Spring; 5101, external convex anti-slip limit ring, 5201, accommodating cavity, 5202, internal convex anti-slip limit ring 6. Locking sleeve; 601, tapered hole, 602, spiral groove, 603, slot; 7. Press the handle; 701, pressing pin, 702, elastic sheet; 8. Ball limiting ring; 9. Strip connecting plate; 10. Strip-shaped through hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0017] Example 1: Figure 1-18 As shown, a folding arm joint locking device includes an arm sleeve folding part 1, a horizontal milled flat pin shaft 2, a connecting body 3 and a locking sleeve 6. The arm sleeve folding part 1 is fixedly connected to the arm, and the connecting body 3 extends a section of the locking sleeve 6 and is fixedly connected to the body of the drone through a flange (or directly sleeved on the cantilever fixedly connected to the body).

[0018] The folding member 1 of the machine arm sleeve 1 is movably embedded in the inner cavity of the connecting body 3 and is limited by an axial limit assembly. The horizontal milling flat pin 2 is symmetrically fixedly connected to the machine arm sleeve folding member 1 and its axis is perpendicular to the axis of the horizontal milling flat pin 2. A limit platform is provided at one end of the horizontal milling flat pin 2 to limit the strip through hole. The other end is connected by a nut to limit the strip through hole. The horizontal milling flat pin 2 is provided with two symmetrical flat surfaces. After extending out of the machine arm sleeve folding member 1 at both ends, it is movably inserted into the strip through holes 10 on the two strip connecting plates 9 (that is, the two symmetrical flat surfaces maintain a clearance fit with the strip through holes). One end of the two strip connecting plates 9 is fixedly connected to the connecting body 3. The strip through hole 10 is set to a circular hole 11 not less than the diameter of the horizontal milling flat pin 2 away from one end of the connecting body 3 (the circular hole maintains a clearance with the axial diameter of the horizontal milling flat pin 2), realizing one-handed folding operation. The length of the strip through hole 10 can meet the needs of pulling out the end of the machine arm sleeve folding member 1 from the inner cavity. The obstructions at both ends of the strip through hole 10 limit the axial sliding distance of the horizontal milling pin shaft, ensuring the stability of the folding shape. The locking sleeve 6 is spirally connected to the external thread of the connecting body 3 through the internal thread set in the middle and is limited by a press-type circumferential limit assembly. The locking sleeve 6 is close to the inner hole of one end of the machine arm sleeve folding part 1 and is set to a conical hole 601 with a larger outside and a smaller inside. The conical hole 601 can abut against the outer end of the circumferential limit assembly and axial movement can drive the axial limit assembly to unlock the machine arm sleeve folding part 1. The locking sleeve 6 is away from the inner hole of one end of the machine arm sleeve folding part 1 and is provided with a spiral groove 602. The spiral groove 602 abuts against the outer end of the press-type circumferential limit assembly and drives the press-type circumferential limit assembly to unlock the circumferential limit of the locking sleeve 6 after circumferential movement. In order to increase the hand-holding friction force of rotating the locking sleeve 6, a friction part 12 is circumferentially provided on the locking sleeve 6. The friction part 2 is a plurality of convex strips evenly arranged at intervals. The friction part is held by hand to improve friction and better rotation reliability.

[0019] Specifically, the axial limiting assembly includes a movable ball 4, a limiting annular groove 101 and a ball limiting ring 8. The limiting annular groove 101 is set at one end of the arm sleeve folding part 1 inserted into the connecting body 3 (set near the end), and the connecting body 3 is provided with at least one radial through hole 301 at one end close to the arm sleeve folding part 1. The movable ball 4 is placed in the radial through hole 301, and a ball limiting ring 8 is set outside the radial through hole 301 to limit the radial outward movement of the movable ball 4. The movable ball 4 is movable. After the moving inner side is clamped into the limiting annular groove 101, the arm sleeve folding part 1 can be axially limited. The movable ball 4 maintains an interference fit with the limiting annular groove 101 under the extrusion of the conical hole 601, and the press-type circumferential limiting component maintains the circumferential limit of the locking sleeve 6. The through hole has an interference fit, which limits the axial displacement of the movable ball 4 and prevents the movable ball 4 from falling off during the unlocking process. It also meets the anti-vibration requirements of the drone during flight. The number of movable balls 4 in the circumferential position can be increased or decreased to adapt to different application scenarios.

[0020] Specifically, the press-type circumferential limit assembly includes a press handle 7 and a limit assembly 5. The press handle 7 is installed on the lock sleeve 6 and is located at the U-shaped slot 603 on the lock sleeve 6. The U-shaped slot 603 is connected to the outermost end of the spiral groove 602. The upper end of the limit assembly 5 elastically extends out and is inserted into the U-shaped slot 603 to perform circumferential positioning of the lock sleeve 6. The limit assembly 5 is installed on the threaded hole at the end of the connecting body 3. The ball 51 is driven by pressing to slide along the spiral groove, thereby releasing the positioning constraint of the press handle 7. The spiral groove cooperates with the ball 51 to achieve circumferential locking; the ball 51 matches the position of the spiral groove to ensure that the ball 51 is completely ejected to the slot position of the press handle 7 when in the locked state, forming tactile and visual feedback. Among them, the limiting component 5 includes a marble 51, a hollow shaft fixing seat 52, a sealing screw 53 and a spring 54. The lower end of the hollow shaft fixing seat 52 is fixedly connected to the connecting body 3. The hollow shaft fixing seat 52 is provided with an accommodating cavity 5201 with two ends opened. The outer end of the marble 51 is a ball head structure, and the inner end is provided with an outward convex anti-slip limit ring 5101. The ball head structure can be movably embedded in the spiral groove 602 and the U-shaped card groove 603. The outward convex anti-slip limit ring 5101 is embedded in the upper part of the accommodating cavity 5201. The upper end of the accommodating cavity 5201 is provided with an inward convex anti-slip limit ring 5202. The outer diameter of the convex anti-slip limit ring 5202 is smaller than the outer diameter of the outer convex anti-slip limit ring 5101. The upper end of the spring 54 abuts against the inner end face of the outer convex anti-slip limit ring 5101, and the lower end abuts against the inner end of the sealing screw 53. The sealing screw 53 is spirally connected to the lower end of the accommodating cavity 5201. Specifically, the pressing handle 7 includes a pressing pin 701 and an elastic sheet 702. One end of the pressing pin 701 is fixedly connected to one end of the elastic sheet 702, and the other end of the elastic sheet 702 is fixedly connected to the locking sleeve 6 and remains suspended. The pressing pin 701 is movably embedded in the slot 603 and can face the outer end of the marble 51.

[0021] Assembly process: Install the limit assembly 5, the ball limit ring 8 and the movable ball 4 on the connecting body 3. Design a number of through-holes on the front circumference of the connecting body 3 for installing the ball limit ring 8 and the movable ball 4, and the threaded hole at the end of the connecting body 3 is used to install the limit assembly 5. The interference fit between the ball limit ring 8 and the radial through hole 301 is used to prevent the movable ball 4 from falling, and then the movable ball 4 is placed in the hole. The limit assembly 5 includes a marble 51, a hollow shaft fixing seat 52, a sealing screw 53 and a spring 54, wherein the lower end of the hollow shaft fixing seat 52 is threadedly connected and fixed to the side wall of the connecting body 3, and the outer protruding anti-slip limit ring of the marble 51 and the spring 54 are assembled into the accommodating cavity inside the hollow shaft fixing seat 52, and the lower end of the accommodating cavity is processed with an internal thread. The sealing screw 53 is screwed and fixed from the threaded hole at the bottom of the accommodating cavity, and then the limit assembly 5 is assembled into the threaded hole at the end of the connecting body 3 through threads. Then install the arm sleeve folding part 1, and use the horizontal milling pin 2 (designed to retain the curved side of the cylinder, but the upper and lower end faces are flattened into planes parallel to the axis) to connect the arm sleeve folding part 1 and the connecting body 3, so that the arm sleeve folding part 1 can move axially in the strip through hole 10 on the front end of the connecting body 3, and a circular hole 11 is designed at the terminal end of the strip through hole 10 to enable the horizontal milling pin 2 to rotate. In this process, it is easy to operate with one hand, which not only ensures the convenience of operation but also prevents the risk of the arm falling due to the unlocking moment, and finally forms the arm folding effect. The locking state is achieved by installing the locking sleeve 6, and the locking sleeve 6 is designed with a conical hole 601 at the front end of the inner hole, an external thread processed in the middle, and a spiral groove 602 designed at the end of the inner hole (referring to the spiral groove processed on the inner wall of the hole, in which the marble is located).

[0022] The locking operation is as follows: insert the arm sleeve folding part 1 into the connecting body 3, and the connecting body 3 and the locking sleeve 6 are fixed by a threaded connection. When the rotating locking sleeve 6 is screwed into the connecting body 3, the inner surface is a conical hole, which will squeeze the movable ball 4 to move toward the limiting annular groove 101 at the end of the arm sleeve folding part 1. The movable ball 4 and the limiting annular groove 101 form an interference fit to achieve axial positioning locking (anti-loosening design), and finally form the first locking; when the inner hole spiral groove rotates around the axis, the stationary marble 51 generates relative motion through the contact surface of the spiral groove. The marble 51 is constrained by the spiral trajectory of the groove wall and finally pops out from the end groove position of the locking sleeve 6 to the pressing handle 7 under the action of the spring 54. The marble 51 and the pressing handle 7 form a card position to achieve circumferential rotation locking (anti-accidental rotation) so that the locking sleeve 6 is stuck to prevent it from retreating along the thread line, forming a second locking. This design uses mechanical squeezing and marble positioning. Rotating the lock sleeve 6 can achieve double locking at the same time, which simplifies the operation process. When the marble 51 pops out, there will be an obvious bulge and feedback sound, and there is no need to manually detect the locking status. The unlocking operation is as follows: the handle 7 is connected to the lock sleeve 6 through rivets. Press the pressing handle 7 at the end of the lock sleeve 6 to drive the marble 51 of the internal limiting component 5 into the inner surface guide rail and slide inward, releasing the positioning constraint of the marble 51 on the pressing handle 7; synchronously rotate the lock sleeve 6 to make it retreat along the external thread of the connecting body 3, releasing the squeezing of the movable ball 4 by the inner surface of the sleeve, and the movable ball 4 is separated from the limiting annular groove 101 of the arm sleeve folding part 1, completing the complete release of the mechanical lock. After unlocking, the arm sleeve folding part 1 moves axially along the strip barrel hole 10 to the end limit position; by rotating the arm sleeve folding part 1 to change its relative angle with the connecting body 3, the folded shape is achieved.

[0023] Locking principle: When the locking sleeve 6 is screwed into the connecting body 3, the inner surface of the sleeve squeezes the movable ball 4, and the movable ball 4 contacts the annular positioning groove 101 of the arm sleeve folding part 1 to form the first locking. The marble 51 moves along the spiral groove 602 to the card groove 603 and pops out, contacting the pressing handle 7 to fix the locking sleeve 1 to form the second locking. The locking state is visually confirmed by the pop-up state of the marble 51 to form feedback, and finally the folding arm is locked. By pressing the handle 7 to make the marble 51 slide into the inner surface of the spiral groove and simultaneously rotate the locking sleeve 6 to retract it, the restriction on the movable ball 4 is released, and the arm sleeve folding part 1 can be moved axially along the strip through hole 10. When it reaches the end of the strip through hole 10, the arm sleeve folding part 1 can be rotated to achieve folding, thereby reducing the space occupied by the drone.

[0024] Example 2: A drone, such as Figure 15-18As shown, it includes the folding arm joint locking device in Example 1, and also includes a propeller 1001, a motor 1002, an ESC 1003, an arm 1004, and an arm folding member 1005 replaced with the folding arm joint locking device in Example 1 (the arm sleeve folding member 1 of the folding arm joint locking device is sleeved on the arm 1004 and fixed by punching and riveting, and the connecting body 3 is fixedly connected to the fuselage 1011), a nose indicator light 1006, a GPS module 1007, an intelligent battery 1008, a central avionics box 1009, an RTK antenna 1010, a fuselage 1011, a landing gear 1012 and a radio antenna 1013.

[0025] Propellers 1001 rotate to generate lift and control altitude and attitude. Motors 1002 power the propellers, enabling flight maneuvers through speed changes. Electronic speed controllers 1003 regulate motor speed and receive flight control signals to control power output. Arms 1004 support the motors and propellers, maintaining the drone's structural balance and stability. Folding arms 1005 fold the arms for easy transport and storage, and unfold to ensure structural stability. Head indicator lights 1006 display flight status and assist in identifying the drone's heading. GPS module 1007 uses satellite positioning to provide location, altitude, and other information. Smart batteries 1008 power the drone, ensuring a safe and stable power supply. The central avionics box 1009 integrates the flight control unit, processes sensor data, and controls various components, serving as the core of flight control. The RTK antenna 1010 utilizes RTK technology to improve positioning accuracy, making it suitable for high-precision applications such as surveying and mapping, and agriculture. The fuselage 1011 carries and protects the internal equipment, providing overall structural support. The landing gear 1012 supports the fuselage and protects the equipment during takeoff and landing. Radio antenna 1013 realizes data transmission with the ground station, ensuring smooth interaction between remote control commands and flight data.

[0026] Example 3: An operating method of a folding machine arm joint locking device, including a locking operation method and an unlocking operation method; The locking operation method is as follows: the rotating lock sleeve 6 is screwed into the connecting body 3 and moved toward the arm sleeve folding part 1, and the conical hole in the rotating lock sleeve squeezes the movable ball to move toward the limiting annular groove 101 at the inner end of the arm sleeve folding part, forming an interference fit between the limiting annular groove 101 and the movable ball 4, thereby obtaining the first locking between the connecting body 3 and the arm sleeve folding part 1; during the process of screwing the lock sleeve 6 in, the stationary marble 51 is constrained by the spiral trajectory of the spiral groove 602, and is ejected to the U-shaped card groove 602 position of the pressing handle 7 installation position under the action of the spring 54, thereby forming the second locking between the connecting body 3 and the lock sleeve 6; The unlocking operation method is: press down the pressing handle 7 to drive the marble 51 to slide inward along the spiral groove 602 on the inner surface of the locking sleeve 6, thereby releasing the jammed position of the marble 51; synchronously rotate the locking sleeve 6 to retract along the external thread of the connecting body 3, thereby releasing the squeezing of the movable ball 4 by the conical hole 601 of the locking sleeve 6, and the movable ball 4 is disengaged from the limiting annular groove 101 of the arm sleeve folding part 1, thereby completing the mechanical locking and release of the movable ball 4.

[0027] The above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, which should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A folding machine arm joint locking device, characterized in that: It includes a machine arm sleeve folding part, a horizontal milling flat pin, a connecting body and a locking sleeve. One end of the machine arm sleeve folding part is movably embedded in the inner cavity of the connecting body and is limited by an axial limit assembly. The horizontal milling flat pin is symmetrically fixedly connected to the machine arm sleeve folding part and its axis intersects vertically with the axis of the horizontal milling flat pin. The horizontal milling flat pin is provided with two symmetrical flat surfaces. After the two ends extend out of the machine arm sleeve folding part, they are movably inserted into the strip through holes on the two strip connecting plates. One end of the two strip connecting plates is fixedly connected to the connecting body, and the strip through hole is set to a circle not less than the diameter of the horizontal milling flat pin away from one end of the connecting body. The hole, the length of the strip through hole can meet the requirement of pulling out the end of the arm sleeve folding piece from the inner cavity, the locking sleeve is spirally connected to the outside of the connecting body and is limited by a press-type circumferential limit assembly, the inner hole of the locking sleeve close to one end of the arm sleeve folding piece is set to a conical hole with a larger outside and a smaller inside, the conical hole can abut against the outer end of the circumferential limit assembly and the axial movement can drive the axial limit assembly to unlock the arm sleeve folding piece, and the inner hole of the locking sleeve away from one end of the arm sleeve folding piece is provided with a spiral groove, the spiral groove abuts against the outer end of the press-type circumferential limit assembly and drives the press-type circumferential limit assembly to unlock the circumferential limit of the locking sleeve after circumferential movement.

2. A folding machine arm joint locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The axial limiting assembly includes a movable ball, a limiting annular groove and a ball limiting ring. The limiting annular groove is arranged at one end of the arm sleeve folding piece inserted into the connecting body. At least one radial through hole is arranged at one end of the connecting body close to the arm sleeve folding piece. The movable ball is movably placed in the radial through hole. A ball limiting ring is arranged on the outside of the radial through hole for limiting the radial outward movement of the movable ball. After the inner side of the movable ball is movable and inserted into the limiting annular groove, it can limit the axial position of the arm sleeve folding piece. The movable ball maintains an interference fit with the limiting annular groove under the extrusion of the conical hole, and the press-type circumferential limiting assembly maintains the circumferential limit of the locking sleeve.

3. A folding machine arm joint locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The press-type circumferential limit assembly includes a press handle and a limit assembly. The press handle is installed on the locking sleeve and is located at the U-shaped slot on the locking sleeve. The U-shaped slot is connected to the outermost end of the spiral groove. The upper end of the limit assembly elastically extends out and is inserted into the U-shaped slot to perform circumferential positioning of the locking sleeve. The limit assembly is installed on the connecting body.

4. A folding machine arm joint locking device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The limiting assembly includes a marble, a hollow shaft fixing seat, a sealing screw and a spring. The lower end of the hollow shaft fixing seat is fixedly connected to the connecting body. The hollow shaft fixing seat is provided with an accommodating cavity with openings at both ends. The outer end of the marble is a ball head structure, and the inner end is provided with an external convex anti-slip limit ring. The ball head structure can be movably embedded in the spiral groove and the U-shaped slot. The external convex anti-slip limit ring is embedded in the upper part of the accommodating cavity. The upper end of the accommodating cavity is provided with an internal convex anti-slip limit ring. The outer diameter of the internal convex anti-slip limit ring is smaller than the outer diameter of the external convex anti-slip limit ring. The upper end of the spring abuts against the inner end face of the external convex anti-slip limit ring, and the lower end abuts against the inner end of the sealing screw. The sealing screw is spirally connected to the lower end of the accommodating cavity.

5. A folding machine arm joint locking device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pressing handle includes a pressing pin and an elastic sheet. One end of the pressing pin is fixedly connected to one end of the elastic sheet, and the other end of the elastic sheet is fixedly connected to the lock sleeve and remains suspended in the air. The pressing pin is movably embedded in the card slot and can face the outer end of the marble.

6. A drone, characterized in that: It comprises the folding machine arm joint locking device described in any one of claims 1-5.

7. An operating method using the folding machine arm joint locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The method includes a locking operation method and an unlocking operation method; The locking operation method is as follows: the rotating lock sleeve is screwed into the connecting body and moved toward the arm sleeve folding part, and the conical hole in the rotating lock sleeve squeezes the movable ball to move toward the limiting annular groove at the inner end of the arm sleeve folding part, forming an interference fit between the limiting annular groove and the movable ball, thereby obtaining a first lock between the connecting body and the arm sleeve folding part; during the process of screwing the lock sleeve in, the stationary marble is constrained by the spiral trajectory of the spiral groove and is ejected to the U-shaped slot position of the pressing handle installation position under the action of the spring, thereby forming a second lock between the connecting body and the lock sleeve; The unlocking operation method is: press down the pressing handle to drive the marble to slide inward along the spiral groove on the inner surface of the locking sleeve to release the marble from its position; synchronously rotate the locking sleeve to retract along the external thread of the connecting body to release the squeezing of the movable ball by the conical hole of the locking sleeve, and the movable ball will be disengaged from the limiting annular groove of the folding part of the arm sleeve to complete the mechanical locking release.

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