Amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and discloses an amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle. The amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a vehicle body and at least one set of supporting devices, each supporting device comprises at least two supporting mechanisms, the at least two supporting mechanisms are arranged on the vehicle body at intervals, each supporting mechanism comprises a supporting arm and a supporting leg, and the supporting legs are rotationally connected with the supporting arms; the buffering mechanism comprises a telescopic rod, and the telescopic rod is connected to the supporting legs of the at least two supporting mechanisms; when the amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle lands, the impact moment applied to the supporting legs by the ground is larger than the stretching moment applied to the supporting legs by the telescopic rods, and the stretching moment applied to the supporting legs by the telescopic rods is larger than the overturning moment applied to the supporting legs by the weight of the unmanned aerial vehicle body. According to the amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle, the telescopic rods are arranged to be connected with the supporting legs of the two supporting mechanisms correspondingly, so that when the amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle lands, the amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle can keep a horizontal posture while the telescopic rods stretch to absorb energy, and horizontal landing of the amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle is facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of UAV technology, and in particular relates to an amphibious UAV. Background Art

[0002] Amphibious drones often need to take off, operate, and land in complex environments. When landing in such conditions, existing amphibious drones can be damaged by the collision of their underside with uneven ground, making it difficult for them to operate in such conditions.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to improve the existing technology.

[0004] The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure and is not a determination or admission that any of the above may be applicable as prior art with respect to the present disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides an amphibious drone to solve the problem of easy damage during landing in complex environments.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an amphibious drone, comprising a body and at least one set of support devices, wherein the support devices include:

[0007] At least two support mechanisms, the at least two support mechanisms are spaced apart and arranged on the body, the support mechanisms include support arms and support legs, the support legs are rotatably connected to the support arms;

[0008] a buffer mechanism, the buffer mechanism comprising a telescopic rod connected to at least two support legs of the support mechanism;

[0009] When the amphibious drone lands, the impact torque applied by the ground to the support leg is greater than the tensile torque applied by the telescopic rod to the support leg, and the tensile torque applied by the telescopic rod to the support leg is greater than the overturning torque applied by the weight of the body to the support leg.

[0010] In a possible embodiment, the support leg includes a first support member, a second support member, a screw rod and a drive assembly. A connecting hole is provided on the first support member. The screw rod is rotatably arranged in the connecting hole. One end of the second support member extends into the connecting hole and slidingly cooperates with the first support member. The screw rod is threadedly engaged with one end of the second support member extending into the connecting hole. The drive assembly is used to drive the screw rod to rotate.

[0011] In a possible embodiment, the drive assembly includes a drive member, a worm and a worm wheel, the worm is rotatably connected to the first support member, the worm wheel is sleeved on the lead screw, the worm is meshingly connected to the worm wheel, and the drive member is used to drive the worm to rotate.

[0012] In a possible embodiment, the drive assembly further includes a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear, the second bevel gear is fixedly sleeved on the worm, the first bevel gear is meshed with the second bevel gear, and the driving member is used to drive the first bevel gear to rotate.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the support leg further includes a roller, and the roller is rotatably connected to an end of the second support member away from the first support member.

[0014] In one possible embodiment, the telescopic rod includes a first telescopic member, a second telescopic member, and an elastic member, wherein a telescopic hole is formed in the first telescopic member, one end of the second telescopic member extends into the telescopic hole and slidably engages with the first telescopic member, the elastic member is disposed in the telescopic hole, the elastic member is connected to the first telescopic member and the second telescopic member, and the elastic member is configured to apply a force to the second telescopic member in a direction toward the first telescopic member;

[0015] The first telescopic member is rotatably connected to a support leg of one of the support mechanisms, and the second telescopic member is rotatably connected to a support leg of another support mechanism.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the telescopic rod further includes a limiting cable connected to the first telescopic member and the second telescopic member.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the telescopic rod further includes a limiting sleeve, the limiting sleeve is threadedly connected to the second telescopic member, and the limiting sleeve abuts against the first telescopic member.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the support mechanism further includes an elastic member connected to the support arm and the support leg.

[0019] In a possible embodiment, a hinge seat, a first limit block and a second limit block are provided on the support arm, the first limit block is provided on one side of the hinge seat, and the second limit block is provided on the other side of the hinge seat, and the hinge seat is used to be hinged to the support leg.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The amphibious drone provided in the embodiment of the present application supports and cushions the body by arranging support legs and support arms; a telescopic rod is arranged to connect the support legs of the two support mechanisms respectively, and the elastic coefficient of the telescopic rod is adjusted so that when the amphibious drone lands, the impact torque applied by the ground to the support legs is greater than the tensile torque applied by the telescopic rod to the support legs, and the tensile torque applied by the telescopic rod to the support legs is greater than the overturning torque applied by the weight of the body to the support legs, so that when the amphibious drone lands, the support leg that is first impacted by the ground rotates relative to the support arm, and the rotation of the support leg drives the rotation of the other support leg through the telescopic rod. The amphibious drone moves until both supporting legs are in contact with the ground, and since the impact torque exerted by the ground on the supporting legs is greater than the tensile torque exerted by the telescopic rod on the supporting legs, the telescopic rod extends to absorb energy while the amphibious drone can maintain a horizontal posture, which is conducive to the horizontal landing of the amphibious drone. Moreover, since the tensile torque exerted by the telescopic rod on the supporting legs is greater than the overturning torque exerted by the weight of the body on the supporting legs, after the telescopic rod fully absorbs the impact energy, the drone becomes parallel to the inclined ground, which is conducive to the transformation of the amphibious drone from an aerial flight mode to a ground operation mode, and solves the problem of easy damage when landing in a complex environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. Those skilled in the art can also derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0023] In order to more completely understand the present application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals represent the same parts.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the amphibious drone provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the amphibious drone provided in an embodiment of the present application after completing landing.

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of an amphibious drone provided in an embodiment of the present application when landing on a sloping ground.

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of the support arm provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of the support legs provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Figure 6A first cross-sectional view of a support leg provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Figure 7 A second cross-sectional view of the support leg provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the telescopic rod provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0032] In the figure: 1, body; 11, frame; 12, propeller; 13, flight motor; 14, walking wheel; 15, walking motor; 2, support mechanism; 21, support arm; 211, hinge seat; 212, first limit block; 213, second limit block; 22, support leg; 221, first support member; 2211, connecting hole; 2212, first connecting member; 2213, second connecting member; 222, second support member; 2221, damping connecting seat; 22 3. Screw; 224. Screw nut; 225. Drive assembly; 2251. Drive member; 2252. Reducer; 2253. First bevel gear; 2254. Second bevel gear; 2255. Worm; 2256. Worm wheel; 226. Roller; 23. Elastic member; 3. Telescopic rod; 31. First telescopic member; 32. Second telescopic member; 33. Elastic member; 34. Limit sleeve; 35. Limit rope; 36. First perforated bolt; 37. Second perforated bolt. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to explain in detail the possible application scenarios, technical principles, specific solutions that can be implemented, and the purpose and effects of this application, the following is a detailed description of the specific embodiments listed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are therefore only examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features.

[0035] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0036] The present invention provides an amphibious drone to solve the problem of damage when landing in complex environments. The following will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2An embodiment of the present application provides an amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising a body 1 and at least one set of supporting devices, the supporting devices comprising at least two supporting mechanisms 2 and a buffer mechanism, the at least two supporting mechanisms 2 being spaced apart on the body 1, the supporting mechanisms 2 comprising a supporting arm 21 and a supporting leg 22, the supporting leg 22 being rotatably connected to the supporting arm 21, the buffer mechanism comprising a telescopic rod 3, the telescopic rod 3 being connected to the supporting legs 22 of at least two supporting mechanisms 2; when the amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle lands, the impact torque exerted by the ground on the supporting legs 22 is greater than the tensile torque exerted by the telescopic rod 3 on the supporting legs 22, and the tensile torque exerted by the telescopic rod 3 on the supporting legs 22 is greater than the flipping torque exerted by the weight of the body 1 on the supporting legs 22.

[0038] The body 1 is supported and cushioned by providing support legs 22 and support arms 21; the support legs 22 of the two support mechanisms 2 are respectively connected by providing telescopic rods 3, and the elastic coefficient of the telescopic rods 3 is adjusted so that when the amphibious drone lands, the impact torque applied by the ground to the support legs 22 is greater than the tensile torque applied by the telescopic rods 3 to the support legs 22, and the tensile torque applied by the telescopic rods 3 to the support legs 22 is greater than the overturning torque applied by the weight of the body 1 to the support legs 22, so that when the amphibious drone lands, the support leg 22 that is first impacted by the ground rotates relative to the support arm 21, and the rotation of the support leg 22 drives the rotation of the other support leg 22 through the telescopic rods 3 Until both support legs 22 are in contact with the ground, and because the impact torque applied by the ground to the support legs 22 is greater than the tensile torque applied by the telescopic rod 3 to the support legs 22, the telescopic rod 3 extends to absorb energy while the amphibious drone can maintain a horizontal posture, which is beneficial to the horizontal landing of the amphibious drone. Moreover, because the tensile torque applied by the telescopic rod 3 to the support legs 22 is greater than the flipping torque applied by the weight of the body 1 to the support legs 22, the telescopic rod 3 retracts during the stop of the drone rotor, thereby making the drone parallel to the inclined ground, which is beneficial to the amphibious drone to transform from an aerial flight mode to a ground operation mode, and solves the problem of easy damage when landing in a complex environment.

[0039] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The body 1 includes a frame 11, a propeller 12, a flight motor 13, a walking wheel 14 and a walking motor 15. The flight motor 13 is fixedly connected to the top of the frame 11, the propeller 12 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the flight motor 13, and the walking motor 15 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the frame 11 through a bearing. The walking motor 15 is also arranged at the bottom of the frame 11, and is used to drive the walking wheel 14 to rotate.

[0040] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3In this embodiment, the number of support devices is set to two groups, each of which includes two support mechanisms 2. The two support mechanisms 2 of one support device are symmetrically arranged along the length of the frame 11, and the two support mechanisms 2 of the other support device are symmetrically arranged along the width of the frame 11. One end of the telescopic rod 3 is rotatably connected to the support leg 22 of one support mechanism 2, and the other end is rotatably connected to the support leg 22 of the other support mechanism 2.

[0041] See also Figure 1 and Figure 4 One end of the support arm 21 is fixedly connected to the frame 11, and the end of the support arm 21 away from the frame 11 is fixedly connected to a hinge seat 211 for rotationally connecting to the support leg 22. A first limit block 212 is integrally formed on one side of the hinge seat 211, and a second limit block 213 is integrally formed on the other side. When the support leg 22 is hinged to the hinge seat 211, the first limit block 212 can limit the inward rotation angle of the support leg 22, and the second limit block 213 can limit the outward rotation angle of the support leg 22, thereby reducing the possibility of the body 1 making a hard landing during the landing of the amphibious drone due to excessive flipping of the support leg 22. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the lengths of the support arms 21 of the same group of support devices are the same, and the lengths of the support arms 21 of different groups of support devices are different.

[0042] See also Figure 5 and Figure 6 The support leg 22 includes a first support member 221, a second support member 222, a screw 223, a screw nut 223, and a drive assembly 225. A connecting hole 2211 is provided at one end of the first support member 221 in the longitudinal direction. One end of the second support member 222 extends into the connecting hole from the opening of the connecting hole. The second support member 222 is slidably connected to the first support member 221. In this embodiment, the connecting hole 2211 is an elliptical hole, and the cross-section of the second support member 222 is elliptical, so that the second support member 222 can slide relative to the first support member 221 while not rotating relative to the first support member 221. The screw 223 is rotatably connected to the first support member 221 via a bearing and is disposed in the connecting hole 2211. The screw nut 223 is fixedly connected to the end of the second support member 222 that extends into the connecting hole 2211. The second support member 222 is threadedly connected to the screw 223 via the screw nut 223. The drive assembly 225 is mounted on the first support member 221 and is used to rotate the screw rod 223. This rotation of the screw rod 223 causes the second support member 222 to slide relative to the first support member 221, thereby extending and shortening the support legs 22. After the amphibious drone lands, shortening the support legs 22 allows the drive wheels of the drone to contact the ground, facilitating ground operations.

[0043] See also Figure 6 and Figure 7 The driving assembly 225 includes a driving member 2251, a reduction gear 2252, a first bevel gear 2253, a second bevel gear 2254, a worm 2255, and a worm wheel 2256. In this embodiment, the driving member 2251 is a servo motor, which is fixedly connected to the reduction gear 2252. The output shaft of the driving member 2251 and one end of the worm 2255 extend into the reduction gear 2252. The first bevel gear 2253 and the second bevel gear 2254 are both disposed in the reduction gear 2252. The first bevel gear 2253 is fixedly sleeved on the output shaft of the driving member 2251, and the second bevel gear 2254 is fixedly sleeved on the worm 2255. The first bevel gear 2253 and the second bevel gear 2254 are meshedly connected. The worm 2255 is rotatably connected to the first support member 221 via a bearing. The worm wheel 2256 is fixedly sleeved on the screw rod 223. The worm wheel 2256 is meshed with the worm 2255, so that the driving member 2251 can drive the screw rod 223 to rotate.

[0044] See also Figure 5 and Figure 6 In addition, the end of the second support member 222 away from the first support member 221 is fixedly connected to a damping connection seat 2221. The damping connection seat 2221 is rotatably connected to a roller 226 via a pin. The provision of the roller 226 enables the support leg 22 to continue to rotate relative to the support arm 21 after contacting the ground, which helps to buffer the impact force exerted by the ground on the support leg 22. The provision of the damping connection seat 2221 ensures that the roller 226 can only rotate after being subjected to a torque above a threshold, allowing the amphibious drone to remain on the inclined ground after landing, thereby improving the stability of the amphibious drone after landing. A first connecting member 2212, which is rotatably connected to the articulated seat 211, is integrally formed on the end of the first support member 221 away from the second support member 222. A second connecting member 2213, which is rotatably connected to the telescopic rod 3, is integrally formed on the side wall of the first support member 221.

[0045] See also Figure 1 and Figure 8The telescopic rod 3 is used to provide a force for the two supporting legs 22 connected to the telescopic rod 3 to move closer together. The telescopic rod 3 includes a first telescopic member 31, a second telescopic member 32, an elastic member 33, and a limiting sleeve 34. A telescopic hole is defined at one end of the first telescopic member 31 in the longitudinal direction. One end of the second telescopic member 32 extends into the telescopic hole and slides with the first telescopic member 31. The elastic member 33 is disposed within the telescopic hole. One end of the elastic member 33 is fixedly connected to the first telescopic member 31, and the other end is fixedly connected to the second telescopic member 32. The elastic member 33 is used to apply a force to the second telescopic member 32 in a direction toward the first telescopic member 31. The limiting sleeve 34 is sleeved on the second telescopic member 32 and threadedly connected to the second telescopic member 32. When the elastic member 33 pulls the second telescopic member 32 to slide toward the first telescopic member 31, the limiting sleeve 34 abuts against the end of the first telescopic member 31. By adjusting the position of the limiting sleeve 34 relative to the second telescopic member 32, the length of the telescopic rod 3 can be adjusted when no external force is applied.

[0046] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3 It should be noted that in order to avoid collision between the telescopic rods 3 of the two groups of support mechanisms 2, the first support member 221 of the telescopic rod 3 of one group of support mechanisms 2 is provided with a bending section to avoid collision between the telescopic rods 3 of the two groups of support mechanisms 2, which may cause the corresponding support legs 22 to be difficult to support the body 1.

[0047] See also Figure 1 and Figure 8 The telescopic rod 3 further includes a first perforated bolt 36, a second perforated bolt 37, and a limiting cable 35. The first perforated bolt 36, the second perforated bolt 37, and the limiting cable 35 are all disposed within the telescopic hole. The first perforated bolt 36 is threadedly connected to the first telescopic member 31, and the second perforated bolt 37 is threadedly connected to the second telescopic member 32. One end of the limiting cable 35 is fixedly connected to the first perforated bolt 36, and the other end is fixedly connected to the second perforated bolt 37. The provision of the limiting cable 35 helps limit the maximum extension length of the telescopic rod 3, thereby helping to prevent excessive outward extension of the support leg 22 due to excessive extension of the telescopic rod 3, which could cause the amphibious drone body 1 to collide with the ground during landing.

[0048] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3 In addition, the support mechanism 2 further includes an elastic member 23. In this embodiment, the elastic member 23 is a spring, one end of which is fixedly connected to the support arm 21, and the other end of which is fixedly connected to the support leg 22. The elastic member 23 is used to absorb some of the impact energy experienced by the amphibious drone during landing and to provide pre-tension to the support leg 22. This allows the support mechanism 2 to form an isosceles trapezoidal shape when not subjected to external forces, facilitating the landing of the amphibious drone.

[0049] During the landing process of the amphibious drone on the inclined ground, the amphibious drone gradually approaches the ground until one support leg 22 contacts the ground. The support leg 22 contacting the ground rotates outward relative to the support arm 21, and drives the other support leg 22 to rotate inward through the telescopic rod 3. Then, the impact torque applied by the ground to the support leg 22 causes the two support legs 22 to rotate outward relative to the corresponding support arm 21, and the roller 226 in contact with the ground rotates. The telescopic rod 3 extends under the action of the two support legs 22 to absorb the impact energy applied by the ground to the support leg 22 while keeping the body 1 level. After the telescopic rod 3 fully absorbs the impact energy, the elastic member 33 drives the telescopic rod 3 to shorten, and the elastic member 23 pulls the support leg 22 to turn inward, so that the support mechanism 2 gradually returns to the shape of an isosceles trapezoid. During this process, the body 1 tilts to be parallel to the inclined ground, and then the driving member 2251 drives the support leg 22 to shorten, so that the walking wheel 14 can contact, thereby enabling the amphibious drone to perform ground operations.

[0050] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0051] Finally, it should be noted that although the above embodiments have been described in the specification and drawings of this application, this does not limit the scope of patent protection of this application. All technical solutions generated by replacing or modifying equivalent structures or equivalent processes based on the essential concepts of this application using the contents recorded in the specification and drawings of this application, as well as directly or indirectly implementing the technical solutions of the above embodiments in other related technical fields, are included in the scope of patent protection of this application.

Claims

1. An amphibious drone, characterized in that: The invention comprises a machine body (1) and at least one set of supporting devices, wherein the supporting devices include: At least two support mechanisms (2), the at least two support mechanisms (2) being arranged at intervals on the machine body (1), the support mechanism (2) comprising a support arm (21) and a support leg (22), the support leg (22) being rotatably connected to the support arm (21); A buffer mechanism, the buffer mechanism comprising a telescopic rod (3), the telescopic rod (3) being connected to support legs (22) of at least two of the support mechanisms (2); When the amphibious drone lands, the impact torque applied by the ground to the support leg (22) is greater than the tensile torque applied by the telescopic rod (3) to the support leg (22), and the tensile torque applied by the telescopic rod (3) to the support leg (22) is greater than the overturning torque applied by the weight of the body (1) to the support leg (22).

2. The amphibious drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support leg (22) comprises a first support member (221), a second support member (222), a screw rod (223) and a drive assembly (225); a connecting hole (2211) is provided on the first support member (221); the screw rod (223) is rotatably arranged in the connecting hole (2211); one end of the second support member (222) extends into the connecting hole (2211) and is slidably engaged with the first support member (221); the screw rod (223) is threadedly engaged with one end of the second support member (222) extending into the connecting hole (2211); and the drive assembly (225) is used to drive the screw rod (223) to rotate.

3. The amphibious drone according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving assembly (225) includes a driving member (2251), a worm (2255) and a worm wheel (2256); the worm (2255) is rotationally connected to the first supporting member (221); the worm wheel (2256) is sleeved on the lead screw (223); the worm (2255) is meshingly connected to the worm wheel (2256); and the driving member (2251) is used to drive the worm (2255) to rotate.

4. The amphibious drone according to claim 3, characterized in that: The driving assembly (225) further includes a first bevel gear (2253) and a second bevel gear (2254), wherein the second bevel gear (2254) is fixedly sleeved on the worm (2255), and the first bevel gear (2253) is meshedly connected with the second bevel gear (2254), and the driving member (2251) is used to drive the first bevel gear (2253) to rotate.

5. The amphibious drone according to claim 2, characterized in that: The support leg (22) further includes a roller (226), and the roller (226) is rotatably connected to an end of the second support member (222) away from the first support member (221).

6. The amphibious drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic rod (3) comprises a first telescopic member (31), a second telescopic member (32) and an elastic member (33); a telescopic hole is provided on the first telescopic member (31); one end of the second telescopic member (32) extends into the telescopic hole and is slidably engaged with the first telescopic member (31); the elastic member (33) is arranged in the telescopic hole; the elastic member (33) is connected to the first telescopic member (31) and the second telescopic member (32); the elastic member (33) is used to apply a force to the second telescopic member (32) in a direction close to the first telescopic member (31); The first telescopic member (31) is rotatably connected to a support leg (22) of one support mechanism (2), and the second telescopic member (32) is rotatably connected to a support leg (22) of another support mechanism (2).

7. The amphibious drone according to claim 6, characterized in that: The telescopic rod (3) further comprises a limiting rope (35), wherein the limiting rope (35) is connected to the first telescopic member (31) and the second telescopic member (32).

8. The amphibious drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic rod (3) further comprises a limiting sleeve (34), wherein the limiting sleeve (34) is threadedly connected to the second telescopic member (32), and the limiting sleeve (34) abuts against the first telescopic member (31).

9. The amphibious drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support mechanism (2) further comprises an elastic member (23), wherein the elastic member (23) is connected to the support arm (21) and the support leg (22).

10. The amphibious drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support arm (21) is provided with an articulated seat (211), a first limiting block (212) and a second limiting block (213), wherein the first limiting block (212) is provided on one side of the articulated seat (211), and the second limiting block (213) is provided on the other side of the articulated seat (211), and the articulated seat (211) is used for being hinged to the support leg (22).

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