A drone wingtip structure for antenna connection and an assembly method thereof

Abstract

The application provides a UAV composite wing tip structure with an antenna mounting function and an assembling method thereof, which comprises the following steps: left sandwich skin 1 and right sandwich skin 2 each comprise an outer skin 18, a foam core 19 and an inner skin 20; the foam core 19 is located at the rear part of the wing tip; the outer skin 18 and the inner skin 20 are completely symmetrically laid pure laminate structures; a front beam support 3 and a rear beam support 4 are pure laminate box-shaped structures which are completely symmetrically laid by fabric prepreg and are load-bearing structures of the wing tip; the front beam support 3 and the rear beam support 4 are each provided with a sunken area at the lower part and are inlaidly mounted on a front beam tail section 13 and a rear beam tail section 15; an antenna support 5 is a pure laminate box-shaped structure which is completely symmetrically laid by fabric prepreg and is inlaidly mounted on the front beam support 3 and the rear beam support 4; an antenna adapter support 6 is a plate-shaped structural member and is screwed on the antenna support 5; and a skin butt strap 7 is laid on the outer part of the left sandwich skin 1 and the right sandwich skin 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) structural design, and in particular to a composite wingtip structure for a UAV with antenna mounting capability and its assembly method. Background Technology

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a hot topic in the development of aircraft worldwide, playing a significant role in enhancing national security capabilities, promoting military modernization, facilitating industrial upgrading and economic development, and improving social governance. Lightweight, low-cost, adaptable to multiple mission scenarios, and easy to operate remain their enduring pursuits.

[0003] Drones are often a single model with multiple uses. To adapt to various mission scenarios, their functional devices will inevitably need to be frequently changed. The airframe structure that connects to these functional devices must allow for the compatible installation of multiple devices while also ensuring ease of operation.

[0004] The wingtip, mounted at the tip of the wing, serves to maintain the aerodynamic shape and improve aerodynamic performance. Its location in an open space allows for easy installation of functional equipment, facilitating equipment replacement and maintenance.

[0005] The wingtip structure of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is characterized by its small external dimensions and limited internal space, and is typically a non-load-bearing structure. To achieve low cost and lightweight design, a full-height foam sandwich composite material structure is usually used in the design and manufacturing process. While the full-height foam sandwich structure is lightweight, it lacks a strong internal framework, resulting in weak overall structural strength and difficulty in installing functional equipment. The diversity of wingtip types and the need for improved aerodynamic efficiency mean that the aerodynamic shape of the UAV wingtip may be a complex envelope surface during aerodynamic layout design. When the wingtip shape has a complex curvature and some areas have relatively small thickness, it leads to two problems: firstly, it makes it difficult to install functional equipment on the wingtip; secondly, it makes the processing of foam core and skin parts difficult, resulting in large manufacturing errors, and making it difficult for components to fit the shape during assembly.

[0006] The existing technology has the following problems: First, although the open wingtip area of ​​the UAV facilitates equipment replacement and maintenance, the traditional foam sandwich structure of the UAV wingtip has weak overall strength and is difficult to connect to different functional devices. Second, the complex shape design of the wingtip limits the processing of parts and the assembly of components, increases the manufacturing and assembly errors of parts, and reduces the feasibility of manufacturing the wingtip structure. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this application is to propose a wingtip structure for antenna connection in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and its assembly method. It aims to solve the challenges of incorporating different antenna types, achieving rapid and precise prototyping, and reducing weight in UAV wingtip structures with complex curvature.

[0008] Technical solution: In a first aspect, this application provides a composite wingtip structure for a drone with antenna mounting function, including a left sandwich skin 1, a right sandwich skin 2, a front beam support 3, a rear beam support 4, an antenna support 5, an antenna adapter bracket 6, and a skin mating strip 7, wherein: The left and right sandwich panels 1 and 2 are conformal symmetrical composite foam core components; both include an outer skin 18, a foam core 19, and an inner skin 20; the foam core 19 is located at the rear of the wingtip; the outer skin 18 and inner skin 20 are a completely symmetrically laid pure layered board structure; the front beam support 3 and rear beam support 4 are completely symmetrically laid pure layered board box-shaped structures made of prepreg fabric, serving as the wingtip load-bearing structures; both the front beam support 3 and rear beam support 4 have a lower part... There is a recessed area, which is embedded in the front beam tail section 13 and the rear beam tail section 15; the antenna support 5 is a pure layered box structure with completely symmetrically laid prepreg fabric, which is embedded in the front beam support 3 and the rear beam support 4; the antenna adapter 6 is a plate-shaped structure that is screwed to the antenna support 5; the skin mating strip 7 is laid on the outside of the left interlayer skin 1 and the right interlayer skin 2, which is a closed wingtip structure; an antenna mounting slot 17 is designed on the top of the UAV wingtip structure for mounting the antenna 11.

[0009] Specifically, the antenna support 5 has recessed areas at both ends, with N antenna support bolt through holes 21 and antenna support electrical connector through holes 22, and N support plate nuts 23 are fixed at the antenna support bolt through holes 21.

[0010] Specifically, the antenna adapter bracket 6 is a machined aluminum alloy plate structure and is a detachable structure; the antenna adapter bracket 6 has at least 4 hexagonal head bolt through holes 24, N countersunk bolt through holes 25, and antenna adapter bracket electrical connector through holes 26, and rectangular bosses 27 are provided on both sides of the lower part. Specifically, the skin mating strip 7 is an alkali-free glass fiber cloth strip with a conformal structure.

[0011] Specifically, the outer skin 18, inner skin 20, and foam core 19 are integrally cured and molded in a hot autoclave.

[0012] Secondly, this application provides an assembly method for a composite wingtip structure of a UAV with antenna mounting function, the method comprising: Step 1: Install front beam support 3 to the front beam tail section 13, and rear beam support 4 to the rear beam tail section 15; Step 2: Install antenna support component 5; Step 3: Install the left interlayer skin 1 and the right interlayer skin 2; Step 4: Install the skin mating strip 7; After the left interlayer skin 1 and the right interlayer skin 2 are mated, they are bonded to the left interlayer skin 1 and the right interlayer skin 2 using epoxy adhesive wet bonding method. Step 5: Install antenna adapter bracket 6; Step 6: Install antenna 11; antenna 11 is screwed to antenna adapter bracket 6. The head of hexagonal head bolt 8 is located at the rectangular boss 27 of antenna adapter bracket 6. The rectangular boss 27 of antenna adapter bracket 6 restricts the rotation of the head of hexagonal head bolt 8 during installation. Only the self-locking nut 9 needs to be tightened to provide open construction space.

[0013] Specifically, step 1 includes: The recessed areas of the front beam support 3 and the rear beam support 4 overlap the rear beam tail section 13 and the rear beam tail section 15, respectively. The contact area between the front beam support 3 and the front beam tail section 13 is fixed by room temperature adhesive bonding, and the contact area of ​​the web plate is mechanically connected by bolts. The contact area between the rear beam support 4 and the rear beam tail section 15 is fixed by room temperature adhesive bonding, and the contact area of ​​the web plate is mechanically connected by bolts.

[0014] Specifically, step 2 includes: The recessed area of ​​the antenna support overlaps with the front beam support 3 and the rear beam support 4. The contact area between the antenna support and the flange of the front beam support 3 and the rear beam support 4 is fixed by room temperature adhesive bonding, and the contact area of ​​the web plate is mechanically connected by rivets.

[0015] Specifically, step 3 includes: The left interlayer skin 1 and the right interlayer skin 2 are fixed by room temperature adhesive bonding on the contact surfaces with the front edge end plate 12, the wing box end rib 14, the rear edge end plate 16, the front beam tail section 13, the rear beam tail section 15, the front beam support 3, the rear beam support 4, and the antenna support 5.

[0016] Specifically, step 5 includes: The antenna adapter 6 is connected to the antenna support 5 by two countersunk bolts 10. During assembly, only the plate nuts 23 at both ends are connected. The remaining plate nuts 23 are used as redundant parts. In case of connection failure, other plate nuts 23 are connected, which has the advantage of quick and convenient fault handling.

[0017] In summary, this application provides a composite wingtip structure for a UAV with antenna mounting capability and its assembly method, which has the following advantages: (1) All parts of the wingtip structure are made of composite materials and lightweight aluminum alloys, which can achieve lightweighting.

[0018] (2) The wingtip structure is designed with support members connected to the main beam, so that the wingtip structure has the strength and rigidity required to connect the antenna equipment.

[0019] (3) The skin structure is divided into two parts and formed separately, which can avoid the problems of complex curvature, difficult manufacturing and assembly of opening shrinkage parts, and large errors, and can achieve rapid and accurate forming and assembly.

[0020] (4) The antenna adapter with the lower boss design enables reverse bolt installation, which can effectively solve the problems of interference with the wingtip structure during bolt installation and the inability to install due to the narrow construction space.

[0021] (5) A universal interface is reserved at the wingtip and a detachable and replaceable antenna adapter is provided to meet the requirements of installing different types of antennas on the thin airfoil wingtip; Attached Figure Description Figure 1 This application provides an overall structural schematic diagram of a composite wingtip structure for a drone with antenna mounting functionality.

[0022] Figure 2 This application provides a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a composite wingtip structure for a drone with antenna mounting function.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a theoretical external schematic diagram of a composite wingtip structure for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with antenna mounting capability, provided in this application.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a sandwich skin structure.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the front beam support and the rear beam support.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna support structure.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna adapter support structure.

[0028] The numbers in the diagram are explained as follows: 1. Left sandwich skin, 2. Right sandwich skin, 3. Front beam support, 4. Rear beam support, 5. Antenna support, 6. Antenna adapter bracket, 7. Skin mating strip, 8. Hex head bolt, 9. Self-locking low nut, 10. Countersunk bolt, 11. Antenna, 12. Front edge end plate, 13. Front beam tail section, 14. Wing box end rib, 15. Rear beam tail section, 16. Rear edge end plate, 17. Antenna mounting slot, 18. Outer skin, 19. Foam core, 20. Inner skin, 21. Antenna support bolt through hole, 22. Antenna support electrical connector through hole, 23. Support plate nut, 24. Hex head bolt through hole, 25. Countersunk bolt through hole, 26. Antenna adapter bracket electrical connector through hole, 27. Rectangular boss. Detailed Implementation

[0029] This invention relates to a wingtip structure for antenna connection in a UAV and its assembly method. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Example 1 like Figures 1-3 As shown, this invention application discloses a wingtip structure for antenna connection in a UAV. The wingtip structure is mounted on the wingtip and includes a left interlayer skin 1, a right interlayer skin 2, a front beam support 3, a rear beam support 4, an antenna support 5, an antenna adapter 6, and skin mating strips 7, wherein: The left and right sandwich panels 1 and 2 are conformal symmetrical composite foam core components; both include an outer skin 18, a foam core 19, and an inner skin 20; the foam core 19 is located at the rear of the wingtip; the outer skin 18 and inner skin 20 are a completely symmetrically laid pure layered board structure; the front beam support 3 and rear beam support 4 are completely symmetrically laid pure layered board box-shaped structures made of prepreg fabric, serving as the wingtip load-bearing structures; both the front beam support 3 and rear beam support 4 have a lower part... There is a recessed area, which is embedded in the front beam tail section 13 and the rear beam tail section 15; the antenna support 5 is a pure layered box structure with completely symmetrically laid prepreg fabric, which is embedded in the front beam support 3 and the rear beam support 4; the antenna adapter 6 is a plate-shaped structure that is screwed to the antenna support 5; the skin mating strip 7 is laid on the outside of the left interlayer skin 1 and the right interlayer skin 2, which is a closed wingtip structure; an antenna mounting slot 17 is designed on the top of the UAV wingtip structure for mounting the antenna 11.

[0031] Specifically, the outer skin 18, inner skin 20, and foam core 19 are integrally cured and molded in a hot autoclave.

[0032] It should be noted that the skin structure is divided into two parts: the left interlayer skin 1 and the right interlayer skin 2, each integrally molded, which can ensure the process feasibility and shape accuracy of the closing parts; the foam core 19 is used to enhance local rigidity, and its size can be designed according to the rigidity requirements of the wingtip.

[0033] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, the antenna support 5 has recessed areas at both ends, and has N antenna support bolt through holes 21 and antenna support electrical connector through holes 22. N support plate nuts 23 are fixed at the antenna support bolt through holes 21. Among them, the bracket nut 23 is a universal connection interface for the antenna adapter bracket 6; Specifically, the antenna adapter bracket 6 is a machined aluminum alloy plate-shaped structure, which is detachable; such as Figure 7As shown, the antenna adapter bracket 6 has four hexagonal head bolt through holes 24, N countersunk bolt through holes 25, and an antenna adapter bracket electrical connector through hole 26. Rectangular bosses 27 are provided on both sides of the lower part. Optionally, the height of the rectangular boss 27 is determined according to the head height of the hexagonal head bolt 8 that connects to the antenna; Optionally, the antenna adapter 6 is designed according to the base shape of the antenna 11, that is, one antenna adapter 6 needs to be designed for each type of antenna, so as to be compatible with the installation of different types of antennas.

[0034] Specifically, the skin mating strip 7 is an alkali-free glass fiber cloth strip with a conformal structure.

[0035] Wherein, N is greater than or equal to 4.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, this is the theoretical shape of the wingtip. Section AA has a C-shaped opening, and the wingtip tapers flat along both sides of sections BB, CC, DD, and EE, with a relatively small thickness in some areas.

[0037] Optionally, the depth, width, and length of the antenna mounting slot 17 need to be comprehensively designed according to the size and installation requirements of each type of antenna base.

[0038] Example 2 This application provides a method for manufacturing various components of a composite wingtip structure for a drone with antenna mounting functionality, including: 1) The left sandwich skin 1 and the right sandwich skin 2 are composed of an outer skin 18, a foam core 19 and an inner skin 20. The outer skin 18 and the inner skin 20 are pure layer board structures with 0 / 90° and ±45° fabric prepregs laid out symmetrically, and then integrated with the foam core through a hot autoclave. 2) The front beam support 3, rear beam support 4, and antenna support 5 are pure layered board structures formed by symmetrically laying 0 / 90° and ±45° fabric prepreg and curing in an autoclave. 3) The antenna adapter bracket 6 is a machined part; 4) The skin mating strip 7 is cut and laid by hand and formed by wet method.

[0039] Example 3 This application provides an assembly method for a composite wingtip structure of a UAV with antenna mounting function, including: Step 1: Install front beam support 3 to the front beam tail section 13, and rear beam support 4 to the rear beam tail section 15; Specifically, the recessed areas of the front beam support 3 and the rear beam support 4 overlap the rear section 13 and the rear section 15 of the front beam, respectively; the contact area between the front beam support 3 and the flange of the rear section 13 is fixed by adhesive bonding at room temperature, and the contact area of ​​the web plate is mechanically connected by bolts; the contact area between the rear beam support 4 and the flange of the rear section 15 is fixed by adhesive bonding at room temperature, and the contact area of ​​the web plate is mechanically connected by bolts.

[0040] Step 2: Install antenna support component 5; Specifically, the recessed area of ​​the antenna support overlaps with the front beam support 3 and the rear beam support 4, and the contact area between the antenna support and the flange of the front beam support 3 and the rear beam support 4 is fixed by room temperature adhesive bonding, while the contact area of ​​the web plate is mechanically connected by rivets.

[0041] Step 3: Install the left interlayer skin 1 and the right interlayer skin 2; Specifically, the left interlayer skin 1 and the right interlayer skin 2 are fixed by room temperature adhesive bonding on the contact surfaces with the front edge end plate 12, the wing box end rib 14, the rear edge end plate 16, the front beam tail section 13, the rear beam tail section 15, the front beam support 3, the rear beam support 4, and the antenna support 5.

[0042] Step 4: Install the skin mating strip 7; Specifically, this includes: after the left interlayer skin 1 and the right interlayer skin 2 are assembled, they are bonded to the left interlayer skin 1 and the right interlayer skin 2 using a wet epoxy adhesive method.

[0043] Step 5: Install antenna adapter bracket 6; Specifically, the antenna adapter 6 is connected to the antenna support 5 by two countersunk bolts 10. During assembly, only the plate nuts 23 at both ends are connected, and the remaining plate nuts 23 are used as redundant parts. In case of connection failure, other plate nuts 23 can be connected, which has the advantage of quick and convenient fault handling.

[0044] Step 6: Install antenna 11; Specifically, the antenna 11 is screwed onto the antenna adapter bracket 6, and the head of the hexagonal head bolt 8 is located at the rectangular boss 27 of the antenna adapter bracket 6. The rectangular boss 27 of the antenna adapter bracket 6 restricts the rotation of the head of the hexagonal head bolt 8 during installation. Only the self-locking nut 9 needs to be tightened, which provides an open construction space and can effectively solve the problems of bolt interference with the wingtip structure and the inability to install due to limited construction space.

Claims

1. A composite wingtip structure for a drone with antenna mounting function, characterized in that, Includes left interlayer skin (1), right interlayer skin (2), front beam support (3), rear beam support (4), antenna support (5), antenna adapter bracket (6), and skin mating strip (7), wherein: The left sandwich panel (1) and the right sandwich panel (2) are symmetrical composite foam core components; both the left sandwich panel (1) and the right sandwich panel (2) include an outer skin (18), a foam core (19), and an inner skin (20); the foam core (19) is located at the rear of the wingtip; the outer skin (18) and the inner skin (20) are a pure layered structure with completely symmetrically laid outer panels; the front beam support (3) and the rear beam support (4) are pure layered box-shaped structures with completely symmetrically laid prepreg fabric, which are the wingtip load-bearing structures; the front beam support (3) and the rear beam support (4) are located at the lower part. A recessed area is provided, which is embedded in the front beam tail section (13) and the rear beam tail section (15); the antenna support (5) is a pure layered box structure with symmetrically laid prepreg fabric, which is embedded in the front beam support (3) and the rear beam support (4); the antenna adapter (6) is a plate-shaped structure that is screwed to the antenna support (5); the skin mating strip (7) is laid outside the left interlayer skin (1) and the right interlayer skin (2), which is a closed wingtip structure; an antenna mounting slot (17) is designed on the top of the UAV wingtip structure for mounting the antenna (11). The antenna support (5) has recessed areas at both ends, and has N antenna support bolt through holes (21) and antenna support electrical connector through holes (22), and N support plate nuts (23) are fixed at the antenna support bolt through holes (21). The antenna adapter bracket (6) is an aluminum alloy machined plate structure and is a detachable structure. The antenna adapter bracket (6) has at least (4) hexagonal head bolt through holes (24), N countersunk bolt through holes (25), and antenna adapter bracket electrical connector through holes (26). Rectangular bosses (27) are provided on both sides of the lower part.

2. The UAV composite wingtip structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The skin mating strip (7) is an alkali-free glass fiber cloth strip with a conformal structure.

3. The UAV composite wingtip structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The outer skin (18), inner skin (20) and foam core (19) are integrally cured and formed in a hot autoclave.

4. An assembly method for a composite wingtip structure of a UAV with antenna mounting function, characterized in that, The method utilizes the UAV composite wingtip structure with antenna mounting function as described in claim 3, and the method includes: Step 1: Install the front beam support (3) to the front beam tail section (13) and the rear beam support (4) to the rear beam tail section (15). Step 2: Install the antenna support (5); Step 3: Install the left interlayer skin (1) and the right interlayer skin (2); Step 4: Install the skin mating strip (7); After the left sandwich skin (1) and right sandwich skin (2) are mated, they are bonded to the left sandwich skin (1) and right sandwich skin (2) using epoxy adhesive wet bonding method; Step 5: Install the antenna adapter bracket (6); Step 6: Install the antenna (11); The antenna (11) is screwed onto the antenna adapter bracket (6). The head of the hexagonal head bolt (8) is located at the rectangular boss (27) of the antenna adapter bracket (6). The rectangular boss (27) of the antenna adapter bracket (6) restricts the rotation of the head of the hexagonal head bolt (8) during the installation process. Only the self-locking nut (9) needs to be tightened, which provides an open construction space.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Step 1 includes: The recessed areas of the front beam support (3) and the rear beam support (4) overlap the rear beam tail section (13) and the rear beam tail section (15) respectively; the contact area between the front beam support (3) and the flange of the front beam tail section (13) is fixed by adhesive bonding at room temperature, and the contact area of ​​the web plate is mechanically connected by bolts; the contact area between the rear beam support (4) and the flange of the rear beam tail section (15) is fixed by adhesive bonding at room temperature, and the contact area of ​​the web plate is mechanically connected by bolts.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Step 2 includes: The recessed area of ​​the antenna support overlaps with the front beam support (3) and the rear beam support (4). The contact area with the flange of the front beam support (3) and the rear beam support (4) is fixed by room temperature adhesive bonding, and the contact area of ​​the web plate is mechanically connected by rivets.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Step 3 includes: The left interlayer skin (1) and the right interlayer skin (2) are fixed by room temperature adhesive bonding on the contact surfaces with the front edge end plate (12), the wing box end rib (14), the rear edge end plate (16), the front beam tail section (13), the rear beam tail section (15), the front beam support (3), the rear beam support (4), and the antenna support (5).

8. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Step 5 includes: The antenna adapter bracket (6) is connected to the antenna support (5) by two countersunk bolts (10). During assembly, only the plate nuts (23) at both ends are connected. The remaining plate nuts (23) are used as redundant parts. In case of connection failure, other plate nuts (23) are connected, which has the advantage of quick and convenient fault handling.

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