Parachute cord recovery device matched with unmanned aerial vehicle freight transport system

Abstract

The invention relates to a special device for recovering a parachute opening pull rope after air-drop operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle, which consists of an electric capstan, a rope hanging assembly, a recovery steel rope, a clamping and locking mechanism, a rope arrangement linkage mechanism, a manual emergency assembly and an intelligent controller and is integrated in a cargo hold. The interval isolation guide ring is matched with the sliding block guide wheel, and the rope arrangement linkage mechanism is matched with the winding drum variable-pitch guide groove, so that the efficiency and smoothness of the parachute rope recovery device are improved; the clamping stability is improved through a double-spring linkage clamping jaw type elastic clamping mechanism, the double modes of an electric capstan and a manual emergency assembly have high reliability, and the situation that operation is affected due to failure of a single system is avoided; the intelligent controller accurately judges the state of the device through double detection of the front-end microswitch and the tail-end microswitch; meanwhile, component modular design is carried out based on the structure in the cargo hold, the lock head and the adjustable support are adaptive to different cargo hold sizes, and an existing freight transport system does not need to be greatly transformed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle freight, in particular to a special device for recovering the parachute opening pull rope after unmanned aerial vehicle air drop operation. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the unmanned aerial vehicle air drop operation, the forced opening device of the cargo tray parachute depends on the opening pull rope to realize the action, the upper end of the pull rope is hung with the cargo compartment cable, and the lower end is connected with the main parachute bag. After air drop, the opening pull rope and the hanging ring are left on the machine, and if they are not recovered to the front end of the cargo compartment in time, they will easily block the tail door, affecting the flight safety and task efficiency.

[0003] In the prior art, the manual recovery efficiency is low, and it cannot adapt to emergency or harsh environment operation; the traditional mechanical device is a general structure, which is not adapted to the cargo compartment space, and the cable is easy to wind and the sliding block is easy to deviate; only relying on electric recovery, there is no emergency manual backup, and the electric recovery cannot be operated when the electric recovery fails; there is no precise state monitoring, it is difficult to judge the recovery progress, and it is easy to misoperate.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a parachute rope recovery device with strong adaptability, smooth recovery, emergency backup and precise monitoring to solve the problems of low efficiency, poor reliability and high failure risk. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application aims to solve the following core problems: low recovery efficiency: the existing method cannot quickly recover, which easily blocks the tail door; high failure risk: no anti-winding design, the cable is easy to wind and the sliding block is easy to deviate; insufficient reliability: only electric recovery, no manual backup, and the electric recovery cannot be operated when the electric recovery fails; monitoring is missing: it is difficult to real-time master the recovery progress and component state, and it is easy to misoperate or not recovered in place. The present application needs to realize automatic and efficient recovery of the opening pull rope, ensure smooth process, have electric and manual dual modes, accurately monitor the state, and adapt to the freight system.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present application is that the parachute rope recovery device is composed of an electric winch, a hanging cable assembly, a recovery cable, a locking mechanism, a cable arrangement linkage mechanism, a manual emergency assembly and an intelligent controller, integrated in the cargo compartment, linked with the freight system, and each set of freight system is equipped with a set of device, as follows:

[0007] Electric winch 1: core power components, fixed to the front end of the cabin structure 10 preset support, integrated motor 101, motor shaft coupling 102, drum 103, reducer 104 and shell 105; motor 101 is the power source, connected to the reducer 104 through the motor shaft coupling 102, the output end of the reducer 104 is connected to the drum 103 (the surface is provided with a variable pitch guide groove to prevent the steel wire rope 303 from being messy); the shell 105 wraps the internal components, the manual emergency assembly 9 is mechanically linked with the drum 103; the motor 101 and the reducer 104 are in communication with the intelligent controller 7, and the output torque is dynamically adjusted to prevent the steel wire rope 303 from being overloaded.

[0008] Hanging rope assembly 2: installed along the front and rear directions of the cabin structure 10, fixed to the top support of the cabin structure 10, containing end positioning protrusion 201, interval isolation guide ring 202 and hanging rope body 203; the end positioning protrusion 201 is arranged near the tail door end of the hanging rope body 203, and is adapted with the double-spring linkage jaw type elastic clamping mechanism 403 of the latching mechanism 4; the interval isolation guide ring 202 is an integrated structure of "ring + wing", the ring part isolates the hanging rope body 203 and the steel wire rope 303, and the wing part forms a guide groove to constrain the sliding direction of the slider 302 and prevent deviation.

[0009] Recycled cable 3: containing steel wire rope 303, lock head 301 and slider 302; the steel wire rope 303 is a multi-strand woven structure, and a low-friction wear-resistant layer is arranged on the surface; the two ends are connected with the drum 103 of the electric winch 1 and the slider 302 through the lock head 301 (quick release type) respectively, and the lock head 301 is convenient for quick disassembly and maintenance; the slider 302 is sleeved on the hanging rope body 203, the two sides are provided with guide wheels (embedded in the wing guide groove of the interval isolation guide ring 202), and the bottom is provided with the mounting bracket 401 of the latching mechanism 4.

[0010] Latching mechanism 4: fixed to the bottom of the slider 302 through the mounting bracket 401, containing end micro switch 402, double-spring linkage jaw type elastic clamping mechanism 403 and front end micro switch 404; the double-spring linkage jaw type elastic clamping mechanism 403 is adapted with the end positioning protrusion 201 of the hanging rope assembly 2 to realize the positioning of the slider 302; the end micro switch 402 is installed near the tail door end of the hanging rope body 203 (corresponding to the position of the end positioning protrusion 201), and the front end micro switch 404 is installed at the front end of the cabin structure 10 (corresponding to the recovery end point of the slider 302), both of which are connected with the intelligent controller 7, and feedback the clamping / in-place state.

[0011] Umbrella rope 5: one end is hooked to the hanging groove of the sliding block 302 through the hanging ring, and the other end is connected to the pallet parachute bag, which is recovered with the sliding block 302 after air drop.

[0012] The cable row linkage mechanism 6 is fixed to the floor of the cabin structure 10 between the electric winch 1 and the sliding block 302, and comprises a synchronous gear set 601, a cam link driven reciprocating rope guide 602 and a tension adjustment module 603; the synchronous gear set 601 is connected with the output end of the reducer 104 of the electric winch 1, so as to ensure that the cable row speed matches the winding and unwinding speed of the drum 103; the reciprocating rope guide 602 guides the steel wire rope 303 to be uniformly arranged in the variable pitch guide groove of the drum 103; the tension adjustment module 603 finely adjusts the position of the reciprocating rope guide 602, and compensates the deviation caused by the change of the tension of the steel wire rope 303.

[0013] The intelligent controller 7 is fixed to the middle side wall of the cabin structure 10, and comprises a main control unit, a power management module, a multi-channel signal acquisition module, a motor driving module and a communication module; the signal acquisition module receives the torque signal of the electric winch 1 and the end micro switch 402 / front end micro switch 404 signal of the locking mechanism 4; the communication module interacts with the upper computer 8 and the upper computer 8, and the driving module controls the start and stop and the rotating speed of the motor 101.

[0014] The upper computer 8 is installed in the unmanned aerial vehicle cockpit or the ground control end, communicates with the intelligent controller 7 through wireless / wired communication, sends the “electric recovery” and “electric unwinding” instructions, and receives the “recovery completion” and “fault alarm” feedback signals.

[0015] The manual emergency assembly 9 comprises a folding handle, a mechanical interlocking switch and an operation port protection cover, and is installed on the side surface of the shell 105 of the electric winch 1; after the folding handle is inserted, it needs to be rotated by a specified angle to trigger the mechanical interlocking switch, so as to switch to the manual transmission path (connected with the drum 103), and after switching, the locking structure is clamped to prevent misoperation; the operation port protection cover is provided with a waterproof seal, and is connected with the intelligent controller 7, and when the cover is opened, it prompts “enter manual mode”.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] Further, the efficiency and smoothness are improved: the interval isolation guide ring 202 of the hanging cable assembly 2 cooperates with the guide wheel of the sliding block 302 to prevent the sliding block 302 from deviating; the cable row linkage mechanism 6 cooperates with the variable pitch guide groove of the drum 103 to prevent the steel wire rope 303 from winding; the electric recovery does not need manual operation, which shortens the recovery time and ensures the closing of the tail door.

[0018] Further, reliability enhancement: the double-spring linkage jaw-type elastic clamping mechanism 403 of the locking mechanism 4 improves clamping stability, and the lock head 301 facilitates the maintenance of the steel wire rope 303; the electric winch 1 + manual emergency assembly 9 dual mode avoids the impact of single system failure on operation.

[0019] Further, intelligentization and safety optimization: the intelligent controller 7 detects through the end micro switch 402 or the front end micro switch 404, accurately judges the state; the interlocking switching of the manual emergency assembly 9 and the controller prompt prevent misoperation; the waterproof protective cover and the wear-resistant layer of the steel wire rope 303 prolong the service life and reduce the maintenance cost.

[0020] Further, strong adaptability: all components are modularly designed based on the cabin structure 10, the lock head 301 and the adjustable support adapt to different cargo compartment sizes, without the need to greatly modify the existing cargo transport system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 is the overall installation structure schematic diagram of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2 is Figure 1 is the electric winch and the cable linkage mechanism connection schematic diagram;

[0023] Figure 3 is Figure 2 is the sectional view;

[0024] Figure 4 is the cable linkage mechanism composition diagram.

[0025] In the figure, the electric winch 1, the cable hanging assembly 2, the recovery cable 3, the locking mechanism 4, the parachute rope 5, the cable linkage mechanism 6, the intelligent controller 7, the upper computer 8, the manual emergency assembly 9, the cabin structure 10, the motor 101, the motor connecting shaft 102, the winding drum 103, the speed reducer 104 and the shell 105, the end positioning protrusion 201, the interval isolation guide ring 202 and the cable hanging body 203, the lock head 301, the sliding block 302, the steel wire rope 303, the installation support 401, the end micro switch 402, the double-spring linkage jaw-type elastic clamping mechanism 403, the front end micro switch 404, the synchronous gear set 601, the reciprocating type rope guide 602 and the tension adjusting module 603. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present application is a UAV cargo transport system supporting parachute rope recovery device, and the specific implementation manner is as follows:

[0027] 1 Installation and debugging

[0028] 1) Installation steps

[0029] Electric winch 1 installation: the shell 105 of the electric winch 1 is fixed on the pre-set support at the front end of the cabin structure 10 by bolts, the angle is adjusted to make the axis of the drum 103 parallel to the hanging rope body 203 of the hanging rope assembly 2; the power supply line and control line of the motor 101 and the reducer 104 are connected to the intelligent controller 7; the manual emergency assembly 9 is installed on the side of the shell 105, and it is ensured that the folding handle can be linked with the drum 103.

[0030] Hanging rope assembly 2 installation: the hanging rope body 203 is erected between the pre-set supports at the top of the cabin structure 10, and the tension is adjusted by the basket bolt to make the hanging rope body 203 tight; the interval isolation guide ring 202 is installed at the appropriate interval (determined according to the length of the cargo hold), and it is ensured that the side wing guide grooves are collinear; the end positioning protrusion 201 is installed near the tail door end of the hanging rope body 203, and the end micro switch 402 of the locking mechanism 4 is fixed at the corresponding position.

[0031] Recovery cable 3 installation: one end of the steel wire rope 303 is connected to the drum 103 of the electric winch 1 through the lock head 301, the other end passes through the reciprocating rope guide 602 of the rope arrangement linkage mechanism 6, and the steel wire rope 303 is connected to the sliding block 302 through the lock head 301; the sliding block 302 is sleeved on the hanging rope body 203, and it is ensured that the guide wheel is embedded in the side wing guide groove of the interval isolation guide ring 202.

[0032] Locking mechanism 4 installation: the double-spring linkage claw type elastic clamping mechanism 403 is fixed on the bottom of the sliding block 302 through the installation support 401, and the claw position is adjusted to adapt to the end positioning protrusion 201; the front end micro switch 404 is installed at the front end of the cabin structure 10 (the recovery end point of the sliding block 302), and the signal lines of the end micro switch 402 and the front end micro switch 404 are connected to the intelligent controller 7.

[0033] Rope arrangement linkage mechanism 6 installation: the rope arrangement linkage mechanism 6 is fixed on the floor of the cabin structure 10 (behind the electric winch 1) through the support, the height is adjusted to make the rope guide hole of the reciprocating rope guide 602 collinear with the steel wire rope 303 inlet of the drum 103 and the sliding block 302; the synchronous gear set 601 is connected with the output end of the reducer 104, and the signal line of the tension adjustment module 603 is connected with the intelligent controller 7.

[0034] The intelligent controller 7 is installed with the upper computer 8: the intelligent controller 7 is fixed in the middle insulating support of the cabin structure 10, and the power supply line (connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle power supply), the signal acquisition line (connected to the electric winch 1, the locking mechanism 4 and the cable arrangement linkage mechanism 6), the communication line (connected to the upper computer 8 and the tail door system) are connected; the upper computer 8 is installed on the ground control end, and the communication connection with the intelligent controller 7 is established.

[0035] 2) Debugging after installation

[0036] Power-on self-test: the intelligent controller 7 automatically detects the state of each component after power-on, and the end micro switch 402, the front end micro switch 404 and the motor 101 all feedback normal signals, which means passing;

[0037] No-load test: test the electric recovery / release, observe whether the slider 302 slides smoothly, whether the steel wire rope 303 cable is neat, and whether the switch trigger of the locking mechanism 4 is accurate; Manual test: simulate electric failure, operate the manual emergency assembly 9, and check the smoothness of manual recovery / release and the accuracy of switch trigger.

[0038] 2 Recovery process steps

[0039] 1) Preparation stage (before air drop)

[0040] Pre-task check: the upper computer 8 sends a "self-test instruction" to the intelligent controller 7, the controller detects the state of the electric winch 1, the locking mechanism 4 and the cable arrangement linkage mechanism 6, and alarms if abnormal, and rechecks after troubleshooting;

[0041] Standby setting: after the self-test passes, the upper computer 8 sends an "electric release" instruction, the intelligent controller 7 drives the motor 101 to reverse, and releases the steel wire rope 303; the slider 302 slides to the end of the cable body 203, the double-spring linkage claw type elastic clamping mechanism 403 is clamped with the end positioning protrusion 201 (triggering the end micro switch 402); confirm that the length of the steel wire rope 303 released meets the standard, stop the motor 101, and feedback "standby"; the ground personnel hooks the parachute rope 5 through the hanging ring to the slider 302.

[0042] 2) Electric recovery (after air drop)

[0043] Instruction trigger: after the air drop is completed, the upper computer 8 automatically / manually sends an "electric recovery" instruction;

[0044] Recovery Start-up: The intelligent controller 7 confirms that the tailgate is not closed, and the drive motor 101 rotates forward, driving the drum 103 to wind up the wire rope 303 through the motor coupling 102 and the reducer 104; the cable arrangement linkage mechanism 6 synchronously guides the arrangement of the wire rope 303.

[0045] Engagement and disengagement: When the tension of the steel wire rope 303 reaches the threshold, the double spring linkage claw elastic engagement mechanism 403 disengages from the end positioning protrusion 201, triggering the end micro switch 402, and the controller maintains the speed of the motor 101;

[0046] Position completed: Slider 302 slides to the front end of the internal structure 10, triggering the front micro switch 404, the controller stops the motor 101, sends "Recovery complete" to the tailgate system, and feeds back to the host computer 8.

[0047] 3) Electric release (after landing)

[0048] Command triggered: The drone lands, and the host computer sends an "electric release" command to confirm the tailgate opening;

[0049] Cable release: The controller drives the motor 101 to reverse, the drum 103 releases the wire rope 303, and the cable release linkage mechanism 6 guides it; the ground support auxiliary drag slider 302;

[0050] Positioning and waiting: Slider 302 slides to the end, and the double spring linkage claw elastic engagement mechanism 403 engages with the end positioning protrusion 201 (triggering the end micro switch 402); after confirming that the released length meets the standard, motor 101 stops, feedback "waiting", and the paracord 5 hook is checked.

[0051] 4) Manual recycling (electric recycling fails)

[0052] Mode activation: Controller alarm, ground crew removes folding crank, opens manual emergency component 9 protective cover (controller prompts "manual mode");

[0053] Path switching: Insert the crank and rotate it to a specified angle to switch to the manual path, and the locking structure will lock in place;

[0054] Manual recovery: Turning the crank drives the drum 103 to wind up the wire rope 303, and the slider 302 triggers the front micro switch 404 (increasing the resistance of the crank), stopping the crank;

[0055] Mode Exit: Rotate in the opposite direction to unlock, remove the crank to close the cover, and record the fault and recycling results.

[0056] 5) Manual release (electric failure)

[0057] Mode activation: Same as manual recycling steps: open the cover, insert the crank, and switch paths;

[0058] Manual release: Turn the crank handle to release the wire rope 303. The slider 302 slides to the end, and the double spring linkage claw elastic locking mechanism 403 engages (triggers the end micro switch 402), stopping the crank handle;

[0059] Exit mode: Unlock the crank handle and close the cover. Feedback: "Release in place". Check the paracord hook 5.

Claims

1. A parachute line recovery device for a drone cargo system, characterized in that, The system includes an electric winch 1, a cable assembly 2, a recovery cable 3, a locking mechanism 4, paracord 5, a cable arrangement linkage mechanism 6, an intelligent controller 7, a host computer 8, a manual emergency component 9, and an internal structure 10. The electric winch 1 is fixed to the front end of the internal structure 10 and includes a motor 101, a motor coupling 102, a drum 103, a reducer 104, and a housing 105. The motor 101 is connected to the reducer 104 via the motor coupling 102, and the output end of the reducer 104 is connected to the drum 103. The manual emergency component 9 is linked to the drum 103. The cable assembly 2 is installed along the front and rear of the internal structure 10 and includes an end positioning protrusion 201, a spacer / isolation guide ring 202, and a cable body 203. The spacer / isolation guide ring 202 is an integrated "ring + side wing" structure. The recovery cable 3 includes a wire rope 303, a lock head 301, and a slider 302. The drum 103 and the slider 302 are connected at both ends by lock heads 301, and the slider 302 is sleeved on the hanging rope body 203; the locking mechanism 4 is fixed to the slider 302 by the mounting bracket 401, and includes an end micro switch 402, a double spring linkage claw elastic locking mechanism 403 and a front micro switch 404. The double spring linkage claw elastic locking mechanism 403 is adapted to the end positioning protrusion 201; the rope laying linkage mechanism 6 includes a synchronous gear set 601, a reciprocating rope guide 602 and a tension adjustment module 603. The synchronous gear set 601 is linked with the reducer 104; the intelligent controller 7 communicates with the electric winch 1, the locking mechanism 4, the rope laying linkage mechanism 6 and the host computer 8.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the drum 103 of the electric winch 1 is provided with a variable pitch guide groove. The motor 101 and the reducer 104 are both connected to the intelligent controller 7 to dynamically adjust the output torque.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spaced isolation guide rings 202 of the hanging cable assembly 2 are arranged at appropriate intervals along the hanging cable body 203, and the guide grooves formed by the side wings are adapted to the guide wheels of the slider 302 to constrain the sliding direction of the slider 302.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lock 301 of the reclaimed steel cable 3 is a quick-release structure, and the surface of the steel wire rope 303 is provided with a low-friction wear-resistant layer.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end micro switch 402 of the locking mechanism 4 is installed on the cable body 203 near the tailgate, and the front micro switch 404 is installed on the front of the cabin structure 10. Both are connected to the intelligent controller 7 to provide feedback on the locking / locking status.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tension adjustment module 603 of the cable-laying linkage mechanism 6 can finely adjust the position of the reciprocating rope guide 602 in real time to compensate for the cable-laying deviation caused by the tension change of the wire rope 303.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The manual emergency component 9 includes a folding crank and a mechanical interlock switcher. After the crank is inserted, it needs to be rotated to a specified angle to trigger the switch. After the switch is completed, the locking structure is locked to prevent the transmission path from being switched accidentally during operation.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intelligent controller 7 includes a multi-channel signal acquisition module, which receives the torque signal of the electric winch 1 and the signals of the end micro switch 402 / front micro switch 404 of the locking mechanism 4, and interacts with the host computer 8 through the communication module.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The manual emergency component 9 also includes a waterproof operating port protective cover, which is linked to the intelligent controller 7. When the cover is opened, the controller prompts "Enter manual mode".

10. A method for recovering paracord based on the device according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The electric recovery process includes: after the drone airdrop is completed, the host computer 8 sends an "electric recovery" command to the intelligent controller 7; the intelligent controller 7 drives the motor 101 of the electric winch 1 to rotate forward, and the motor 101 drives the drum 103 to recover the wire rope 303 through the motor coupling 102 and the reducer 104; the synchronous gear set 601 of the cable arrangement linkage mechanism 6 drives the reciprocating rope guide 602 to guide the arrangement of the wire rope 303; the slider 302 slides along the spaced isolation guide ring 202 of the cable assembly 2, and the double spring linkage claw elastic locking mechanism 403 disengages from the end positioning protrusion 201 and triggers the end micro switch 402; after the slider 302 triggers the front micro switch 404, the intelligent controller 7 stops the motor 101 and sends a "recovery complete" signal to the host computer 8.

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